We had a GRAND trip to Disneyland! March 2014 TR NEW 7/29 p.12

[mickeystoontown]

Wow wow wow! The view from the room was spectacular and the room ain't too shabby either.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I'm here!!

 

[2littleprincesses]

Wow! Great trip report! Thanks for sharing! We are going in July and have 2 dds similar ages (13 and almost 11-turning on our trip). We are from MN and they are both in competition dance! We may see you at a competition!

I love your pictures and hearing about what to expect. It will be a little busier when we are there though!

 

[Monny2AE]

Cars Land looks amazing!!!! I love the details that make you feel like you're in Radiator Springs!!!

And the view from your room---- WOW!!!! Gorgeous, especially at night!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Your view was incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much better than ours. Not that ours was bad (well the 2nd room anyway) but yours was about as perfect as can be!

That sofabed was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much worse than the other DVC ones we've had it wasn't funny. The E's complain too (about sharing) and well, tough. I don't prefer a studio and sharing the room with them either but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, points only go so far. They'd readily agree that they'd rather share, than miss a trip!

We definitely got a choice room view!!
I agree - a trip in a studio or a short trip is better than no trip at all!

Wow wow wow! The view from the room was spectacular and the room ain't too shabby either.

It was quite nice! We were happy!

I'm here!!

I'm glad you are here!

Wow! Great trip report! Thanks for sharing! We are going in July and have 2 dds similar ages (13 and almost 11-turning on our trip). We are from MN and they are both in competition dance! We may see you at a competition!

I love your pictures and hearing about what to expect. It will be a little busier when we are there though!

Thanks. I hope I can get more info up for you so you can check it out before your trip. I'm sure July will be busy!!
We had a pretty good weekend at comp at the Rivercentre in St. Paul! It's a busy dance life, isn't it?

Cars Land looks amazing!!!! I love the details that make you feel like you're in Radiator Springs!!!

And the view from your room---- WOW!!!! Gorgeous, especially at night!!!

It's SO COOL!!! I loved that part of the park and thought they just nailed it! The only bad thing was that it was so popular, the lines were tough to deal with!
Our room was great - I'd love a 2BR someday, but I don't have that many points!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

First, I must apologize for my slacking ways. I have been busy with dance competitions, work stuff, and a special project. Plus it might actually be spring soon here, so I want to get some outside stuff going! So thank you for your patience and I hope you're still hanging around!!!
Last I left you with 82000 pictures of my room and the view. The nighttime shots were taken at the end of our night, but before that…


We decided it was time to head to Disneyland – FINALLY! It was very crowded! It was weird to me that it was that crowded, but then I realized it was a Friday night.

The castle is beautiful – even if it doesn’t have that huge towering presence at the end of Main Street, it really is pretty and has a lot of cool features. I think of it as very princess-y and lovely, where I think of Cinderella Castle at WDW as more grand and stately.
I suppose you’re expecting a picture of my first view of the castle. I would too. But I’m sorry – I have to disappoint you! I apparently did not take one!!! What?
It seems I took very few pictures this evening.
But I did eventually take some castle pics. They’ll probably be better than what I can manage in the dark anyway.


We rode Pirates of the Caribbean with a 30 minute wait.


See the Dream Suite upstairs? I wish we could have seen inside!!

Haunted Mansion was a 25 minute wait. We enjoyed it - most of the queue for this and POTC are outside (you know, because it doesn't rain much in CA).
Nope, no pictures tonight!

Winnie the Pooh was about a 5-10 minute wait. It seemed funny that it was way off in Critter Country rather than in Fantasyland like at WDW. It was closer to POTC and HM in New Orleans Square. It took me a little bit to get adjusted to the differences and actually had to consult the map!!

We went to the Coke Corner (instead of Casey’s) and got the girls some hot dogs. Must have been just getting adjusted to it being the first day since I wasn't taking pictures tonight!

We were all pretty tired, but wanted to do more. The kids wanted to ride the Casey Jr. train, but it was clear across the park so I made them wait for another day. I think that made them a bit cranky.
It was getting close to time for fireworks anyway!!
We tried to find a spot to watch fireworks and ended up at a bit of an angle in front of the Plaza Inn. There was a tree partially blocking the castle but it was a pretty decent view.
There was a man and a cute little boy standing by us. He had that “Judge me by my size do you?” shirt on. He was adorable!
They delayed the fireworks at least 10-15 minutes and it seemed people were getting antsy (by people, I mean my kids). But as usual, the crowds got bigger and more smushed in the open areas by the time they started. I have to say, it was really cool to hear Julie Andrews’ voice – I just love her! The show was fabulous! I really liked the fireworks and the music.
I know they look tired, but it's really that I took a lousy picture!


Look at my cool shot - all artsy!


This one was pretty lame


When it was over, we took our time heading out, knowing we didn’t have to catch a bus or tram…we were just walking home! We wandered through the shops slowly, scoping out our future purchases. There were a lot of people heading IN to the park at 10:15 – it was open until midnight.
We walked through Downtown Disney and stopped at a kiosk and bought some half price treats.
Hard to believe it was still our FIRST day!!!

Back to our room -
One last shot of our view (you might have seen this one before) and we said goodnight!

 

[annmarieda]

The layout kinda takes some getting use to, doesn't it. Even though we have been to WDW more than DLR, DLR was our first and so my dh still thinks there will we a walk way behind BTMRR to get to Fantasyland.

LOVE POT in DLR. I like how the queue feels more like you are entering a bayou rather than an old military fort.

So cool you got to ride a few rides that night AND see the fireworks. The leisurely stroll back to your room can not be beat either.

 

[jenseib]

What a wonderful first day!!!
I had issues with the layout too and kept getting confused as well. It was weird having to look at a map to get around.

 

[KatMark]

I'm glad you got on a few rides your first night. You'll never see only a 10 minute wait for Pooh at DW unless it is first thing in the morning.

I love the fireworks picture with the Mickey balloon...that is awesome.

The girls look a wee bit tired in that picture.

Whether you posted it before or not, that is an awesome view from your room.

 

[Poolrat]

Oh yes I had to consult the map too. Then I had to look for a bathroom.

Such a fish out of water story for us, since we can navigate WDW all 4 parks eyes closed almost by smell and definitely by sound.

Yes the trees in the hub, makes it hard to get a good castle shot.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

The layout kinda takes some getting use to, doesn't it. Even though we have been to WDW more than DLR, DLR was our first and so my dh still thinks there will we a walk way behind BTMRR to get to Fantasyland.

LOVE POT in DLR. I like how the queue feels more like you are entering a bayou rather than an old military fort.

So cool you got to ride a few rides that night AND see the fireworks. The leisurely stroll back to your room can not be beat either.

Yes, I felt a little confused sometimes! The POTC was one that I thought was better in DL than WDW. I enjoyed the ride a little more. I was so surprised that we managed to do a lot on our first day. Especially considering that before we arrived, we thought we'd not even go into a park that day! HA!

What a wonderful first day!!!
I had issues with the layout too and kept getting confused as well. It was weird having to look at a map to get around.

Sometimes I would forget what was where, even in which park! I did feel like a newbie! I guess technically, I was, but…you know what I mean!

I'm glad you got on a few rides your first night. You'll never see only a 10 minute wait for Pooh at DW unless it is first thing in the morning.

I love the fireworks picture with the Mickey balloon...that is awesome.

The girls look a wee bit tired in that picture.

Whether you posted it before or not, that is an awesome view from your room.

I think Pooh is less busy at DL because of its location in Critter country rather than Fantasyland. It's not really by any other "little kid" rides.

Oh yes I had to consult the map too. Then I had to look for a bathroom.

Such a fish out of water story for us, since we can navigate WDW all 4 parks eyes closed almost by smell and definitely by sound.

Yes the trees in the hub, makes it hard to get a good castle shot.

I was always on the lookout for where the bathrooms were! Some of them were tough to find! Like I said - I felt like a newbie! Heck, do any of us even get the maps at WDW? I only grab them for souvenirs (scrapbooking) or to give to friends who are planning trips!
Dang trees! Actually, I don't often even try to take fireworks pictures, but you know you HAVE to have some castle shots. Luckily, I got another chance!

 

[petals]

Maps are like free souvenirs you should always take at least one!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Maps are like free souvenirs you should always take at least one!

I sure do that!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

This morning we were off to Disneyland for EMH!
Don't they look like they love each other?


First order of business – castle pictures!



We took our time strolling up Main Street. If I remember right, DH stopped at Starbucks (!) for a mocha or something.





Around the side of the castle -



Bright sunshine!!


We headed to Fantasyland (like everyone else did). But surprisingly, other than Anna and Elsa, (which wasn’t going to even open for another hour or two) there weren’t super long lines for any rides. At least not yet.

Isn't Olaf cute? He was snoring up there on the roof!


Nope, still can't pull it out!

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride! Having never done this at WDW before it went away, I really wanted to do this one. My goal was to hit all the things that WDW doesn’t have! It was very cute!




Dumbo




Well, my notes indicate that we rode Pinocchio- here you go:



Teacups – well, the other 3 did the teacups. I took pictures and looked around.



Alice in Wonderland – this would be closed after today, so we made sure to get on it! It was also very cute. You'll have to trust me. This could be the only picture I took of it! LOL!


cont.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I'll keep looking for more Alice pictures.

Meanwhile…
All the while we were looking over at the Matterhorn.

Wondering if the kids would go on it. I remember going on it with my brother waaaaayy back when I was in high school. I also remember liking it. That’s about all I remember. So we told them we wanted to do it. Sarah was agreeable. Paige, not so much. Despite her liking the typical smaller coaster rides, she was freaked by the single row seating. She was worried she wouldn’t have one of us to hang on to. (I thought, well that’s what the bar is for, but…)
So Dave and Sarah went first. Hardly any wait. They came off (the right side) and were so excited! Sarah wanted to go again right away! We managed to convince Paige that I could hold her hand from the seat behind her and we got in line. So we went on the left side this time. Apparently they are a little different.



Paige sat in front of me and with one arm, I reached under the bar and held her hand. So my arm was constantly being bashed against said bar, and I ended up with a lovely bruise on my right forearm. BUT, she loved the ride!!!


YAY! She did it!!

I found it to be really bumpy and my rear end was so sore! Part of it was the way I had to sit to hang on to Paige’s hand, but it was a pretty rough ride on my backside and hips! Other than that part, it was a fun ride! We all went on again another day and tried the other side (much better but still bumpy).

Then we headed for Casey Jr’s Circus Train. The girls loved this ride in Paris, so it was a must do today!

Look who we saw nearby while we waited in line!




After that, it was time for breakfast! We went to the River Belle Terrace. It was pretty good. We paid $40 for a cinnamon roll, French toast, and an eggs, sausage and pancakes platter. There was bacon too. But as usual, it was Disney bacon and it was awful! The other stuff was good though.



More Disneyland to come!

 

[Dismamx2]

Thanks for the update, looks look you all had a great day. I think we will try the right side of Matterhorn first

 

[MEK]

This is just one of so many great pictures of the girls!

Yay for Paige conquering the Matterhorn!

Cool that you got all he classics out of the way in the morning. All those rides before breakfast - gotta love it!

So, did I asked you this already? How were the crowds in general? Sorry if I already asked. I'm way behind.

Breakfast looks yummy, but boo to Disney bacon.

Loved the update.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Thanks for the update, looks look you all had a great day. I think we will try the right side of Matterhorn first

Thanks! We did have a great morning. We were surprised at how much we were able to do on a Saturday morning!
Yes, try the right side first!! Learn from my experience! Hope you have a wonderful time!

This is just one of so many great pictures of the girls!
Aww, thanks Mary Ellen! I've been feeling nostalgic this weekend - Paige is about to finish 5th grade and no more elementary school in this house! We just had to write something in her biography about her and it was so emotional for me to do that! These pictures do the same thing!

Yay for Paige conquering the Matterhorn!

Cool that you got all he classics out of the way in the morning. All those rides before breakfast - gotta love it!

So, did I asked you this already? How were the crowds in general? Sorry if I already asked. I'm way behind.

Breakfast looks yummy, but boo to Disney bacon.

Loved the update.

We were so proud that she tried it! We were at Valleyfair this weekend, our local amusement park (it's one of the Cedar Point parks) and she tried a new ride there too. It was new to both kids and they loved it. I don't go on much of anything there. Too fast, skinny or upside down. No thanks.

Breakfast was good but for the dumb Disney bacon.
I wish I liked sausage better.

You may have asked but no worries. Crowds were actually higher than I expected. That first Saturday a.m. (March 8) was unusual and they got busier after that. I would guess the week before might be better. We usually have an early spring break compared to most areas - the first full week of March. Next year it's late, like everyone else's, the week prior to Easter. It should be fine, but we know if we go to WDW it will be a zoo. Not that I will have any points left! Because…

I just finalized our booking for our Christmas trip!!!
I was on the phone this morning with member services. I thought I'd have to buy points to complete our stay. I went online and saw that one night was not available. We'd already booked 12/31 at AKV and 1/1 at BC just because we thought those would be booked up, and we had home resort points there. Now we wanted to do our 7 month booking at AKV for 12/27 - 12/31. BUT, 12/30 got booked (since yesterday!). Waaa!
We decided we could go to OKW from 12/27-1/1 and actually NOT have to buy points, so that's what we did. Keeping our 1BR for 1 night at BC (I'll be doing laundry before the cruise! I'm very happy and very relieved!
Now I have to make a ticker, and get back to planning my ADRs!! June 30 is our day!
I'm open to recommendations and suggestions! I'll include more planning here as I go.

 

[jenseib]

I hear you on the bruises and bumpiness of the Matterhorn!!!!
The girls looks so cute and excited in most of the pictures. Glad Paige conquerred her fears!
Why can't Disney learn how to cook bacon? Do most people like it practically raw???

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I hear you on the bruises and bumpiness of the Matterhorn!!!!
The girls looks so cute and excited in most of the pictures. Glad Paige conquerred her fears!
Why can't Disney learn how to cook bacon? Do most people like it practically raw???

I know right? Man, I was hurting for a while there!
Thanks, Paige was very happy after the ride! They are getting braver!

Disney Bacon - They have BILLIONS of dollars for major acquisitions like Star Wars, but can't buy decent bacon and someone to cook it properly?