14 Glorious Hours at Disneyland:A WDW Vet Gets 1 Day at Walt's Park UPDATE x5 (12/15)

[Mrs. Ciz]

I am also all caught up. My teens and I just got back from a week in WDW. We have to go to SoCal for a family event next month so we will have 2 days in DLR the week of July 4th. That gives us one day per park, or 3/4 of a day in DCA (open 8 AM - 10 PM) and 1 & 1/4 day in DL (open 8 AM to 12 PM). We got lucky with the schedule - there are no EMHs on our DL day and we will be going to DCA on a non EMH day. We are able to take a rest/pool day in between parks. I can't wait to read about how much you were able to do and see in one full day!

 

[heathsf]

I'm caught up!

Wow I know waits are long for Matterhorn in the mornings, like max 20 minutes, but not 45! I'm glad that you did it though. And Nemo! I have to say, you're getting a lot done within the first couple of hours while you're there.

I love your SM picture and the picture of you fumbling for your camera on Buzz!

I'm so excited to see where you're off too next!

Yeah 45 was way too long Too bad I was too busy talking and didn't even notice how much time we were spending on a line that wasn't moving at all! But we were enjoying ourselves so it's okay..

 

[heathsf]

I am also all caught up. My teens and I just got back from a week in WDW. We have to go to SoCal for a family event next month so we will have 2 days in DLR the week of July 4th. That gives us one day per park, or 3/4 of a day in DCA (open 8 AM - 10 PM) and 1 & 1/4 day in DL (open 8 AM to 12 PM). We got lucky with the schedule - there are no EMHs on our DL day and we will be going to DCA on a non EMH day. We are able to take a rest/pool day in between parks. I can't wait to read about how much you were able to do and see in one full day!

You're going to have so much fun doing both parks! We didn't get to *everything* in DL but we did a lot and I felt like I got a great taste for Disneyland. I really wish we could have done DCA too, even just to see Cars Land, so I guess we'll have to take another trip!

 

[heathsf]

I just wanted to say "hi" to anyone out there, and I will be posting another update sometime *very* soon!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Can't wait! I see from your ticker that you must be super busy with wedding stuff. Relax and enoy it as you speed along...it all happens so fast. Congratualtions!!!!

 

[heathsf]

Can't wait! I see from your ticker that you must be super busy with wedding stuff. Relax and enoy it as you speed along...it all happens so fast. Congratualtions!!!!

Thank you! I am so super busy I can't even believe it! Thank you for the kind words of wisdom

 

[Bee2u]

We'll be there for a day and 1/2 later this week, (our first time to DLR!) and your TR has me bouncing with excitement! Can't wait to read your next installment.

 

[Leshaface]

Hope the wedding planning is going as smoothly as possible!

We'll be there for a day and 1/2 later this week, (our first time to DLR!) and your TR has me bouncing with excitement! Can't wait to read your next installment.

Have fun on your trip! It's been hot down here so bring lots of sunscreen.

 

[heathsf]

Well guys... I'm so sorry I promised an update and didn't get to it. I'm lying in bed on my phone right now and tomorrow is my wedding day. I can't even believe it. It came so fast. I promise to post an update when we get back from our honeymoon in August!!!

 

[Leshaface]

Well guys... I'm so sorry I promised an update and didn't get to it. I'm lying in bed on my phone right now and tomorrow is my wedding day. I can't even believe it. It came so fast. I promise to post an update when we get back from our honeymoon in August!!!

Omgosh tomorrow ALREADY!?!

Um, isn't it like almost midnight and you're still up! Nervous?

I hope you have the most AMAZING day tomorrow and can't wait to hear about it!

 

[TexasErin]

First- Congrats!

Second- more, more, more!

 

[TexasErin]

Also wanted to say awesome pic on Space Mountain where y'all look like you're asleep!

 

[heathsf]

We'll be there for a day and 1/2 later this week, (our first time to DLR!) and your TR has me bouncing with excitement! Can't wait to read your next installment.

I'm so glad this TR got you excited! That's exactly why I decided to write it (although I definitely didn't foresee myself being so terrible at keeping up with it!) I hope your trip was amazing!

Omgosh tomorrow ALREADY!?!

Um, isn't it like almost midnight and you're still up! Nervous?

I hope you have the most AMAZING day tomorrow and can't wait to hear about it!

I know I can't believe how quickly it came and went and now it's all over!! I wasn't really nervous until right before I had to walk down the aisle. But it was so much fun and our honeymoon was amazing and now I'm back and can't believe any of it actually happened! I may post an update with some wedding/honeymoon pictures but I feel like I need to get back on track with this TR first!!

First- Congrats!

Second- more, more, more!

Thank you!!!

Also wanted to say awesome pic on Space Mountain where y'all look like you're asleep!

Thanks!

 

[heathsf]

So I'm alive, and I'm back, and now I'm married! And I'm ready to refocus my attention on the DIS! Man, I'm so behind on all the TRs I'm reading, not to mention the one I'm writing! I can't believe anyone is still actually reading this, I'm surprised but also excited and it really makes me want to get back into it, so thank you to those that commented recently

Well, I almost had some super exciting news to share (more exciting than getting married!!!! ): I had a WDW trip booked for the beginning of September! Did you notice the past tense?

Friends of ours, another couple who actually just got married, asked us if we wanted to visit WDW with them in December in between Christmas and New Years. We wouldn't have been able to go then, but I suggested the beginning of September for 4 nights since our school schedules (two of us are teachers in the same school) would have allowed it which NEVER happens in September! They agreed and we booked the trip! I was super psyched to experience the non-existant September crowds. We had a great deal with free dining and decided to stay at Coronado Springs (it would have been my first time at a moderate!) We booked some fantastic dining reservations - even though it was a pretty last minute trip and already under 180 days - we got REALLY lucky with dining. First we booked Chef Mickey's, 'Ohana, and Hoop-De-Doo Revue. I was checking back every day though for a better time at 'Ohana (it was going to be a 9:00 dinner and we were hoping for something earlier). One day, what should I see? A dinner opening at BE OUR GUEST!!! I could not believe it! I thought for sure it would disappear when I tried to book it but it didn't - it actually went through and we got it! I was so excited! Fast forward a few months, and we still couldn't find reasonable airfare ($360 per person for a two hour plane ride down the coast!) The other problem with the dates was that we would return home late on Sunday and have our first day of school the next morning. We probably would've been okay with it but the amount of money for the airfare was just killer. So on the day before our final payment was due, I called Disney to cancel the trip. We decided we would try to book a longer trip next summer, and farther in advance. We'll see what happens...

Boy you better believe I was sad to let that Be Our Guest reservation go. It was snatched up within seconds, and I hope whoever got it was super excited about it and has a magical trip The best things that came out of this were 1) I got to experience the excitement of planning a trip that was an actual real possibility (as opposed to the trips I plan in my head all the time that I know aren't happening ) and 2) Bobby agreed to go - so I know he's willing to go back to Disney after all! Woohoo! And that's when I decided I would marry him after all! JUST KIDDING!!

So anyway, I just wanted to share all that. And now I'm going to get pictures ready for the next update!!! Thanks for sticking around!

 

[luulu1999]

Awesome TR can't wait to read more, we have never been to WDW all though its ALOT closer but I loved DL and can't wait to go back next summer!!!

 

[heathsf]

Awesome TR can't wait to read more, we have never been to WDW all though its ALOT closer but I loved DL and can't wait to go back next summer!!!

Do you think you'll try WDW one day?

 

[heathsf]

Chapter 7 - First Dole Whip EVER!

We were still laughing about Bobby's encounter with the Storm Trooper as we made our way across the hub on our way to Adventureland.

Bobby took this one on his phone and he was SO excited about it. It was so cute how proud he was of his picture.

Once in Adventureland, we went right to Indiana Jones to get FP. I was super excited about this one since we don't have it in WDW!

As soon as we had the FP in hand, our next mission was to find a bathroom! This proved to be more difficult than I thought it would be, so I asked a CM for directions. Either he wasn't very good at giving directions, or I wasn't very good at following them (probably the latter) but we ended up in Aladdin's Oasis! The line was incredibly short but we decided not to wait. Instead, I just sniped a picture while someone else was with them. Sorry Jas, we only had one day and we're more into rides than characters.

I took this to show how short the line was:

Up next: The Enchanted Tiki Room in its original incarnation! We could have seen it in WDW two years ago when it had just reopened after the fire, and I kind of meant to, but it just never happened. And now we got to see it in DL, so even better!

But before we could actually go inside, something I had been so super stoked about since we first planned this trip: My very first Dole Whip!!! I don't know HOW this is possible seeing as I had already been to WDW so many times, but I had never had one before. And I knew about it for my last two trips and it still somehow never happened. So this was a MUST for this trip. And I'm happy to report that it was delicious. I absolutely loved it. I was only disappointed that they didn't offer it with vanilla ice cream in DL like they do in WDW because that seems like it would be even better, but I guess I'll have to go to WDW to find out!

(Side note: There was a little shave ice place in the market across from our hotel in Hawaii that had Dole Whips (The Dole plantation is on Oahu) and I told Bobby every day for the 3 days we were there that I wanted one and it AGAIN never happened! One night we were actually on line for it and I just decided I was way too full and I couldn't swing it. I probably would've crammed it down anyway except I was already feeling a stomach ache coming on and decided it wasn't worth it. )

So here it is in all its glory!

We shared it, but I probably had 75% of it. Yum yum yum!

Then it was time for the show and I got to continue enjoying my dole whip inside! Perfect!

Once I finished it, I spent the second half of the show applying sunscreen to my pale arms and legs We had our bench to ourselves so I was able to apply without disturbing anyone around me. I enjoyed the tiki room for what it was, and I appreciated how amazing it was for its time, and I really enjoyed watching a show that Walt had cared so much about. Bobby was even singing along... adorable.

We exited and found ourselves entering Frontierland.

I was snapping a few pictures and suddenly noticed Bobby had disappeared! After a moment of looking, I found him here:

I asked him if he wanted to play and he said "no", but apparently he wanted to pretend to play because that's exactly what he did

After a few minutes, he noticed Woody and Jessie were meeting. I didn't write it down but I think I remember the lines being pretty long, definitely longer than they were for Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie. So I sniped another picture.

I took out my phone to check out the Touring Plans App, and noticed there was a show starting at 12:15 nearby, something that I had read really good things about on the DIS. I then checked the current time and it was 12:14. Perfect! And we were off to our next stop...

 

[luulu1999]

Do you think you'll try WDW one day?

I don't really know im sure it would be a lot cheaper for us to there but I am honestly terrified about how big it is, I would like to try it at least once but I wanted to go back to Disneyland at least once more also because there was so much we missed the first time

 

[heathsf]

I don't really know im sure it would be a lot cheaper for us to there but I am honestly terrified about how big it is, I would like to try it at least once but I wanted to go back to Disneyland at least once more also because there was so much we missed the first time

It is definitely huge, especially compared to DL. But know that you definitely wouldn't be able to do it all in one trip, so no point trying It's nothing to be scared of you, you have plenty of resources on the DIS to plan an amazing trip. Transportation isn't bad, it's just much more time consuming than DL. Have you looked at any WDW TRs?

 

[Leshaface]

Yay so glad you're back and had an amazing Wedding and Honeymoon!

Aw, that majorly sucks that you had an entire trip planned out AND even got ADR's at BoG and had to cancel Can't even believe you got an ADR there. I look, not all the time, for any time during our trip and nada. I think we'll just go there for lunch one day and just get in line really early.

Yay! Your first Dole whip and at Disneyland no less! A bunch of firsts on this trip.

I think I know what show you're talking about

Oh and I hope you were actually able to get on Indy with no problems. Usually, it's like a 75% chance that you'll get on. It always breaks down.