Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I forgot to mention, you've got the panorama picture taking down. I can never seem to get it right on my phone lol.
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TR: The Gil Family Takes Southern California... But Mostly Disneyland!
- Thread starter Marc Gil
- Start date
Lol Well I hope you had a wonderful trip. I'm looking forward to reading yours soonGood report so far! I usually don't read many of these, but glad I gave this one a shot.
I'm gonna write one of these from my trip I just came back from, but will wait for yours to end so we don't have overload! Haha
Haha thank you! You have no idea how much different shots I had to take to make the last one look decent. I could only imagine how awkward I must've looked while waiting in line lol.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Lol Well I hope you had a wonderful trip. I'm looking forward to reading yours soon
Haha thank you! You have no idea how much different shots I had to take to make the last one look decent. I could only imagine how awkward I must've looked while waiting in line lol.
Not as awkward as the people with tripods!
Hello everyone! I'm back bringing you more of my So Cal vacation!
So sit back... Relax.... And let me do the talking....
Oh wait....
Well anyway, we left off right when I was about to ride The Casey Jr. Circus Train. Let me just say that the hostess from Storybookland (mentioned in the previous TR post) was completely right. The wait was relatively less than 10 minutes. We had a conversation with some older folks in line, talking about how different Walt Disney World was compared to Disneyland. Apparently, they have never been, so I told them that it was worth visiting.
Anyway, after a brief conversation, we were finally admitted inside. Christian and I went straight for the first row (there was no way we were going to be crammed into one of those cages in the back!) Here are some photos:
I felt that this ride was a little hidden. You can miss the entrance if you're not paying attention.
I didn't take any pictures on the ride itself. The train was moving too fast, but I did take a lot of photos on Storybookland later in my vacation, so I'll show you those a little later.
The ride itself was pretty nice. It was relaxing, and you see pretty much the same sets from Storybookland, but there's no one narrating your adventure. The train itself wasn't really a train (at least I don't think it is). The engine kept blowing out these obnoxious fumes, and each time the breeze would come in, it would get blown to our faces. Other than that, the ride was cute, fun, and an escape from the crowds.
Following Casey Jr, we decided that we would ride Pinocchio next. It looked pretty empty and I don't remember riding it ever, so we gave it a shot.
Christian and I both agreed that Pinocchio's Daring Journey was one of the best Fantasyland Dark Rides. It was so beautifully done, and it portrayed the story of Pinocchio very well for the time being. I loved the Pleasure Island scenes, especially Lampwick's donkey transformation. The Monstro scene was also pretty cool, but that strobe light was unnecessary. It was just a fun little ride and I wish that they would bring it to Florida.
After riding Pinocchio, we decided to hop on Snow White, which was pretty much a shorter version of Florida's, but with some scenes rearranged. The effects in Disneyland I found were actually an improvement of the one's previously in Florida, especially the Evil Queen's transformation. I didn't take any pictures in here, as the attraction was way too dark.
Now one attraction that I really wanted to visit at Disneyland was the Castle Walk-through . So it was only natural that we would visit that next, considering how close Snow White was to it. It appeared empty, and all the other rides were filling up, so we decided to just get this one over with.
I was surprised how small and hidden the entrance was. One can easily miss the entrance without noticing. Anyway, the walk-through itself was very neat. It was quite narrow in some parts, and a little creepy. There was one part when you were to look into a square hole that watched over Maleficent's fortress. I looked through the left hole, and my brother took the right. While I saw some of Maleficent's minions walking through Christian's hole, my hole appeared to be empty, so I looked closer and closer. All of a sudden, one of her minions just poped out of nowhere like those internet screamers, and I swear I jumped like 10 feet into the air. I'm such a chicken when it comes to those types of things lol. Here are some of the photos I took inside:
They really did a great job with these dioramas. I really didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised anyway.
Everyone in the kingdom sound asleep...
Briar Rose/Aurora/Sleeping Beauty sound asleep waiting for Prince Phillip to awaken her.
As we were finishing up the walk-through and walking down the final steps, there was one last thing that made Christian and me jump. It was Maleficent's shadow. It came out of nowhere! I could hear the people walking behind us laughing hysterically. Yeah... we were embarrassed...
Moving on, Christian and I survived the Castle Walk-through, and were then thinking on what to do next. We both had the same idea.... Pirates! One thing that I remembered fondly from Disneyland, was that their POTC was absolutely amazing. So after taking a few more photos in Fantasyland, we darted towards Pirates!
While passing through Frontierland, I so happened to catch from the corner of my eye a Davy Crockett coonskin cap. After forgetting to pick one up at Magic Kingdom last June, I decided that I wouldn't make that mistake again, so I bought the cap then and there. Following that purchase, I quickly put them on, and then instantly felt like a Frontiersmen.
So after a quick stroll through Frontierland, we finally reached the Pirates of the Caribbean. It looked crowded, but the wait only said 15 minutes, so we got on it anyway. I would've waited an hour to be honest. I think it's worth it!
While waiting in line, I saw that my parents had called, so I called them back immediately, and they informed me that they were on their way to the parks. I told them to meet us at the New Orleans Square railroad station once they had arrived. My Mother then quickly informed me than one of my cousins was visiting the park today. Now I haven't seen this particular cousin in nearly a decade, so I obviously I wasn't able to recognize her. But anyway, My mom later explained that she had arranged lunch with them at French Market at around 1:00, so that ruined my previous plan to dine at Jolly Holiday Bakery, but I didn't mind. It was nice seeing my cousin again.
Anyway, after being on the phone with my mother for a few minutes, it was just about ready to board the ride. So I quickly hung up, asked for the front seat, and my adventure began. POTC was everything I remembered it being. It was longer, more detailed, and just better all around than MK's version.We ended up riding it two more times that day.
Finally, after we rode, my parents had just arrived, so we explored more of New Orleans Square with them, while taking photos along the way:
Being silly with Mom and Christian.
I just fell in love with this land all over again. I could literally walk through all these streets and stores for hours.
Christian enjoying the sights at New Orleans Square
After exploring New Orleans Square for a bit, we decided to go pick up some Fastpasses for Splash Mountain. So we headed over to Critter Country, which was only a few steps away from the Haunted Mansion.
I picked up Fastpasses for my Dad and myself (Christian and my Mom absolutely HATE big drops, so they decided to skip this one), then we walked to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The wait was only five minutes, and it gave us a chance for our feet to rest up a bit. The ride itself was funny because our Beehive was doing the same EMV floating movement throughout the entire ride so there was no bouncing, just floating over imaginary water.
After disembarking from The Floating Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, my Mom happened to catch a glimpse of Tigger near the exit. Already, there was a huge line forming around him. My Mom wanted to wait, but I didn't. After 15 minutes of waiting, Tigger decided that it was time to leave because he was late for Roo's birthday party. We were informed he would return in about 30 minutes, but that was enough waiting for us. It was already nearing 1:00, so we just decided to head back to New Orleans Square for some Haunted Mansion fun.
While walking to the Haunted Mansion, we actually happened to run into my cousin and her boyfriend who were also about to ride. We ended up catching up while waiting in line. My cousin lives in Northern California, and she just decided to drive to Disneyland for the weekend for a mini vacation. She told us that she drove 6 straight hours from San Francisco to LA. NONSTOP! I don't know about you, but I cannot sit in a car for 6 straight hours! I would just go insane! At least when you're on a plane you can get up and move around.
Anyway, after we rode, we decided to go back to New Orleans Square to do some shopping before we ate lunch. I just so happened to find a location where they were drawing caricatures, so I told my family that I would get mine done while they went shopping. So 30 minutes later, the masterpiece was complete:
At first I didn't think it looked like me, but then after some close observations, I finally saw the resemblance. Let me tell you, it was so awkward getting it done. It's one thing for the artist to constantly stare at you while drawing the darn thing, but when a whole bunch of tourists crowd all around you and stare you all at the same time, it's really uncomfortable!
So following that little awkward encounter, we decided to go eat some lunch. I was starving! I haven't eaten since 6:00 that morning. We stuck to our plans and ate at French Market, which was a quick service joint right next to the train station. There was no seating inside, but thankfully it was the outdoor seating area shaded, so it was the perfect time to reapply some sunscreen.
I loved this place, I didn't think I was going to, but I did. The entertainment was excellent, and so was the food. I had their Jambalaya, which was very good. I also picked up a little sliver of chocolate cake, which was also pretty tasty.
The band was awesome. They were belting out some classic New Orleans tunes, along with some jazzy versions of songs from this century.
You know it's Disney when your cake is glittery. It's almost like they sprinkled pixie dust on it lol.
After a hearty meal, and some good old fashioned entertainment, it was time to say goodbye to my cousin and her boyfriend for now. They had Fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers, so we didn't want them to miss out on that opportunity! So after our goodbyes, we checked out Tarzan's Treehouse which was pretty cool:
AAAHHH!! Sabor!
After our side-trip to Tarzan's Treehouse, it was about time to ride Splash Mountain. My Dad and me ended up going along to Critter Country, while my Mom and Christian stayed to meet Princess Tiana. I didn't take any pics on Splash Mountain because I gave all of my valuables to my Mom to hold so they wouldn't get wet. Giving her my valuables wasn't really needed because neither me nor my Dad got a drop wet.
I've noticed that a lot of Audio Animatronics were not working. Almost half Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah figures weren't working. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but there was still a handful of Animatronics that weren't working. That didn't stop us from having fun though! The ride still looked beautiful, and I loved some of the extra scenes, and the final drop is always exhilarating.
After Splash, we met back up at the railroad station with my Mom and my Brother. After a few minutes of deciding what to do next, we finally made our decision that we would visit California Adventure. It was going to be our first time at the park, so we were all excited to see the new Carsland and Buena Vista Street, not to mention the other great attractions there.
Before we left Disneyland, we rode the Disneyland Railroad to Main Street Station. Let me just say that it was a lot cooler than WDW's. The primeval exhibit, and the Grand Canyon diorama were awesome. I wish I took some pictures!
Us waiting patiently for the train...
We finally reached Main Street USA station. My Mom and Dad went to go get some waters and take some pictures, but I saw that Cruella was meeting near Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I couldn't pass that opportunity!
Unfortunately, most of the pictures that the photographers took were horribly blurry. This is the only one that came out okay. As you can see I'm not looking anywhere near the camera...
Cruella was absolutely hilarious! She was instantly drawn to my hat, saying that it look marvelous on me. She then snatched it from my head and began inspecting it. She then started conversing with my Chrstian, asking him what his favorite ride was and if he met any characters today. W told her that she was the only character that we had met so far, and instantly she started gloating on how she made our day spectacular. I then asked Cruella what her favorite ride is at Disneyland. She said that the Jungle Cruise is her favorite because it's just like shopping on a catalog. She was great! Unfortunately, we didn't get to see her again in our visit.
After we met Cruella, we met up with my parents again, and look who popped in to say hello on the way out.
Cinderelly!
Again with the photographers taking awkward pictures!
Finally!
Well that concludes my post for today!
Another cliffhanger, I know!
Don't worry, I'll be back soon for more.... SO STAY TUNED!
Coming Soon: Our California Adventure, A Quiet Dinner in Frontierland, and a not so scary Indiana Jones Adventure!
Stay Tuned Everyone, and Thanks for Reading!
So sit back... Relax.... And let me do the talking....
Oh wait....
Well anyway, we left off right when I was about to ride The Casey Jr. Circus Train. Let me just say that the hostess from Storybookland (mentioned in the previous TR post) was completely right. The wait was relatively less than 10 minutes. We had a conversation with some older folks in line, talking about how different Walt Disney World was compared to Disneyland. Apparently, they have never been, so I told them that it was worth visiting.
Anyway, after a brief conversation, we were finally admitted inside. Christian and I went straight for the first row (there was no way we were going to be crammed into one of those cages in the back!) Here are some photos:
I felt that this ride was a little hidden. You can miss the entrance if you're not paying attention.
I didn't take any pictures on the ride itself. The train was moving too fast, but I did take a lot of photos on Storybookland later in my vacation, so I'll show you those a little later.
The ride itself was pretty nice. It was relaxing, and you see pretty much the same sets from Storybookland, but there's no one narrating your adventure. The train itself wasn't really a train (at least I don't think it is). The engine kept blowing out these obnoxious fumes, and each time the breeze would come in, it would get blown to our faces. Other than that, the ride was cute, fun, and an escape from the crowds.
Following Casey Jr, we decided that we would ride Pinocchio next. It looked pretty empty and I don't remember riding it ever, so we gave it a shot.
Christian and I both agreed that Pinocchio's Daring Journey was one of the best Fantasyland Dark Rides. It was so beautifully done, and it portrayed the story of Pinocchio very well for the time being. I loved the Pleasure Island scenes, especially Lampwick's donkey transformation. The Monstro scene was also pretty cool, but that strobe light was unnecessary. It was just a fun little ride and I wish that they would bring it to Florida.
After riding Pinocchio, we decided to hop on Snow White, which was pretty much a shorter version of Florida's, but with some scenes rearranged. The effects in Disneyland I found were actually an improvement of the one's previously in Florida, especially the Evil Queen's transformation. I didn't take any pictures in here, as the attraction was way too dark.
Now one attraction that I really wanted to visit at Disneyland was the Castle Walk-through . So it was only natural that we would visit that next, considering how close Snow White was to it. It appeared empty, and all the other rides were filling up, so we decided to just get this one over with.
I was surprised how small and hidden the entrance was. One can easily miss the entrance without noticing. Anyway, the walk-through itself was very neat. It was quite narrow in some parts, and a little creepy. There was one part when you were to look into a square hole that watched over Maleficent's fortress. I looked through the left hole, and my brother took the right. While I saw some of Maleficent's minions walking through Christian's hole, my hole appeared to be empty, so I looked closer and closer. All of a sudden, one of her minions just poped out of nowhere like those internet screamers, and I swear I jumped like 10 feet into the air. I'm such a chicken when it comes to those types of things lol. Here are some of the photos I took inside:
They really did a great job with these dioramas. I really didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised anyway.
Everyone in the kingdom sound asleep...
Briar Rose/Aurora/Sleeping Beauty sound asleep waiting for Prince Phillip to awaken her.
As we were finishing up the walk-through and walking down the final steps, there was one last thing that made Christian and me jump. It was Maleficent's shadow. It came out of nowhere! I could hear the people walking behind us laughing hysterically. Yeah... we were embarrassed...
Moving on, Christian and I survived the Castle Walk-through, and were then thinking on what to do next. We both had the same idea.... Pirates! One thing that I remembered fondly from Disneyland, was that their POTC was absolutely amazing. So after taking a few more photos in Fantasyland, we darted towards Pirates!
While passing through Frontierland, I so happened to catch from the corner of my eye a Davy Crockett coonskin cap. After forgetting to pick one up at Magic Kingdom last June, I decided that I wouldn't make that mistake again, so I bought the cap then and there
. Following that purchase, I quickly put them on, and then instantly felt like a Frontiersmen.So after a quick stroll through Frontierland, we finally reached the Pirates of the Caribbean. It looked crowded, but the wait only said 15 minutes, so we got on it anyway. I would've waited an hour to be honest. I think it's worth it!
While waiting in line, I saw that my parents had called, so I called them back immediately, and they informed me that they were on their way to the parks. I told them to meet us at the New Orleans Square railroad station once they had arrived. My Mother then quickly informed me than one of my cousins was visiting the park today. Now I haven't seen this particular cousin in nearly a decade, so I obviously I wasn't able to recognize her. But anyway, My mom later explained that she had arranged lunch with them at French Market at around 1:00, so that ruined my previous plan to dine at Jolly Holiday Bakery, but I didn't mind. It was nice seeing my cousin again.
Anyway, after being on the phone with my mother for a few minutes, it was just about ready to board the ride. So I quickly hung up, asked for the front seat, and my adventure began. POTC was everything I remembered it being. It was longer, more detailed, and just better all around than MK's version.We ended up riding it two more times that day.
Finally, after we rode, my parents had just arrived, so we explored more of New Orleans Square with them, while taking photos along the way:
Being silly with Mom and Christian.
I just fell in love with this land all over again. I could literally walk through all these streets and stores for hours.
Christian enjoying the sights at New Orleans Square
After exploring New Orleans Square for a bit, we decided to go pick up some Fastpasses for Splash Mountain. So we headed over to Critter Country, which was only a few steps away from the Haunted Mansion.
I picked up Fastpasses for my Dad and myself (Christian and my Mom absolutely HATE big drops, so they decided to skip this one), then we walked to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The wait was only five minutes, and it gave us a chance for our feet to rest up a bit. The ride itself was funny because our Beehive was doing the same EMV floating movement throughout the entire ride so there was no bouncing, just floating over imaginary water.
After disembarking from The Floating Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, my Mom happened to catch a glimpse of Tigger near the exit. Already, there was a huge line forming around him. My Mom wanted to wait, but I didn't. After 15 minutes of waiting, Tigger decided that it was time to leave because he was late for Roo's birthday party. We were informed he would return in about 30 minutes, but that was enough waiting for us. It was already nearing 1:00, so we just decided to head back to New Orleans Square for some Haunted Mansion fun.
While walking to the Haunted Mansion, we actually happened to run into my cousin and her boyfriend who were also about to ride. We ended up catching up while waiting in line. My cousin lives in Northern California, and she just decided to drive to Disneyland for the weekend for a mini vacation. She told us that she drove 6 straight hours from San Francisco to LA. NONSTOP! I don't know about you, but I cannot sit in a car for 6 straight hours! I would just go insane! At least when you're on a plane you can get up and move around.
Anyway, after we rode, we decided to go back to New Orleans Square to do some shopping before we ate lunch. I just so happened to find a location where they were drawing caricatures, so I told my family that I would get mine done while they went shopping. So 30 minutes later, the masterpiece was complete:
At first I didn't think it looked like me, but then after some close observations, I finally saw the resemblance. Let me tell you, it was so awkward getting it done. It's one thing for the artist to constantly stare at you while drawing the darn thing, but when a whole bunch of tourists crowd all around you and stare you all at the same time, it's really uncomfortable!
So following that little awkward encounter, we decided to go eat some lunch. I was starving! I haven't eaten since 6:00 that morning. We stuck to our plans and ate at French Market, which was a quick service joint right next to the train station. There was no seating inside, but thankfully it was the outdoor seating area shaded, so it was the perfect time to reapply some sunscreen.
I loved this place, I didn't think I was going to, but I did. The entertainment was excellent, and so was the food. I had their Jambalaya, which was very good. I also picked up a little sliver of chocolate cake, which was also pretty tasty.
The band was awesome. They were belting out some classic New Orleans tunes, along with some jazzy versions of songs from this century.
You know it's Disney when your cake is glittery. It's almost like they sprinkled pixie dust on it lol.
After a hearty meal, and some good old fashioned entertainment, it was time to say goodbye to my cousin and her boyfriend for now. They had Fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers, so we didn't want them to miss out on that opportunity! So after our goodbyes, we checked out Tarzan's Treehouse which was pretty cool:
AAAHHH!! Sabor!
After our side-trip to Tarzan's Treehouse, it was about time to ride Splash Mountain. My Dad and me ended up going along to Critter Country, while my Mom and Christian stayed to meet Princess Tiana. I didn't take any pics on Splash Mountain because I gave all of my valuables to my Mom to hold so they wouldn't get wet. Giving her my valuables wasn't really needed because neither me nor my Dad got a drop wet.
I've noticed that a lot of Audio Animatronics were not working. Almost half Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah figures weren't working. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but there was still a handful of Animatronics that weren't working. That didn't stop us from having fun though! The ride still looked beautiful, and I loved some of the extra scenes, and the final drop is always exhilarating.
After Splash, we met back up at the railroad station with my Mom and my Brother. After a few minutes of deciding what to do next, we finally made our decision that we would visit California Adventure. It was going to be our first time at the park, so we were all excited to see the new Carsland and Buena Vista Street, not to mention the other great attractions there.
Before we left Disneyland, we rode the Disneyland Railroad to Main Street Station. Let me just say that it was a lot cooler than WDW's. The primeval exhibit, and the Grand Canyon diorama were awesome. I wish I took some pictures!
Us waiting patiently for the train...
We finally reached Main Street USA station. My Mom and Dad went to go get some waters and take some pictures, but I saw that Cruella was meeting near Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I couldn't pass that opportunity!
Unfortunately, most of the pictures that the photographers took were horribly blurry. This is the only one that came out okay. As you can see I'm not looking anywhere near the camera...
Cruella was absolutely hilarious! She was instantly drawn to my hat, saying that it look marvelous on me. She then snatched it from my head and began inspecting it. She then started conversing with my Chrstian, asking him what his favorite ride was and if he met any characters today. W told her that she was the only character that we had met so far, and instantly she started gloating on how she made our day spectacular. I then asked Cruella what her favorite ride is at Disneyland. She said that the Jungle Cruise is her favorite because it's just like shopping on a catalog. She was great! Unfortunately, we didn't get to see her again in our visit.
After we met Cruella, we met up with my parents again, and look who popped in to say hello on the way out.
Cinderelly!
Again with the photographers taking awkward pictures!
Finally!
Well that concludes my post for today!
Another cliffhanger, I know!
Don't worry, I'll be back soon for more.... SO STAY TUNED!
Coming Soon: Our California Adventure, A Quiet Dinner in Frontierland, and a not so scary Indiana Jones Adventure!
Stay Tuned Everyone, and Thanks for Reading!
Last edited:
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Great update, your family is so cute!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Forgot to mention, Pinocchio is my second favorite dark ride (after Pan). I love that ride, even though it scares me, occasionally.
CheshireCat12
Well-Known Member
I'm getting excited for my DL trip next year! Great report so far!
Tinkerfan4ever
Well-Known Member
We leave in 3 days for California... love this TR!
Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been beyond busy from starting my senior year, writing college essays, and studying for the ACT. Anyway enough of my personal problems; I'm back with more of my Trip Report!
Just bear with me guys and sorry for the wait!
I left off right about when we about to enter California Adventure. Now let me remind you that this was our first time visiting DCA, so my family and I were super excited to see what all of the hype was about regarding Buena Vista Street and Carsland, let alone the rest of the park. Let me just say that we were very impressed, and that the park's rehab really lived up to the hype.
Anyway, let's see some pictures!
California here we come! (That entrance looks pretty familiar, don't you think?)
I was so just amazed on how incredibly detailed Buena Vista Street was. It really transported us to the 1920's. From the Red Cars, to the architecture, this really surprised both me and my parents!
"It's like Main Street USA twenty years into the future!" My Dad said.
Look who we bumped into. 1920's Goofy!
Now it was off to Condor Flats!
Now my Mom absolutely loves Soarin'. It's her favorite attraction over at the World, so we decided to head there to see if they had any Fastpasses left. When we arrived at the entrance, we were shocked to see that it was only a 35 minute wait.
Usually at Epcot, the wait time for Soarin always seems to stay over the 60 minute mark, so you could tell that we were shocked seeing the wait time to be that low! Still, it was 35 minutes, so we picked up a Fastpass for later, then we decided that we would try out Mike and Sully to the Rescue. So off to Hollywoodland to meet up with our favorite Monsters!
It was so refreshing to see some random street-side entertainment being performed here at DCA. Usually at Walt Dis
ney World, there isn't much spontaneity.
All throughout our visit in Hollywoodland, my Dad kept on asking, " Why would people spend $90 bucks to go to a fake Hollywood, when the real Hollywood is 45 minutes away?". I later explained to him that the the real Hollywood, is skeevy and filled with a bunch of weirdos. That seemed to silence his obnoxious questioning.
Finally, we arrived at Monster's Inc. The wait was only 15 minutes, so we went straight in. While waiting outside however, we saw that a lot of people were leaving the line looking upset and frustrated. Soon, when we entered inside, we discovered that they were in the middle of evacuating the ride. They told us that we had an option to wait or leave. We waited another 15 minutes to see if it would open up again, but we were soon told that it would be a while until the ride would be back online.
We decided to leave MI and head back to Condor Flats to ride Soarin' since our Fastpasses would become valid soon, but before any of this, we just had to meet Mike:
So you can say we got our fill of Monster's Inc for the day.
Now before riding Soarin', we all picked up a box of popcorn to munch on. Mmmmm... Disney Popcorn never disappoints!
Dad and I waiting patiently to board.
Finally, we rode Soarin'. The ride was exactly the same (as I expected it to be). The queue was really the only difference. After we got off, cast members were giving out pins to promote Disney's Planes. I took one just for the heck of it.
Anyway, after our little hang-gliding adventure, we decided that we would visit Paradise Pier for some good ol' Boardwalk fun! We took a detour through The Golden State:
To our surprise, the Pixar Play parade was making its run around the park, so we decided that we would rest up a bit and watch it.
The Toy Story Float
Everyone's favorite truck: Mater!
It was actually a lot of fun watching the parade. The acrobatics were awesome and the parade itself was very interactive. It was a treat to see.
Now after a few minutes, we finally arrived Paradise Pier!
My Dad was immediately astounded by the sight of California Screamin'. Now just to give you a little bit of information, I absolutely despise roller coasters that loop or go upside down. When I was in seventh grade, I had a field trip to Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios. Immediately when we arrived, my friends were already convincing me to try out The Hulk. Now, I myself am not a thrill seeker, and I was deathly afraid of heights at the time.
Well over the course of the day I finally gave in to my "friends" (thanks to good ol' peer pressure) and before I knew it, I was shot out of that tube and twirling and looping at 300 about feet in the air. Once I got off, I felt like crap. I soon vowed that I would never go on a looping coaster again.
Now I know that California Screamin' is nothing compared to The Hulk, but my fear still got the best of me.
My Dad however, was still psyched about this ride, and he finally decided that he would ride by himself. My Mom and brother are also deathly afraid of looping coasters with huge drops. So, we supported my Dad's decision 100%, and watched him get launched up into the coaster.
Now my Dad looked nervous... But when he saw that we were taking pictures, he quickly showed us his smile. The kid next to him looked so nervous.
Anyway, after a few minutes of waiting, my Dad finally got off the ride happily. All day he was trying to convince us that it was a baby ride, and that Space Mountain was worse.... Puleeze!
After my Dad's little joyride, we all decided that we would ride Mickey's Death... Erm... Fun Wheel. Now I've read all these posts on WDWMagic and Micechat explaining how terrifying this ride is. Now I thought to myself... "It's a Ferris Wheel! How bad could it be?" Oh boy was I wrong... The moment I saw those gondolas swinging back and forth while the wheel itself was spinning upward, I was immediately turned away, but when I found out that they had non-swinging gondolas, I decided to give it a try. So my Mom and I decided to take the easy way out, while Christian and my Dad faced the swinging wheel of terror!
So while my Mother and I enjoyed a peaceful scenic view of all of Disneyland, we heard my Dad and Christian screaming "LET IT STOP!"
We tried telling them... Oh well
Our view of Disneyland and Anaheim...
Anyway, after our relaxing ride over Disneyland, we had no idea what to do next. We just decided to walk around and just take in the sights of Paradise Pier. Later, when walked over to Goofy's Sky School, my Mother received a call from my cousin (from earlier) and made dinner arrangements at 7:00 at El Rancho Del Zocalo over at Disneyland. It was nearing 7:00, so we decided that we should get going.
On the way out, I just so happened to spot Donald Duck in the corner of my eye. So we met up with him and said hello. (Christian with his eyes closed...)
We also stopped by to check out the Walt Disney and Mickey Statue before we left.
After we exited and got our hands stamped, we entered the gates of Disneyland once again.
After a quite walk down Main Street, we finally arrived at Frontierland and met up with my cousin and her boyfriend at the restaurant. So after our greetings, we decided that it was time to eat!
So here's my TripAdvisor Review lol:
Now being a Walt Disney World native, I wasn't expecting this place to be much. I've dined at the Mexico pavilion at Epcot, and I'm not a particular fan of any of the restaurants there (Mexico, not Epcot itself. They have some awesome restaurants there!) because they're all overpriced and the quality of their food isn't very good. Rancho del Zocalo proved to be an exception. At first I didn't expect it to be a cafeteria style restaurant, I thought it was table service, but I really didn't mind. I had the three enchiladas with the refried beans and rice. It was very good and flavorful. The rice and refried beans made the dish! The crispy chips con limón were also good. I was expecting it to taste like your average Tostotos, but I was pleasantly surprised. They would have been better if they were served warm. The service was also very good and the prices weren't so expensive. One thing that I loved about this place was the location. It was to the side of Frontierland with a big outdoor seating area. The place was illuminated by faux gas lamps and it created that perfect western setting. The restaurant wasn't loud , it wasn't crowded or crammed, it was just perfect. I hope Disneyland continues to surprise me with awesome restaurants (and boy did they!).
So after a nice peaceful evening dinner, we decided to take a walk across the Rivers of America. I could already tell that people were lining up to watch Fantasmic. It was crazy! Anyway, we headed right back to where we started to avoid all the craziness.
We then walked over to Fantasy Faire where we watched some swing dancing going on in the Plaza Gardens Stage. It was so cool to see that this tradition is still alive here at Disneyland. It's a shame they don't have anything like this at the World.
Moving on and away from Fantasy Faire, we saw that straight ahead of us was a mass of people waiting for the fireworks to start. It looked like a disaster, but we didn't want to be trapped in Frontierland and Fantasy Faire all night, so we decided to face the crowd of people. It was difficult, but we survived, thankfully!
Now, it was off to the Matterhorn once again!
Sure it was a 10 minute wait, but let me just say it wasn't the best idea we had all day. We gave the Fantasyland side a try, which in my opinion was much more turbulent and bumpy than the Tomorrowland side. Harold still scared the bejesus out of me when we reached the top on the incline.
We got off Matterhorn feeling a little green, but we were okay for the most part because the fireworks were on, and boy were they beautiful! It was the perfect opportunity to use my Glow with the Show Ears. We watched the fireworks from Dumbo, and do you now who we saw? Well, DUMBO!
The Blurriness!
My Dad jokingly said that he wanted to ride on that Dumbo, and who wouldn't?
The show itself was great. It was a beautiful display, but still, I wish I would've saw them from the hub.
The only image I took. My phone was dying sorry
Anyway, after the impressive display, we decided that we'd better get in line to enter the Fantasyland courtyard. There was one attraction that my cousin's boyfriend was a talking about going on for the entire day, and that attraction was Peter Pan's Flight.
All of us anxiously waiting to get inside!
An empty Mr. Toad
A few minutes later, the rope dropped, and nearly everyone, including us, rushed to PPF. After a going through a "mouse maze" queue, we finally rode Peter Pan's Flight again. Unfortunately for us, it was the last ride...
Anyway, everyone in my family, including me, was very tired. Christian and I woke up at 5:30 AM! We were exhausted, so we finally called it a night. Of course, I was good for another 3 rides, but my family wasn't.
We all said our goodbyes and headed out the park. It was a sad moment for Christian and I, but we both knew that we would be back soon. We then walked over to the trams to take us into the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. Fortunately for us, my Dad had parked close, so it only took a few minutes to find our car. After we piled into our car, we left Disneyland in a scurry, knowing that we would return in a few days...
Coming Soon: Our Getty Center Adventure, The Disappointment of Santa Monica, Our Favorite Dinner Spot in LA, and Disneyland Day Two!
STAY TUNED EVERYONE!
Just bear with me guys
and sorry for the wait!I left off right about when we about to enter California Adventure. Now let me remind you that this was our first time visiting DCA, so my family and I were super excited to see what all of the hype was about regarding Buena Vista Street and Carsland, let alone the rest of the park. Let me just say that we were very impressed, and that the park's rehab really lived up to the hype.
Anyway, let's see some pictures!
California here we come! (That entrance looks pretty familiar, don't you think?
)I was so just amazed on how incredibly detailed Buena Vista Street was. It really transported us to the 1920's. From the Red Cars, to the architecture, this really surprised both me and my parents!
"It's like Main Street USA twenty years into the future!" My Dad said.
Look who we bumped into. 1920's Goofy
!Now it was off to Condor Flats!
Now my Mom absolutely loves Soarin'. It's her favorite attraction over at the World, so we decided to head there to see if they had any Fastpasses left. When we arrived at the entrance, we were shocked to see that it was only a 35 minute wait.
Usually at Epcot, the wait time for Soarin always seems to stay over the 60 minute mark, so you could tell that we were shocked seeing the wait time to be that low! Still, it was 35 minutes, so we picked up a Fastpass for later, then we decided that we would try out Mike and Sully to the Rescue. So off to Hollywoodland to meet up with our favorite Monsters!
It was so refreshing to see some random street-side entertainment being performed here at DCA. Usually at Walt Dis
ney World, there isn't much spontaneity.All throughout our visit in Hollywoodland, my Dad kept on asking, " Why would people spend $90 bucks to go to a fake Hollywood, when the real Hollywood is 45 minutes away?". I later explained to him that the the real Hollywood, is skeevy and filled with a bunch of weirdos. That seemed to silence his obnoxious questioning.
Finally, we arrived at Monster's Inc. The wait was only 15 minutes, so we went straight in. While waiting outside however, we saw that a lot of people were leaving the line looking upset and frustrated. Soon, when we entered inside, we discovered that they were in the middle of evacuating the ride. They told us that we had an option to wait or leave. We waited another 15 minutes to see if it would open up again, but we were soon told that it would be a while until the ride would be back online.
We decided to leave MI and head back to Condor Flats to ride Soarin' since our Fastpasses would become valid soon, but before any of this, we just had to meet Mike:
So you can say we got our fill of Monster's Inc for the day.
Now before riding Soarin', we all picked up a box of popcorn to munch on. Mmmmm... Disney Popcorn never disappoints!
Dad and I waiting patiently to board.
Finally, we rode Soarin'. The ride was exactly the same (as I expected it to be). The queue was really the only difference. After we got off, cast members were giving out pins to promote Disney's Planes. I took one just for the heck of it.
Anyway, after our little hang-gliding adventure, we decided that we would visit Paradise Pier for some good ol' Boardwalk fun! We took a detour through The Golden State:
To our surprise, the Pixar Play parade was making its run around the park, so we decided that we would rest up a bit and watch it.
The Toy Story Float
Everyone's favorite truck: Mater!
It was actually a lot of fun watching the parade. The acrobatics were awesome and the parade itself was very interactive. It was a treat to see.
Now after a few minutes, we finally arrived Paradise Pier!
My Dad was immediately astounded by the sight of California Screamin'. Now just to give you a little bit of information, I absolutely despise roller coasters that loop or go upside down. When I was in seventh grade, I had a field trip to Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios. Immediately when we arrived, my friends were already convincing me to try out The Hulk. Now, I myself am not a thrill seeker, and I was deathly afraid of heights at the time.
Well over the course of the day I finally gave in to my "friends" (thanks to good ol' peer pressure) and before I knew it, I was shot out of that tube and twirling and looping at 300 about feet in the air. Once I got off, I felt like crap. I soon vowed that I would never go on a looping coaster again.
Now I know that California Screamin' is nothing compared to The Hulk, but my fear still got the best of me.
My Dad however, was still psyched about this ride, and he finally decided that he would ride by himself. My Mom and brother are also deathly afraid of looping coasters with huge drops. So, we supported my Dad's decision 100%, and watched him get launched up into the coaster.
Now my Dad looked nervous... But when he saw that we were taking pictures, he quickly showed us his smile. The kid next to him looked so nervous.
Anyway, after a few minutes of waiting, my Dad finally got off the ride happily. All day he was trying to convince us that it was a baby ride, and that Space Mountain was worse.... Puleeze!
After my Dad's little joyride, we all decided that we would ride Mickey's Death... Erm... Fun Wheel. Now I've read all these posts on WDWMagic and Micechat explaining how terrifying this ride is. Now I thought to myself... "It's a Ferris Wheel! How bad could it be?" Oh boy was I wrong... The moment I saw those gondolas swinging back and forth while the wheel itself was spinning upward, I was immediately turned away, but when I found out that they had non-swinging gondolas, I decided to give it a try. So my Mom and I decided to take the easy way out, while Christian and my Dad faced the swinging wheel of terror!
So while my Mother and I enjoyed a peaceful scenic view of all of Disneyland, we heard my Dad and Christian screaming "LET IT STOP!"
We tried telling them... Oh well
Our view of Disneyland and Anaheim...
Anyway, after our relaxing ride over Disneyland, we had no idea what to do next. We just decided to walk around and just take in the sights of Paradise Pier. Later, when walked over to Goofy's Sky School, my Mother received a call from my cousin (from earlier) and made dinner arrangements at 7:00 at El Rancho Del Zocalo over at Disneyland. It was nearing 7:00, so we decided that we should get going.
On the way out, I just so happened to spot Donald Duck in the corner of my eye. So we met up with him and said hello. (Christian with his eyes closed...
)
We also stopped by to check out the Walt Disney and Mickey Statue before we left.
After we exited and got our hands stamped, we entered the gates of Disneyland once again.
After a quite walk down Main Street, we finally arrived at Frontierland and met up with my cousin and her boyfriend at the restaurant. So after our greetings, we decided that it was time to eat!
So here's my TripAdvisor Review lol:
Now being a Walt Disney World native, I wasn't expecting this place to be much. I've dined at the Mexico pavilion at Epcot, and I'm not a particular fan of any of the restaurants there (Mexico, not Epcot itself. They have some awesome restaurants there!) because they're all overpriced and the quality of their food isn't very good. Rancho del Zocalo proved to be an exception. At first I didn't expect it to be a cafeteria style restaurant, I thought it was table service, but I really didn't mind. I had the three enchiladas with the refried beans and rice. It was very good and flavorful. The rice and refried beans made the dish! The crispy chips con limón were also good. I was expecting it to taste like your average Tostotos, but I was pleasantly surprised. They would have been better if they were served warm. The service was also very good and the prices weren't so expensive. One thing that I loved about this place was the location. It was to the side of Frontierland with a big outdoor seating area. The place was illuminated by faux gas lamps and it created that perfect western setting. The restaurant wasn't loud , it wasn't crowded or crammed, it was just perfect. I hope Disneyland continues to surprise me with awesome restaurants (and boy did they!).
So after a nice peaceful evening dinner, we decided to take a walk across the Rivers of America. I could already tell that people were lining up to watch Fantasmic. It was crazy! Anyway, we headed right back to where we started to avoid all the craziness.
We then walked over to Fantasy Faire where we watched some swing dancing going on in the Plaza Gardens Stage. It was so cool to see that this tradition is still alive here at Disneyland. It's a shame they don't have anything like this at the World.
Moving on and away from Fantasy Faire, we saw that straight ahead of us was a mass of people waiting for the fireworks to start. It looked like a disaster, but we didn't want to be trapped in Frontierland and Fantasy Faire all night, so we decided to face the crowd of people. It was difficult, but we survived, thankfully!
Now, it was off to the Matterhorn once again!
Sure it was a 10 minute wait, but let me just say it wasn't the best idea we had all day. We gave the Fantasyland side a try, which in my opinion was much more turbulent and bumpy than the Tomorrowland side. Harold still scared the bejesus out of me when we reached the top on the incline.
We got off Matterhorn feeling a little green, but we were okay for the most part because the fireworks were on, and boy were they beautiful! It was the perfect opportunity to use my Glow with the Show Ears. We watched the fireworks from Dumbo, and do you now who we saw? Well, DUMBO!
The Blurriness!
My Dad jokingly said that he wanted to ride on that Dumbo, and who wouldn't?
The show itself was great. It was a beautiful display, but still, I wish I would've saw them from the hub.
The only image I took. My phone was dying sorry
Anyway, after the impressive display, we decided that we'd better get in line to enter the Fantasyland courtyard. There was one attraction that my cousin's boyfriend was a talking about going on for the entire day, and that attraction was Peter Pan's Flight.
All of us anxiously waiting to get inside!
An empty Mr. Toad
A few minutes later, the rope dropped, and nearly everyone, including us, rushed to PPF. After a going through a "mouse maze" queue, we finally rode Peter Pan's Flight again. Unfortunately for us, it was the last ride...
Anyway, everyone in my family, including me, was very tired. Christian and I woke up at 5:30 AM! We were exhausted, so we finally called it a night. Of course, I was good for another 3 rides, but my family wasn't.
We all said our goodbyes and headed out the park. It was a sad moment for Christian and I, but we both knew that we would be back soon. We then walked over to the trams to take us into the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. Fortunately for us, my Dad had parked close, so it only took a few minutes to find our car. After we piled into our car, we left Disneyland in a scurry, knowing that we would return in a few days...
Coming Soon: Our Getty Center Adventure, The Disappointment of Santa Monica, Our Favorite Dinner Spot in LA, and Disneyland Day Two!
STAY TUNED EVERYONE!
Thank you! Not all of them were taken on my iPhone, but most of them were! Some photos were taken on my brother's phone. I think he has a Motorola Droid Razr.
IndianaJones
Well-Known Member
More like an old, abandoned, creepy, yet interesting zoo.
I saw that cage back in December when we visited and all I could I think of was the Raptor Pen from Jurassic Park.
IndianaJones
Well-Known Member
Gotta say I'm enjoying the heck out of your TR. It seems that you and your family had an amazing time. And it's making me want to take another trip out there. Which is bad, because I'm at least a year or so away.
Thank you! I know how you feel. I just came back 2 weeks ago and I already want to go back! I'm glad your enjoying it!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Seriously, your father is hilarious. "I want to ride that Dumbo." LMAO!
I don't like Santa Monica, either. Can't wait for that part haha.
I don't like Santa Monica, either. Can't wait for that part haha.
Hi everyone. I'm back with Day 3 of my Trip Report. There's no need for more yapping, let's just start where we left off:
Day 3: The Getty Center and Santa Monica, August 4th, 2013
My family woke up the next morning at 9:00, still exhausted from the day before. We quickly got dressed and rushed downstairs to get some breakfast before they closed up shop. This time, I had a much larger breakfast. I had a cheddar cheese omelette with mushrooms, and ham (don't ask me how I remembered), with buttered toast and Activia, which was all pretty good. The seating area was jammed packed. You could tell almost everyone was heading to Disneyland that morning because of the abundance of Mouse Ears and overbearing smell of sunscreen.
Anyway, today, we weren't heading to the parks. We decided that we would take our vacation slow, after all this wasn't just a Disneyland vacation; (sorry, I wish it was too) this was a Southern California vacation. So after a hearty breakfast, we came back to our hotel room and started our a day full of adventure. We actually didn't have a full itinerary planned for that day, so we just went over to our trusty TripAdvisor app for some suggestions.
We saw that The Getty Center over in Los Angeles was getting rave reviews. Supposedly, it was an art museum showcasing the Getty family's collection of art from across the globe. It's a good thing that Christian and I are well cultured children who love and embrace fine art, or we would have been bored beyond our minds.
So about an hour and a half later, we finally headed out the door and drove up to LA to visit the Getty Center. It was a long scenic drive filled with lots of traffic. We didn't seem to escape the traffic no matter what! I decided to take a nap because I was still a little tired from the previous day.
Before we knew it, we had arrived safe and sound. We parked our car in a large garage. It seemed that this Getty Center was located on top of a hill, so there was an option to take a tram up to the actual museum. It felt like just Disney lol! There was a queue and everything!
Unfortunately, we were told that the wait to go in one of these trams was about 45 minutes, so my parents and I decided that we would just walk to to top. The employees had also mentioned that there was great views and that we would pass through a sculpture garden, so we were instantly sold! The views were absolutely gorgeous, and the hike itself wasn't that bad.
About 30 minutes later, we had finally reached the top. We had to take 2 minute breaks in between hiking because my Mom has problems with her feet, but she was a trooper, and made it all the way to the top faster than us!
Once we reached the top, we were in awe on how spectacular this place was. I mean look at it! It's gorgeous. The architecture is just breathtaking, not to mention the location of this place. Just WOW! It was just a sight to see!
It was awesome and much more impressive in person.
I took this photo about midway up the steps, so the staircase to go up was much larger and grander than what you see here. Here's another shot:
My Dad, Christian, and I were just marveled at the sight of everything.
The Getty Center was gigantic. There were multiple buildings within the actual center itself. The building shown above is one of the main galleries and the lobby. There were many building showcasing different types of art. We visited the European art galleries first. I think it was the west pavilion or something. Anyway here are some photos of some of the art we saw:
I'm not sure who these two Gods were, but I'm definitely sure those two are Greek gods, not Roman gods. I keep on forgetting who they were.
This is a sculpture of Gemini. I myself am a Gemini (born June 5th), so this was an interesting find.
Here are some views outside of the Ancient European exhibits. Isn't that just great?
Mom taking a picture of the boys.
One thing that I thought was pretty neat was that they had a outdoor cafe overlooking the city of Los Angeles. I wish we could have stopped by and grabbed a sandwich, but my parents didn't feel like stopping at that moment in time.
Now here a few photos of rooms that were salvaged from some European palaces and mansions. Yes, you heard me, ACTUAL ROOMS!
It's amazing how these kings, queens, and aristocrats used to live! Seeing these rooms was almost like visiting Versailles or something.
Sorry, these photos came out a little blurry, but please take my word for it. It was far more grand in person.
We visited many other exhibits along the way, including art from the 17th, and 18th century Europe. Unfortunately, my phone ran out of memory. It was only until I got back to the hotel that night when I finally made some more room, but don't worry! I still have the pictures Christian took.
These photos were taken after we visited the European exhibits. We took these photos in a gorgeous courtyard. It was nearing closing time, so we took advantage of the time being there.
An up close shot on these interesting flowers.
We were being silly here. We were debating whether to keep this picture as our Christmas card.
There was a small park and some gardens below the museum. We unfortunately didn't have enough time to explore that part of it.
Above is a photo of the main building where we entered from.
Some of the fountains found in the courtyard. I loved these trees. I wonder how this place looked at night.
This gorgeous fountain was in the courtyard as well. It was a work of art by itself.
By this time, they were kicking people out; they even told Christian to stop taking pictures. Can you believe them?
We sneaked in another photo. As you can see, the place was empty.
We could not believe how fast the time flew by. It was incredible. By this time of the day, we were starving! We didn't have any lunch, so we knew that it was time to start thinking of places to eat for dinner.
Our last photo-op before the hike down (LOL Christian's face)
After of photo-op, walked down the hill from the Getty Center back to the Tram and parking garage, but first we passed through the sculpture garden to take more pictures:
These flowers were just gorgeous.
Close-up time!
I think this sculpture was called "Mother and Child".
More flowers!
Our last photo from the museum!
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at The Getty Center. It was a nice relaxing break from the craziness at Disneyland. I really had a great time, it's a shame we didn't get to see it all; it was just too massive!
After we left The Getty Center, we still had no clue where we would go to eat, so we decided to turn to our handy TripAdvisor app once again-they never let us down!
We were narrowing down places to eat in Santa Monica. Now I've always wanted to visit Santa Monica again, because the last time I visited I was deathly ill from a stomach virus (I am greatly exaggerating), so I wanted to experience the boardwalk and all of that good stuff... sans the vomit.....
And so, this is where I'm going to leave you guys off for today. I hope you're enjoying my Trip Report so far. Stay tuned, and thanks for keeping up with me!
COMING SOON: Our favorite LA dining spot, The disappointment of Santa Monica and Pacific Park, San Diego and Coranado, and of course, DISNEYLAND DAY 2.
Stay tuned everyone, and thanks again for your patience!
Day 3: The Getty Center and Santa Monica, August 4th, 2013
My family woke up the next morning at 9:00, still exhausted from the day before. We quickly got dressed and rushed downstairs to get some breakfast before they closed up shop. This time, I had a much larger breakfast. I had a cheddar cheese omelette with mushrooms, and ham (don't ask me how I remembered), with buttered toast and Activia, which was all pretty good. The seating area was jammed packed. You could tell almost everyone was heading to Disneyland that morning because of the abundance of Mouse Ears and overbearing smell of sunscreen.
Anyway, today, we weren't heading to the parks. We decided that we would take our vacation slow, after all this wasn't just a Disneyland vacation; (sorry, I wish it was too
) this was a Southern California vacation. So after a hearty breakfast, we came back to our hotel room and started our a day full of adventure. We actually didn't have a full itinerary planned for that day, so we just went over to our trusty TripAdvisor app for some suggestions.We saw that The Getty Center over in Los Angeles was getting rave reviews. Supposedly, it was an art museum showcasing the Getty family's collection of art from across the globe. It's a good thing that Christian and I are well cultured children who love and embrace fine art, or we would have been bored beyond our minds.
So about an hour and a half later, we finally headed out the door and drove up to LA to visit the Getty Center. It was a long scenic drive filled with lots of traffic. We didn't seem to escape the traffic no matter what! I decided to take a nap because I was still a little tired from the previous day.
Before we knew it, we had arrived safe and sound. We parked our car in a large garage. It seemed that this Getty Center was located on top of a hill, so there was an option to take a tram up to the actual museum. It felt like just Disney lol! There was a queue and everything!
Unfortunately, we were told that the wait to go in one of these trams was about 45 minutes, so my parents and I decided that we would just walk to to top. The employees had also mentioned that there was great views and that we would pass through a sculpture garden, so we were instantly sold! The views were absolutely gorgeous, and the hike itself wasn't that bad.
About 30 minutes later, we had finally reached the top. We had to take 2 minute breaks in between hiking because my Mom has problems with her feet, but she was a trooper, and made it all the way to the top faster than us!
Once we reached the top, we were in awe on how spectacular this place was. I mean look at it! It's gorgeous. The architecture is just breathtaking, not to mention the location of this place. Just WOW! It was just a sight to see!
It was awesome and much more impressive in person.
I took this photo about midway up the steps, so the staircase to go up was much larger and grander than what you see here. Here's another shot:
My Dad, Christian, and I were just marveled at the sight of everything.
The Getty Center was gigantic. There were multiple buildings within the actual center itself. The building shown above is one of the main galleries and the lobby. There were many building showcasing different types of art. We visited the European art galleries first. I think it was the west pavilion or something. Anyway here are some photos of some of the art we saw:
I'm not sure who these two Gods were, but I'm definitely sure those two are Greek gods, not Roman gods. I keep on forgetting who they were.
This is a sculpture of Gemini. I myself am a Gemini (born June 5th), so this was an interesting find.
Here are some views outside of the Ancient European exhibits. Isn't that just great?
Mom taking a picture of the boys.
One thing that I thought was pretty neat was that they had a outdoor cafe overlooking the city of Los Angeles. I wish we could have stopped by and grabbed a sandwich, but my parents didn't feel like stopping at that moment in time.
Now here a few photos of rooms that were salvaged from some European palaces and mansions. Yes, you heard me, ACTUAL ROOMS!
It's amazing how these kings, queens, and aristocrats used to live! Seeing these rooms was almost like visiting Versailles or something.
Sorry, these photos came out a little blurry, but please take my word for it. It was far more grand in person.
We visited many other exhibits along the way, including art from the 17th, and 18th century Europe. Unfortunately, my phone ran out of memory. It was only until I got back to the hotel that night when I finally made some more room, but don't worry! I still have the pictures Christian took.
These photos were taken after we visited the European exhibits. We took these photos in a gorgeous courtyard. It was nearing closing time, so we took advantage of the time being there.
An up close shot on these interesting flowers.
We were being silly here. We were debating whether to keep this picture as our Christmas card.
There was a small park and some gardens below the museum. We unfortunately didn't have enough time to explore that part of it.
Above is a photo of the main building where we entered from.
Some of the fountains found in the courtyard. I loved these trees. I wonder how this place looked at night.
This gorgeous fountain was in the courtyard as well. It was a work of art by itself.
By this time, they were kicking people out; they even told Christian to stop taking pictures. Can you believe them?
We sneaked in another photo. As you can see, the place was empty.
We could not believe how fast the time flew by. It was incredible. By this time of the day, we were starving! We didn't have any lunch, so we knew that it was time to start thinking of places to eat for dinner.
Our last photo-op before the hike down (LOL Christian's face
)After of photo-op, walked down the hill from the Getty Center back to the Tram and parking garage, but first we passed through the sculpture garden to take more pictures:
These flowers were just gorgeous.
Close-up time!
I think this sculpture was called "Mother and Child".
More flowers!
Our last photo from the museum!
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at The Getty Center. It was a nice relaxing break from the craziness at Disneyland. I really had a great time, it's a shame we didn't get to see it all; it was just too massive!
After we left The Getty Center, we still had no clue where we would go to eat, so we decided to turn to our handy TripAdvisor app once again-they never let us down!
We were narrowing down places to eat in Santa Monica. Now I've always wanted to visit Santa Monica again, because the last time I visited I was deathly ill from a stomach virus (I am greatly exaggerating), so I wanted to experience the boardwalk and all of that good stuff... sans the vomit.....
And so, this is where I'm going to leave you guys off for today. I hope you're enjoying my Trip Report so far. Stay tuned, and thanks for keeping up with me!
COMING SOON: Our favorite LA dining spot, The disappointment of Santa Monica and Pacific Park, San Diego and Coranado, and of course, DISNEYLAND DAY 2.
Stay tuned everyone, and thanks again for your patience!
IndianaJones
Well-Known Member
I'm really enjoying all of your pictures. Can't wait to read more as you go.
It's a good thing that you're planning to go to Disneyland for four days. I only went three days, and I still didn't see everything! One more day would've done it for me!