If I have to turn 40, I have to do it at Disneyland!!

[Lizboo]

I also LOVED the potatoes seved at Blue Bayou!! I couldn't stop saying how delicious they were, my family was getting annoyed!
Glad to read that you had a great bday and trip to DL!
It's interesting to hear someones point of view on DL who has been to WDW. I've been to DL so many times, its become a major part of my childhood and growing up and now into my adult years. I don't know if I would even want to spend the money to travel to WDW, afraid I would be let down and not get the feeling I get when I walk up the pathway to DLR...

I was hoping I could find the recipe somewhere for them!! YUM!!
I understand what you mean about being apprehensive. I was so lost the first day at DL, but I am a Disney fan, not just a WDW fan and we had limited time for this trip. 4 days would be just enough to drive you crazy at WDW. I am sure you would be blown away walking up Main Street at MK. The castle is just so amazing. I started going to WDW as a child and I still remember the first time I saw the castle. There was almost a 20 year gap before I went back, but DH and I started going in 2000 and go at least once a year (and sometimes twice). It's a sentimental thing (both with WDWers and DLRers) and I get that. Some people at DL were very protective over "their park" and attractions and I understand that. It did feel like I was a visitor because it was new to me at DL, but it won't feel that way next time (and I assure you, there will be a next time). WDW is much bigger, which is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time.

 

[Lizboo]

So, Tuesday was a MM and it was really easy to get to the gate by 6:50 because we were so close. We rushed into the park and headed for Space Mountain again. Then, we did Nemo (I think the most exciting park of that one is when they simulate bublles when you are "diving"). We had done the Matterhorn the night before and I think that must be a sentimental thing, because we just didn't get the appeal. And that Yeti? Well, let's just say his big brother at WDW is more impressive. (Sorry, just my humble opinion...I get that this has been around forever..I just didn't see a need to ride again).

Then we headed to Mr Toad's Wild Ride (which was at WDW when I was a kid). Yeah, things have changed. DH looked at me and said "Really?". SO..no repeat there either. I did convince him to ride Pinocchio just because there is no equivalent at WDW and it was cute. Then, we proceeded to Toontown and rode Roger Rabbit. Also, glad I did it, but no repeats here either.

We made our way around the park and stopped at the Bakery on Main Street for Cinamon Rolls. We were being so bad on this trip. We have both lost over 30 pounds since December and are very careful at home. We gave ourselves permission to misbehave on vacation (and we have been back on track since we got home) and believe it or not, not one pound was gained. So, go figure. Anyway, cinamon rolls are awesome and we recommend them.

We worked our way back to New Orleans Square again (picking up Indy FP on the way) and finally rode HM. The exterior of this one is just gorgeous. There is nothing to the entryway (OK..there was a creepy light fixture) and then the stretching room, andas you are loading into the doombuggies, you actually walk past the portraits that change in the lightning (which was pretty neat). The ride is very similiar (too bad they don't have the stairs..one of my fav parts of the WDW ride..for those of you who haven't seen it, it is like that MC Esher's Crazy Stairs, but you see green foot prints walking towards candles and once they reach them, the candles are blown out). I think the cemetary scene is bigger at DL and as you turn headed into the cemetary, there are some really cool creepy trees. OH..and as you are leaving, you ride a moving ramp (because you really do go down in this one) and that is where you see the small lady saying "Hurry Back..." VERY VERY COOL. If it it had the stairs, it would be perfect. I love them both..this one may have a slight edge.

Then it was lunch time at Carnation cafe!!

 

[Lizboo]

Lunch was yummy too! The Carnation Cafe is at DL on Main Street and it is really kinda quaint. It is outdoor seating with big red and white striped umbrellas.

DH had the salad and I had the loaded potato soup and half turkey sandwich on pretzel bread. Both were really great. DH often teases me about taking pictures of our food, but notice how he is playing along here. I have often booked a restaurant just from someone elses pictures and recomendations, so I am hoping to do the same for my fellow DISers. I highly recommend this place as well.

 

[Mich123]

This is an awesome trip report and just what I've been looking for! I am headed to DL in 8 days and you've been so helpful. We have ressies at Ralph Brennan's and Blue Bayou, we've opted to skip the WOC dinner package and will run for fastpasses.

Question: How early did you get to DL the first day? I'm amazed at how many rides you went on right off the bat.

We ususally travel to WDW during school break weeks, so I am hoping, wishing, praying that DL will be a little less crowded--but I'm scared because apparently an AP restriction is lifted the week we arrive and warnings have been posted.

Also, how long did the tour last? With all those FPs, it might just be worth it!

 

[ShellyMouse]

again, loving your report!! great pictures....im so excited to see it for myself!


question: where did you get your dh's mickey shirt "does this shirt make me look cheesy"???? my dh NEEDS this!!!!!! i love it!! please tell!

 

[Lizboo]

again, loving your report!! great pictures....im so excited to see it for myself!


question: where did you get your dh's mickey shirt "does this shirt make me look cheesy"???? my dh NEEDS this!!!!!! i love it!! please tell!

I am glad you are enjoying the report. Man..that tshirt. Everytime he wears it, it gets lots of attention. I am sad to say we bought it WDW 6 years ago and have never seen it since. Wanna talk Disney magic? After his more than 30 lb weight loss, it was the only Disney shirt that still fit.

This is an awesome trip report and just what I've been looking for! I am headed to DL in 8 days and you've been so helpful. We have ressies at Ralph Brennan's and Blue Bayou, we've opted to skip the WOC dinner package and will run for fastpasses.

Question: How early did you get to DL the first day? I'm amazed at how many rides you went on right off the bat.

We ususally travel to WDW during school break weeks, so I am hoping, wishing, praying that DL will be a little less crowded--but I'm scared because apparently an AP restriction is lifted the week we arrive and warnings have been posted.

Also, how long did the tour last? With all those FPs, it might just be worth it!

I am so glad it is helpful and I would be happy to answer any other questions you have. YES..I wish I had known to pass on the WoC dinner package and go somewhere even yummier and get FPs. The FPs are distributed at the Grizzly River Run (and while we were there, WoC took over all the FPs machines). The line is insane (but don't panic- we walked up with a fine minute wait for the last show and the line wrapped around for the 10 pm show, but the line moved fast and we were there no more than 10 minutes..promise). You can't select which of the three shows you are going to see or what section (blue/yellow/red), but we saw all three shows and were in all sections and closer is not necessarily better. If you are too close, you miss some stuff. There may be a green section also now that I think about it. We never did the FP line first thing when DCA opened. We went around 11:30 and got the 10 show and we went around 1:30 on another day and got the last show. DO THIS EARLY in your trip because you may quickly become WoC addict like myself.

The first day (and every day) we were at the park just before it opened. Mornings were great, but the crowds in the afternoons were a bit scary. In the morning, you can do multiple rides and start collecting FPs as soon as you can. Don`t let the crowds worry you too much. I would have never done WDW in August (what am I crazy) but between getting lots done in the morning an collecting FPs and just being patient with the whole thing, I can`t say I missed anything I really wanted to do on this short trip.

The Welcome to Disneyland tour was about 2 hours and the price was just amazing. I think it is $25 usually, but we did it for $20 with our CAA discount. YES..do the tour..you do get to do some rides (I didn`t get the experience that others did), but it was a great intro to our vacation and the FPs were incredible.

Enjoy Ralph Brennan and Blue Bayou...both are so amazing.

 

[Lizboo]

We went to check out Jungle Cruise (and grab a Dole Whip float before heading to DCA. It is very similar to WDW's version...with one exception..there are pirhanna (sp)..you know, those little fish with big teeth. I think we were the only ones on the boat that reacted to it, but I LOVED IT!!

We walked through the castle really quick and looked at this pretty statue just outside. So cute!

Then we headed to DCA to see Aladdin, whch was just great. If you didn't read me talking about it before, as we were in line, DH asked "Is this the equivalent of Finding Nemo?" and I said "As far as I can tell, but without puppets."..UM..yeah..Iago is a puppet. A very funny puppet. And the show is a don`t miss. The Genie we saw was awesome, as was the entire cast. YOU SHOULD SEE THIS!! It was well done and funny and moving. One question..where was the monkey?? Is his name Abu?? They should add the monkey..I love him.

After the show, we went to ride Tower of Terror, which was cool, but I have to say WDW's version is better. I love how they say "Wave goodbye" and you see yourself in the mirror and then you don't. The fact that you don't move forward (I was told it was due to earthquakes during my Welcome to DL tour) takes away from the ride. But it is still a great ride.

Then we headed to our priority seating for the Pixar Parade. It was at the Wine Country Trattoria (but the patio area on the right rather than the left). We had a roped off seated area and a great view of the parade. Then we headed back to the room. We didn't make dinner plans because we were going to do the Fantasmic dessert package. When we got to the room, we decided to see if we could get into Cafe Orleans (since it was close by) and we got it.

 

[raftislander]

Really enjoying your trip report. Don't you love how close everything is at DLR? From one park to DTD to your hotel to another park in no time!

 

[Lizboo]

Really enjoying your trip report. Don't you love how close everything is at DLR? From one park to DTD to your hotel to another park in no time!

Glad to hear. YES..I would said (besides WoC), that was my favorite thing about DL!

 

[Lizboo]

So, we headed over to the reserved viewing area for the parade (that was part of my Welcome to DL tour). The spot was great (as was the parade).

BTW- WDW vets will notice that the Finding Nemo characters are from the Finding Nemo show at AK.

After the parade, we headed to DL for dinner at Cafe Orleans. We knew we would be getting a dessert box as part of our Fantasmic package, so we split an order of Pomme Frite and each got a bowl of gumbo..YUM.

I had read originally that you can go select your seats between 6-8. NOPE. We were told the CMs wouldn't be there until 7:00, which is when we were eating dinner. We ordered and I walked over and was told we couldn't select until 8, but could line up at 7. Well, that didn't work so great. He said only one member of the party needed to be there. Well, when you are 2 and having dinner, it doen't work. We finished dinner and got in line at 7:25 (and I was only 4 people behind..so whatever).

 

[Lizboo]

This is an awesome trip report and just what I've been looking for! I am headed to DL in 8 days and you've been so helpful. We have ressies at Ralph Brennan's and Blue Bayou, we've opted to skip the WOC dinner package and will run for fastpasses.

Question: How early did you get to DL the first day? I'm amazed at how many rides you went on right off the bat.

We ususally travel to WDW during school break weeks, so I am hoping, wishing, praying that DL will be a little less crowded--but I'm scared because apparently an AP restriction is lifted the week we arrive and warnings have been posted.

Also, how long did the tour last? With all those FPs, it might just be worth it!

Just to clarify, the WoC and Indy fastpasses weren't given to us as part of the Welcome to DL tour. We got those separately.

 

[Lizboo]

So, as stated before, I was hoping to check in earlier for Fantasmic, but we had to wait in line until 8:00. Then, we would have 30 mins until we could get to our seats. As we were standing in line, we started talking to ther families and the CM that was checking people in. The CM was going on and on about how disappointed he was with WDW`s Fantasmic and how much better it was a DL. He said "You don`t even have a dragon" amd I told him that I knew there was one. He said the boats used are small. Keep in mind, I had not yet seen DL`s version. Once we got to pick our seats, we decided to go to HM. When we got out, making our way through the crowd was interesting to say the least. We got to our section in the center and we were worried about being in the 3rd row, but we sat behind 2 sets of kids!! WOO. Our hostess brought us dessert boxes and it was all yummy. She offered us drinks (soft drinks, water, tea, coffee, and hot choc) multiple times throughout the show.

Then, F! starts and it is good. I loved the pirate ship and yes, the finale ship is bigger. And so is the dragon. You see the whole thing at DL, where as at DHS, you see the front of it and your imagination fills in the blanks I guess. I must says, IMHO, the venue at DHS is much much better, as it is made specifically for that. While I like DL`s ships, I wouldn`t say I liked their version better.

A bonus to going to this showing was that were allowed to stay there for Magical, which was just OK to me. I hear this is not the best firework show, but hey, I wasn`t even expecting to see it.

 

[Lizboo]

So, I wake on my b`day and we head to DCA for the Segway tour. We have done both WDW Segway tours and loved them. As we were waiting to check in, I was checking out my point and shoot (no way I can take my DSLR) and I FORGOT MY BATTERY!!! DARN IT! Anyway, these tour guides Jeanne and Tyler are amazing and I wish I had them on my first tour. We also heard that this tour is ended in the next two weeks because of the construction of the entrance to DCA (will look like DHS). It was a great tour and lots of fun and I highly recommend this !!

After the tour, we walked very fast towards TSM (why, oh why, is there no FP for this attraction??). Even after heading there right away, we still waited 20 mins. This attraction stayed busy the entire time we were there. There was an extra screen with the dinosaurs (which was cute). After that, we rode Screamin againand the Mickey wheel (DH wanted the non swinging). These rides really spoil the Disney magic because when you are up high (especially in the wheel), you can see a highway and people in their yards and restaurants. This was a disappointment. You really can't see this until you get high up, but still.

Then we had lunch at Pacific Wharf and it was so amazing. We both opted for the Shrimp Louis salad served in a bread bowl. It was so great. I wish I had a picture, but trust me, it was yummy. As we were eating, a mariachi band came by and played "Happy Birthday" to me. Very cool. Then, we went and got WoC FPs and headed to DL. We got Space Mt FPs, toured Innoventions (which was different than at Epcot indeed), had another Dole Whip and did Indy once again. We decided that if we wanted to do Grizzly River Rapids, it would have to be today. SO..we headed back to the hotel room and put on bathing suits (mine with board shorts) and headed for the park. We figured due to our Napa Rose ressies, we would need to be back to start getting ready in about 45 minutes. Well, we get there and the line is 60. I thought...hhmm..maybe I won't wash my hair and as we were entering, the CM suggested single riders. AWESOME..we were on within 5 minutes and though we didn't ride together, we rode twice and had plenty of time to get ready.

 

[Lizboo]

We got to check in and went and sat in the lounge while our table was getting ready. When we did get sat, we had a very quiet romantic table. We decided to split the wood fired featured pizza, I selected the steak and DH had the short ribs. All were excellent and I am a steak freak, but I swear, DH had the better meal. DH actually commented that this restaurant reminded him of Citrocos and I have to agree. (Funny..DH got the short ribs there also).

Then we split the truffle cake for dessert. It was yummy

This was a great dining experience and did not cost much more than the WoC dining package at Wine Country, but was much much better.

 

[Lizboo]

WoC was just incredible...as you can tell, I love it and saw it 3 out of 4 our 4 nights. This time we were in the yellow section and were the closest. I think the further back, the better the view. I can't say I prefer a colored section. I just love this!!

We had planned to go back to DL after WoC, but we had been going non stop since 7 am and we were tired. We headed back to the room and packed and I noticed this hidden mickey in the carpet.

 

[Lizboo]

We had orginally thought we would get up and enjoy MM our last day and get back in time for the 8:45 bus. Then, we decided to sleep in and get breakfast. We wandered into DTD and ordered RBJK Express. I had the breakfast burrito and DH got the Big Easy breakfast plate and also got a small order of beignets. My breakfast was the better one and these beignets were even better than the first one we had.

Then we headed out and got on the bus and headed to the airport. I was bummed to see it over. The fact that we are headed to WDW in 5 weeks makes it easier, but I will miss everything being close together. I will miss Indy and Space Mountain and WoC. I will say I felt like a visitor this trip and not like I was coming home (like I do at WDW). But I bet I don't feel that way next time. And there WILL be a next time for sure. DL is great, but I missed some of the magic of WDW. I recommend that every WDW should go to DL at least once (but I am sure if you go once, you will go back).

Thanks to you all for reading...stay tuned..I will have another trip report soon.

 

[Mich123]

Thanks for your report! It was great and I'm sure I'll use some of your touring strategies. DH loved the pictures so much he ran from the room yelling, "Spoiler!!". He wants to be surprised...not me, I love to plan. thanks again!

 

[AussieDisneyNut]

Great trip report ... makes me so excited for our holiday next March/April. Thanks for all the photo's ... I love seeing so much detail, especially the food. Glad you had a great birthday and hope you have a great trip to WDW.

 

[Lizboo]

Thanks for your report! It was great and I'm sure I'll use some of your touring strategies. DH loved the pictures so much he ran from the room yelling, "Spoiler!!". He wants to be surprised...not me, I love to plan. thanks again!

That's pretty funny. I am glad to be of help and hope you have a great trip!

Great trip report ... makes me so excited for our holiday next March/April. Thanks for all the photo's ... I love seeing so much detail, especially the food. Glad you had a great birthday and hope you have a great trip to WDW.

Glad you liked it (see..I told DH taking pics of the food would help my fellow DISers). I hope you have a wonderful trip as well and I really hope WoC is still there so you can see it. It was just mind blowing.

Thanks! It was the best birthday I have ever had and I am looking forward to our anniversary trip. I miss Disney already and I was bummed after leaving. The "real world" just doesn't seem as magical, but it helps appreciate Disney that much more I think.

 

[franandaj]

Glad I found your report, it always seems that I come in at the last minute. It was great to read. I always love to hear WDW vets who have a good time at our "little park". I must say I never get tired of it!

On your comments on Fantasmic! The one thing I love about ours is that it comes out of nothing...the Imagineers were not given time, budget or a lot of resources to come up with something back when the Tomorrowland rehab was going on, so they were told, "We need something this Summer to bring people in." Not sure how much time they had, but it wasn't a lot.

They used the existing Tom Sawyer Rafts, the Columbia and the Mark Twain, and the water projections to pull together something like no one had seen back then, it was almost 20 years ago! I love that by day guests are walking through there and by night it's transformed into a viewing area. It just springs out of nowhere and when it's done everything is just as it was.

Thanks for a great review!