"I Want to walk where Walt walked." WDW Nut makes a Pilgrimage-TR Wrap-Up 5/14

[onelilspark]

All caught up!!

Sounds like most of the rides hurt at DL

I just love all of the empty streets and shops! I agree that it would be quite odd to shop in an empty store at DW!

LOVE the Alice Cups. I liked how it is so themed. Your snacks were to die for! I agree---the popcorn at DW is the BEST popcorn ever!

Absolutely beautiful pics of the castle. Can't wait to see what you do next!

It was really only the Matterhorn that hurt. The rest just bumped

I couldn't get over how hard it was to find that darn popcorn! Seriously!!





Sorry I've been MIA, I've been out for work and the like. Still out of town for work (I miss my bed!) but I can't sleep, so I thought I'd update!!

 

[onelilspark]

We made our way to the front of the park, the tour was to start at 930, we were there around 915...and were the last ones to check in! We got our cool badges:

And our headsets. We were ready! The tour consisted of 4 couples, we were the youngest, from Haiwaii, CA (locals!), PA, and of course, NY. I think I was the biggest Disney nerd there.

We started by going to the flagpole area and listened to a quote from Walt, the dedication of Disneyland. I have to say, standing IN Disneyland, the quotes take on a whole new meaning.

"To all who come to this happy place: -Welcome- Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past ... and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America ... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

I have to admit, I didn't learn a whole lot on the tour, but I think that's mainly due to the fact that I've read about 4 biographies on Walt Disney (I tied them into school projects for HS and college...I'm sneaky.) And I read most everything on the history that I can get my hands on. That being said, I still loved the tour. As I just mentioned, actually being there just adds a totally different dimension...so even if you're a complete Disney nerd, the tour is still worth doing!

And I'm sorry, I don't remember the order in which we were told things, so I apologize that I won't do a complete recap of the tour, just the stuff I remember & consider highlights

After stopping a few more times going down Main St (hearing the history of the names on the windows and other quotes) we made our way to the Jungle Cruise. We were able to skip the line and jump onto a waiting boat.

Ready for the cruise:

Our skipper this time was excellent. Absolutely hysterical. I loved that we got a chance to do it again since the first time the skipper was OK. Just proves that if you don't like it, ride it again and you probably will!!!

We walked through Adventureland, Frontierland, & New Orleans Square, stopping to listen to more quotes. Next up? Club 33!

Our tour guide went in a super secret entrance so she could open the door for us through the inside.

Area around Club 33...it's true, if you don't know it's there, you'll keep walking!

Once inside we heard the history behind the Club. Did you know Walt placed microphones around the tables so he could listen in?!

Elevator/lobby:

After Club 33, we caught the train in New Orleans Square and rode it around to Toontown. Listened to some more quotes from Disney. We finally made it to the Tiki Room where we sat through a show, waited for some dude to take pictures after the show was done, and then got to learn more about the way the Tiki Room operates (my boyfriend was really interested in that...me? as long as it works, I'm good.)
We met Ophelia, one of the "original" Cast Members at the Tiki Room...so cool!

Finally we made our way back around front and it was lunch time! We got to pick out sandwiches when we checked in for the tour. I think I had Ham & Cheese:

During lunch we got to talk to our tour guide a little more in depth about things, she showed us a National Geographic that had some history about Disneyland in it (including pictures of the apartment above the firehouse! ...I'll save that story for later.) I can't say that I remember a ton from the tour, but I loved going on it. I love hearing the history behind everything...why the Castle is shorter than WDW's Castle for example Definitely a good time!



(Side note: sorry if any spelling is terrible, my home computer has a spell check built into my web browser!!)

 

[kaoden39]

Mikes at the tables how funny.

 

[franandaj]

During lunch we got to talk to our tour guide a little more in depth about things, she showed us a National Geographic that had some history about Disneyland in it (including pictures of the apartment above the firehouse! ...I'll save that story for later.) I can't say that I remember a ton from the tour, but I loved going on it. I love hearing the history behind everything...why the Castle is shorter than WDW's Castle for example Definitely a good time!

Oh man! That's all for now? I so want to hear about the Castle! I bet it is stupid California laws, like the same ones that make our F&W Festival different than Florida's!

 

[PoohsFan1]

Hi Onelilspark, I have been reading your TR and am absolutely loving it, as I have mentioned before we are planning our first trip to DL next September. I am really considering going on this tour, I too love the history of Walt Disney, but I am a little concerned that both of my DDs would be too bored with it (they will be 8 and 10 when we are there next year), do you think we should skip it due to my kids ages? or do you think that it is entertaining enough for them to do it for a couple of hours. Thanks for any input.

 

[onelilspark]

Mikes at the tables how funny.

It was presented as, "Walt Disney was always the prankster..." I couldn't help but giggle...it's not that he was a prankster, he just liked evesdropping!

Oh man! That's all for now? I so want to hear about the Castle! I bet it is stupid California laws, like the same ones that make our F&W Festival different than Florida's!

Haha, not anything nearly as exciting. He had the money to either make it tall, or have the detail he wanted. He chose detail

Hi Onelilspark, I have been reading your TR and am absolutely loving it, as I have mentioned before we are planning our first trip to DL next September. I am really considering going on this tour, I too love the history of Walt Disney, but I am a little concerned that both of my DDs would be too bored with it (they will be 8 and 10 when we are there next year), do you think we should skip it due to my kids ages? or do you think that it is entertaining enough for them to do it for a couple of hours. Thanks for any input.

I'll preface this by saying that I don't have kids, or nieces or nephews. So I have absolutely no authority on the issue...but I have an opinion! I can see it both ways. When I was 10, I was starting to get into the history of WDW. For me at that age, it would have been exciting and "adult." However, I can see that most kids could get bored easily (I know my brother would have been!) If I were you I'd wait just a couple more years if you're able. Maybe when they're 14 & 12?

 

[franandaj]

Haha, not anything nearly as exciting. He had the money to either make it tall, or have the detail he wanted. He chose detail

Ahhh so the gold trim and everything was what he chose, yes, bigger is not always better!

 

[kaoden39]

It was presented as, "Walt Disney was always the prankster..." I couldn't help but giggle...it's not that he was a prankster, he just liked evesdropping!

Too funny. That had been my thought.

 

[onelilspark]

Ahhh so the gold trim and everything was what he chose, yes, bigger is not always better!

True!

Too funny. That had been my thought.

Smart people think alike!

 

[onelilspark]

I might as well finish off the trip

After we finished lunch, we headed back to Toon Town to use our Fastpasses for Roger Rabbit.

It was fun, but I had a hard time spinning the vehicle, so we wound up just going straight through the entire ride ...which honestly was okay by us, with just having lunch I was afraid we'd walk off queasy!

Next we headed over towards Tomorrowland. I had promised my boyfriend we'd see Captain EO (I'm not really a MJ fan, and don't really "get" all the hoop-la.) It was predictably hilarious seeing as how the film dates back to the 80s! I giggled through the whole thing and my boyfriend enjoyed taking in 80s technology.

We meandered over to Innoventions, where I promptly got very confused...a line? For Innoventions? Hmmm...but this was on our "must do" list, so we waited it out.

For those of you not in the know (i.e. WDW vets going to DLR!) there's a line because I assume it's in the old Carousel of Progress building. The building spins and you can only enter at certain spots. Once you enter, there's a presentation about energy conservation. I get the line now! Inside, there's the House of Tomorrow. So cool. We sat in the boy's room and listened to the story of Peter Pan...it's an interactive room! It was funny, there was only us and 2 teenagers, so the interactive parts we did. Everyone's a kid at Disney! Oh...another funny story. So the CM is reading through Peter Pan and asks, "so what was Peter looking for in the children's room? No one else knew, so I had to give the answer "his shadow!" (uh duh.) And then he asked me, and where did Tink have it? And of course, I knew but no one else did "In the drawer." So I got to release his shadow from the drawer! So cool. (And yes, I'm 5.)

We then checked out the girl's room (I totally want the interactive mirror!) And then the rest of the house. The Dining Room table had some kind of new Microsoft feature that I thought was neat, but my boyfriend was totally geeking out over. They're showing it to us and he lets out with, "Is it blah blah blah?" (Don't ask me...sorry!) Of course he knew what all the technology was in the house, cracked me up. Probably his favorite part of the trip was walking through the house! Wish we had something like that at Innoventions in Epcot. We like walking through and seeing all the stuff, but the House was really neat! Definitely not to be missed!!

From Tomorrowland we headed over to DCA, we wanted to be able to ride California Screamin' before we left. There was a decent wait, but the FPs were for 45 minutes later. So we grabbed a pair and went off in search of snacks. My boyfriend had to try a churro to see what all the fuss was about. I grabbed the ultimate Disney snack...

We popped a squat on Paradise Pier (right near Mickey's "Fun" Wheel) and people watched until our FPs were valid. We caught the army men from Toy Story passing by:

We rode the coaster and let me just say, it's probably my favorite coaster ever. I was amazed at just how smooth the ride was. It was a ton of fun! Even my boyfriend, who calls roller coasters, "death machines" loved it! I kind of wish it was up and running earlier in our stay so we'd be able to do it twice!

For dinner we weren't really in the mood for counter service, so we headed out to Downtown Disney. We wound up eating in the ESPN Zone. They had a decent wait, but from where I was standing, I could see a lot of open seats at the bar. I asked the host if we could get food there, he said yes, so we walked over and grabbed seats. Perfect for us! Plus I was able to indulge my sports bug (the boyfriend doesn't have the sports gene...he tries though.) I had the buffalo chicken sandwich, which was excellent, if messy. And my boyfriend had a burger. Both were very tasty and hit the spot for the evening. I had a bit to drink while sitting there (I'm a lightweight, and the bartender was pouring STRONG drinks, so after two, I was buzzed!) I decided I needed candy to take home, so we went to the candy store in DTD:

But I didn't see what I wanted, so we went back into DL and hit up the candy store on Main Street. My boyfriend got some peanut brittle, I got cookies, and something else that I don't remember And finally decided we should head out, pack, and go to bed

I found the Sherman Brother's window that they recently received, so I snapped a quick picture:

(It was at the music shop, how appropriate!)

Finally, I grabbed one last picture, rather fitting for the last of our trip:

If you look closely, you can see the light on in the window. That's where Walt's office was. Apparently, when he visited the park, he'd always have the light on, so Cast Member's knew that he was there. After his death, they leave the light on all the time so that we know he's always there I really like that story.

So we moseyed on back to the hotel, packed up, and tucked in a little early. Our flight home was at 9am, so we needed to leave the hotel rather early. Super Shuttle was on time and we were at the airport in no time. We flew out of Long Beach and apparently everyone else on the shuttle was going to LAX. Just an interesting little note. There's not much going on at Long Beach Airport, but we were able to find some juice and a muffin for breakfast. It was an uneventful flight home, which is always good.

I'll be back with one more post. Kind of a wrap up about what I thought, and my final comparison between DLR and WDW (Hint: there's no winner.)

 

[magicalfoursome]

I have really enjoyed your TR! Our 1st visit to DLR is this July!! Looking forward to your final comparison and I am glad there will be no "winner".

 

[onelilspark]

I have really enjoyed your TR! Our 1st visit to DLR is this July!! Looking forward to your final comparison and I am glad there will be no "winner".

Thanks! I should have it up in a couple days




Everyone, check this out: http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney...atting-guests-disneylands-toontown-literally/ Mickey talks to guests in DLR Toontown!

 

[jwwi]

Sounds like you had a nice time on the tour. I will be interested in reading about your comparisons of DL/WDW. Did you BF like the churro?

 

[franandaj]

Great TR! So how long were you actually there? It seems like you could have used another couple days just to go back and hit a few favorites again, but you were definitely there more than just a couple days, right? On my various other groups I subscribe to people are always saying you can easily do DL and DCA in two days, three tops and that has never sat well with me. Heck I live here and there are tons of things I've only done once or twice!

Looking forward to the wrap up!

 

[haley's mom]

I loved your TR. We are taking our first trip to DL in October. One quick question for you. Being from PA, I'm curious as to how bad the time difference was, especially on the first few days.

THANKS!

 

[onelilspark]

Sounds like you had a nice time on the tour. I will be interested in reading about your comparisons of DL/WDW. Did you BF like the churro?

I forgot to get back to that. Yes, he enjoyed it, but he didn't quite understand why all the fuss. We really enjoyed the tour, I'd recommend it to any Disney fan. I should get to the comparisons later this week. I'm currently in FL (45 minutes from Disney, it's killing me that I'm not there!) for my little brother's graduation and then the first part of next week I'm out for work... But probably Thursday or Friday I'll have the comparison up.

Great TR! So how long were you actually there? It seems like you could have used another couple days just to go back and hit a few favorites again, but you were definitely there more than just a couple days, right? On my various other groups I subscribe to people are always saying you can easily do DL and DCA in two days, three tops and that has never sat well with me. Heck I live here and there are tons of things I've only done once or twice!

Looking forward to the wrap up!

We did about 3.5 park days. Our first day we did the "half" day (which really was a few hours) and then 3 full days. We really took our time, headed back to the hotel in the afternoon every day, and didn't stay past the fireworks on any night. It would have been nice to have a couple hours to re-do favorites, but with the pace we were going, we were able to do everything we wanted to do without rushing, etc. I think we were there a good amount of time.

I loved your TR. We are taking our first trip to DL in October. One quick question for you. Being from PA, I'm curious as to how bad the time difference was, especially on the first few days.

THANKS!

Thanks for reading! We did our best to stay up late the first night, but what we did is use the time difference to our advantage. We knew we'd be up early the first full day, so we booked the early character meal. Then on the other days we were able to get to the parks right at opening without rushing or feeling absolutely exhausted. We didn't stay past the end of the fireworks any night, so we were in bed fairly early. Honestly, it made it easier to adjust when we had to wake up on Monday morning for work! Anyway, long story short, we didn't really try to "adjust." We weren't there long enough and those early mornings really helped with touring!

 

[onelilspark]

I suppose I should finish this off I do hate the last post of a TR.

Hotel: we stayed at the Hojo on Harbor. Would I stay here again? In a heartbeat. It was clean and the walk to the front entrances of the park was totally do-able. I never felt unsafe. The price was right, I used a DISBoards code and got a small discount, so it brought it under $100/night Would I love to stay at one of the Disney hotels? Absolutely. I'm sure if I had kids, just walking over to the Grand Californian Hotel would have been quite lovely (plus then you wouldn't need to cross any roads...) But I honestly can't justify the price. Hojo for the win!

Food: I loved our sit-down meals. I thought they all went really well. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was the crepe at Cafe Orleans. I would definitely go with the Monte Cristo! Our favorite was without a doubt Napa Rose. Easily the best decision of the trip to do a last minute PS. I also really loved our Character breakfast. I know that Goofy's is suggested a lot on the boards, but I was having a hard time with how expensive it was for breakfast. Storyteller's was quiet and with some of the characters you usually don't see, which was neat. I loved that I could order off a menu instead of going to the buffet too! Highly recommend Storyteller's for breakfast!

Now for the bad on food...I was severely disappointed in the counter service options at the parks. In all fairness, at WDW, I probably know where to go now and where to stay away. But the crowds and lines at the CS places at DLR were just awful. Food was okay for the most part (pizza was terrible!) but I think we waited longer for our food than we did most rides. This was even the case at DCA, which you would think they would have learned from WDW the space they needed, apparently not. So in that regard, I was disappointed it was so difficult to get food. On the plus side, since there's not the craze for ADRs at DLR, it's easy to add in a table service meal (like when we went to the ESPN Club.) Breakfast at the Blue Ribbon Bakery was probably my favorite CS. And one more thing: DLR needs more popcorn carts. Took me forever to get popcorn! Plenty of churro carts though

DL: It was so neat to be able to go to the "original." I loved being there and I loved taking the tour to hear the history and how Walt "saw" the park. I highly recommend the tour. The only drawback really to the park was how narrow the walkways were. We got trapped on our way out one night by a parade with no way to get people moving again. And another where the walkways were just wayyyy overcrowded.

DCA: I can see why they're refurbing a lot of this park. It felt like it was lacking something. We still had fun, but found that we did everything we wanted very quickly.

My favorite attractions: California Screamin'...what an awesome ride! We loved the Aladdin show. The House of the Future inside Innoventions ranks high on my boyfriend's list (and ok, I thought it was neat too!) I did really like the Indiana Jones ride, and thought it was so cool to get stuck on it. I'm a dork, I've accepted it I loved DL's version of Small World. And an Honorable Mention goes to Toontown. While not an attraction, I absolutely loved the theming in that area.

My not-so-favorite attractions: I could have really done without riding the Matterhorn. So uncomfortable! And Mickey's "Fun" Wheel. Talk about a death trap.

Overall, I absolutely loved being able to get to Disneyland. It's always been something I wanted to do and I'm certainly glad I have a boyfriend who will humor me I think the big thing for WDW vets is to get out of the WDW planning mindset. DLR is a totally different animal and needs to be treated as such. I used the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland and would recommend it to anyone trying to plan (and of course the lovely people on the Disneyland portion of the DISBoards...a BIG thank you!) I can't wait to see what they do with DCA & Cars Land. I think that will be so neat. I'm sure I'll be back, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Thanks everyone for coming along with me as I relived my trip! Hope you enjoyed!!

 

[kaoden39]

I am sad to see this end. I haven't been on the Matterhorn since I was a teenager. Out of curiosity what did you find uncomfortable about it? Mickey's Funwheel is a creepy ride, especially if you are in the moving cages, but you just can't beat the view.

I am not a huge fan of the churros but that is obviously what sells. I have managed to stay away from the pizza so far and I plan on continuing in that fashion. I am not sure I would eat more popcorn if there was more places to buy it.

You know the first time I visited DCA I wasn't a big fan, and was confused on how little there is to do there. But, then the next time I went it grew on me a little. Then this last trip I fell in love with it. We spent the entire day there and did everything, well within reason. We visited all the little nooks and crannies and saw things we had never seen before. I do think it needs to get all the new things and the changes made. That is what makes the Disney parks better, they are always changing.

I had a great time "going" on your trip with you.

 

[Bdchili]

What a great TR! You kept it going for quite awhile, kudos. My families experience was all positive to DL and the kids are still talking about it even after 2 months. Can't believe it's been two months. I gotta say, the kids REALLY loved DL and I think that alone says loads for how a WDW vet should look at DLR. Kids look at a trip to a Disney Park as just that, a trip to a park. I truly believe that is the mindset that all WDW vets should take. In my view DLR is about the parks and WDW is about the overall experience.
When we went in march, we went ALL IN. We stayed at the Grand Californian, with an amazing view right into DCA and a short elevator ride to a fast pass dispenser for Soar'in. That simple illustration pretty much sums up that "Park Experience" thing I am talking about.
I will defiantly be returning with my family to DLR, but first I have to pack for my trip to the Food and Wine at WDW in October. Thanks for the amazing TR it made my planning and overall experience allot more enjoyable.
B-

 

[BippityBoo]

YAY!! All caught up I loved your TR!! You actually make me want to go to DL, which I did not think I would ever want to!!

Those caramel apples looked SOOO yummy My fave.

Your hotel price was so wonderful. Thanks for the TR..can't wait for your next trip to WDW!