milieu_mouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2022
Hi all,
I have been soaking up the knowledge of DIS since about March, and just returned from our first family vacation to DLR.
Trip dates were 8/23-27. We stayed in GCH, club level, in room 6110 (we reserved a standard room but this has a courtyard view).
Highlights:
1. Early mornings - the best time in the parks was from 7:30 until about 10:00 each day. My kids could run around and we rode a bazillion rides and there was no stress in the world during those sweet early hours. I can't emphasize enough how great this time is.
2. MEPs - sure, we had some breakdowns. But it was pretty darn cool to pivot to, say, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, or Midway Mania, when a ride became unavailable. We were eventually able to ride everything that we wanted, so getting the MEP helped to take away any initial sting.
3. Cast members - everyone was really nice and seemed to genuinely be happy to be there. Nothing but good experiences.
4. The magic - yep, it's there. It's a sweet place with a lot of great things going for it. I'm so glad we went.
Lowlight:
1. The crowds were intense. INTENSE. This could be partly/mostly me, as I am: a) not a fan of crowds, b) an infectious disease epidemiologist and therefore more COVID-conscious than your average bear, and c) not a fan of crowds, if I didn't mention that before.
Anyway, I wasn't ready for that level of personal space encroachment. I had a wee panic attack on day 1, and then was okay after I mentally fortified myself. After the post-fireworks crowd on day 1 (post Fantasmic), I canceled our MSEP lunch for day 4, as I knew that we (okay I) wasn't going to want to do that again. If you love really really squeezin' in with several thousand happy park-goers and rolling down Main St like a flotilla of army ants, hot damn you're gonna love this place at night!
Experiences:
1. Fantasmic:
PROs: View was nice - in that it was great to be removed from the very dense crowds.
The view wasn't direct (there was a pole and a tree) but we could see what was going on.
There was plenty of spacing between tables.
Servers were super attentive and kind.
The show itself was very good. I can't tell you how many times I looked over at my kids (7 and 5) to watch the amazement in their faces.
MEHs: Food was not anything approaching wonderful.
We liked the scallops, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Kid 1 liked the mac n cheese, kid 2 said the tofu was too spicy.
I could not eat the steak. It was very fatty and tasteless, unfortunately.
Appetizers were beans and rice (pretty good) and a tater tot thing with... a lot going on. My husband was nice about it since this dinner was a "family surprise" from me, but I could tell that he did not like it.
The desserts: kids pudding was good, but the chocolate dome just didn't do it for us.
Bathrooms: if you have kids gorging themselves on lemonade, the bathrooms start to feel a long way away
Overall, it was a fun experience. Was it worth almost $300? Of course not. Many of us lose our minds a little in Disneyland and I was no exception. We won't do this one again, but it was worth the one-time experience for us.
2. World of Color Dessert Party
PROs: The view was nice, and it was fun to feel like we were attending a special event.
The tequila rainbow drink was surprisingly tasty.
The show - it was super neat. We were all mesmerized by the interplay of the water, music, and light.
MEHs: We couldn't really see the primary projections in the center - we were seated at a low table at the very front.
We each ate one dessert (of four), a few crackers and cheese, and grapes, so there clearly isn't a lot of value in the food.
Overall, it was another fun experience. Was it worth almost $400? Of course not. But again, when in Disneyland... and while I don't think we'd do this one again, it was a good time and we will look back upon it fondly.
3. Capture the Magic (?) Photo session
Okay, my husband is a photojournalist and I felt like I would owe him big time for this, but it actually went really well. It was a great way for us to ensure that we had some family photos, and it took a lot of pressure off of us (and DH) to be the family photographer.
Some of the photos are cheesy, but some are really sweet. They took some candid and some posed shots.
We did this on our last day, which was a mistake! We were tired. I would recommend doing this earlier in a trip.
Hotel stuff:
The club level lounge, The Veranda, had really nice cast members and was a great spot to pop in for cold water refills and a beer (hello, Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin!), but I feel that we didn't use the service to the extent that we could have.
I liked the breakfast options, but we only had them on our departing day, due to Early Entry).
The midday/tea time food was not our fave, to be honest.
We tried the evening fare a few times, and it was just fine, but nothing that wowed us.
The dessert hours had tiny raspberry creme brulees that were super good, but things were on repeat for the most part.
In the end, I'm glad we did go the Club Level route. On those days when we didn't have a plan for food and kids were hangry, it was a lifesaver to grab a pb&j and some crackers. Will we do it again? I hope so.
Other stuff:
1. Car service: We used Lansky to and from SNA, and they were incredibly professional, timely, and kind. They had our little booster seats ready to go, and it was SO NICE to just be zipped from A to B without any fuss.
2. Stroller: I did a lot of reading about getting a stroller for tired kids. I did rent a stroller from ScooterBug, which is the only stroller place that will leave your rental with the front desk. As my kids are bigger (5 and 7yo), healthy, and active, I strategically left the stroller at the front desk, because I knew that it was game over as soon as they saw that thing. I was happily surprised to find that the kiddos easily got through our 10-12 mile days (per my watch) with nary a complaint... unless the complaining was about wanting one of those blessed bubble-blowers (absolutely not, my dear children! But you may play with all of the bubbles that others are blowing!).
3. Rides and kids: The attractions were all great. We had a blast.
Our kids surprised and delighted us to no end. They tried everything at least once, and with gusto!
Our 7 year old was so excited to ride Incredicoaster. She went with dad, as our 5yo is not yet tall enough. This large coaster was quite a surprise, and the poor gal was rather shaken. After another 2 days of rides, she proclaimed that she wanted to ride it again. She and I had a long talk about it, but she wouldn't be dissuaded. She and I rode it, and I encouraged her to "yell out" the big feelings that she had on the ride. We both screamed it out and shared a warm JackJack cookie after, and she now calls it a favorite.
She did NOT care for the dark Space Mountain, but our space-obsessed 5 year old LOVED it. We did rider switch and he rode it 3x.
4. Heat: It was in the high 80s. I thought those cooling towels would be a gimmick, but wow were they great!
5. External charger for phone: I bought one of these and never used it, and I was the only one with app/Genie+ access. If you're staying on site, you may not need to have one.
6. re: COVID conscious: We ate outside 100% and wore masks indoors and in tight spots outside. We didn't get COVID on this trip, but, you know, our kiddos love sticking their fingers in their mouths (why, universe, do humans chew their fingernail skin?), and we picked up some other nasty pathogen that is giving our lonely immune systems a workout right now. Fun!
Feel free to ask any questions and I'll be glad to share anything I can.
I want to say thank you to everyone who contributes to these forums. It's no small feat to plan and pull off a Disneyland vacation, and I couldn't have done it without you (and Provost Park Pass). Thanks all! Enjoy the magic!
I have been soaking up the knowledge of DIS since about March, and just returned from our first family vacation to DLR.
Trip dates were 8/23-27. We stayed in GCH, club level, in room 6110 (we reserved a standard room but this has a courtyard view).
Highlights:
1. Early mornings - the best time in the parks was from 7:30 until about 10:00 each day. My kids could run around and we rode a bazillion rides and there was no stress in the world during those sweet early hours. I can't emphasize enough how great this time is.
2. MEPs - sure, we had some breakdowns. But it was pretty darn cool to pivot to, say, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, or Midway Mania, when a ride became unavailable. We were eventually able to ride everything that we wanted, so getting the MEP helped to take away any initial sting.
3. Cast members - everyone was really nice and seemed to genuinely be happy to be there. Nothing but good experiences.
4. The magic - yep, it's there. It's a sweet place with a lot of great things going for it. I'm so glad we went.
Lowlight:
1. The crowds were intense. INTENSE. This could be partly/mostly me, as I am: a) not a fan of crowds, b) an infectious disease epidemiologist and therefore more COVID-conscious than your average bear, and c) not a fan of crowds, if I didn't mention that before.
Anyway, I wasn't ready for that level of personal space encroachment. I had a wee panic attack on day 1, and then was okay after I mentally fortified myself. After the post-fireworks crowd on day 1 (post Fantasmic), I canceled our MSEP lunch for day 4, as I knew that we (okay I) wasn't going to want to do that again. If you love really really squeezin' in with several thousand happy park-goers and rolling down Main St like a flotilla of army ants, hot damn you're gonna love this place at night!
Experiences:
1. Fantasmic:
PROs: View was nice - in that it was great to be removed from the very dense crowds.
The view wasn't direct (there was a pole and a tree) but we could see what was going on.
There was plenty of spacing between tables.
Servers were super attentive and kind.
The show itself was very good. I can't tell you how many times I looked over at my kids (7 and 5) to watch the amazement in their faces.
MEHs: Food was not anything approaching wonderful.
We liked the scallops, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Kid 1 liked the mac n cheese, kid 2 said the tofu was too spicy.
I could not eat the steak. It was very fatty and tasteless, unfortunately.
Appetizers were beans and rice (pretty good) and a tater tot thing with... a lot going on. My husband was nice about it since this dinner was a "family surprise" from me, but I could tell that he did not like it.
The desserts: kids pudding was good, but the chocolate dome just didn't do it for us.
Bathrooms: if you have kids gorging themselves on lemonade, the bathrooms start to feel a long way away
Overall, it was a fun experience. Was it worth almost $300? Of course not. Many of us lose our minds a little in Disneyland and I was no exception. We won't do this one again, but it was worth the one-time experience for us.
2. World of Color Dessert Party
PROs: The view was nice, and it was fun to feel like we were attending a special event.
The tequila rainbow drink was surprisingly tasty.
The show - it was super neat. We were all mesmerized by the interplay of the water, music, and light.
MEHs: We couldn't really see the primary projections in the center - we were seated at a low table at the very front.
We each ate one dessert (of four), a few crackers and cheese, and grapes, so there clearly isn't a lot of value in the food.
Overall, it was another fun experience. Was it worth almost $400? Of course not. But again, when in Disneyland... and while I don't think we'd do this one again, it was a good time and we will look back upon it fondly.
3. Capture the Magic (?) Photo session
Okay, my husband is a photojournalist and I felt like I would owe him big time for this, but it actually went really well. It was a great way for us to ensure that we had some family photos, and it took a lot of pressure off of us (and DH) to be the family photographer.
Some of the photos are cheesy, but some are really sweet. They took some candid and some posed shots.
We did this on our last day, which was a mistake! We were tired. I would recommend doing this earlier in a trip.
Hotel stuff:
The club level lounge, The Veranda, had really nice cast members and was a great spot to pop in for cold water refills and a beer (hello, Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin!), but I feel that we didn't use the service to the extent that we could have.
I liked the breakfast options, but we only had them on our departing day, due to Early Entry).
The midday/tea time food was not our fave, to be honest.
We tried the evening fare a few times, and it was just fine, but nothing that wowed us.
The dessert hours had tiny raspberry creme brulees that were super good, but things were on repeat for the most part.
In the end, I'm glad we did go the Club Level route. On those days when we didn't have a plan for food and kids were hangry, it was a lifesaver to grab a pb&j and some crackers. Will we do it again? I hope so.
Other stuff:
1. Car service: We used Lansky to and from SNA, and they were incredibly professional, timely, and kind. They had our little booster seats ready to go, and it was SO NICE to just be zipped from A to B without any fuss.
2. Stroller: I did a lot of reading about getting a stroller for tired kids. I did rent a stroller from ScooterBug, which is the only stroller place that will leave your rental with the front desk. As my kids are bigger (5 and 7yo), healthy, and active, I strategically left the stroller at the front desk, because I knew that it was game over as soon as they saw that thing. I was happily surprised to find that the kiddos easily got through our 10-12 mile days (per my watch) with nary a complaint... unless the complaining was about wanting one of those blessed bubble-blowers (absolutely not, my dear children! But you may play with all of the bubbles that others are blowing!).
3. Rides and kids: The attractions were all great. We had a blast.
Our kids surprised and delighted us to no end. They tried everything at least once, and with gusto!
Our 7 year old was so excited to ride Incredicoaster. She went with dad, as our 5yo is not yet tall enough. This large coaster was quite a surprise, and the poor gal was rather shaken. After another 2 days of rides, she proclaimed that she wanted to ride it again. She and I had a long talk about it, but she wouldn't be dissuaded. She and I rode it, and I encouraged her to "yell out" the big feelings that she had on the ride. We both screamed it out and shared a warm JackJack cookie after, and she now calls it a favorite.
She did NOT care for the dark Space Mountain, but our space-obsessed 5 year old LOVED it. We did rider switch and he rode it 3x.
4. Heat: It was in the high 80s. I thought those cooling towels would be a gimmick, but wow were they great!
5. External charger for phone: I bought one of these and never used it, and I was the only one with app/Genie+ access. If you're staying on site, you may not need to have one.
6. re: COVID conscious: We ate outside 100% and wore masks indoors and in tight spots outside. We didn't get COVID on this trip, but, you know, our kiddos love sticking their fingers in their mouths (why, universe, do humans chew their fingernail skin?), and we picked up some other nasty pathogen that is giving our lonely immune systems a workout right now. Fun!
Feel free to ask any questions and I'll be glad to share anything I can.
I want to say thank you to everyone who contributes to these forums. It's no small feat to plan and pull off a Disneyland vacation, and I couldn't have done it without you (and Provost Park Pass
). Thanks all! Enjoy the magic!
