"I Think I Might Be a Disneyland Person!" - Feb. 2016 ~ Updated 2/19/21: TR Complete!!!

Going Hollywood

While Dug was enduring the ups and downs of ToT, Izzy and I decided to boogie:





Then we got on the Chew Chew Train:





Into the watermelon we go:





Cute! After our rides, Izzy was on a mission to sit in all the chairs and drink from all the fountains:





I’m not sure if this occurred now (when we met back up with Dug) or earlier in the morning, but at some point, we ran across a Photopass photographer and made an effort to get some family photos. However, someone wasn’t interested and they were coming out like this:



So, we took one without her:



This will not be the only time that happens during this trip. :rolleyes1

After that, the photographer was determined to get some decent pictures of Izzy:



Yup, she looks thrilled. :rolleyes:

Then he told her to go knock on this door :idea: :



There was no magic involved with that door, but it got her in a position to maybe take some pictures :thumbsup2 :



And, yay, he got a couple acceptable ones :woohoo: :





Good work, Photopass person! :cheer2:

Up next: We head to lunch on the water with the princesses. princess:
 
I can't believe that Bug's Land AND Monsters may be gone before I get to CA! Bummer!

Looks like more fun was had by all- except for maybe Izzy and the Photog!

Thanks, me too. It's been a long 6 months. :faint:

Haha, you should have your Traverse custom painted. :laughing: Of course, Disney might sue you, but you'd never have trouble finding your car in a parking lot.

Yeah, you and me on the AP. If I manage to find a weekend where we don't have plans and fares are super cheap. ::yes:: (I keep thinking we should meet up around here sometime - maybe a playground or something kid-friendly - but perhaps that would be dangerous and we'd end up at MCO. :laughing:)

LOL- whenever we head towards MoA/Zoo/etc, I tell the kids we're just going to keep going to the airport and find a cheap flight to Disney!
 


Guess who I spotted riding the trolley?
:thumbsup2

Such a cute ride! Loved it and I was glad I took my little detour to ride this.
Glad that worked out!

I enjoyed ToT, especially because of the completely different view when you peek out from a high window.
Ya know, I haven't rode ToT (at WDW) in years. I'm hoping to in August because I've made an appointment to get prescription Scopolamine which helped with my motion sickness several years ago. I miss this ride so I'm hoping to experience it again... without regret :rotfl:

As usual, I am the most boring person in the ride photo:
:rotfl2:

Morning%20Fun%20-%20106_zps6jwijho0.jpg
This photo is amazing :goodvibes

Yup, she looks thrilled. :rolleyes:
:laughing:
 
I can't believe that Bug's Land AND Monsters may be gone before I get to CA! Bummer!
:sad1: Hope you get to see them or something at least as good!

Looks like more fun was had by all- except for maybe Izzy and the Photog!
:rotfl: I think we all had fun, in our own ways.

LOL- whenever we head towards MoA/Zoo/etc, I tell the kids we're just going to keep going to the airport and find a cheap flight to Disney!
Nice! :thumbsup2 Every time we go by the airport, Izzy yells to it, "See you in the Fall!!!" :rotfl:

She was a little booger trying to get those pictures! Gotta love that age! More fun times though :goodvibes
Oh, yes, she's never easy to photograph. I actually just said today, "She can't just stand and smile - the only way to get that is by accident" - she just can't stop moving and absorbing her surroundings for long these days.

Great updates! I'm looking forward to your princess lunch!
The start of it is coming next!

Glad that worked out!
It was like a tiny bit of solo time tossed in there. :thumbsup2

Ya know, I haven't rode ToT (at WDW) in years. I'm hoping to in August because I've made an appointment to get prescription Scopolamine which helped with my motion sickness several years ago. I miss this ride so I'm hoping to experience it again... without regret :rotfl:
I hope it helps you and allows you to enjoy the ride!

This photo is amazing :goodvibes
Aw, thanks!
 
Editorial note: This is the first new update that I have entirely switched from using Photobucket to Smugmug - if you have any issues with the photos, let me know!

Ariel’s Grotto


This is apparently a pic on the way to lunch – seems that Dug spotted Mickey riding the trolley too:



We arrived a bit late again – oops, not a good day for ADR timing. :o No problem, though. We waited outside for our lunch here:



Nice view of Paradise Pier:





We could see Ariel’s Under the Sea ride from there, I guess:



Excited to meet Ariel:



Soon, we were called in to await our greeting from Ariel herself. She had a nice light fixture:



And a nice view out the window:



Here’s my gripe, though: the line to meet Ariel was ON A STAIRCASE. Let me repeat, the place that you need to make your toddlers stand in a slow-moving line while hungry is ON A STAIRCASE. :eek: I mean, really? Couldn’t they have come up with a better idea? :confused3 Or maybe this was just a weird day? I don’t know about anyone else, but I found it a stressful wait, trying to keep my kid from passing the wait by dancing around, since she might tumble down. :scared:


Anyway, once we got to Ariel, it was worth the stressful wait, as she was wonderful :goodvibes:





A true veteran princess, she even brushed Izzy’s hair out of her face to get ready for photos:



And then Izzy got to show off her Ariel and Flounder dress:









She managed to get a huge smile out of Izzy:





Bye bye, Ariel:





And I have the video too:


We were seated on the outdoor deck:





It was a bit breezy, but otherwise pleasant and scenic. :cloud9: We were some of the first guests seated out there, but it filled up quickly. Izzy was happy to see crayons:



You can see on the table that she also got a crown and stickers to decorate it.

They also brought around the prints of our Photopass with Ariel. Because we had lucked into getting the (discontinued) Photopass package for our trip, a print was included free from character meals, so we got this precious one:



I also got a weather alert pop-up on my phone that informed us of a Winter Weather Advisory at home. :cold: Glad to be on vacation in hot, sunny California in February! :sunny:

Some tasty bread arrived at our table:



This was an all-inclusive type meal, so we got appetizers, entrees, and dessert for a fixed price. I got some soup, which appears to be a butternut squash:



They bring the kids some assorted veggies:



But Izzy was also really enjoying some butter via the handy butter delivery device :laughing::



Dug also got some sort of soup, though I couldn’t tell you what kind:



These Disney ducks knew where to be for a chance of crumbs:



Since it’s Disney, they know how to handle 3-year-olds and brought Izzy’s meal out fairly quickly:



As you can see, it was adorable. :lovestruc

This fellow also came around to announce the impending arrival of the princesses:



He was actually singing here:


He had a little spiel to introduce each one as they started their rotation as well.

I believe Dug and I both ordered the same entrée:



I think that this was the Red Oak-Smoked Honey-Whiskey Barbecue Tri-Tip


It was very tasty and we both enjoyed it! :thumbsup2

Up next: The princesses come to see us. princess:
 


Stairs? That is not a well planned meet & greet location for sure. Still, amazing encounter with Ariel and such great pictures! The food looked really good too :thumbsup2
 
Great update with lovely photos! Thanks!

I haven't commented before, but I love your trip reports. I'm especially interested in this one since I want to take a trip to Disneyland with my own toddler. I'm thinking maybe next year when she's two? I want to get there while admission is still free, but have her mature enough to appreciate it. Any advice?

Anyway, thanks for documenting your trips. Also, thanks for going back to fix your old photos (what a hassle!). Your old trip reports were really helpful for tips on travelling with a baby/toddler. We're actually going to Aulani this fall and I want to try Monkeypod Kitchen on your advice.
 
My DH commutes to work, and was listening to a video gamer podcast on his way home- who had just been to Disneyland for D23- so we got to talk Disneyland at dinner!

What beautiful views from the outdoor waiting area- but having to wait on stairs?! No bueno!

The start of your meal looks yummy- LOVE the octopus!
 
I'm not sure why I didn't get any Dis alerts that you have updated your TR, but I'm glad I checked!

That stinks that you had to run back into the restaurant to get a new receipt printed, but I'm glad they were able to do that for you!

Carsland looks so amazing. I really hope that we can make it out to DL sooner rather than later.

The pictures of you and Izzy in the Bugs Land are so cute! You guys looked like you had a such a fun morning, and made it on a bunch of rides!

Ariel's Grotto looks great. That is weird about the line on the stairs, though!
 
Excited to meet Ariel:


And she's dressed perfectly for the occasion!

Here’s my gripe, though: the line to meet Ariel was ON A STAIRCASE. Let me repeat, the place that you need to make your toddlers stand in a slow-moving line while hungry is ON A STAIRCASE. :eek: I mean, really? Couldn’t they have come up with a better idea? :confused3 Or maybe this was just a weird day? I don’t know about anyone else, but I found it a stressful wait, trying to keep my kid from passing the wait by dancing around, since she might tumble down. :scared:
'

This is weird. Did nobody think this might be a problem?

And then Izzy got to show off her Ariel and Flounder dress:




Precious!!!

They also brought around the prints of our Photopass with Ariel. Because we had lucked into getting the (discontinued) Photopass package for our trip, a print was included free from character meals, so we got this precious one:


Oh my goodness, my heart!

But Izzy was also really enjoying some butter via the handy butter delivery device :laughing::


Ah, yes! How could I forget Izzy's love of butter!? Strangely enough, when I was her age, I refused to touch the stuff. If someone buttered my bread, I'd never eat it. Now, somehow, I manage to eat too much butter and seem to have no qualms with it.



As you can see, it was adorable. :lovestruc

I want this meal! How cute!
 
Yeah, toddlers on a staircase waiting in line is a TERRIBLE idea!! It's surprising that Disney wouldn't think of that kind of detail and think it through better?!

Absolutely adorable pics with Ariel! Izzy looks so proud showing her the characters on her dress.
 
Stairs? That is not a well planned meet & greet location for sure. Still, amazing encounter with Ariel and such great pictures! The food looked really good too :thumbsup2
I know, I just couldn't get over having to wait on a stairway! But it was worthwhile for the cute pics with Ariel. That print is still up in her room. Yes, food was quite good too! :thumbsup2

Great update with lovely photos! Thanks!
Thank you! :goodvibes

I haven't commented before, but I love your trip reports. I'm especially interested in this one since I want to take a trip to Disneyland with my own toddler. I'm thinking maybe next year when she's two? I want to get there while admission is still free, but have her mature enough to appreciate it. Any advice?
Thanks so much for commenting! Well, for what it's worth, it was painful to have to pay so much money in admission for Izzy this trip - first time we'd had to pay for her Disney ticket and she was still too short to ride a bunch of good rides. So, I'm a fan of taking a kid prior to their third birthday. One of my very favorite Disney World trips was when Izzy was about 23 months, but you just never know how they'll do - but at least that age was free airfare, park admission, and buffets. She was having a great time, though - young enough that she wasn't into tantrums and such yet. :rotfl:However, if a kid might hit the 40" mark before a 3rd birthday, maybe worth waiting until close to that time. So, I guess that's the long way of saying "it depends." :laughing:

Anyway, thanks for documenting your trips. Also, thanks for going back to fix your old photos (what a hassle!). Your old trip reports were really helpful for tips on travelling with a baby/toddler. We're actually going to Aulani this fall and I want to try Monkeypod Kitchen on your advice.
Aw, thanks - it's going to be a LONG project. I only fixed a few pages so far - many to go. :headache: Thankfully, most of my photos should stay in place until the end of 2018, so I have some time. Yay for Aulani! :woohoo: Izzy actually told me the other day that AULANI was her favorite Disney destination - for the waterslide. :laughing: It's such a great resort, I hope you love it! And Monkeypod was all the rage when I read other DIS dining reviews, so I had to go there and it was pretty good (and close)! It's also very kid-friendly out on that patio (or probably inside too). :thumbsup2

My DH commutes to work, and was listening to a video gamer podcast on his way home- who had just been to Disneyland for D23- so we got to talk Disneyland at dinner!
Ha, that's awesome! Hmmm, I need to start brainstorming on how I can get us back to Disneyland. :scratchin Dug has a couple of work events in Southern CA coming up AND we'll have a cousin wedding in LA...I need to make this happen somehow! I hope you get to go sometime too!

What beautiful views from the outdoor waiting area- but having to wait on stairs?! No bueno!
I just couldn't understand WHY they were making us wait there. :confused: Just so bizarre when you know you'll have lots of small, squirmy children.

The start of your meal looks yummy- LOVE the octopus!
Such a cute kids meal!

She is just too precious! Can't wait to see the princess interactions.
Aw, thanks! :goodvibes

I'm not sure why I didn't get any Dis alerts that you have updated your TR, but I'm glad I checked!
I'm glad you checked in! I only get alerts if someone quotes me or replies to my thread - is there another way to get alerts when someone posts a new update?

That stinks that you had to run back into the restaurant to get a new receipt printed, but I'm glad they were able to do that for you!
Me too! Just wish I'd known, so we didn't have to go back and distract our waiter. Oh, well, worked out okay.

Carsland looks so amazing. I really hope that we can make it out to DL sooner rather than later.
I hope you can too! I really loved Cars Land. :love: :car:

The pictures of you and Izzy in the Bugs Land are so cute! You guys looked like you had a such a fun morning, and made it on a bunch of rides!
It was a great time to hit A Bugs Land, as most people weren't there yet, but Izzy was the perfect age to really enjoy it.

Ariel's Grotto looks great. That is weird about the line on the stairs, though!
Despite the strange entrance, it turned out to be a great lunch!

And she's dressed perfectly for the occasion!
I was so happy to find a perfect occasion for her to wear that dress!

This is weird. Did nobody think this might be a problem?
I just don't get it. :confused3 Unless this was some sort of oddity, it seems like there must be a better way. I can't be the only parent that gets stressed out with a wiggly toddler confined halfway down a curved stairway. :scared:

Precious!!!
Thanks!

Oh my goodness, my heart!
We couldn't believe how cute the photo was when they delivered it to our table! :lovestruc

Ah, yes! How could I forget Izzy's love of butter!? Strangely enough, when I was her age, I refused to touch the stuff. If someone buttered my bread, I'd never eat it. Now, somehow, I manage to eat too much butter and seem to have no qualms with it.
:rotfl2: Yes, the butter love is unrelenting, even now. Her favorite food has become buttered noodles. She wants butter on everything (no kidding, she had buttered jicama the other day). Just tonight, she was talking about how she wants a pet dog made of butter so she can eat it. :earseek:

I want this meal! How cute!
I know - I wouldn't mind having that for lunch!

Yeah, toddlers on a staircase waiting in line is a TERRIBLE idea!! It's surprising that Disney wouldn't think of that kind of detail and think it through better?!
I totally agree! What were they thinking? :confused3 I mean, sure, it's a nice elegant way to enter - for an adult. But not a great place for that small, unsteady, stumbling crowd. :rotfl:

Absolutely adorable pics with Ariel! Izzy looks so proud showing her the characters on her dress.
She showed off that dress to every princess! :rotfl: At least she remembered it was Flounder instead of Nemo, though - she always gets them mixed up. :fish:
 
A Princess Processional

Soon, the arrival of the featured princesses was announced. The first one to make it outside was Rapunzel. The table behind us was apparently big fans of hers. You can see her holding a small frying pan and Rapunzel doll they brought:



After she managed to disengage from her intensely devoted fans :laughing:, she made it over to us. She was lovely and Izzy had a great time with her:














As you may have heard in the video, Izzy was antsy to meet Cinderella, but she still had a cute interaction with a very sweet Rapunzel. Soon enough, however, Cindy made her way over to us (I think she skipped up to us, ahead of Belle):
















I’m not sure what prompted this, but Izzy’s excited and Cindy’s smiling, so might as well post it:


Up next was Belle:
















And, finally, we got to meet Tiana:









After all of our meet and greets, the dessert assortment arrived:



And the kid got this one:



Mine had an extra birthday treat on it:



I suspect Izzy helped me with my chocolate:



After the meal, while we waited for the bill, Izzy decided to work on her shapes with crayons (oh, and you can see the Ariel buttons they gave us):



And then with veggies:



This kid is always building something!

We really enjoyed our lunch here and thought the experience was well worth it! :thumbsup2

Up next: Off to find Dug (the dog!)
 
Wow! Those princesses all looked really good! Sometimes I'm like "really Disney? That girl looks nothing like the cartoon!"

Man! This lunch looked fun. Now I kinda wanna book it....
 
That is a GREAT mix of princesses! Izzy looks like she is having a ball. Now I'm bummed we didn't do this in June although DD is a little more princess obsessed now than she was on the trip so it might not have been as exciting for her. Definitely next time when she is Izzy's age!!
 
I love your princess photos! All the princesses are looking their best in my opinion, and Izzy is adorable as usual. And your desserts looked pretty great, too!
 
I'm not sure why I'm not getting alerts on this trip report, but all caught up now.

I can't get over how empty Storyteller's Café was! Was your reservation early?

That is so strange that you wait on stairs to meet Ariel. Talk about an accident waiting to happen!

You got some really great interactions with the princesses. That's awesome that you could get such good photos.

The more Disneyland trip reports I read, the more I want to go!
 

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