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Thread: Betsyrina’s First Solo Trip Report - October 1-5, 2018 - The Anaheim Hotel

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    Betsyrina’s First Solo Trip Report - October 1-5, 2018 - The Anaheim Hotel

    Travel dates: Monday, October 1, 2018 – Friday, October 5, 2018
    Travel method: Alaska Airlines and Disney Express
    Resort: The Anaheim Hotel
    Accommodations: Standard Room
    Ages Represented in Group: 52
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: 7 trips as an adult
    Comments: My first solo trip – I’m super excited!
    Cast of characters: Me

    To go or not to go, that is the (stupid) question:

    I got approved to attend a conference in LA from October 6 to 8, and I thought about adding a trip to Disneyland before or after. I texted my sister to see if she wanted to join me, since she’s more of a fanatic than me. She has a kid starting college this year, and she’s out of vacation time, so she’s a no. My son is in school, and my husband is not interested, so I started thinking about going on my own. I read a couple of solo trip reports (thanks Pammer and LauraTD!) and decided that I could do it. Decision made, but was there ever really a question?

    So, I think planning is part of the fun:

    I like information and I like structure. I’m also fine with making changes to my plans on the fly based on new or better information, so that is my method of planning. I’ve been reading trip reports, MousePlanet Resort Updates, I purchased “The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland” and read that, I posted some questions on the MousePlanet forum, I called Disney Travel to ask some questions, I’ve been examining the Disney website, and I purchased a membership to Touring Plans (and the Lines app) and have been following the chat there.

    I love going on rides, but I’ve been on all the rides (well, for the most part). I want this to be a different kind of trip. I plan to enjoy more of the other things that Disney has to offer. I’ll, of course, ride rides, but I plan to take it slow and notice details. I will have no one waiting for me, no one’s opinion to take into account, I can do what I want to do when I want to do it. I’m looking forward to that.

    I also made dining reservations and purchased a ticket to Mickey’s Halloween Party. My reservations include the following:

    • Monday, October 1, early dinner – River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Dinner Dining Package
    • Tuesday, October 2, Mickey’s Halloween Party ticket
    • Wednesday, October 3, lunch – Caf Orleans; dinner – Lamplight Lounge
    • Thursday, October 4, dinner – Wine Country Trattoria Paint the Night Dinner Package
    • Friday, October 5, lunch – Carthay Circle Restaurant Frozen Lunch Package

    I thought about booking a tour, but by the time I figured that out, the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour for Friday at noon was sold out. I didn’t want to do a tour earlier in the day, and miss the great early morning shorter lines, so I opted out. I could have done the Happiest Haunts Tour, but I was less interested in that.

    Currently, my plans are:

    Monday: Morning Travel; Afternoon and Evening Disneyland. I have an early flight and should arrive at LAX just before 8:00. I have arranged for Disney transportation, but I’m not sure how long to expect it to take. I will go to the hotel, and hopefully get my room (if not, I will leave my bags with them) and head to the parks. I am expecting to be able to be in the parks by noon. My goal is to eat lunch at Bengal BBQ (I’ve never eaten there, and I’ve always wanted to), ride some of my favorites, and see Mickey’s Magical Map and Storytelling at Royal Theater. If it’s hot, I might try to ride Splash Mountain. If the ride times are long, I may just watch the Pixar Pal Parade and other shows and ride a few rides using MaxPass. I have reservations to eat dinner at River Belle Terrace with the Fantasmic! Package – I haven’t seen Fantasmic! in years, so I’m really looking forward to that.

    Tuesday: Morning Disney California Adventure rope drop; Afternoon rest; Evening Disneyland for Mickey’s Halloween Party. I may have lunch on the Wharf – I’ll probably go to the Pacific Wharf Caf or the Lucky Fortune, depending on what I’m in the mood for. I want to rest for a least a few hours, so I can truly enjoy Mickey’s Halloween Party. I would like to have the stamina to stay for the whole party. I plan to return to Disneyland around 3:00 or 4:00. My must dos include the Frightfully Fun Parade, Halloween Screams Fireworks Show, Cadaver Dans, Headless Horseman, seeing some of the characters and doing some of the treat lines. Mainly taking in the atmosphere and the party vibes. I don’t really have a costume, but I will be representing Sally (the car) by wearing light blue pants and a shirt, a silver scarf, and black shoes.

    Wednesday: Disneyland all day (except a park hop for dinner at Lamplight Lounge (I was able to pick up a reservation late in the game, after trying early with no success)), starting at rope drop. I have lunch reservations at Caf Orleans, and I’m going to get the Monte Cristo (something I’ve always wanted to try).

    Thursday: Early entry at Disneyland; Morning (rope drop) at Disney California Adventure; Afternoon rest; Evening Disney California Adventure. I have an early entry day with my package, and I think I’ll try for that on Thursday at Disneyland, and then I will park hop to DCA. I will do anything that I haven’t and high priority rides again, as time allows. I would like to do the Animation Academy, see some characters, anything and everything. I have informal plans to have lunch at the Cozy Cone Hotel, and dinner reservations at Wine Country Trattoria with the Paint the Night Package.

    Friday: Morning (rope drop) at Disneyland; Afternoon at Disney California Adventure; Evening travel to my conference hotel. I plan to ride favorites and I have lunch reservations at Carthay Circle Restaurant with Frozen priority seating package.

    What actually happened:

    Monday, October 1 – I woke up early (super early, even for an early-bird like me). My husband (what a sweetie) drove me to the airport for my 5:00 am flight. I had an uneventful trip. I was sitting near a large family (7 kids) in the boarding area, and they ended up waiting with me for Disney transportation. We had to wait about 45 minutes which was a bit frustrating, but they came, and it was an uneventful trip to the Disney Resort. I was dropped off about a block from my hotel. I stayed at The Anaheim Hotel, which was nice. I was not able to check in to my room, but I was able to leave my bags and head over to the parks.
    As I was walking up to the bag check area, I heard the music from Soarin’ and I changed all my plans and decided to head to Disney California Adventure. It was smooth going through bag check, and I walked up to the gate, showed my ticket, they took my picture and I was in! I sat on a bench and made my first MaxPass reservation. It was hot, so I elected for Grizzly River Run. The MP was for about 10 minutes from when I walked in the gate, so I headed there. It was refreshing. When I got off the ride I made my next MaxPass for Soarin’. I then ordered food from the Disney App from Smokejumpers. I got the Kid’s Chicken Skewer (with carrots and water), an order of onion rings, and the special Halloween Drink – the Green Apple Spell Lemonade. The total cost for the meal was $17.53. I walked in, checked in and got my food. So fast and easy! The food was good. I still had a bit of time to kill before my MaxPass time, so I rode The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Then I took my first ride around the world (I’ve been on Soarin’ Over California, but never over the world). I sure did love it.

    I then decided to head over to Disneyland, and I got a MaxPass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, as I walked out of DCA. I walked in and headed to Adventureland. I basically walked onto Jungle Cruise, then I used my Max Pass to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I wanted to see Mickey’s Magical Map, so I headed into Fantasyland from the back. I got a Frozen Lemonade at the Troubador Tavern ($6.45) that I enjoyed during the show. There was a little girl sitting in front of me who kept trying to give me her sticker (that she received from a Cast Member). She was super cute and I found out from her mom that they were celebrating her second birthday (they lived close). I asked her mom if I could give her one of my trading pins. She said yes, so I gave her a pin. She had a really sweet reaction. I also made a MaxPass for It’s a Small World for 3:25 while I was waiting for the show to start.
    After the show, I headed over to It’s a Small World and talked to a Cast Member about timing. I wanted to watch the parade, hope onto It’s a Small World, and make it in time for my dining reservations for 4:45 at River Belle Terrace. She and I did all the math and determined I could make it work. I purchased a bottle of water ($3.75) and then headed over to my parade spot. I stood next to the entrance to It’s a Small World and watched the Pixar Parade, and as soon as it was over, I walked into the ride. The Cast Member I had talked to had told all of the people working there to get me on the ride fast, so that was really sweet. So, after It’s a Small World, I headed to River Belle Terrace and got there in plenty of time. I ordered the salad (I was debating between the soup and salad, and the server brought me a small taste of the soup, which was really sweet), short ribs, and the parfait. It was a lovely and yummy meal and with the Fantasmic! Package it cost $48.49.

    After IASW, I made a MaxPass for Haunted Mansion, but it wasn’t quite time after dinner, so I headed over to the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. While I was in line, it broke down, but I decided to just wait. It took about 20 minutes for the problem to be fixed, but I had a nice seat at the front of the line. When I was done at Winnie the Pooh, it was time for my Haunted Mansion MaxPass. I was pretty tired now, so I just decided to sit on a bench and wait for Fantasmic! I thought about leaving a couple of times, because I was pretty tired from a long day, but after Fantasmic!, I got my second wind (maybe because of Fantasmic!). So then I rode Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, the Mad Tea Party, and the Storybook Land Canal Boats, before heading out.

    I walked back to the hotel and had a bit of an issue with my room being given to someone else, but the valet and the desk clerk worked it out, and I got a ground level room that was very comfortable for the entire trip. I unpacked and took a shower, and I was in bed and sound asleep by 1:00.

    Tuesday, October 2 – I woke up at 7:00 am (a tiny bit before my alarm went off) and got dressed for the park. I grabbed a boxed protein shake that I brought from home, and walked over to the parks. Bag check went quickly, and I was in DCA around 7:30 for rope drop. I made a MaxPass for Radiator Springs Racers while standing there, and then I drank my protein shake. At rope drop, I made my way to Toy Story Midway Mania. I walked on, and scored pretty low (the last game screen wasn’t working for my car) at 68,600. I thought about going again, but there was a pretty good line at this point due to Incredicoaster being down, so I made my way to the Pixar Wheel (non-swinging side) and rode that, again a walk on. At this point, I decided to head over to Carsland. I had never been on Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-o-ween. There was a short wait (maybe 5 minutes) and I really enjoyed the ride. I browsed the shops here and found an ornament that I wanted, and I bought a shirt for my husband ($26.93). It was now time for my Radiator Springs Racers MaxPass, so I basically walked on and enjoyed my ride. I got the paint job (I think I’ve only ever gotten the paint job), and our race was a tie.

    I made a MaxPass for Guardians of the Galaxy while I was walking up to get on the ride. I was a little hungry and thirsty now, so I looked at the mobile order app, and decided to get a milkshake ($6.45) from Flo’s V8 Caf. I ordered a strawberry, but when I got to the window, they said they didn’t currently have strawberry, so I changed it to vanilla. I walked out of Carsland, and was a little bummed that I couldn’t walk through Bug’s Land to get to Guardians of the Galaxy, but once I walked up to the hub the Red Trolley was just disembarking, so I waited and got on for a ride to Guardians. While I was on the Red Trolley, I was able to make a MaxPass for Soarin’. I was not a big fan of Tower of Terror, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with Guardians, but I absolutely loved it. With my MaxPass, I walked into the introduction room, and then when I got upstairs, I was pretty soon called out of line, because they were looking for a party of one. Yay for me!

    I then headed over to Soarin’ and rode that, and then I made a MaxPass for Incredicoaster. I walked up toward Pixar Pier via the Grizzly River Run, and purchased a diet Coke and a bottle of water from a vendor cart ($8.75). Then I rode The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, while waiting for my MaxPass for Incredicoaster. I loved Incredicoaster too – the theming was very fun. I wanted to leave around noon, and get a good rest in prior to my Mickey’s Halloween Party, so I started back toward the front of the park. I walked over to Monster’s Inc. to see the wait time. Unfortunately, it was 30 minutes, so I decided to skip it. I went into Animation Academy and found out that the next draw was starting in a few minutes and it was Jack Skellington, and Turtle Talk with Crush was starting at the same time. I elected to watch Turtle Talk, and enjoyed that. I then purchased a turkey leg and an ear of corn from a vendor cart for $17.54, to eat back in my room. I browsed through some shops (and got a bag for my food in one) on my way out of the park. I got an iced tea and a water from the bar at my hotel ($2.69 + $1.00 for a tip), after talking to the manager of the hotel about the mixup the night before. I mainly wanted to tell her how helpful the valet was, but she offered to comp my breakfast the following day. I felt like that was nice, and agreed. I walked back to my room and ate a good lunch, saving half of my turkey leg for later. I ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours, which was great.

    While I was resting in my room, I kept an eye on MaxPass times. I made a MP reservation for Star Tours for 4:50, and as I walked into the park, I was able to make another one for Space Mountain. The line for bag check was a little long, but I still made it through fairly quickly. I loved seeing the costumes that people created. So many clever people in this world! Once I was in the park, I made my way over to Star Tours, and rode. This was one of the longest rides I stood in for the whole trip, and it probably took about 20 minutes to get to the ride. When I finished, I made my way over to Space Mountain, and it was down. This was a bummer, but they converted my MP into a MP for any ride. I purchased a bottle of water ($4.25), because I was thirsty, and sat for a minute enjoying that. I was able to make a MaxPass for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters now, and then I walked over to Buzz, and rode it using my MP. On the way out, I picked up my free pin that I got with my Disney package. I then got in the line and rode again using my other MP. I think I scored just over 100K the first time and about 150K the second time. Before 6:00, I made a MP for It’s a Small World, and walked over there and used that one.

    At this point, it was after 6:00, and I went through a trick-or-treat line at the Magic Map theater. This was the longest trick-or-treat line that I stood in. If it was long, I skipped it, but I still filled my bag with candy. I then walked into Toontown, and rode Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. I walked around Toontown for a bit, and had my picture taken with a Halloween Time Frame, and saw some of the characters dressed up for Halloween. I then headed back to Fantasyland, and rode Mad Tea Party (I don’t know why, but I love this ride – I don’t spin my tea cup; I just sit back and relax and enjoy the music and the atmosphere – I especially love the lanterns above the ride) and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Fantasyland was a bit crowded, so I headed over to Adventureland. I wanted to catch the 7:00 show of the Cadaver Dans. In Adventureland, I rode Indiana Jones Adventure and the Jungle Cruise and both were basically walk ons. I then used my mobile map and I ordered a Safari Skewer, a Bengal Beef Skewer, and a bottle of water from Bengal Barbeque ($15.60). I walked over to the Rivers of American, and secured a spot for viewing the Cadaver Dans, and I ate my dinner. I enjoyed watching the Cadaver Dans show – I loved how they did all of the lighting over the Rivers of American, and I loved listening to the Halloween themed music before the show started.

    After the show, I went trick or treating on the boardwalk next to the river, and then up the Hungry Bear Restaurant walkway (behind the restaurant). I then rode the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and then trick or treated in the walkway next to it. Then I rode Pirates of the Caribbean, and then trick or treated on the boardwalk again, listening to the Cadaver Dans next show. I wanted to see the fireworks, so I headed up to Main Street, and found a good spot next to the entrance to Frontierland. My idea was to watch the fireworks and then go straight to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to ride during the dark. I sat on the ground waiting for the start, and ate a couple pieces of my candy. My view was slightly obstructed by trees, but I didn’t mind it. I saw most of it, and enjoyed the music. I was definitely able to see most of it, including Zero.

    As soon as the fireworks were over, I headed straight over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and walked on. When I finished, there was quite a line, so I was happy with my choice of viewing spots. I then walked over to Fantasyland through the back path, and trick or treated in the line there. In Fantasyland, I rode King Arthur’s Carousel, Dumbo, and the Mad Tea Party. I wanted to catch the parade, so I walked back to It’s a Small World, and I found a spot to watch where I could sit on a bench. While waiting, there was a funny moment when some ducks were walking around in the parade route. Several Cast Members tried to chase them out, but they were not having it. They finally got them out, but it was funny watching their defiance. I enjoyed the parade, and I stopped to ride Alice in Wonderland before they closed the line entrance. I waited about 10 minutes to get into a car, and when I was done, the park was closing. I walked out, browsing through shops, enjoying the atmosphere.

    Back in my room, I took a shower, wrote down some notes from the day, and fell asleep before midnight. I decided to not set my alarm for the next morning, because I was pretty tired.

    Wednesday, October 3 – I turned my alarm off, because I didn’t want to wear myself out. I woke up around 9:00, got dress quickly, and decided to get my free breakfast at the hotel. It was good, and then I headed to the park. I had reservations for lunch at Caf Orleans for 11:45 and dinner at Lamplight Lounge for 5:45, so those were my only definite plans for the day. Once I entered the park I made a MaxPass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I had a bit of time to kill, so I got in line at the pumpkin for some pictures. It took about 15 minutes, but I got some great photos. I then rode BTMR using my MP, and when I got off the ride, the Mark Twain Riverboat was docked and taking on riders. I decided to join. I enjoyed my cruise around the Rivers of America. It had been quite a while since I’ve been on this ride and I took a lot of pictures. I made my next MP reservation for Haunted Mansion while I was on Mark Twain.

    It was pretty close to time for my lunch reservations, so I headed to New Orleans Square and browsed in some shops before checking in. I was seated next to a very sweet family, and I enjoyed watching their interactions. At some point, I asked the mom if I could give pins to the two kids. She was very sweet about it, and had her daughter come over to my table and thank me. I ordered the crab and corn chowder (so yum!), the Monte Cristo sandwich, and iced tea. Everything was great. I ended up eating only half of my sandwich and then picked out the meat from the other half to eat (protein is good for you!). The service was great, and my iced tea was never below half full. I settled the bill ($34.25) and headed over to the Haunted Mansion for my MP. I basically walked on again, and enjoyed the ride again.

    At this point Disneyland was pretty packed. I decided to take a ride on the Disneyland Railroad. It took three trains before I was able to board, and I took a full round trip and then repeated the segment from New Orleans Square to Toontown, making a MP for Soarin’ as I was riding. I got off in Toontown, and walked through Fantasyland, which was crowded, so I didn’t ride anything. When I walked up to the hub, one of the Mainstreet vehicles was parked waiting for passengers (it was the double decker bus), so I hopped on, and took a ride to the front of the park. I browsed in some of the shops, and purchased a bottle of water ($4.30) (why is it that water is priced differently throughout the parks?). As I was leaving the park, I saw Snow White and got my picture taken with her. On my way between parks, I took some pictures of the the decorations at the park entrances, because I love the Halloween decorations so much.

    Once in DCA, I rode Soarin’ using my MP. While in line, I made a MP for Incredicoaster for just before my dinner reservations. I then headed over to Monster’s Inc. – Mike and Sully to the Rescue to ride. The wait was about 20 minutes (the longest I think I waited for anything except Disney Express – ha – that’s a laugh of a name, huh?). I then headed into the Animation Academy. There was about 20 minutes before a new character was going to be demo’d, so I asked if Anna and Else were there (there was no line, so I wasn’t sure). They were, and I could go right in. They were both very sweet and we talked about them coming to Seattle, since they would enjoy the weather here, and I would enjoy them being here (especially in the summer). A Cast Member took some pictures of us chatting and then a few shots where we were posing. I then went and drew Jack Skellington (poorly). I was curious about the Guardians of the Galaxy Dance Party, so I decided to head over and watch that. It was cute, and we helped the Guardians escape. There was a guy in the crowd who was a really good dancer.

    I started to head over to the Pixar Pier for my dinner reservations and my MP for Incredicoaster. I had a bit of time so I rode The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure on my way. Incredicoaster was fun, of course. I browsed in the shops on Pixar Pier, waiting for my dinner reservations, and pressed some pennies (I love this kind of a souvenier). I then checked in early, and was seated at the bar pretty quickly. I wouldn’t choose to sit at the bar again. The bar stools were tall and close together, and it was hard to pull my chair in. When the sun started to set, the sun was also directly in my eyes. I loved all of the dcor in the Lamplight Lounge. I ordered the Open Ocean with a Splash, the Crispy Piggy Wings, and a side of fries (not on the menu, but really good). The bill came to $30.56, and I paid and left. I made a MP for Toy Story Midway Mania at some point, so I headed there. I scored 98,900. I walked out on the other side of Pixar Pier, catching the Coco show on the way out. I took some pictures of the pier in the dark on my way out. I went back to the room, took a shower and was in bed and asleep by 9:00.

    Thursday, October 4 – I got to DCA for rope drop, and drank one of my protein shakes while I was waiting for entrance into one of the lands. I decided to head to Monster’s Inc. for another ride. It was a walk on, after they chose a screamer for the day (who can go into the ride all day from the exit and ride anytime they want). I made a MP for Guardians, but when I got there, it was faster to walk on than to wait for my MP time, so I canceled it and made one for Radiator Springs Racers for 9:45. I rode Guardians, and loved it again. I then took the Red Car Trolley up to the hub. I had time before my MP, so I rode The Little Mermaid, Incredicoaster (single rider), and then Toy Story Midway Mania (using my MP for RSR, which got converted to an any ride MP, due to RSR being down). I scored my best score this time, but still not great – 120,900 I purchased a diet coke for $4.51 on the pier. I then rode Goofy’s Sky School (using my any ride MP, because it was still on my phone at that time). I have decided that I don’t care for this ride. I will probably skip it from now on.

    I made another MP for Soarin’, and walked through Grizzly Peak area, toward Soarin’. I stopped in the shop near Grizzly River Run, and purchased a sweatshirt for my son ($70.03). I then rode Soarin’ using my MP, and had another great tour around the world. I browsed through the shops walking out, pressing some pennies, and purchasing candy for my family and work ($30.69) in the candy shop. I walked back to the hotel, planning to have lunch at the Pizza Press. I ordered The Herald (it was yummy) and iced tea ($13.47), and took them back to the room to rest and eat. I got my stuff organized and started packing after I ate lunch, because tomorrow is my last day. I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and a half before heading back into the park.

    I headed back into the park in time for my dinner reservations. I kept an eye on the MP reservations times for RSR, because I wanted to ride after dark. I made one for 7:20 – 8:20 when I spotted it. I browsed through the shops on my way in, and pressed some more pennies. My reservations were for 4:20 at the Wine Country Trattoria. I purchased the Paint the Night package, because I really wanted to see the parade. I ordered the Italian Wedding Soup, Osso Buco (lamb, with a substitution for Brussel Sprouts, instead of the vegetables that came with it), and tiramisu for dessert. I had iced tea to drink. The total with the Paint the Night package came to $52.80.

    I wanted to see the Mariachi Diva’s, so I walked over to the Pacific Wharf, but I found out they don’t play during the week. That was a bummer. I got a free chocolate from Ghirardelli’s, and sat at a table and ate that. I walked into Carsland and spent a lot of time in that area, just taking in the atmosphere. I walked around, browsed, purchased a leather bracelet for my son ($14.00), got pictures taken with some of the cars dressed up for Halloween, rode Luigi’s, and finally rode Radiator Springs Racers in the dark (a first for me). It was super fun. I ended up getting a paint job, and my car won the race. After the ride, I purchased a shirt for my husband, a shirt for my son, a cars ornament (with the Dia de los Muertos dcor), and a postcard (that is suitable for framing).

    It was early, but I felt like relaxing, so I walked up to find the line for the reserved seating for Paint the Night. I got in line with about 20 people in front of me. When they let us in, I asked the guy taking tickets whether he thought I had a chance finding a bench to sit on. He said 50/50, so I headed that direction. As luck would have it, I found a bench with two women, and one spot left. I asked if they were saving it, and they weren’t. We chatted the whole time until the parade started. I enjoyed our conversation. I loved the parade – it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me. After the parade, I walked in the direction toward the pier, because I didn’t want to be in the crowd exiting the park behind the parade. I walked onto The Little Mermaid, and then headed out of the park. Back at the hotel, I finished my packing except the things I needed in the morning, ate the rest of the turkey leg, took a shower and was in bed by about 11:00.

    Friday, October 5 – I woke up, got dressed, and called valet for help with my luggage, checked out, and headed for the parks. Security took a bit longer today than any other day. I got into Disneyland a bit after rope drop. I took one of the Main Street Vehicles up to the hub, and then I rode Peter Pan’s Flight. It was about a 25 minute wait, so I was wrong about Monster’s Inc., being the longest wait. I got a MP for Space Mountain when I was on the Main Street Vehicle, so I headed there next. The wait at Buzz was short, so I got in line there first. I had my best score ever (302,800). I then went to Space Mountain, and rode that. I liked the ghost overlay. This has never been my favorite ride, but I enjoyed it. I wanted to ride the Monorail, so I headed there next. I walked on, and did a round trip. I got a MP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while I was riding, so I headed there for my last ride in Disneyland.

    I walked up Main Street, browsing in the stores and pressing pennies. I purchased three sweet treats (a rice crispy Mickey, a sugar cookie Mickey, and another cookie) and a bottle of water. I pressed some more pennies, and was planning to head into Mr. Lincoln, but it closed just as I was about to walk in. I sat on a bench and at my Mickey rice crispy treat, listening to the Dapper Dans singing, to see if it would open, but it didn’t, so I headed out. Bye Disneyland!

    I made a MP for Soarin’ for about noon. My lunch reservations were for 12:50. I had a bit of time, so I sat on a bench and tried calling Disney Express (I had tried several times the day before too), and finally reached a person. Unfortunately, this person was a total jerk. He was the epitome of a “mansplainer”. He kept telling me that there was no such hotel as The Anaheim Hotel. I ended up hanging up on him, because I was so frustrated. I headed over to Soarin’ to ride one more time. I sure do love that ride. Then I headed over to Carthay Circle for my lunch reservations. The restaurant is gorgeous, and very private. I ordered the Frozen lunch package, so I only had one choice to make – I chose the scallops. I had asked for them with a different side, and the server recommended fried rice. Unfortunately, it came with something else that I didn’t care for, but the scallops were good.

    I had enough time for either drawing a character (I think it was Pooh) or watching Turtle Talk with Crush. I asked a little girl what she would do and she said Crush, so I went with that. While waiting, I called Disney Express and got the information I needed, and told that person about my previous call. She said she would pass it along. I do plan to call Disney too. Then I went and waited for Frozen in the reserved seating line. I had a great seat, and enjoyed the show. Now it was time to leave Disney’s California Adventure – Goodbye! Walking back to the hotel made me feel better because there were super long lines, and it was very crowded. I got back to the hotel, sat in the lobby for a bit, collected my luggage and headed to the bus stop to wait for Disney Express. I got to the airport and then took a Lyft to my conference hotel. It was a long night, but I was ready for the conference to start.

    Overall impressions: I was glad I had as much time as I did. I enjoyed all of the night time shows that I saw, and the Pixar Parade. The crowds were probably 5-6 (maybe 7), but I decided that I would choose that for the extra hours that the parks are open, and the extra attractions that are available.

    Biggest disappointments: not riding Guardians After Dark, still not seeing World of Color, and not having the Enchanted Tiki Room opened during my trip (it was scheduled to open on Wednesday).

    You can see some of the pictures from my trip here: https://photos.shutterfly.com/story_...75437721849809

    Thanks for reading!
    - Betsy


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    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Sacramento, CA

    Great trip report & pictures, Betsy! And great use of MaxPass too...I'm a HUGE fan of it because of its flexibility and it saves wear & tear on my knees & feet!

    I've yet to use the mobile app to order food yet since I tend to customize a lot (picky eater!), but I will try to look into it when we go down next month!

    Thanks again for taking the time to write your report.

    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Pammer View Post
    Great trip report & pictures, Betsy! And great use of MaxPass too...I'm a HUGE fan of it because of its flexibility and it saves wear & tear on my knees & feet!

    I've yet to use the mobile app to order food yet since I tend to customize a lot (picky eater!), but I will try to look into it when we go down next month!

    Thanks again for taking the time to write your report.
    I'm a picky eater too, and I found it easy to order. I was surprised how easy it was to find things that I would eat and could mobile order.

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