cheshirecatgirl
08-14-2008, 11:14 AM
:DTrip Report
Cast: Susan, 28 (that’s me!), Walt Disney World Veteran, but Disneyland First Timer!
Angelina, my 6 month old niece
Dates: August 7-13, 2008
Hotel: Anaheim Maingate Hotel
Transportation: Flew to Long Beach Airport, cab to hotel, walked from hotel to Disneyland.
Reason for Trip: My sister had a business conference in Anaheim, and I am her daughter’s nanny, so I came to care for my niece. I got two days to myself to visit Disneyland, then took my niece for two more days!
Day One: Travel Day. We flew from Washington, D.C. to Long Beach Thursday afternoon. Our flight was delayed due to bad weather in Boston, so we left three hours later than we were supposed to. Which means we got there three hours later. We were supposed to get there about 9PM, but didn’t get there till midnight. And of course, it felt like 3 AM to my poor Eastern time body! I caught a cab to the hotel, Anaheim Maingate and promptly fell asleep!
Day Two, Friday: I woke up surprisingly early, around 9AM. It was time to hit Disneyland! I had no real plan, just a list of everything I wanted to do. First, I had to figure out how to get there! I knew it was close, but I wasn’t sure which direction to go. So I looked out the window to see if I could see any landmarks, and lo and behold, there was the Hollywood Tower Hotel! As it turned out, my hotel was one block from the back of DCA, but actually about three blocks from the front entrance. I walked to Katella and went down that street and ended up in the Lion King parking lot. I took the tram to the front and bought a 2 day park hopper and I was off!
Disclaimer: I will be making A LOT of comparisons with WDW and my impressions of Disneyland!
Okay, first of all, I found it odd that you can just walk into the Disneyland Resort off the street! That was very bizarre to me, since I am used to the large amount of driving in circles you have to do at WDW. Second, it was weird to have DCA right across the plaza from Disneyland, instead of the Seven Seas Lagoon! Third, I was shocked and pleasantly amazed that the ticket turnstiles were so much easier to get through, since they scan your ticket instead of putting it in the machine and having to stick your finger in for a reading! I thought that was a much better way to go.
Upon walking into the Town Square area, I was struck at how close together all the buildings are. It made it seem more homey and cozy. But I have to admit, I laughed to myself when I looked down Main Street and saw the castle. I was told not to mention this, but I’m sorry, I have to! It was just so… so… so……… small. (Ducks while all the Disneylanders throw things at me).
I caught the Omnibus and rode down Main St. Then I walked through the castle. Again, I was struck by all the close together buildings. There was Snow White right there, so I got on it. Well, I must say, Snow White is a lot scarier here than the WDW version! But I was confused at first, since the scenes are in a different order. It starts off with the dwarfs and the music in the cottage, then goes to the queen's castle and the scary forest. I also missed one of my favorite lines from the WDW ride: “She’s getting away, huurrry!” When I exited, there was Pinocchio, so I hopped on that. It was cool, a new one for me. After that, I decided to go get a fastpass for Space Mountain. I meant to do that first but got distracted by all these rides! I noted Peter Pan had a line, and it had a line every time I went by, so I never rode it. Anyway, I got my fp for Space. I was going to do the Nemo subs, but it had a really long line, so I decided to skip it and get there earlier tomorrow. I went on the Matterhorn next, which had a very short line. I loved it! Expedition Everest Lite! It was similar to Florida’s Space Mountain in terms of the track. I t kind of reminded me of a water slide, lots of twists and turns around the mountain. It got me exhilarated, so I was ready for more! I walked over to Toontown. Much different than WDW’s. Lots more details and buildings, it actually looks like a town, rather than just a small street. I rode Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin. It was a wild and confusing ride, to me, but that’s probably because I have never seen the movie. It was kind of like Mr. Toad meets Primeval Whirl! Then I went on the Storybookland Canal boat. It was a very cute ride. I loved all the mini houses and villages.
After that, I went back to Tomorrowland and got a fp for Buzz, then rode Space Mtn. I LOVED it! It is soooo much better than WDW’s. It was definitely my favorite ride! Space Mtn, ahhhh, what a ride! It was sooo smooth, no jerking around! Fast and smooth and cool, literally, with the wind blowing at you. All stars and it has music too. The seats are also much easier to get in and out of, they are two across. Once I got off that, I was ready for lunch. So I went to Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port, since it was right there. It was good. It was odd to me to hear the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience theme right outside Space Mtn! That’s an Epcot song! After lunch, I went to Buzz. It was very similar to WDW, except the guns are loose and you shoot with your index finger instead of the thumb. This was nice, since I didn’t get a sore thumb, but on the other hand, you couldn’t just leave the trigger pushed down the whole time.
After Buzz, I headed over to Adventureland. I wanted to get a fp for Indy, but it was closed at that time. So I wandered through New Orleans Square and Critter Country to get a fp for Splash. While I was there, I rode Winnie the Pooh, and this was my biggest disappointment. This ride was awful! It didn’t have a good storyline, it made no sense, things were in the wrong order. The scenes were choppy and badly done. Now, I love the Pooh ride at WDW, so I was expecting better things. No Owl’s house, no blustery day garden, no bouncing with Tigger and floating in the rain. And no Piglet saying: “ooh, a very big waterfall!” And no Hooray at the end , either. This was the one thing I really truly did not like at all. At first, I thought the bee hive cars were kind of cute, but I like the hunny pots better!
Well, anyway, I went back to NOS and got in line for Haunted Mansion. Now, HM is not one of my fav rides at WDW, but I like it okay. The Disneyland version on the inside was almost the same, but shorter. I noticed they didn’t have the beginning section with the staircases, the library or the piano player, or did I miss those? The outside is very different, and it really didn’t seem very haunted to me. Not atmospheric enough. The inside entrance was neat, although I was surprised the CM didn’t do the dialogue about the dead center of the room. After HM, I rode Pirates of the Caribbean. Again, the outside was totally different and the queue was not nearly as atmospheric and piratey as the WDW version. I love the cavern tunnels there, but here, it was just a line, with the boats going around this open area with the parrot. The beginning of the ride reminded me of the Mexico boat ride at Epcot, the boat drifting past a dark restaurant. The bayou theme here also didn’t seem very piratey to me, but it was cool. Then came the drops and the ride now looked more like what I’m used to! I liked the extra scenes at the beginning with all the treasure rooms. The rest of the ride was pretty much the same, although the scene with the buildings on fire looked a bit different. I was glad the Hairy Leg Guy was there! The end was odd, with the wooden beams overhead. And it was weird to exit at the entrance and not go directly into the gift shop! I say, thumbs up for a longer ride, but the queue is better at WDW!
Okay, now I was off to Adventureland again. Indy was open, so I got a fp, then rode Jungle Cruise. It was almost the same as WDW, but shorter. They didn’t have the inside section. Then I went to see the Tiki Room show. I got a Dole Whip Float and saw the preshow, then went in. Now, I had seen the original show at WDW a long time ago before they changed it, but I don’t really remember it. I don’t dislike the new version except for the opening song, but I was looking forward to seeing the original version again. Well, it was nice and cool, but really slow. I don’t think it is significantly better than the new version, except for the opening song! Then I went to ride Splash. It was similar to WDW, but I think not as good. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just didn’t seem as fun. Maybe it’s just the WDW version is so familiar and I love it, that this one just seemed strange. After this, I could ride Indy, so I headed over. Thumbs up for the queue, it was very cool. The ride itself was also cool, but I don’t see why everyone says it is better than the Dinosaur ride. Again, maybe it’s just that the Dinosaur ride is so familiar to me, and I love it so, but Indy didn’t seem any better, just different.
After that, I walked around NOS, very cool atmosphere, and then Frontierland. Here, the layout is different, and it seemed odd to me! But then, I felt that way all day. Everything is in different places, usually the opposite of where they are at WDW. Big Thunder over here? I rode it, since there was a short wait. Thumbs up for a much better queue. The ride itself is almost the same as FL. Not exactly, there were a couple bumps and turns I wasn’t expecting, but mostly the same. The surroundings were a little different though. And you couldn’t see the castle from the hill. Then I wandered over to Big Thunder Ranch, which was basically a petting zoo area. I liked the cute cabin. I went to Fantasyland again, running into a bunch of characters on the way. I was surprised they didn’t have everyone in orderly lines. I rode Mr Toad and loved it. I rode it once back in the day when it was still at WDW, but again, I didn’t really remember it. Well, it’s cool! And then I rode Alice in Wonderland. What with my love of the Cheshire Cat, I was greatly looking forward to this one, and I loved it! At some point, I got a fp for Space again, and I rode it once more. Then I walked down Main St. I discovered the penny arcade, what fun! I got a bunch of pressed pennies, and the pressed nickels of Wall-E and Eve! In the Emporium, I found a nice stuffed Cheshire and fell in love. So I bought him and carried him around the rest of the day! I was wearing a Cheshire cat shirt, and got several compliments!
I wanted to head over to DCA, and see the Aladdin show, but I got distracted again, and saw the 50th anniversary movie instead. It was good, very funny. Kind of like a Disneyland only version of the One Man’s Dream show at MGM. (Yes, I know they changed the name and it is no longer MGM, but I refuse to change my wicked ways.) Soooo, after that, I headed over to DCA. First, I went to Mike and Sulley to the Rescue, very cute ride! Then I saw Muppet Vision, and it was blissfully the same as MGM. I say blissfully because it is one of my most favorite things. The only oddity was a freaky looking Bean bunny in the balcony. What was up with that? Then, I went to a bug’s land and rode Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train. My first impression was that it was a pretty pointless ride, but I think I was just getting really tired at that point! Later, I decided it was cute. The whole Flik’s Fun Fair was cute in general. I liked the theming of it.
I walked around toward Paradise Pier, getting some free bread from the Boudin Bakery. I passed Toy Story Mania, but only saw long lines. Since I rode it at MGM the day it opened, I didn’t feel the need to wait in line here. The Screamin ride looked a little too scary for me! I walked around until I came upon the Golden Dreams show, so I went in to that. It was good, and I even learned some things about California! Just as I came out, the Electrical Parade was beginning, so I stayed and watched it. I had seen it once before during it’s last week at Magic Kingdom in FL, so it was nice to see it again. I love Elliot! When the parade was over, I headed out, stopping to browse in some gift shops along the way. A great first day in the parks!
Day Three, Saturday: I woke up later than I intended, but still fairly early. Put on my other Cheshire cat T and off I went. I wanted to do all the things I’d missed the day before, and ride Space Mtn as much as possible! When I arrived in Disneyland, there was the Omnibus, so I rode it again. Then I ran over and got a fp for Space Mtn and got in line for the Nemo subs. Even thought it already had a 60 minute wait, ugh! It was a good ride, but I wouldn’t wait that long for it again! It had many elements from the Nemo ride at Epcot, even some of the same dialogue. My fp for Space was ready by the time Nemo was over, so I went and got another fp, then took my ride, yay! I was starving by this time, so I headed for Frontierland. I wanted to get some food and see the Golden Horseshoe show. I got a turkey sandwich from River Belle Terrace and went back to the GH to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. It was fun and very corny. I wonder if the one guy gets tired of saying, “Billy!” I especially liked the end when they played each other’s instruments.
After the show, I headed for Tom Sawyer’s Island. I explored the whole thing, and had a great time discovering all the interactive stuff. Okay, I admit, I didn’t discover any of it. I walked past it, until some kids discovered it, and then I noticed! Like the surprise in the Dead Man’s Grotto treasure, or the surprise in the half sunken boat. It was very fun. On the way back, Jack Sparrow got on the boat!
I wandered around NOS then, wanting to get a better look at everything. I really liked the theming here, with all the trellised balconies, and little corners and alleys. I also found the Mint Julep Bar, and had a Mint Julep. It was quite tasty and became my favorite treat. Although the fancy cupcakes were quite good, too! After exploring NOS, I went back through Adventureland and over to Fantasyland. I rode Mr. Toad, Alice, Pinocchio, the Matterhorn, and Casey Jr. train. All were fun! Then I went to Space Mtn, got another fp and rode with my old fp. Then I went to Main St and fully explored all the shops. I liked the Market shop, very nicely themed. Then I got on the railroad and went all around. I loved the Primeval World area, very cool! But I missed the Native American Villages they have in FL. I got off the rr at NOS after doing a complete trip. Why? To get another Mint Julep, of course! I also got a Pirates popcorn bucket. Fantasmic was starting, but I decided I didn’t feel like watching it. There was no line for Pirates, so I rode that again instead. Then I went to the front of the castle to watch the fireworks. Very cool, way better than Wishes. Then I went to Space Mtn to use my last fp, then headed out.
I thought that this was it, and I wouldn’t be coming back. I was pretty satisfied that I had done everything I really wanted to do, and experienced all the things that were different from WDW. I decided Disneyland was very cool, even though things were in the opposite places! Some things I liked better here, some things not as much as WDW. So I would say it comes out pretty even. My first impression of DCA, not as good, nowhere near as good as Animal Kingdom, MGM and Epcot, although it has elements of all three. I liked the unique California stuff, but I agree as a whole it could’ve been a lot better. It occurred to me later that they could have had an Epcot World Showcase type thing, but concentrating on the cultures in CA, like the Japanese and Chinese immigrants, the Spanish settlers, the Native Americans, the Mexican immigrants, etc. That would be cool! I didn’t get a chance to really explore DCA, so I decided I couldn’t really form a good opinion until later!
So was that the end? No way!
Day Four, Sunday: I slept late and then browsed through some cheap tacky gift shops near my hotel. I happen to like cheap and tacky souvenirs, so these places are good! I got custody, so to speak, of my niece around 4PM, so I took her over to Downtown Disney. I was looking forward to seeing what they have there. Well, not much, I must say. It was nothing like FL’s. Oh sure, some nice shops and restaurants, but none of my favorites. And no Disney Quest, Pleasure Island, or West Side! No Virgin Megastore, Once Upon a Toy, or Disney Days of Christmas. No Pooh shop, or Disney Tails or Ten Dollars and Under! No Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich! No Ghirardelli with free chocolate samples! Even the Lego Store didn’t have all the cool outdoor things, and the World of Disney store was very small! The only good thing was they had a Build a Bear store, with Disney hats and shirts, which I liked! I ate dinner at the Jazz Express, which was pretty good. I walked around the Disneyland Hotel a little, too, but it was getting dark, so I decided to head back. My sister wanted to know what I planned to do for the next two days. I said, weeellll, I would really like to take Angelina to the parks, hint, hint. So she said I could buy another 2 day park hopper and take her! Yay!!!! So that brings me to…
Day Five, Monday: Angelina and I head for Disneyland. Her first ever time in a Disney park at the tender age of 6 months. I decide to go to DCA first. We went in and I wanted to see the Aladdin Show, but alas, it wasn’t playing Mon or Tues! Boo. So we went into the Animation building. There we saw the Toy Story Zoetrope. That was really cool! I loved it! We tried to do Turtle Talk, but Angelina got very fussy right at the beginning, so we left and she fell asleep in her stroller. It was noon, so I went looking for a place to have lunch. I decided on Taste Pilot’s Grill. After lunch, Angelina woke up, so we went to A Bug’s Land and rode Heimlich, her first ride! Then we rode the Ladybug Boogie. Basically it is the teacups, but in a ladybug! Then we went back to the Hollywood area and saw Muppet Vision and rode Mike and Sulley. Then we tried Turtle Talk, and again, Angelina got fussy as we went in and fell asleep when I took her out! So I just sat and watched the Zoetrope while she napped. Then we headed out and went to Disneyland. I stopped off at the Silhouette Shop to get Angelina’s silhouette done. I have to say, it didn’t really look like her. Oh well. We went to Fantasyland, but the lines were long, so I went to the Princess Fantasy Faire and hung out there while Angelina napped. Then we left to meet her dad for awhile. Then we went back into Disneyland and just walked around. Then we went back to DCA and walked around some more, and I had dinner at the Farmers Market bounty place. Then we left. We stopped at the Build a Bear shop to get the Disney stuff there, then back to the hotel.
Day Six, Tuesday: Another glorious Disneyland day. We headed for Fantasyland and went on Pinocchio. Incidentally, I just missed getting a Dream fastpass. I went to Pinocchio’s exit to park the stroller, and they were handing out dream fastpasses at the exit. Well, I tried to blend in and ask for one, but they said no, only those exiting the ride. Well, fooey. I was about to go on it anyway! So I went on the ride and just as I was exiting, they left! I was rather miffed about that, but oh well! It’s not like I could’ve used it anyway. Then I wanted to take Angelina on Alice, but the ride was broken. So we went to Toontown and walked around. The line for Mickey’s house was way long, but we went in Minnie’s house and Chip n Dale’s Treehouse. Then we stopped by the Princess Fantasy Faire and got a crown. Then we went on Snow White and Mr. Toad. Then, Angelina was ready for a nap, so I walked toward Frontierland and found a nice quiet shady spot. Meeko was there playing with a little girl and her dad. So I sat and watched them, while Angelina napped. When she woke up, we tried to do Alice, but again, long line. So we went back to the nice shady spot and just hung out there for awhile. Then we left to meet my sister and brother-in-law at the hotel for awhile. Later, we went back to Disneyland and finally got to ride Alice since the parade was going on and there was no line! We also went back to NOS so I could get one last Mint Julep! Then we went back to DCA and rode Heimlich again and saw the Zoetrope one last time. Then we said farewell, to Disneyland!
All in all, a fabulous time. I am so glad I got to go back two more days with my niece. Even though she won’t remember it, it was nice to take her on her first Disney experience! I do have pictures to show her when she’s older!
What is better at Disneyland? The weather is nicer, for one thing. No humidity! There are some great rides that we don’t have at WDW, and different versions of other rides, some of which were better or equally good, like Space Mtn! We are supposed to be moving out to CA next year, so I am sure to become a Disneyland regular! But there are still so many things at WDW that I love that aren’t in Disneyland. Guess I’ll just have to be bicoastal! Thanks for reading!
Cast: Susan, 28 (that’s me!), Walt Disney World Veteran, but Disneyland First Timer!
Angelina, my 6 month old niece
Dates: August 7-13, 2008
Hotel: Anaheim Maingate Hotel
Transportation: Flew to Long Beach Airport, cab to hotel, walked from hotel to Disneyland.
Reason for Trip: My sister had a business conference in Anaheim, and I am her daughter’s nanny, so I came to care for my niece. I got two days to myself to visit Disneyland, then took my niece for two more days!
Day One: Travel Day. We flew from Washington, D.C. to Long Beach Thursday afternoon. Our flight was delayed due to bad weather in Boston, so we left three hours later than we were supposed to. Which means we got there three hours later. We were supposed to get there about 9PM, but didn’t get there till midnight. And of course, it felt like 3 AM to my poor Eastern time body! I caught a cab to the hotel, Anaheim Maingate and promptly fell asleep!
Day Two, Friday: I woke up surprisingly early, around 9AM. It was time to hit Disneyland! I had no real plan, just a list of everything I wanted to do. First, I had to figure out how to get there! I knew it was close, but I wasn’t sure which direction to go. So I looked out the window to see if I could see any landmarks, and lo and behold, there was the Hollywood Tower Hotel! As it turned out, my hotel was one block from the back of DCA, but actually about three blocks from the front entrance. I walked to Katella and went down that street and ended up in the Lion King parking lot. I took the tram to the front and bought a 2 day park hopper and I was off!
Disclaimer: I will be making A LOT of comparisons with WDW and my impressions of Disneyland!
Okay, first of all, I found it odd that you can just walk into the Disneyland Resort off the street! That was very bizarre to me, since I am used to the large amount of driving in circles you have to do at WDW. Second, it was weird to have DCA right across the plaza from Disneyland, instead of the Seven Seas Lagoon! Third, I was shocked and pleasantly amazed that the ticket turnstiles were so much easier to get through, since they scan your ticket instead of putting it in the machine and having to stick your finger in for a reading! I thought that was a much better way to go.
Upon walking into the Town Square area, I was struck at how close together all the buildings are. It made it seem more homey and cozy. But I have to admit, I laughed to myself when I looked down Main Street and saw the castle. I was told not to mention this, but I’m sorry, I have to! It was just so… so… so……… small. (Ducks while all the Disneylanders throw things at me).
I caught the Omnibus and rode down Main St. Then I walked through the castle. Again, I was struck by all the close together buildings. There was Snow White right there, so I got on it. Well, I must say, Snow White is a lot scarier here than the WDW version! But I was confused at first, since the scenes are in a different order. It starts off with the dwarfs and the music in the cottage, then goes to the queen's castle and the scary forest. I also missed one of my favorite lines from the WDW ride: “She’s getting away, huurrry!” When I exited, there was Pinocchio, so I hopped on that. It was cool, a new one for me. After that, I decided to go get a fastpass for Space Mountain. I meant to do that first but got distracted by all these rides! I noted Peter Pan had a line, and it had a line every time I went by, so I never rode it. Anyway, I got my fp for Space. I was going to do the Nemo subs, but it had a really long line, so I decided to skip it and get there earlier tomorrow. I went on the Matterhorn next, which had a very short line. I loved it! Expedition Everest Lite! It was similar to Florida’s Space Mountain in terms of the track. I t kind of reminded me of a water slide, lots of twists and turns around the mountain. It got me exhilarated, so I was ready for more! I walked over to Toontown. Much different than WDW’s. Lots more details and buildings, it actually looks like a town, rather than just a small street. I rode Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin. It was a wild and confusing ride, to me, but that’s probably because I have never seen the movie. It was kind of like Mr. Toad meets Primeval Whirl! Then I went on the Storybookland Canal boat. It was a very cute ride. I loved all the mini houses and villages.
After that, I went back to Tomorrowland and got a fp for Buzz, then rode Space Mtn. I LOVED it! It is soooo much better than WDW’s. It was definitely my favorite ride! Space Mtn, ahhhh, what a ride! It was sooo smooth, no jerking around! Fast and smooth and cool, literally, with the wind blowing at you. All stars and it has music too. The seats are also much easier to get in and out of, they are two across. Once I got off that, I was ready for lunch. So I went to Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port, since it was right there. It was good. It was odd to me to hear the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience theme right outside Space Mtn! That’s an Epcot song! After lunch, I went to Buzz. It was very similar to WDW, except the guns are loose and you shoot with your index finger instead of the thumb. This was nice, since I didn’t get a sore thumb, but on the other hand, you couldn’t just leave the trigger pushed down the whole time.
After Buzz, I headed over to Adventureland. I wanted to get a fp for Indy, but it was closed at that time. So I wandered through New Orleans Square and Critter Country to get a fp for Splash. While I was there, I rode Winnie the Pooh, and this was my biggest disappointment. This ride was awful! It didn’t have a good storyline, it made no sense, things were in the wrong order. The scenes were choppy and badly done. Now, I love the Pooh ride at WDW, so I was expecting better things. No Owl’s house, no blustery day garden, no bouncing with Tigger and floating in the rain. And no Piglet saying: “ooh, a very big waterfall!” And no Hooray at the end , either. This was the one thing I really truly did not like at all. At first, I thought the bee hive cars were kind of cute, but I like the hunny pots better!
Well, anyway, I went back to NOS and got in line for Haunted Mansion. Now, HM is not one of my fav rides at WDW, but I like it okay. The Disneyland version on the inside was almost the same, but shorter. I noticed they didn’t have the beginning section with the staircases, the library or the piano player, or did I miss those? The outside is very different, and it really didn’t seem very haunted to me. Not atmospheric enough. The inside entrance was neat, although I was surprised the CM didn’t do the dialogue about the dead center of the room. After HM, I rode Pirates of the Caribbean. Again, the outside was totally different and the queue was not nearly as atmospheric and piratey as the WDW version. I love the cavern tunnels there, but here, it was just a line, with the boats going around this open area with the parrot. The beginning of the ride reminded me of the Mexico boat ride at Epcot, the boat drifting past a dark restaurant. The bayou theme here also didn’t seem very piratey to me, but it was cool. Then came the drops and the ride now looked more like what I’m used to! I liked the extra scenes at the beginning with all the treasure rooms. The rest of the ride was pretty much the same, although the scene with the buildings on fire looked a bit different. I was glad the Hairy Leg Guy was there! The end was odd, with the wooden beams overhead. And it was weird to exit at the entrance and not go directly into the gift shop! I say, thumbs up for a longer ride, but the queue is better at WDW!
Okay, now I was off to Adventureland again. Indy was open, so I got a fp, then rode Jungle Cruise. It was almost the same as WDW, but shorter. They didn’t have the inside section. Then I went to see the Tiki Room show. I got a Dole Whip Float and saw the preshow, then went in. Now, I had seen the original show at WDW a long time ago before they changed it, but I don’t really remember it. I don’t dislike the new version except for the opening song, but I was looking forward to seeing the original version again. Well, it was nice and cool, but really slow. I don’t think it is significantly better than the new version, except for the opening song! Then I went to ride Splash. It was similar to WDW, but I think not as good. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just didn’t seem as fun. Maybe it’s just the WDW version is so familiar and I love it, that this one just seemed strange. After this, I could ride Indy, so I headed over. Thumbs up for the queue, it was very cool. The ride itself was also cool, but I don’t see why everyone says it is better than the Dinosaur ride. Again, maybe it’s just that the Dinosaur ride is so familiar to me, and I love it so, but Indy didn’t seem any better, just different.
After that, I walked around NOS, very cool atmosphere, and then Frontierland. Here, the layout is different, and it seemed odd to me! But then, I felt that way all day. Everything is in different places, usually the opposite of where they are at WDW. Big Thunder over here? I rode it, since there was a short wait. Thumbs up for a much better queue. The ride itself is almost the same as FL. Not exactly, there were a couple bumps and turns I wasn’t expecting, but mostly the same. The surroundings were a little different though. And you couldn’t see the castle from the hill. Then I wandered over to Big Thunder Ranch, which was basically a petting zoo area. I liked the cute cabin. I went to Fantasyland again, running into a bunch of characters on the way. I was surprised they didn’t have everyone in orderly lines. I rode Mr Toad and loved it. I rode it once back in the day when it was still at WDW, but again, I didn’t really remember it. Well, it’s cool! And then I rode Alice in Wonderland. What with my love of the Cheshire Cat, I was greatly looking forward to this one, and I loved it! At some point, I got a fp for Space again, and I rode it once more. Then I walked down Main St. I discovered the penny arcade, what fun! I got a bunch of pressed pennies, and the pressed nickels of Wall-E and Eve! In the Emporium, I found a nice stuffed Cheshire and fell in love. So I bought him and carried him around the rest of the day! I was wearing a Cheshire cat shirt, and got several compliments!
I wanted to head over to DCA, and see the Aladdin show, but I got distracted again, and saw the 50th anniversary movie instead. It was good, very funny. Kind of like a Disneyland only version of the One Man’s Dream show at MGM. (Yes, I know they changed the name and it is no longer MGM, but I refuse to change my wicked ways.) Soooo, after that, I headed over to DCA. First, I went to Mike and Sulley to the Rescue, very cute ride! Then I saw Muppet Vision, and it was blissfully the same as MGM. I say blissfully because it is one of my most favorite things. The only oddity was a freaky looking Bean bunny in the balcony. What was up with that? Then, I went to a bug’s land and rode Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train. My first impression was that it was a pretty pointless ride, but I think I was just getting really tired at that point! Later, I decided it was cute. The whole Flik’s Fun Fair was cute in general. I liked the theming of it.
I walked around toward Paradise Pier, getting some free bread from the Boudin Bakery. I passed Toy Story Mania, but only saw long lines. Since I rode it at MGM the day it opened, I didn’t feel the need to wait in line here. The Screamin ride looked a little too scary for me! I walked around until I came upon the Golden Dreams show, so I went in to that. It was good, and I even learned some things about California! Just as I came out, the Electrical Parade was beginning, so I stayed and watched it. I had seen it once before during it’s last week at Magic Kingdom in FL, so it was nice to see it again. I love Elliot! When the parade was over, I headed out, stopping to browse in some gift shops along the way. A great first day in the parks!
Day Three, Saturday: I woke up later than I intended, but still fairly early. Put on my other Cheshire cat T and off I went. I wanted to do all the things I’d missed the day before, and ride Space Mtn as much as possible! When I arrived in Disneyland, there was the Omnibus, so I rode it again. Then I ran over and got a fp for Space Mtn and got in line for the Nemo subs. Even thought it already had a 60 minute wait, ugh! It was a good ride, but I wouldn’t wait that long for it again! It had many elements from the Nemo ride at Epcot, even some of the same dialogue. My fp for Space was ready by the time Nemo was over, so I went and got another fp, then took my ride, yay! I was starving by this time, so I headed for Frontierland. I wanted to get some food and see the Golden Horseshoe show. I got a turkey sandwich from River Belle Terrace and went back to the GH to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. It was fun and very corny. I wonder if the one guy gets tired of saying, “Billy!” I especially liked the end when they played each other’s instruments.
After the show, I headed for Tom Sawyer’s Island. I explored the whole thing, and had a great time discovering all the interactive stuff. Okay, I admit, I didn’t discover any of it. I walked past it, until some kids discovered it, and then I noticed! Like the surprise in the Dead Man’s Grotto treasure, or the surprise in the half sunken boat. It was very fun. On the way back, Jack Sparrow got on the boat!
I wandered around NOS then, wanting to get a better look at everything. I really liked the theming here, with all the trellised balconies, and little corners and alleys. I also found the Mint Julep Bar, and had a Mint Julep. It was quite tasty and became my favorite treat. Although the fancy cupcakes were quite good, too! After exploring NOS, I went back through Adventureland and over to Fantasyland. I rode Mr. Toad, Alice, Pinocchio, the Matterhorn, and Casey Jr. train. All were fun! Then I went to Space Mtn, got another fp and rode with my old fp. Then I went to Main St and fully explored all the shops. I liked the Market shop, very nicely themed. Then I got on the railroad and went all around. I loved the Primeval World area, very cool! But I missed the Native American Villages they have in FL. I got off the rr at NOS after doing a complete trip. Why? To get another Mint Julep, of course! I also got a Pirates popcorn bucket. Fantasmic was starting, but I decided I didn’t feel like watching it. There was no line for Pirates, so I rode that again instead. Then I went to the front of the castle to watch the fireworks. Very cool, way better than Wishes. Then I went to Space Mtn to use my last fp, then headed out.
I thought that this was it, and I wouldn’t be coming back. I was pretty satisfied that I had done everything I really wanted to do, and experienced all the things that were different from WDW. I decided Disneyland was very cool, even though things were in the opposite places! Some things I liked better here, some things not as much as WDW. So I would say it comes out pretty even. My first impression of DCA, not as good, nowhere near as good as Animal Kingdom, MGM and Epcot, although it has elements of all three. I liked the unique California stuff, but I agree as a whole it could’ve been a lot better. It occurred to me later that they could have had an Epcot World Showcase type thing, but concentrating on the cultures in CA, like the Japanese and Chinese immigrants, the Spanish settlers, the Native Americans, the Mexican immigrants, etc. That would be cool! I didn’t get a chance to really explore DCA, so I decided I couldn’t really form a good opinion until later!
So was that the end? No way!
Day Four, Sunday: I slept late and then browsed through some cheap tacky gift shops near my hotel. I happen to like cheap and tacky souvenirs, so these places are good! I got custody, so to speak, of my niece around 4PM, so I took her over to Downtown Disney. I was looking forward to seeing what they have there. Well, not much, I must say. It was nothing like FL’s. Oh sure, some nice shops and restaurants, but none of my favorites. And no Disney Quest, Pleasure Island, or West Side! No Virgin Megastore, Once Upon a Toy, or Disney Days of Christmas. No Pooh shop, or Disney Tails or Ten Dollars and Under! No Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich! No Ghirardelli with free chocolate samples! Even the Lego Store didn’t have all the cool outdoor things, and the World of Disney store was very small! The only good thing was they had a Build a Bear store, with Disney hats and shirts, which I liked! I ate dinner at the Jazz Express, which was pretty good. I walked around the Disneyland Hotel a little, too, but it was getting dark, so I decided to head back. My sister wanted to know what I planned to do for the next two days. I said, weeellll, I would really like to take Angelina to the parks, hint, hint. So she said I could buy another 2 day park hopper and take her! Yay!!!! So that brings me to…
Day Five, Monday: Angelina and I head for Disneyland. Her first ever time in a Disney park at the tender age of 6 months. I decide to go to DCA first. We went in and I wanted to see the Aladdin Show, but alas, it wasn’t playing Mon or Tues! Boo. So we went into the Animation building. There we saw the Toy Story Zoetrope. That was really cool! I loved it! We tried to do Turtle Talk, but Angelina got very fussy right at the beginning, so we left and she fell asleep in her stroller. It was noon, so I went looking for a place to have lunch. I decided on Taste Pilot’s Grill. After lunch, Angelina woke up, so we went to A Bug’s Land and rode Heimlich, her first ride! Then we rode the Ladybug Boogie. Basically it is the teacups, but in a ladybug! Then we went back to the Hollywood area and saw Muppet Vision and rode Mike and Sulley. Then we tried Turtle Talk, and again, Angelina got fussy as we went in and fell asleep when I took her out! So I just sat and watched the Zoetrope while she napped. Then we headed out and went to Disneyland. I stopped off at the Silhouette Shop to get Angelina’s silhouette done. I have to say, it didn’t really look like her. Oh well. We went to Fantasyland, but the lines were long, so I went to the Princess Fantasy Faire and hung out there while Angelina napped. Then we left to meet her dad for awhile. Then we went back into Disneyland and just walked around. Then we went back to DCA and walked around some more, and I had dinner at the Farmers Market bounty place. Then we left. We stopped at the Build a Bear shop to get the Disney stuff there, then back to the hotel.
Day Six, Tuesday: Another glorious Disneyland day. We headed for Fantasyland and went on Pinocchio. Incidentally, I just missed getting a Dream fastpass. I went to Pinocchio’s exit to park the stroller, and they were handing out dream fastpasses at the exit. Well, I tried to blend in and ask for one, but they said no, only those exiting the ride. Well, fooey. I was about to go on it anyway! So I went on the ride and just as I was exiting, they left! I was rather miffed about that, but oh well! It’s not like I could’ve used it anyway. Then I wanted to take Angelina on Alice, but the ride was broken. So we went to Toontown and walked around. The line for Mickey’s house was way long, but we went in Minnie’s house and Chip n Dale’s Treehouse. Then we stopped by the Princess Fantasy Faire and got a crown. Then we went on Snow White and Mr. Toad. Then, Angelina was ready for a nap, so I walked toward Frontierland and found a nice quiet shady spot. Meeko was there playing with a little girl and her dad. So I sat and watched them, while Angelina napped. When she woke up, we tried to do Alice, but again, long line. So we went back to the nice shady spot and just hung out there for awhile. Then we left to meet my sister and brother-in-law at the hotel for awhile. Later, we went back to Disneyland and finally got to ride Alice since the parade was going on and there was no line! We also went back to NOS so I could get one last Mint Julep! Then we went back to DCA and rode Heimlich again and saw the Zoetrope one last time. Then we said farewell, to Disneyland!
All in all, a fabulous time. I am so glad I got to go back two more days with my niece. Even though she won’t remember it, it was nice to take her on her first Disney experience! I do have pictures to show her when she’s older!
What is better at Disneyland? The weather is nicer, for one thing. No humidity! There are some great rides that we don’t have at WDW, and different versions of other rides, some of which were better or equally good, like Space Mtn! We are supposed to be moving out to CA next year, so I am sure to become a Disneyland regular! But there are still so many things at WDW that I love that aren’t in Disneyland. Guess I’ll just have to be bicoastal! Thanks for reading!