Who Wants a Churro?: A trip to the West Coast!

Introductions & Day 1!

Hello and welcome to my first official trip report! After a long time lurking and reading everybody else’s wonderful trip reports, I decided to join in on the fun! It’s a little crazy that I’m starting off with a Disneyland Trip Report since I’ve been to WDW at least 45 times in my life, but oh well!

Who: Me, TrolleyFollower91 (also known as Emily in the non-Disney community) and my mom, Tuvalu. We are huge WDW fans and take trips multiple times a year. This time we left the Dad at home and took off for the West Coast!

Where: Disneyland Resort; Paradise Pier Hotel

When: March 4-9

Why: Why not? Unless you have been living under a rock for the past several years, Cars Land has recently opened at Disney California Adventure. We (well mostly I) decided that Spring Break would be a perfect time to go explore! It has been 8 years since our last jaunt to the West Coast, and I convinced my mom it was time to go again. I’m so sneaky J.

Shout-Out: Props to Tammy @Disneyfalcon for booking this trip, answering all out newbie questions, and going the extra mile to make sure our trip was a success! Public thanks!

Day 1
My dad drove us to the airport in time to catch our 9:35 a.m. flight to John Wayne/Santa Ana/Orange County Airport (seriously, I felt bad every time the flight attendant had to say that during the flight- SUCH a mouthful!). Everything went well and we landed at John Wayne a little early. We then made our way to baggage claim and out to catch the Disneyland Express! I must admit, we got a little lost but found our way to the ticket booth outside the terminal.

Ta-DA!

While we were waiting, I took a picture of the luggage tag. We are AP holders at WDW, so the idea of getting luggage tags with a package purchase was a little foreign. Plus, it was Cars Land themed- SCORE! I just think it is so cute! J

Our bus pulled up, and let me tell you that it was a little less magical than Magical Express. I always found it silly that people on ME complained that the bus wasn’t wrapped, but I now can empathize. We got a plain boring white bus. The drive to the Resort was short (less than 20 minutes), but we stopped at the Grand Californian and Disney Hotel first before arriving at Paradise Pier Hotel!

We’ve stayed at the other two resorts, so this trip we decided to complete the trifecta! We checked in with a helpful cast member who informed us that our room was ready. SCORE #2! We went up to check out our room and drop off our luggage. We were so impressed when we walked in! The room was beautiful and fun. Plus it was BIG! I would say it was around the same size as the Poly rooms.

Plus, we splurged and went with a Theme Park View Room!

Oh, hey there Paradise Pier and Cars Land!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

It was time for our fastpass for RSR, and the rain had let up so we made our way over there. Turns out, it takes 40 minutes for the ride to become operable again after rain. We were told that even with the enforced return times our fastpass would be honored.

Cozy Cone Love!

Hello, sun!

Since that was the only thing left in DCA we wanted to do, we headed to Disneyland.

Our first stop was City Hall to pick up our tickets for the Dessert Package. We were informed that if the show was canceled, I could get a refund. A refund would not make up for the lack of show, though! The cast member explained to us where to go to check in to get our seats. The first words out of her mouth were “There’s a churro cart across the street from the Haunted Mansion.” My mom and I literally started laughing out loud. You see, we had been shocked at the number of churro carts in California. They were like the Ice Cream Carts in WDW, just everywhere you looked. We joked because the concept of eating a churro was so foreign to us. I can’t tell you any place to get a churro where we’re from. Plus, people looked funny walking around gnawing on a fried stick. Californians- I will never understand your fascination with the fried dough!

We got our tickets and then moved on.

I picked up a fastpass for Space Mountain and then we decided to defend the galaxy on Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters. From there, we moved on to finally ride Peter Pan!

The wait was only 30 minutes. We were surprised that the ships don’t move in a constant motion like WDW, instead they’re loaded 3 at a time and then sent off to fly away. I had no memory of riding before and it was great! The special effects are so much better than WDW.

(Can we talk for a minute about the tiny cue lines in DLR? We're not big people, but decided that people in 1955 were tiny!)

We tried to hop on Pinocchio after that, but he was down, so we headed to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle to do the Castle Tour. It was really narrow but had interesting displays. At least I can say I’ve been in the castle!

Then I did Space Mountain one more time before we headed back to DCA.

RSR was up and working and they honored our fastpass! We had just finished the ride when it broke down. We were waiting to go into the unload area and could see lots of maintenance workers walking out to the track. We sat there 15 minutes before it began operating again. A part of me wanted to be asked if we wanted to ride it again since it broke down, but alas we weren’t.

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

We then decided to take our last flight on Luigi’s, and it was definitely the best! We had gotten really good at steering the tire and could get it to go really fast. We then bid farewell to DCA to head back to the room to change and get ready for tonight.

We walked through the Disneyland Hotel on our way back to the park.

We did stop in here and I really wish it wouldn't have been so crowded. All the details are amazing!

By this time the clouds were starting to break up. I wouldn’t say we saw blue sky, but they definitely were less black. We were so hopeful that the show would go on! This hope only rose as it got darker. I wanted to see Soundsational Parade, so we looked at the map and decided to catch it as it made its way into Fantasyland past the Matterhorn. That way we had time to eat before it got there.

We settled on Pinocchio’s Village Haus. No pictures, but I can tell you it looks identical to the one in Florida. I joked with my mom that I couldn’t find the windows overlooking it’s a small world. I got a generic pepperoni pizza and my mom got the cheeseburger. I love those pizzas (it was like the one at Pizza Planet). I don’t know why but the personal pizza is just delicious.

We then made our way to watch the parade. We probably had 15 minutes to wait before the parade started- and we were the only ones waiting. Another thing different in California- nobody waits for parades. People in WDW line up hours in advance and we showed up 15 minutes before and got front row seats.

We started to talk with the family next to us- they were really surprised that we flew all the way across the country to spend five days in Disneyland. They were Californians who live a couple hours away and said two days is their max. While we were talking, their grandma returned with a snack for the children. You know what the snack was? Yep, churros! We talked about our surprise that the churro was everywhere in CA, and the man was nice enough to let us try a piece. It was okay, but kind of tasted like a French fry rolled in cinnamon. I’ll save my desserts for Clarabelle’s! At least I can say that yes, I have had a churro in California!

The parade started and was fun. It had a really Latin-influenced soundtrack and dancing. The other weird thing about DLR parades? The performers don’t lip-sync (at least not as many as in WDW). It was nice because they weren’t awkwardly not-singing as they dance a foot away from you. Instead they just smiled and looked like they were having a great time.

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

When the parade was over, we did the Enchanted Tiki Room. It was really fun to see the original again. When the show started, an older woman’s phone began to ring. We assumed she would turn it off. Nope! She totally picked it up and started yelling in the phone as the Tiki Birds were singing all around her. As the birds got louder, so did she! Finally she hung up and we could enjoy the show.

From there, we walked to the churro cart in New Orleans Square to check in for our dessert party. We showed up a little early for the 8:00 window, and people were already lined up! The seats are based on a first-come, first-serve basis so I guess people really wanted the best seats! What annoyed me is that parties of six and seven had one person stand in the line while the others rode rides. Then those parties took up better seats! I think the seats should be assigned based on when you book the reservation, but that’s just me.

Anywho, we were able to score two front row seats, even though they were separated by a walkway. We were told we could go off and ride something and return at 8:45 for the 9:00 show. We decided to take another spin on Pirates. When we got off, it was steadily raining. WHAT? Where did that come from? To say we were crushed is an understatement.

We made our way to the dessert area and were escorted to our seats, which they wiped off and then we sat down really quickly so it didn’t get wet! The waiter came by to take our drink order- we both got hot chocolate (which was the BEST hot chocolate. Must have been the cold and rain?) When we got our dessert boxes, it began to rain harder. All we could do was sit there and laugh. Seriously? This was just our luck.

They did the announcement that it might be cancelled due to inclement weather. Then, miraculously, it stopped! Of course, we were SOAKED, but it looked like they might be able to do it! The lapse of rain gave me a chance to look in my dessert box:

It contained lots of desserts (chocolate mousse thing, cheesecake, key lime pie, and a raspberry-filled cookie) and some cheese, crackers, and grapes. The desserts I sampled were good, but there were way too much to eat all at once.

I then looked as the lights were raised into place. The show was starting! We sat in a shivering awe (our wet jeans were cold!). The show was great- we especially liked Peter Pan and Captain Hook on the Columbia. The Mark Twain was down for refurbishment, so the characters came out on Tom Sawyer Island and danced instead. If you didn’t know they were supposed to be on the steamboat, you wouldn’t have thought it was odd.

Once the show was over we were given the best news- we could stay in our seats to watch the fireworks! Even though we couldn’t see them in relation to the castle, these were the best fireworks I’ve ever seen. I just LOVE the soundtrack of all the different theme park rides- including Indiana Jones, Star Tours, and the Tiki Room. My jaw was literally on the ground throughout the show. Plus, since we couldn’t see the castle they put special effects on the River of America such as fog and lasers. I think I might have had a tear in my eye from the show.

When it was over, my mom and I basically ran out of the park. We were REALLY wet and REALLY cold. We were able to make it to our room to catch the 10:30 show of World of Color. All three night-time shows in one night? Check.

The next morning we did the Surf’s Up breakfast at the PCH Grill. The characters were Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Stitch, and Pluto all in their swimsuits. It was a good way to end the trip. Then, we headed back on the Disneyland Express and back to the airport. See ya real soon, Disneyland!

Up next: Finals thoughts!

 

[Briangwen7]

LOVE THIS!!!​

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Yay for the best day ever!!

Isn't Radiator Springs amazing? A. Maz. Ing.

And those tacos look delicious. Disneyland counter service puts WDW's to shame.

That chocolate bar is to die for.

The carpet hasn't flown in so long because of the accident. I want to say it was a year ago? It is disappointing.

You found the Zoetrope!!! I told you it was amazing!!

The spinny things all show a cartoon. When you spin it, the pictures look like they're moving. It's cool!

No love for the churro? lol

I'm sooooo happy the rain stopped for Fantasmic!! It's the best!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

LOVE THIS!!!​

Thank you!

Yay for the best day ever!!

Isn't Radiator Springs amazing? A. Maz. Ing.

And those tacos look delicious. Disneyland counter service puts WDW's to shame.

That chocolate bar is to die for.

The carpet hasn't flown in so long because of the accident. I want to say it was a year ago? It is disappointing.

You found the Zoetrope!!! I told you it was amazing!!

The spinny things all show a cartoon. When you spin it, the pictures look like they're moving. It's cool!

No love for the churro? lol

I'm sooooo happy the rain stopped for Fantasmic!! It's the best!

Thanks, Tammy! I definitely agree about the Counter Service. It was so yummy! I heard that the carpet started flying again. We missed it by a week . Oh well, there's always an excuse to go back .

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

Final Thoughts

-Hotels: We LOVED the Paradise Pier Hotel. I was a little concerned before going because a lot of the reviews claimed it was very far away and not “Disney” enough. However, it was in great proximity to the parks. Just a walk across the street through the Grand Californian; who wouldn’t like that? The hotel is totally Disney, too, with a giant Donald Duck poster, Mickey lamps, and a giant Goofy statue in the lobby. Don’t forget the Character breakfast. All in all, we decided we would stay here again before the other two hotels. The price is right and the theme park view is TOTALLY worth it!

-Cars Land: I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but Cars Land is AWESOME! Disney did everything right. My mom and I decided that Radiator Springs Racers is our favorite ride on the West Coast and in the top 5 of all Disney Theme parks. Side note: while the prospect of Cars Land coming to DHS sounds exciting, I’m really hoping that it stays in DCA. For one, it’s something that should be unique (I think) and experienced with the lighter crowds of California. I have no desire to walk with a mass of people through DHS to ride RSR first thing when the park opens. Plus, the line would be so much longer and diminish the awesomeness of the attraction for me.

-Night Time shows: We were able to watch World of Color every night, and by the final night were in love with it. The soundtrack is great and the fountains are awesome. That would be a welcome addition to WDW. Fantasmic! is much much better in DLR. I’m glad we did the dessert party, but now that I know what to experience with the crowds/viewing, I wouldn’t necessarily do it again. However, the fireworks were awesome and I wish we had more than one night to see them. We probably could have seen them from our hotel room, which would have been really cool to experience as well.

-Parks: Overall, we decided we liked DCA better than Disneyland. We spent much more time in that park, and it wasn’t necessarily all due to Cars Land. We found Buena Vista Street to be beautiful and loved all the live entertainment. Plus, who could not love Clarabelle’s?!

-Food: We were really impressed by the food. Most of the time, counter service meals were served on real plates and utensils. Who wouldn’t love that? We didn’t find the prices to be outrageous either, maybe $1-$2 more per entrée than WDW. The bottles of water were ridiculous, however at $3 (last time I checked WDW was $2.50, which is also ridiculous).

-Differences in Parks: We kept having to laugh at ourselves for our constant “newbie” mistakes. I would like to say it will give us more patience when dealing with confused WDW people, but I’m not so sure. (Kidding, people). However, there is no excuse for stopping in the middle of a walkway. Some of the major differences in operations we saw:

1. Food was allowed anywhere- in cue lines, on rides, or in shows.
2. Many attractions did not have a “greeter” outside the cue line. Not a bad thing, just different.
3. Nobody got anywhere to wait really early. We walked up to the parade 15 minutes before and got front row seats. It wasn’t encouraged to get to shows 25 minutes early like at WDW. The only time we waited a long time was the hour for World of Color.
4. Cast members never once asked where we were visiting from or if we’d been before. I wasn’t offended, but cast members at WDW ask you everywhere you go. However, we got asked if we were annual passholders every time we purchased something (souvenirs, snacks, meals, etc.). This was to give the appropriate discount. They never ask at WDW, and sometimes it seems you have to beg to get the discount!

I’m so thankful I got to experience this trip with my Mom. It was such a great time, even with the little hiccups. Hopefully it won’t be 8 years before I get to go back!

Thank you all for reading my first trip report. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message or reply to the report. I will be happy to answer them from a newbie perspective!

 

[Californian Elitist]

[*]Cast members never once asked where we were visiting from or if we’d been before. I wasn’t offended, but cast members at WDW ask you everywhere you go. However, we got asked if we were annual passholders every time we purchased something (souvenirs, snacks, meals, etc.). This was to give the appropriate discount. They never ask at WDW, and sometimes it seems you have to beg to get the discount!

I think this describes the difference of demographics on each coast perfectly.

I enjoyed your report! In regards to churros and Californians... It may have to do with churros being a popular Mexican dessert, and we Californians love our Mexican food. In all honesty, getting a churro at Disneyland has become a tradition... They're so dang good. I need to get my hands on one of those dipped ice cream bars the next time I go back to the parks. Again, I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for writing it.

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

I think this describes the difference of demographics on each coast perfectly.

I enjoyed your report! In regards to churros and Californians... It may have to do with churros being a popular Mexican dessert, and we Californians love our Mexican food. In all honesty, getting a churro at Disneyland has become a tradition... They're so dang good. I need to get my hands on one of those dipped ice cream bars the next time I go back to the parks. Again, I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for writing it.

You're very welcome! It was actually fun to relive the experience. And YES you must go to Clarabelle's! Your life will be changed for the better, I promise . Thanks for all your help on the Disneyland boards! I might have lurked to read all your answers . Thanks for reading!!

 

[flynnibus]

Food has been on the improvement in DLR.. especially DCA since the redo. They have really been focused on expanding the options and 'healthy' options in the last few years. Classic venues are still pretty 'meh' but DLR has improved greatly here in the last 4+ years. And ditto on the plates and utencils!!! It drives me mad at WDW that you are paying such high end prices and get stuck with picnic materials.

Your comments about crowds are a function of when you visited. If you were there during a busy time, you'd see a bit different when it comes to shows/etc. It's not as bad as WDW (except for the campers at F!) but you do need to get there early for the best viewing.. or somewhere to sit.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

 

[Californian Elitist]

You're very welcome! It was actually fun to relive the experience. And YES you must go to Clarabelle's! Your life will be changed for the better, I promise . Thanks for all your help on the Disneyland boards! I might have lurked to read all your answers . Thanks for reading!!

I've had the cookies and cream ice cream from Clarabelle's, and that was spectacular. Wish I had one of those ice cream bars right this second!

Anytime.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Food has been on the improvement in DLR.. especially DCA since the redo. They have really been focused on expanding the options and 'healthy' options in the last few years. Classic venues are still pretty 'meh' but DLR has improved greatly here in the last 4+ years. And ditto on the plates and utencils!!! It drives me mad at WDW that you are paying such high end prices and get stuck with picnic materials.

Your comments about crowds are a function of when you visited. If you were there during a busy time, you'd see a bit different when it comes to shows/etc. It's not as bad as WDW (except for the campers at F!) but you do need to get there early for the best viewing.. or somewhere to sit.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

I didn't know food wasn't served on real plates and real utensils weren't used at WDW. Do you have any idea why?

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

Food has been on the improvement in DLR.. especially DCA since the redo. They have really been focused on expanding the options and 'healthy' options in the last few years. Classic venues are still pretty 'meh' but DLR has improved greatly here in the last 4+ years. And ditto on the plates and utencils!!! It drives me mad at WDW that you are paying such high end prices and get stuck with picnic materials.

Your comments about crowds are a function of when you visited. If you were there during a busy time, you'd see a bit different when it comes to shows/etc. It's not as bad as WDW (except for the campers at F!) but you do need to get there early for the best viewing.. or somewhere to sit.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

I totally agree about the paper goods at WDW! So frustrating. And I feel very blessed that we got to experience DLR during a low crowd time.

Thanks for reading!

I've had the cookies and cream ice cream from Clarabelle's, and that was spectacular. Wish I had one of those ice cream bars right this second!

Anytime.

Let me know what your thoughts are when you get one!!

I didn't know food wasn't served on real plates and real utensils weren't used at WDW. Do you have any idea why?

My guess would be due to the mass amounts of people the restaurants serve. They probably couldn't keep up with the plate washing demand.

 

[flynnibus]

I didn't know food wasn't served on real plates and real utensils weren't used at WDW. Do you have any idea why?

The difference is at the counter service places, say at a flos or village haus. For some reason everything that is not true table service at wdw is paper plates and plastic utensils.

My guess is simply money. It takes time, space, labor, and replacing inventory to use plates and utensils. It cheapens the experience so badly IMHO

 

[Californian Elitist]

@TrolleyFollower91 and @flynnibus That makes sense. I can see why WDW would use plastic utensils and paper plates, given the amounts of people the resort receives.

 

[foreverbelle]

Fabulous report!

Having never been to DL I find it really cool to see the difference to what I know versus what DL has to offer. Thank you for sharing.....and the hotel, what a view! I mean how amazing was that to wake up to every morning

One other thing thrilling thing to see Earl of Sandwich...your making me crave it just showing the pics...

Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

Fabulous report!

Having never been to DL I find it really cool to see the difference to what I know versus what DL has to offer. Thank you for sharing.....and the hotel, what a view! I mean how amazing was that to wake up to every morning

One other thing thrilling thing to see Earl of Sandwich...your making me crave it just showing the pics...

Thank you so much for sharing.

Thanks for reading! You really should plan a trip to the West Coast soon. And I wish I could wake up to the view every morning and go to bed watching World of Color!

I LOVE Earl of Sandwich- in fact it would have made a better lunch than my peanut butter

 

[JillC LI]

I really enjoyed your trip report. I wouldn't have found it if I hadn't clicked on the link in your signature block while I was responding to you 10K question on the Running sub-forum. We're thinking about our family's first trip to DL for next summer (well, at least *I* am thinking about it - LOL) so this was helpful. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[acrab3t]

What a wonderful trip report! I have to say you have convinced me to visit WDL for our next trip. I was toying with the idea but was a bit concerned since we are so used to WDW. I was thinking Paradise Pier resort too. This report just confirms it. THANK YOU!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

I really enjoyed your trip report. I wouldn't have found it if I hadn't clicked on the link in your signature block while I was responding to you 10K question on the Running sub-forum. We're thinking about our family's first trip to DL for next summer (well, at least *I* am thinking about it - LOL) so this was helpful. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for reading! Hopefully I'll have a trip report in the future from a runDisney event . And YES I fully support your trip to DLR next summer. It's so different yet so wonderful at the same time!

What a wonderful trip report! I have to say you have convinced me to visit WDL for our next trip. I was toying with the idea but was a bit concerned since we are so used to WDW. I was thinking Paradise Pier resort too. This report just confirms it. THANK YOU!

Thank you for reading!! I recommend Paradise Pier 110%! It is awesome. I'm so glad you made the decision to go, you can't really call yourself a "Disney" fan until you've visited the original park, IMO. Feel free to ask any questions. I read a lot of trip reports to get ready for our trip . Check out @WDWFigment 's blog- he has some great California reports! Also the people on the Disneyland Forum of WDWmagic are SO helpful!