PDA

View Full Version : Just back from 2 day stay



DebbieinLA
10-15-2005, 09:54 PM
It's Sat. night Oct. 15, 2005. My family and I were at Disneyland all day Fri., Oct. 14 (unusually super hot, up to 100*), for the morning of today Sat., Oct. 15, then California Adventure until 5:30 pm. Here is the report for Friday:

We had two 5 year old girls w/ us, cousins to each other, celebrating birthdays. Checked in early to Paradise Pier and arrived at the DL at 12:30. The lines to get in weren't long, because the park was already very crowded compared to other times I've been. There were long lines to meet the Disney Princesses, when they were visible around the Castle. We went to the Carousel, It's a Small World (great for the air conditioning and the RIGHT side entry line IS the faster line, as per the board here), fetched lunch take out at Bengal Barbecue (approx. $45 to hearily feed 4) in Adventureland, while girls and Uncle went to Tarzan's treehouse. Went to Pirates of the Caribbean (also an air-conditioned respite). I've been on PotC twice and the line moves swiftly for being so long, i.e. not a long wait. Then let the girls run amok on Tom Sawyer's Island for 15 min., before heading to parade at 3:15 pm (note: the start music for the parade began at 3:35 and parade ended by 3:55 pm). Very crowded up and down Main Street. Went to the bricks in the center island across from Railroad Station to find a shady viewing spot and we did.
We headed back to our hotel, Paradise Pier to rest and swim.
Returned to the gates by 7:20 pm and the lines to get into the park on this Friday night were wide and long, backed to the Monorail. It was dusk and as we entered, Main Street was jammed because the parade was ending making its way up toward Fantasyland.
We had a long wait at the Railroad Station(probably 20 min or more) to ride the train to Toon Town where we arrived at 8:00 pm and were told by a cast member Toon Town was closing at 8:30 pm for the fireworks. We rode the mini roller coaster, toured Minnie's house and went to Mickey's house. Half of Mickey's movie barn was filled w/ people waiting to meet Mickey, so not too croweded, but at 8:25 when we were ushered in to see him, there was a longer line and the cast members were anxious that the house hadn't been closed from the front.
We then walked through Fantasyland and rode the tea cups. Glad to have done it at night than during the hot day earlier. Onto Frontierland (a nice easy shortcut rather than going through the circle in front of the Castle) to get to the Fantasmic show at the Rivers of America, at 9 am. My first time seeing Fantasmic and let me tell you, it was FANTASTIC, almost like seeing an Olympics opening ceremony. The Disney Princesses were on boats and/or floats lit up on the water, there was fire that spread out on top of the water, things that climbed to the sky, fireworks, pyrotechnics, Mickey battling evil. Huge crowds on the banks.
Fantasmic ended and it seemed a minute later the shooting/falling star began the really wonderful fireworks show over the castle. A lot of pyro here too. It was cool seeing a human Tinkerbell somehow descending from a cable down the top of the Castle to I don't know where, couldn't see. It was over by 9:45 pm.
It was 9:45 pm and we still hadn't eaten dinner (had planned to get Mexican food at the Rancho del Zocato in Frontierland but the night shows waylaid us). We were tired and decided to head to Tomorrowland to get to the Monorail's hotel entrance to just get back to the hotel. But we went to the Pizza Port for a LATE dinner because the kids although tired, wanted to eat. Long lines at the registers. We passed by the 80s rock cover band at the Buzz Lightyear state and saw Mickey Mouse rocking out onstage to the song "Footloose" (title song from Kevin Bacon movie) being played live, as Pluto was dancing w/someone in the audience. How ironic that 80s music from my heyday of 20 to 25 years ago was being played in TOMORROWland.
Had a long wait in the Monorail line even for hotel guests like us. In bed between 10:30 and 11, just beat, but happy.

It seems like we didn't see a lot, but we did and the walking takes up so much time especially w/ two five year olds who at 45 " tall have much shorter strides.
Day two to come. I need sleep!
Debbie in Los Angeles

Wendi
10-16-2005, 09:44 AM
Sounds like a fantastic time, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip... can't wait for the rest of your report!

disneyhound
10-16-2005, 10:30 AM
... Had a long wait in the Monorail line even for hotel guests like us...Sounds like you had a good time! Is there a seperate line for the Monorail for Hotel Guests? I have never heard of that.

DebbieinLA
10-17-2005, 10:37 PM
Day Two: Sat., Oct. 15

My family and I (w/ two 5 year old girl cousins) woke up at Paradise Pier. Temps were comfortable, sunny and 80 or so for a high this day. We had reservations for an 8:30 am character breakfast at the Storyteller's Cafe inside the Grand Californian Hotel. I recommend reservations since many others were waiting in the cafe's front while there were many empty tables.
The wait staff was helpful, food delicious. We had the buffet: $27 for adults, $14 for children. The kids did not eat $14 worth, but were thrilled to get Mickey shaped waffles (4 each the circumference size of muffins). If you like a nice setting and good food, this is a treat. If you are seeking close encounters w/ Disney characters, this is not the place. We saw Chip/Dale, a bear and a raccoon. That's it. Also, when I made reservations I was told the girls who both turned 5 in October, would have Happy Birthday sung to them and a special dessert. It didn't happen, and we were so eager to get to DL, that we decided to skip it since we didn't want to have to wait for a big group of wait staff to get together to sing.
We went to DL and headed straight for Toon Town to ride Goofy's Roller Coaster again per the girls' request. Then, we headed to Adventure Land to knock off three sights in close proximity and the timing worked out well:
We went to the first showing of the Aladdin & Jasmine show at 11:45 am. This time the sound was not good as in May, as the volume this time wasn't loud enough for us in the back to hear and we could hear the gunning of the boat motors at the Jungle Cruise next door. The girls liked the show, had front row seats on the carpet. And it is a guaranteed encounter w/ Jasmine, who sits w/ Aladdin for a photo op w/ each child after the show.
Next we went on the Jungle Cruise. The line was backed up, but moved realitively quickly, about 15 min. The cruise's tour guide's jokes were so hokey on purpose you had to laugh.
Then we went to see the Enchanted Tiki Room, a nice place to sit when it's hot out and you can SNACK inside. We bought pineapple spears at the booth outside ($2.50 each) while waiting for the show to start and finished them inside. The cast member kindly announces to all to take your "enchanted trash" out w/ you at the end.

We felt we'd covered enough of the park for the girls, well... enough that didn't include the awful wait lines for Fantasy Land rides we considered but reconsidered upon seeing the lines for Storybook Land, Dumbo, Pinocchio, MadHatter's Tea Party, etc. both days. Instead we went to California Adventure w/ our 2 day park hopper passes. Calif. Adventure had about one third the attendance of DL. It was downright roomy in there!
We were just in time for the Bug's Life show where viewers wear 3D glasses. It is LOUD, at times dark and a bit scary at times even for 5 yr olds. But the sensory interaction is inventive.
Outside, we enjoyed a Beach Boys type band playing w/ dozens of hula hoops for the kids to spin around in while the music played. Then we had a quick lunch of hot dogs and fries by Playhouse Disney as we waited for the 2:15 pm Playhouse Disney show to begin. It's nicely air conditioned. Everyone sits on the carpet. This is a show perfect for the toddlers to young preschoolers. At 5 our girls were the grandmas of the group, but they knew all the characters from their "youth.". The cast members encourage the tots to clap, dance and sing along, but want them to sit down most of the time to keep the sight lines clear for others behind, so that can be hard for the children in front trying to peer up to the stage, where puppets pop out of the stage floor. At the end bubbles fell from the ceiling, so they let them stand up then.
Next we went to the Mulholland roller coaster, about a 10 min. wait, not bad. It was fun for all of us. Next we went on the SunWheel, the giant Ferris Wheel. We chose a non-swinging gondola and gladly so as it was a windy day and even windier and chillier up high. It provides a nice vista of Orange County. Next the girls rode the carousel. At 4 pm, we considered dinner at Ariel's Grotto, but there was a line about 6 parties deep at the door. We went to the Redwood Challenge where the girls enjoyed running through the rope bridges. We saw the 4:30 pm show of Brother Bear, not crowded at all and the audience participation the host asks for is fun. We then went to see Soaring Over California and let me tell you this was the grand finale of our 2 day stay. What an incredible ride! I highly recommend it. It's an IMAX film experience unlike one I've experienced before. You are not just sitting in a theatre seat, you are physically soaring like a kite glider. I was not keen on going to the Calif. Adventure in the first place, but this ride was worth it!

It was 5:30 pm. We then left walked through Downtown Disney, stopped at McDonald's on Harbour Blvd. for dinner and drove home.

I must share that we had a couple of nice perks thanks to a hotel upgrade since our requested room set-up at Paradise Pier couldn't be accommodated. To make up for it, we received priority entrance passes for the SunWheel Ferris Wheel and Soaring Over California where we just had to show up at the front of the line and were seated right away. It worked out that way for the ferris wheel. For Soaring, we went into the FastPass lane and waited. It's a bit of a thrill to skip those long lines, but I felt a tad guilty for getting a seat so much quicker than all of those people waiting.

This was my 7th trip to Disneyland and my first time staying overnight, which I now prefer to do again for next time. We go every December for a day to enjoy Disneyland all "Christmasfied" so that'll be our next visit.

P.s. to answer the other poster, in TomorrowLand there is an "Express" line for hotel guests to ride the Monorail, separate from the line for non-hotel guests. However, we weren't asked to show the paper ID we received from the hotel to ride the Monorail as hotel guests nor our hotel key card. Still, the "Express" line was a long wait at 10-10:30 pm on a Friday night. It probably would have been faster if we had just walked back to Paradise Pier, but the 5 year olds were tired of walking.

Debbie in Los Angeles

Mommy2NicknMax
10-18-2005, 05:47 AM
It sounds like you had a wonderful time! Thank you for sharing it with us! :)