"It's So Clean!" First Timer's July 2014 Trip Report

[AlliGirl]

This Thursday was our last day in the parks. We had a special reservation planned so we started our morning off in Disneyland.

We came in during the Magic Morning hour and headed for Peter Pan’s Flight. I love this ride and the story of Peter Pan; it puts me in the perfect Disney state of mind. Our wait was pretty long and slow-going.

While in line, we were very entertained by this large child in a stroller wearing a neck pillow drinking from a bottle…

Inside, this ride is very similar to the WDW version, however WDW has a few more details etc. Oh and WDW’s Peter Pan’s Flight has just added an interactive queue that looks leaps and bounds better than the previous queue. Hopefully we will get to check it out soon!


After the ride, we headed to Jolly Holiday Bakery for breakfast. I had a particular treat on my mind…the cinnamon roll. It was incredible! I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon rolls because there is such a variety in how they are made. The WDW cinnamon rolls that used to be served in the Main Street Bakery (which is now a Starbucks) are now served at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland (bad name choice for an amazing park area). That was the only Disney cinnamon roll I had ever had and it’s just…dry. The Jolly Holiday Café cinnamon roll is the epitome of all cinnamon rolls! It was very warm, well-frosted, and huge. Once we had sat down with our food, Scott ran back inside and came out with a surprise: a Matterhorn Macaroon! We definitely recommend this as well, that is if you like coconut! We thought it had a great texture.


We headed to Big Thunder Mountain for a second ride.

The first time we rode BTMRR we had a fastpass, this time we waited standby. I like this queue a lot, and there are a lot of good picture taking opportunities. If you remember way back, after our first ride, we thought that the newly added finale effects were awesome! We were very impressed and thought that they bumped the whole ride experience up to a new level. Well here’s the funny thing about that…we hadn’t even seen them operating at their full capacity! From what we remember, the fuses going up the sides were functioning and a few other elements, however we did not experience the true finale ending until this ride, which we loved! I think it really elevates and differentiates this ride from all the other mine train type coasters at virtually every amusement park around the world.


Afterwards, we went for a walk through Tarzan’s Treehouse. As we look back at the list of attractions we hit, it seems so random! We were walking all over that park! Tarzan’s Treehouse is a very fun walkthrough. We prefer it to Magic Kingdom’s Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, because it has more interactive elements to play with and things to see. There was also a lot more space in a few areas, whereas SFRT is very confined.

Keeping with our morning of running all over the park, we headed to Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters. We prefer this ride to the WDW counterpart, but the differences are pretty subtle. I felt much closer to all of the targets and I was able to score more points, which is always fun.

We decided to take a ride on the Monorail afterwards. It’s funny how different the experience is from riding the Monorail at WDW, where it’s more of a mode of transportation (but with that fun vacation feeling added). At Disneyland, the Monorail felt more like an attraction, especially because everyone has to be seated. I think I hit my head coming in and going out though, the cars are much smaller than the ones in WDW.

We even got a nice view of our hotel room balcony. (Bottom left room, middle of the frame.. We passed right under it!)..

We went and got fastpasses for Indiana Jones and then we were planning on going to watch Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. I think our erratic travel pattern was caused by us trying to get in a bunch of smaller things on our last day, things we were interested to do but not at the very top of our list. Well, this day was the 59th Anniversary of Disneyland, so a press event was taking place at the entrance of the park. In all of our walking back and forth, we missed the whole event, which I believe involved 59 different characters coming out and few speeches. However, the whole area was still covered in mass amounts of confetti. They were using Great Moments as a welcome area for different media guests so it was closed on this day, bummer. We went in the Disneyana store and looked around and then to the Main Street Cinema to watch a few of the old cartoon clips.


We made our way to New Orleans Square and wandered through all of the shops, paid a visit to the Pirate fortuneteller, and checked in for a very special reservation!

That’s right, we had a lunch reservation for Blue Bayou. I made my reservation for 11:30 I believe, which was the first reservation slot for the day. I was nervous as we approached, because there was a bit of a lineup at the podium. I’m pretty sure those were people trying to get a reservation for that day though. Our lunch at Blue Bayou was highly anticipated, and the choice of the first reservation slot was no accident. I had read here on the DisBoards that choosing that slot gave you the best chance for one of the few tables right on the water. However, with all the other parties showing up for their reservations, I wasn’t sure if we’d get the table of my dreams.


Next time: Our review of lunch at Blue Bayou and many more scattered Disneyland attractions, plus this former Skipper’s first time at Trader Sam’s!

 

[AlliGirl]

While we were standing and waiting outside Blue Bayou, they opened the restaurant’s doors and invited us to sit in the lobby area and wait. We sat on a bench for just a couple minutes before they escorted us to our table. Our table was perfectly front and center against the water! We were so excited and knew we were in for a great meal. I really enjoy the illusion of it being outdoors at nighttime inside the restaurant, but be pre-warned that it is very dark in there!

We already basically knew what we were going to order before we ever set foot inside. Everyone gets to start with either gumbo or a house salad for each entrée, both of which were very good. My mom ordered the Pan-Seared Salmon, which she devoured and enjoyed a lot. I ordered the Tesoro Island Chicken Breast, it came with Boursin cheese mashed potatoes and a few vegetables. I thought this was a great meal, I’m a light eater (not picky, just light) and I could’ve easily eaten the entire thing. However, I shared it with Scott. We also shared his choice of entrée, the Le Special de Monte Cristo Sandwich. We both thought it was very good, and we understand the hype surrounding it. I know that you can get this sandwich (and probably at a much lower price point) at Café Orleans, but you cannot beat the atmosphere in Blue Bayou. I couldn’t eat the Monte Cristo over and over, but for a special meal, it was great. The combination of a deep-fried turkey, ham, and swiss cheese sandwich dipped in raspberry jam might seem odd. Once you try the sandwich however, it has a similar effect and taste to a lot of breakfast food.


This restaurant is a definite must-do, if you have the means and interest. There’s really nothing like it, on or off property. We don’t have anything comparable to this at Walt Disney World. So many of the sit-down restaurants inside the parks at Walt Disney World are character meals, almost all of them. This bumps up the price significantly, and for an experience and atmosphere I don’t desire. I know the characters interacting during meal time is a draw for many, but it’s not something I’m interested in. Also, many of these meals are buffets…ugh. Yes, it’s great having the options and ease of access, but if I’m going to pay Disney Park prices, I prefer something more upscale. I would want to eat at Blue Bayou on every future Disneyland trip, if I could get a reservation!


After our delicious meal, we went to use our Indiana Jones fastpass. This was our second ride on IJ. After our first ride, we thought it was a good, not great, attraction. But after this ride, I came away enjoying the attraction a lot more overall. Silly enough, I believe I had been looking in the wrong direction during a couple effects/scenes. Also, I think my expectations had been lowered a bit, so I enjoyed the ride for what it was more.


Afterwards, we returned to Pirates for another ride. At this point, we had accomplished everything that was important to us for our trip, which is a great feeling! So, this left us with a big chunk of the day left to do some extra things. We decided to ride out to Tom Sawyer Island. The theming of this TSI is quite different from the TSI in WDW’s Magic Kingdom, where it’s more a Western theme. They have an old town and forts, along with many nods to Tom Sawyer. DL’s TSI is themed around Pirates, which is the main reason we were interested in checking it out. Where the boat first docks, there are a few interactive pirate elements and a handful of references to the PotC movies, which were all really fun. Beyond that, there are many caves with tons of little pathways.

Claustrophobes, this area is not for you. Navigating through the caves, there are many small openings to get through, and they’re decently disorienting. Scott snuck up and scared me a few times, but my mom wanted no part in walking (more like crawling) around in there. I have to say, I think there’s a bit more to do and see at the WDW TSI, but we’re glad we took the time to see the area.


After riding the boat back from TSI, we headed to get Mint Juleps from the Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square. The drink was very refreshing on a hot day, but it’s not one I’d get over and over. While drinking our Mint Juleps, we made what would turn out to be the worst decision of our trip. We got in line for the Disneyland Railroad at the New Orleans Square Station. First of all, there were not even that many people in front of us, maybe fifty or so. We are no strangers to long waits, but this was seriously excessive. We were in direct sunlight and the line just did not move. We probably stood there while ten trains came by, all packed full. Once we had gotten into the covered area of the queue, the wait still inched by. We got to a point where we wanted to just walk away and try the train again later, but there was no way to get back out of the queue! People were packed so tightly around us, I don’t know if we could’ve gotten out. We finally boarded the train, excited to see the sights, but we were let down. The Primeval World and Grand Canyon dioramas were interesting, but the tunnels they were located in were suffocating. The stops made were so frequent, that each time I began to sit back and relax, we were stopping again! I’m a huge fan of the WDW Railroad, and the relaxation and low-key entertainment it provides, so I was not prepared for that train ride. Although, once we made it back to Main Street, that station had no line, so we definitely should’ve ridden it from there.


After getting back off the train in New Orleans Square, we headed to Adventureland for a beloved treat, a Dole Whip. Luckily, we knew to head inside the Tiki Room pre-show area and wait in the much shorter line. Even if the two lines were the exact same length, I would much prefer to wait on the Tiki Room side, it was shaded while we waited and we really enjoyed hearing about each of the Tiki Gods and watching the show going on. After getting our Dole Whips, we headed to the end of the line on the opposite side, where we spread the word about the other line to many sweaty beaten down patrons, and took our treats to Aladdin’s Oasis. I loved this area! If there hadn’t been signs specifically saying not to, I would’ve loved to jump up on the Cave of Wonder stage for pictures, as it would be a perfect background.

After that, we headed to Fantasy Faire. We wanted to see the Tangled show, but we missed the Tangled shows for that day, so we got in line for the next Beauty and the Beast show. At least, we think we got in line. It was really unclear where the queue was and we couldn’t tell if we were cutting others or not, which is always uncomfortable. We got inside and sat in the very back, and waited for the show. We loved it! It was truly the funniest Disney show I’ve ever seen. I was never bored, and I didn’t want it to end! The two troubadours were incredible, so talented and entertaining! Remember way back to when we saw the Aladdin musical in DCA and loathed the genie? Well, everything he did wrong, these guys did right. It was natural, light-hearted, and everything fit right along with the story. In addition to the great performers, the stage effects and Lumiere animatronic were great too! I really hope to see the Tangled show, or any other show they put on there.

As we were walking out of Fantasyland, I stopped at the corn cart at the hub and picked up the classic style ear of corn. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking but I love a good ear of corn, and I didn’t feel guilty about eating yet another snack. We decided to head back to the Grand Californian for a break.


When we next pick up, we’ll head over to the Disneyland Hotel to check it out before going back to Disneyland to end the night. Thanks for reading!

 

[Canadian Harmony]

I love your TR. You write really well and I like hearing a CM's inside view of things too. I look forward to your next instalment.

 

[AlliGirl]

I love your TR. You write really well and I like hearing a CM's inside view of things too. I look forward to your next instalment.

Thank you so much for your kind words!

 

[Jaina]

I have enjoyed your trip report! It's always fun to hear a WDW-vet's perspective on DLR.

 

[AlliGirl]

I have enjoyed your trip report! It's always fun to hear a WDW-vet's perspective on DLR.

Thank you! I see you have a DLR trip planned, I hope it's great! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[elaine amj]

Jut discovered your TR and loved reading it! We're headed for our first family DLR trip and I loved your perspective

 

[AlliGirl]

Well, it took almost a year, but it looks like this trip report is just about to wrap up! We still have a few more adventures to share from this last day of our trip, and at the end we will tell you all about our upcoming trip!

After leaving Disneyland, we stopped by the Grand Californian Hotel for a quick break. Afterwards, we ventured on to Disneyland Hotel, with a specific goal in mind.

We walked around the property and made our way to Trader Sam's. As ex-adventureland employees, we knew we couldn't miss this!

I don't think we waited much, and we were seated at a four top table along the wall farthest from the door. To me, this was perfect. We were able to watch everything going on, but we weren't stuck in the middle of it.

I ordered the Ka-blue-ie! which was perfect for me. It didn't come with a fun glass, but we only had one glass in mind that we wanted, and I knew I wasn't going to order that drink. Outsiders might think that the drinks at Trader Sam's, or anywhere on Disney property, would be watered down. That is not the case. My mom ordered the Shipwreck on the Rocks, because that was the glass we wanted to take home. Well, I'm so glad my mom jumped on that grenade for us, because there's NO way I could've ingested more than one sip of that drink! It is not for the faint of heart! Scott ordered the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum, which he enjoyed. We also ordered a few food items. We know we got the Kalua-style Pork Flatbread, and I believe we got the shrimp tacos as well. The food was good, but the drinks are definitely the star! We already have plans about what we want to get at Trader Sam's Grog Grotto at the Polynesian.

After we had finished at Trader Sam's, we ventured around the property and checked out the theming. We looked around in the lobby areas of each of the different towers, and we even saw the geyser go off. We really took our time walking around, and looked in the gift shops as well. It was so nice that we were able to simply walk a few minutes and have a different unique experience from our resort.

After leaving Trader Sam's, we did a bit of shopping around Downtown Disney and then went back into Disneyland for our last couple hours of magic.

We wanted to ride Alice in Wonderland again before we left, so we went and got in line. This was one of our favorite rides in Disneyland. Well, the line was probably 45 minutes long and moved very slowly. We had such good luck with lines on our trip, with the exception of the railroad, but this was a painful process. I'm not used to the very narrow queues, and basically standing surrounded by people on all sides. We finally got on the ride, and enjoyed it very much.

We headed to Harbour Galley, because we had heard good things online. Well, they must've been having an off night. They were down to one soup option, and it was a brothy soup. Maybe I'm alone, but I only like to eat creamy soups out of bread bowls. So, I got a loaded baked potato instead. Scott got a lobster roll. Both of these meals get two thumbs down from us. My baked potato was cold, and the cheese etc wasn't melted down at all. Scott says his lobster roll was not good at all. I would probably try to eat here again, but not as late at night. They were down to one window, with one cast member working, and the line took a very long time (and for lackluster results).

After eating, we wandered around until we were back at Main Street USA. We had a few last minute items to pick up at the Emporium. It was a zoo. But Scott got a really cool shirt he had wanted from the beginning of the trip, so it was worth it. We all got split up several times in the process.

With that, we headed out and away from what we think of as our best Disney vacation to date! I had big tears in my eyes, and I did not want to leave one bit. We had so much fun. I was warned by several people that I would be underwhelmed, coming from spending a year at Walt Disney World. That was not the case at all. We loved the Grand Californian Hotel, the ease of just walking everywhere, and how packed the parks were with attractions. We also absolutely adored California Adventure, it might even be our favorite Disney park.

The next week after we got back, I was offered a job teaching 6th grade Language Arts at my number one school. Now, I have just finished that first year of teaching (time flies when you're…worrying constantly) and what way could I better reward myself than a trip to Walt Disney World?! We are leaving in just FIVE DAYS! We haven't been to WDW in a year and a half, and a lot has changed! We are lucky enough to have free tickets left from our time working there, and a discount on our room, so I plan to spend lots of money on food and merchandise!

Scott turned the memories from this trip into a beautiful photo album that I will cherish forever. I absolutely cannot wait for my next trip to Disneyland! Thank you so much for reading along, allowing me to share our memories with all of you, and for your kind words! We are ready to document our upcoming WDW trip and share that in a trip report some time after we get back in June.

 

[elaine amj]

Thanks - I really enjoyed reading your report

 

[Nancjturn]

We have taken many trips to Walt Disney World. I traveled there to visit my grandparents in the area and was able to go since park opening in 1971! While Alli worked at WDW I traveled there about 5 times with an additional couple of trips afterwards. I was prepared to see DIsneyland as falling short of what I thought of as the "real thing". I was wrong on so many counts. I loved everything about DL and I'm returning there with Scott's mom in Sept to run the DL Half Marathon! As much as I love DL now, I'm already trying to figure out when I can get back to WDW with my girl Alli!!

 

[elaine amj]

We have taken many trips to Walt Disney World. I traveled there to visit my grandparents in the area and was able to go since park opening in 1971! While Alli worked at WDW I traveled there about 5 times with an additional couple of trips afterwards. I was prepared to see DIsneyland as falling short of what I thought of as the "real thing". I was wrong on so many counts. I loved everything about DL and I'm returning there with Scott's mom in Sept to run the DL Half Marathon! As much as I love DL now, I'm already trying to figure out when I can get back to WDW with my girl Alli!!

So, if you had to choose....which would it be? WDW or DL?

 

[Nancjturn]

It's a tough call because they are very different experiences. I am excited to go back to Disneyland in Sept. however, Disneyworld will always be dear to my heart. When I enter Main Street and look at the castle at the beginning of each visit it is as emotional as my last glance back when my visit is at an end. I guess WDW has been a part of my life since I was a child, so I would have to choose it first.

 

[AlliGirl]

I just wanted to let everyone know that we have started a new trip report! This one is about our trip to WDW from May 31st - June 5th.

If you're interested, you can read it right here.

 

[Avery's mom]

Just read your TR and loved it! Your photos were better than I can ever hope to take! We are staying at GCH in a few months and really liked the view from your room. We do have a Concierge Theme Park View room reserved, so I will try for one close to where you were. Thanks for a great report!

 

[AlliGirl]

Just read your TR and loved it! Your photos were better than I can ever hope to take! We are staying at GCH in a few months and really liked the view from your room. We do have a Concierge Theme Park View room reserved, so I will try for one close to where you were. Thanks for a great report!

Theme park view and concierge?! Wow that's a holy grail trip right there! It's going to be amazing!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Thank you for writing your TR - definitely found it very informative and appreciated your somewhat unique point of view

Hope you had a great trip to WDW!

 

[TEAMJACOB]

Enjoyed your trip report!! Planning on a trip to Disneyland in 2016 and this helped a lot.

 

[gsrieff]

this was probably my favorite trip report that i have read!

 

[FreddyMercury]

this was probably my favorite trip report that i have read!

Wow… Those are some kind words! We loved our DL trip, and we love sharing it with you guys and gals!

 

[AlliGirl]

Hey everyone, we just started a new Disneyland Trip Report for our most recent trip, which was for the 60th Anniversary! Check it out below!

How to Plan a Disneyland Trip in One Hour (Labor Day 2015)