I am from Belgium, and at the time I was leaving from there to SF.
(I’ve moved to the UK 2 years ago)
“My main park” is Disneyland Paris, where I’ve had an AP for many years.
I went to visit a good friend of mine and her husband in San Francisco, from October 5th until October 19th.
I have met them before back in 2006 when we did a Lion King forum meet in DLRP & London.
Did some touristy-things in SF obviously. Golden Gate Bridge, zoo, Walt Disney museum, cable cart, Rainforest Café, Cheesecake Factory, Pier 39, etc …
And it was fleet week, that was cool! My dad was so jealous of me seeing the Blue Angels everywhere!
We wanted to take a look on one of the ships, but the waiting line was so long, shame, but there was plenty of other things to do.
It took quite some planning, as my friend had a job and evening classes to attend to, and the dates we’d go to DLR got changed a few times due to her classes being resheduled, but eventually we managed to get there while it was my birthday, October 15th ^^ (I was really hoping for that to work out).
Plans kept on changing still after booking the hotel near the parks for the dates we manged to decide, so I ended up flying there on my own, and she’d come 2 days later by car, and we’d drive back to SF together.
I can’t believe this is already 4 years ago!
I noticed I had never put a trip report up here, and I’m so bored lately, I decided to translate my Dutch report into English to place it here
Tuesday October 11, 2016
I am going to Disneyland!
At 1.25 is my flight to Santa Ana.
We leave the house quite early, as we are stopping by AAA first to see if they have any 5-day park tickets for a cheaper price, but they only had the hopper tickets, and “only” -5%, so I thought it was very expensive. I also didn’t want to choose a hopper ticket to begin with, as it’s my first time there, and didn’t want to hop from park to park + those tickets originally are more expensive than normal ones. But one could have hoped they would have been cheaper somewhere, hehe.
Then off to the post office, as I had some items I had taken with me to the US so I could mail them to someone else, to save on postage.
Along with some postcards to sent home, and then off to San Francisco airport.
My friend had checked me in the previous day online, hoping I’d get to board a lot sooner.
I am a very panicky person (hence the anxiety/panic disorder), and if I was one of the last to board, having no space for my suitcase above my own seat, completely freaks me out when having to get off.
I was originally in zone C, and I got bumped to zone B nr 5 to check in.
The flight was supposed to last 1h30 but this turned out to be 1h05. Always a pro when you can land sooner.
I was lucky enough now to catch an earlier bus to DLR, and even had spare time to go by Subway and get something to eat for later.
The bus is so pretty ^^
My hotel wasn’t on the list though, but the driver knew where it was, and he dropped me off at the corner about 5pm, and from there it was like, a 300 meter walk to the hotel.
The hotel was about a 15-20 min walk from the parks, in one straight line really, so very easy.
I settled in the room, ate my Subway, chilled for a bit with my laptop. I really wanted to get my tickets today already, so I would be completely ready to go tomorrow, without waiting in line to get those in the morning.
They were building Star Wars land at the time, and I’d walk passed the hangar where they would store floats and stuff, I could see some between the cracks in the fence.
The first thing I hear when walking into Downtown Disney is “Clean” from Taylor Swift. I knew I was going to like it there, lol, love that song!
Got my ticket, and went into DTD.
I walk into their World of Disney Store, and I’m feeling very overwhelmed!
We have WoD at Disneyland Paris, but this one (and the one in WDW) are absolutely massive compared to DLRP (in my opinion).
I didn’t knew where to look… So many nice things
I didn’t buy anything yet, I was going to wait until the last days, after I had seen everything, so I could make better choices, haha.
I did take pictures of everything I really liked (and then I don’t always buy things, but it’s nice to look at, lol).
I am amazed by the amount of “his & hers” shirts there are in the US parks. It’s really not that commen in Disneyland Paris (though, starting to here and there I’ve noticed in 2019).
I already spot some Lion King items which are knew/I haven’t seen before and some items from a tableware/kitchen set I really like, and already bought some items from at DLRP, so I will be getting some of the things they have here in DLR, and not in Europe (DLRP or Disney Store website). I really want the ceramic tiles, and turned out, on our last day, 1 of the tiles was extremely hard to find.
I pass Starbucks and I get myself a strawberry and cream frappucino, and heading out back to the hotel. As I need to be back there at 10pm, I’d finally hear my boyfriend again after not really speaking to him for 5-6 days already. It’ll be 6am the next day for him.
The gas station on the corner from where my hotel was, was so great! Cheap snacks and drinks, hehe. I stock up on Brisk ice tea, and Fanta.
Until it is 10pm I’m just going to watch some TV. Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Seinfeld, all the stuff I like ^^
After finally having a decent chat with the boyfriend, I’m going to bed, it’s almost midnight, and tomorrow will be my first day at the parks!
I had a look on the official website, wrote down the opening times, parade times, etc for both parks, so I could compare which one is open longer (due to Halloween parties), so I’d know where to go on what day.
Since CA will be open longer tomorrow, I’ll start there!
Wednesday October 12, 2016 – California Adventure
The alarm goes of at 7.30 am, and CA opens at 9.
I’m a bit later then I wanted, don’t leave the hotel until 9 *oops* and get there for about 9.20.
Bag check (very firm check), and then I see this massive line at the entrance, and I’m very confused, as the park is already open.
Could it be that busy?
After about 20 minutes in line, I’m inside!
They took my picture for my ticket, they didn’t even say “smile” so I was very unaware, I never got to see the picture, but it couldn’t have been pretty, lol!
A few missions in CA where to get a picture with Oswald & Olaf, the parade and World of Color.
Sadly I was too late to get an FP for this
I didn’t feel very comfortable at CA, I don’t know, walking around was a very strange feeling.
I can read maps just fine, but even with one, I had to ask all the time where something was. I felt very lost.
I ended up at an info kiosk, asking where exactly it was Oswald would be, and the person in front of me got a birthday button, so I already asked one for me too.
After Oswald, many characters were around, and I went in Minnie’s line.
A CM comes to tell everyone there’s no more time, and Minnie will pass the line and shake hands, but no pictures, so I left.
I went into a big store to have a look at some merchandise, and when I came out, Donald is there. Picture with him, on to Daisy!
Daisy got replaced with Goofy just after it was my turn, so I went back into the line to meet Goofy.
While waiting in line for Goofy, there’s grandparents behind me (I assume they were the grandparents, maybe aunt/uncle even) with 2 kids (I don’t know, between 5-10?).
They didn’t really care what the kids were doing, and weren’t really keeping the kids close to them at the time, and the kids were standing in front of me most of the time, or even before the person in front of me.
(I’m not one to make an issue, especially in a different country, a place I’ve never been, I rather not poke my anxiety).
So when it’s my turn, the kids just walk up in front of me towards Goofy, I turn around and tell them “excuse me, it’s my turn, not your kids”.
All I got was “yes yes” and they didn’t bother to get the kids.
So I kind of just shoo them away.
I wanted to take a picture of just Goofy, suddenly, there’s 2 kids in my pictures? OK…
I shoo them again, and I go and stand next to Goofy, and the photographer is very confused, and asks me if the kids are mine?
I tell him they are not but they are cutting in front of me the entire time and the people who they are with don’t seem to mind.
Then the photographer tells the people to please keep the kids with them, as it is not their turn yet. “yes yes” again.
He makes pictures with his camera, gives me the photo card and then he takes my camera to make a few pictures.
Then those people behind me ask the photographer “where is our card? Did you not get photo’s?”
The photographer then says: I’m sorry, your children were cutting in front the entire time, this girl asked you politely to not do so, and I have asked you to not do so, I didn’t take any pictures of your children while it was this girl her turn.
The people just left then, and the photographer winked at me.
All lines this day seemed quite long, 20-30 people in front of me (in DLRP that would take absolutely ages), but for every character I didn’t wait any longer then 10 minutes. People still get to interact, get all their pictures, but it seems to move so quickly.
I look at the timetable, and Olaf should be back at 11am, so I went to his spot.
At the same time, there’s another meet about to start just behind him. As Olaf’s line was quite long, the CM tried to lead some people towards the other meet first, which was Nick Wilde).
Oh nice! Will have to add him to my list also, but I’ll stay in line for Olaf now, as I was quite up front.
While in line, I see a CM giving a “wild about safety” card to a little boy. I’d like one of those! Hehe, as a massive Lion King nut!
I ask the CM about it, and the response I got back was quite rude: no! and besides, they are only for the children! (the entire attitude, how she told me “no!”).
Alrighty then…
After I meet Olaf, Nick’s line just got closed, I will try and catch him later that day.
I went back to the entrance of the park to see if any other characters are still there I haven’t met yet, and Minnie just started a new set, so I went in line.
It’s a little after 11.30am and Nick would meet again at 12, so I start heading back there.
Only 1 family in front of me.
In about 2 hours time, I met 7 characters, even though it was quite busy at the park.
Now it’s time to explore a little…
The different lands/themes are great!
When you walk into Cars-land, and you see the mountains in the distance, it felt like I was really somewhere else.
I was also getting quite hungry, and after looking around for a bit what was out there, I wanted to play it safe and not getting sick, and just get a pizza slice.
Ride times were quite long at the moment, and honestly, I didn’t feel like doing those on my own, as I’ve never done them before.
So my day ended fairly early actually.
How pretty everything is, somehow I just didn’t feel comfortable still there. Probably also because I was alone, and a bit more overwhelmed then I thought I would be, so I didn’t want to do some things on my own until my friend got there.
I’ve looked up rides on youtube, and this was also the park with the least rides I wanted to do.
I made the choice to go back to the hotel, I didn’t feel like walking/sitting around for hours waiting for the parade and then for World of Color.
On my way out, I’m getting a postcard for a friend.
I pass by Earl of Sandwich, to have something to eat later on. Had never been there (there’s one at DLRP also), and it was really nice.
Spent most of the evening watching TV.
Around 9.30pm I hear lots of loud bangs! I actually got really scared, and I wasn’t the only one, others came walking out of their rooms, thinking it might be gunshots
But then I hear “oh no, it’s fireworks!”
The Halloween party! I didn’t realize, since it’s still a 15-20 minute walk, that the parks were -that- close, to hear it so loud, and to see it so well from where I was.
Thursday October 13, 2016 - Disneyland
At 7.30am the alarm goes off, and I’ve booked a character breakfast for this morning at the Storytellers Café at 9.45am.
I had asked for tips on this forum what it’s like to go alone to one of these breakfasts, and had gotten some tips on how to get pictures, and I thought “it’ll be alright”.
I had chosen for this breakfast, because it would have Kenai & Meeko (but there was no Meeko that morning )
I was there right on time, and they give me a table for 4, so everyone around me was looking at me all sad! (the table was huge!)
I have to say, this was one of the worst experiences ever in a Disney park really.
Not because I was alone, I’m perfectly fine with that, but it looked like others had more issues with it, staring at me, instead of looking at their own plates/families.
And the first round of characters was more a thing of “smile and wave and leave”. Not a nice experience at all.
Loads of time at tables around me, and when they got to my table, they just kind of passed by, and I felt like I couldn’t even gesture or say anything, as they left me quite quickly.
First character to pass by was Dale, he waves at me and then goes to the next table. I didn’t really had time to say anything and gone he was.
Kenai is next, and does the exact same thing. Nice … you pay enough for this breakfast.
The food on the other hand was absolutely great!
The waiter that we had in my section when I had just seated wasn’t very enthusiastic, but I think he was really waiting for his break/shift to be over, as 5 minutes later we get a new waiter. This one was sooo nice! He’s the one who helped me get my pictures. If he saw a character was nearby, he would stand around for a little bit if he could and wait, and then offered to take pictures for me.
So I didn’t get a picture with Pluto & Chip, but I did get my picture with Kenai!
I would actually love to go back to this breakfast, and would definately recommend, but I personally wouldn’t go there on my own anymore.
My friend didn’t feel like doing this, otherwise I would have booked it another morning, as she was already going to Goofy’s Kitchen with me on my birthday, and she’s not really into characters much, so she’d rather not do the breakfast also.
Fair enough.
Then it’s time to leave. I’m not staying a minute longer then I need to, as I just felt very uncomfortable, and I’m going to have a look at the hotel gift shop. I see something Lion King (a lanyard medal), but I thought not to buy it yet, as I haven’t seen all the merchandise yet, and I’ll probably come across it again in the next few days. So no worries ^^
I stayed at the hotel for a bit, sat down in one of the sofa’s, and I hear a “happy birthday” coming from a little girl, so sweet ^^
I had my button on my backpack already.
Off to the park!
Today would be much better then yesterday, I “know” this park, I know the way!
Since they are all so similar.
Pass security, through the gates, and I’m inside at precisely 11.18am.
I take a few pictures and walk up to the station to get a nice view from Main Street.
There’s a mailbox, so I mail the postcard I got yesterday for a friend.
There’s a huge Mickey pumpkin on Main Street with a photo pass photographer, but the line was so long all day long.
I make my way to the castle, but stop to listen to the Dapper Dans singing Halloween/villains songs (Cruella de Ville, This is Halloween, etc).
It’s so nice to listen to, and they attract quite the crowd!
It was very busy this day, beautiful weather!
But … what a “tiny” castle? Hehe
When you are used to the Disneyland Paris castle, this one is quite small.
Nonetheless, very pretty and impressive
First, explore Fantasyland. Just like in DLRP, Peter Pan seems to be THE ride to do, mega long wait times, so I skip it entirely, as I do want to make sure I can do everything that’s very different in this park then from DLRP.
Unlike DLRP, but like in WDW, everything is quite close together here.
As said, very busy today, so very long lines everywhere. But I know these rides, so I have no issues in doing most of these on my own today.
I go in line at It’s a small world, the wait time said 30 minutes, but the line was completely outside, so if I would feel sick at any time, I could just walk away.
(I suffer severe anxiety & panic disorder, waiting in line for something gives me huge amounts of distress “being anxious of going towards/doing something”, sometimes I can handle, sometimes I can’t, I take medication, and I’ve been at first aid in DLRP a few times due to having panic attacks).
You’re not supposed to, but you do it anyways: you compare.
DLRP is all nice and colorful, where this one is just … white. Still pretty though, but makes it look so very different.
The ride itself is mainly the same, same room after room, except for the last room.
I love the puppets from movie characters they have put in!
It was so much fun finding them all!
After that, I strolled into Tomorrowland, and got myself a Minute Maid Frozen lemonade. A friend is always so enthusiastic about the strawberry one, so I had to try it now!
I had the regular orange one at WDW (went there in 2014).
I find a table in the shade, and it’s taking me about 45 minutes to finish this thing, lol.
Space Mountain, same, a little bit on the white side, hehe.
I walk around a little end up in the big Star Wars store. I love Star Wars just as much as the next one, but I’m not interested in seeing it in Disney at all really… (unpopular opinion, sorry
). And I also don’t care much for the merchandise *oops*.
I continue my walk, and I pass where Fantasmic is supposed to be, but they weren’t doing this at that time.
I’m not sad about that, I seen it at WDW, and wasn’t overly impressed? (again, I’m not making myself very popular I think, haha).
The Haunted Mansion being transformed into The Nightmare Before Christmas I really loved!
The decorations outside, and inside.
Tigger is doing some meets between Haunted Mansion & Splash Mountain (which was closed, nooooo! I love water rides!), but they had just closed the line.
I ask when he’s coming back or if any other character at this location, and I’m told Rabbit will be here too at 2.30pm.
I make my way back to Main Street, as I wanted to see if I could already get a spot for the Soundsational Parade, which would start at 3pm.
It actually wasn’t 2pm yet, but the street was quite filled already with people. Or, blankets really.
I walk all the way to the front, and I spot Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto in their Halloween outfits.
I try Minnie, but I’m just too late. We are told she will be back, but they can’t say where exactly, just hang around here.
5 minutes later Donald walks out in his pumpkin outfit, and I decide to follow him where he will go to get a picture with him.
Such a cute outfit!
When I leave Donald, there’s no space at all anymore on Main Street, and I decide that I don’t want to stand behind someone in the bright sun for about 1,5 hours so I go back to where Rabbit would be doing his meet.
Tigger was still there, and Rabbit joined him. Nice, I can get both in 1 picture ^^
It’s about 3pm now, and I’d want to do another ride. Pirates is a 30 minute wait, but also here, I see the line is mainly outside.
I wasn’t impressed with this version to be honest.
The drops aren’t as good as DLRP, I was holding my arms up, but nothing happened, haha!
But, Jack Sparrow who appears in some places, that was a great add!
By the time I’m all done with this ride it’s about 4pm.
Quite tired, and the sun was starting to get to me (I also hate heat, haha, though, better manageable in the US then back home in Belgium!!).
I decide to call it quits for today.
I’m also on medication, so that, in combo with walking all day, in very warm sunny weather.
I’d rather keep all my energy for tomorrow, when my friend can join me in the park (she’s arriving tonight), and we’ll probably will be there from opening until closing for the rest of our stay.
Before I leave, there’s a little ceremony on Main Street. The Dapper Dans joined in, looked very formal, but I have no idea what this was? I didn’t stay for the entire thing to finish.
I’m quite sure I’ve been into almost every store today, but I didn’t see that Lion King lanyard medal anywhere not even the big pin store.
I want it, so I will pass the Grand Californian hotel on my way out.
I sit down for a bit there, and decide if I really do want to go back to the hotel, or back to the park?
Being online for a bit, watching some TV, thinking if I should get something to eat. I’m hungry, but maybe not -that- hungry to walk a kilometer to get somewhere? /lazy
There’s a Panda Express “near” the hotel, and I’m wondering if I should walk up there and get something to eat (LOVE Panda Express!), but meh, no … I’ll get a pop-tart from the vending machine for 1$ at the hotel, lol.
Like, 30 seconds after I’m back in the room, I hear jiggling on the door, my friend’s here! After an 8-hour drive she made it to the hotel at 8.15pm.
She’s been thinking long and hard to get herself an AP, and she’s decided she’s going to go for it!
She wants to visit with her husband within a year for the Christmas season, so why not?
She’d rather still pick that up tonight from the ticket booth, so we don’t have to be in line for long in the morning.
No problem, park closes at 11pm incl. ticket booths.
She has a little rest, hops into the shower, and about 10.30pm we’re off to “quickly” get her AP.
Her AP has a picture of Mickey & Pluto on it. So I’m like: oh, not your own picture on it?
So I show the guy at the ticket booth my DLRP AP, which has your picture on it.
The guy is very impressed I’m from Europe and asks me what’s DLRP like???
I’m like: the castle is bigger … and PINK! First things that came to mind, haha.
But on the other hand, the DLRP goes up in height, where the DLR castle is more in width.
My friend is hungry so we’re going to find something to eat, we walk through the parking lot, which I hadn’t even seen, or even knew it was there, haha, as I didn’t need to go that far myself the previous days.
We find a pizza place, and McDonalds, get something to eat, and walk back to the hotel.
It’s 1am by the time we’re in bed, and the alarm will go off at 7.30am, so, goodnight!
Friday October 14, 2016 – California Adventure
Today we’re going to CA, as the main park is closed earlier due to the Halloween party.
The alarm may have went off at 7.30am, the park will open at 9, we don’t get there until 9.30.
First thing we do is check for FP’s for World of Color, and we can take place in yellow that evening for the 9pm show. There’s another one at 10.15pm.
We walk to ToT, as my friend wants to do this one before it changes themes. She also takes my ticket, and the line is absolutely massive!
In the meantime I’m going to find an info kiosk and ask some information about their disability system.
I tell the CM what my problems are, and if I can roll along into their system, but he needs my ticket, which my friend has.
Seems the FP line moved quite fast, and my friend joins me at the info kiosk.
The man recognized me from 10 minutes before, and asks both our tickets.
Radiator Springs wasn’t open yet that morning due to issues, so we choose Toy Story Mania.
He scans the tickets and says “anything after 11am, no matter what time you go, as long as it’s after 11am, and mention it’s a return time”.
He gives me a leaflet that has some information on it, and on the back you can write down your times.
They do take in consideration the wait times, and in some cases the wait time of the FP line, as that’s where you need to go.
Very different then DLRP, where you have 2 cards in different colors, and must need a doctor’s note to apply for one.
It’s a few minutes after 10, and I knew Oswald was doing a meet about that time, so I suggest to go and have a look.
My friends is very relaxed and easy, she’s been many times already, and wants me to have a great time, so she’s up for anything (obviously, we do take each others needs/wants in consideration, only normal).
She’s not really into characters, so she’s not very familiar what you can do with them.
She’s already holding my camera, as we were first in line, and while Oswald is already posing in front of her, she’s looking at me like: I don’t know ?? lol
“Can I take pictures of him ??” I’m like: YOU MUST! Haha!
Missed the moment, but oh well, hehe.
The CM asks if we’d like a picture with the 2 of us, and after a little stumble, my friend joins me & Oswald, and she’s having loads of fun with him! Who’d have thought?
I see Mickey is wearing a matching outfit with all the rest of the characters!
I didn’t see him at all 2 days ago, so this another goal to achieve.
The line was quite long, we go in it, but then the CM comes by saying he’s leaving, he’ll high five you, but I tell her I’m not waiting for that, I want a picture
I ask what time he’ll back, and he’ll be there until closing time.
I tell my friend Nick Wilde is doing meets, as she loves Zootopia, and she thinks it’s a good idea ^^
We get to the meet, line closed and Judy’s there!
We ask the CM’s if Judy will be there all day, and I must say, some of the responses we get from CM’s are very inventive, hehe, but eventually just meaning “sorry, no”.
Shame
We decide not to go back at the next meeting time, but will have a look at the app once in a while.
Olaf was there too, but she wasn’t interested, and I already have my pictures, and I noticed it’s the same cranky CM from 2 days ago, I didn’t want to see her again, haha.
The Monsters Inc ride is 20 minutes, so we go in there.
After I got home, I kept thinking “hmm, I should have filmed this”, I did drag my video camera along all week, but sometimes I’m just not in the mood.
When I’m home, I’m always like that “should have filmed this, didn’t take enough pictures”.
My friend said when they were here 2 years ago with a friend of theirs, they could do a private meet due to her having a Disney Visa.
At the time for them it was Stitch, but no one was interested, so they didn’t do it.
I don’t really care who it is, I like meeting characters, so I’m up for it, haha!
Really nice idea to have a meet more private, without anyone looking and staring at you when it’s your turn.
We got Minnie! In her new dress!
I had read about some characters getting an updated outfit, and Minnie was one of them at the time.
I like this one much better than her previous outfit. Not much different, but enough to notice it’s different.
Do we want to see the Frozen show? As we are passing by the theater and are able to get FP’s for it.
But we both are like “nah”, we’ve really had it with Frozen, lol!
It’s almost 11am, so we walk up to Paradise Pier for the Toy Story Mania ride.
We walk through A Bug’s Life and see Flik! But he doesn’t do meets, he walks around, plays with the kids, and if you’re lucky you can make a quick picture when he’s near you.
He’ll be there most of the day, so we’ll pass by later.
There’s a gate with a wheelchair sign where we walk up to and wait for the CM to come to us, and I tell him it’s a “return time”.
He asks me if steps are OK for me, which they are, otherwise we’d have to go somewhere else to get on the ride.
OMG, this ride is SO MUCH FUN!!
My accuracy was … terrible, but I got the most points, lol!
Off course, a shop when you exit the ride, and I saw this cool Alien t-shirt.
Looking up at the fireworks, and going “ooooooooh”.
But it was a V-neck, and I hate V-neck shirts *tsss*.
However, I may ask her to get it for me next time she’s here, I’ll have a think about it
We went into some other stores that were around the ride, and my friend wanted to get an FP for California Screamin’.
Yeah, I don’t do loops, so be my guest, haha.
There’s a kiosk nearby and we’ll ask if we can get another time.
Radiator Springs is open now, so we get that one, after 1.20pm.
We were both getting hungry, and went to Flo’s Café.
We got a rost sandwich (sorry, don’t know the exact name), wow, lots of meat!
A little scoop of mashed potatoes and a pickle.
A while after eating I felt quite sick, so my friend was off to use her California Screamin’ FP, and I just sat on a bench, across from where you can meet Lightning and Mater.
Cool you can meet them here!
By the time my friend got back, it was almost time for Radiator Springs, and luckily, I’m feeling lots better.
I have to say, not knowing what this ride was, was making my anxiety rise, even though my friend kept saying what it was about.
It was great! Hopefully can do this one again before our stay is here is done.
We then went to Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.
I was wondering 2 days ago what that building was, something to eat? Nope, it’s a ride, lol.
It’s so funny to watch!
All the kids running towards a car, we were just like: we’ll just wait until last, see what’s left, lol.
I might want to go and have a look if Flik is still around.
He is, and still not taking pictures. (was this always the case with him?)
Someone was sitting down somewhere, he did sat next to him, and then pose, so he would do things like that.
Then he went to play with the kids for a while, and the CM was telling them how to speak ant.
My friend is having a look at the app, where it says that at 5.30 there’s a Nick & Judy meet.
But first, we go and see the sneak-peak for Moana.
In 4D. I was already getting anxious. I can deal with wind, water, moving seat, but sometimes there’s thing around your legs/feet, and that’s what I want to avoid.
I had bought an icee just before as it was so warm, but wasn’t allowed to take it inside the theater, and also wasn’t going to finish it all anyways, but luckily I did manage half, so not to bad before I got rid of it.
The preview was about 15 minutes, and yes, we got wet, very wet actually.
It’s about 4pm and we walk back to ToT so my friend can use her FP.
I sit down somewhere, and when she gets back, she decides not to use the 2nd FP she had gotten from my ticket.
She has another look at the app, and Judy’s name disappeared
Too bad, but we can still go and see Nick regardless.
For someone saying she’s not much into characters, she sure is having a lot of fun with them!
I didn’t need a picture anymore, but the CM then asked if we both wanted to be in it, so I went up there. Nick takes us by the hand and just walks off with us, hehe ^^
The parade is at 5.50 and it’s about 4.30 now, so we decide to head towards the entrance and find a spot to sit down and watch the Pixar Parade. But first we go to the kiosk to ask for another time. I wanted Radiator Springs again, but it was closed again due to issues. Oh well, Toy Story Mania again then! Where we could go after 6.
We sit down for the parade, perfect view.
This parade is so fun! Nice music, nice dancing.
I was kind of sad now I didn’t stick around to watch it 2 days ago.
My friend asked if she could take pictures for me or film it, so I gave her the video camera to film it.
In the meantime we got a little bit hungry, just a snack.
We all know corndogs where I’m from, but we don’t have them (unless you make it yourself).
I didn’t get a chance to try one in 2014, so I wouldn’t mind trying one now, since there is “corn dog castle” in this park.
Not impressed, haha, the batter was quite heavy (for me), and once you get to the part where the stick is, it all just taste very woody, after the stick.
So, what else would you like to do? The water ride?
No, I forgot my poncho at the hotel I really wanted to do this ride, but it was getting dark and cold now, and I didn’t want to walk around wet.
It’s after 6 now, so we head over to Toy Story Mania, but we notice a lot of people standing around, the ride had broken down.
Since it’s getting dark, and I’m using a new camera, I’m going to make some pictures in the dark.
We’re going to have a look where we need to be later tonight for World of Color, were the yellow block is.
We sat down in front of the lake for a bit, a CM passes us and tells us we can sit there for as long a CM doesn’t ask us to leave, because then it’s time to get everything ready for the show.
About 10 minutes later, a CM asks us to leave.
There’s a massive crowd gathering with each of their color, and we join the yellow block.
It’s about 7.30 and it doesn’t start until 9.
It kind of felt like sardines in a tin, so tight together, and then we had to wait until 8.30, to go to the actual colored block.
We had the choise, get wet or not? Not tonight, lol.
Lucky for us, a pushchair is “double parked” so we can stand behind it and have great view.
About 15 minutes before it starts they played a game with the ferris wheel and if you could go online on your phone.
Nice, keeping people busy.
I decide not to film, as my video camera is so old, it wouldn’t focus in the dark.
But it starts, I make a few pictures, and I’m like “what the hell”, and I start filming with my camera, which can record in HD.
Sadly I can only film for 20 minutes, so after about 16 minutes I find a quiet spot during the show and swith to my video camera, just to get the entire show in the end.
I’ll edit them together later.
World of Color is amazing!
I cried, laughed, lots of ooooohs & aaaaaaaaws, beautiful!
It was quite emotional for me, as in March 2016 I moved into my apartment, for the first time being on my own, and music is a big thing for me (I like to turn it up loud once in a while), and I hadn’t been able to do that since I moved (thinking of my neighbours), and now, I could just sing along as loud as I wanted to!
Once again, I should have stayed for this 2 days ago…
We go back to Toy Story Mania, to see if it’s open again, which it is.
Again, 0 accuracy, but I won in points, lol.
We decide to call it quits for today, it’s been quite a long day and very warm again.
We go into some stores, and pass by The Little Mermaid, where it says 15 minutes, so we’ll go and do that.
After, the 2nd show of World of Color starts, and we decide we wanna see it again, so we’re just standing somewhere in the back, and once again … all those emotions! Haha
And no Frozen
The only thing I want to do before we leave this park today is, meet Mickey!
We arrive at his spot and I ask the CM if the line is still open “it certainly is!”.
Great, because this is the only character from this set of outfits I’m missing.
“No problem, you’re in line, you’re going to get a picture”.
As I was a bit scared they’d come and say he would have to go before we met him.
But no, we got to see him, we were last in line though, so very lucky! After us, the CM closed the line.
We walk through another store (quite a big one), and we head back to the hotel.
Saturday October 15, 2016 - Disneyland
It’s my birthday !!!
The first thing my friend does when she gets up is congratulate me and give me a card (which she has been doing for the past 13 years, she always mails me one). And it’s a nice one, Lion Guard with stickers inside ^^
The park is open until midnight, so we didn’t get up too early, around 9am. I’m on FB a bit first, I see my mom’s online and I make a quick call to her. Asking if my dad really didn’t want to come and pick me up at Brussels airport, but he got very annoyed at that, so no, lol (he had never been, so OK fair enough).
We arrive at DTD, my friend wants to get a smoothie, and by the time we pass security and are actually in the park, it’s around noon.
First thing we do is find a kiosk to get a time for the Matterhorn. I find in terms of theming it’s similar to Expedition Everest.
It’s very busy today, but then again, it is a Saturday.
We then get an FP for Star Tours, but we can only go there from 2.40pm.
The lines are longer than 30 minutes everywhere, and we can’t just walk around aimlessly so we decide to do the Finding Nemo ride.
The line is 40 minutes, and it’s not really moving, so it feels twice as long. This line is outside, straight in the sun *puffs*.
I have no idea how I managed this line, lots of talking … and how I survived the ride itself … When I got out, I needed a few deep breaths.
I was wondering about the amount of people they were letting in, I thought it was a lot, but once inside myself I knew. Quite cramped (at least, that’s how I felt, thankfully I had taken my meds that morning).
Many times I did have my eyes closed, just because the enclosed feeling wasn’t doing me much good. It was all very pretty though, when I managed to open them.
And the woman next to me kept saying “there’s a leak!!” but it wasn’t a leak, she was under the hatch, so it was just trapped water from when the hatch opened/closed.
Then it’s time for the Matterhorn. It’s was nice, but I don’t think I needed to do it again. It was quite a rough ride.
It’s a long time still to use our Star Tour FP’s and we’re getting quite hungry. Though, we don’t want to eat too much, as we have reservations at Goofy’s Kitchen tonight.
We’re somewhere in Tomorrowland, and we just walk into the first eating place we see.
I had a pasta with some creamy sauce, grilled chicked and cheese.
Wow, so much! For so little money, compared.
I do really like the variety in food I’ve seen so far.
Then it’s finally time for Star Tours. The new version is here already! So I’m exhited to see how it’s been changed.
The majority of the waiting line is the same as in DLRP (which don’t have the new version yet, at this time in 2016).
I knew I recognized Patrick Warburton’s voice as the little robot who scans your stuff!
I did think, when you fly off to space, the effect from your seat wasn’t the same as before.
I do like how they pick an intruder from someone who’s actually in the cabin.
We walk out of the ride, and wanted to get an FP for Buzz, to which my friend says “or you want another one for Star Tours, maybe we get a different clip?”.
And just as she says it, a woman passes us, asking my friend “how many are you? We have 2 FP’s, but we can’t use them anymore ourselves”.
So nice! We had to go right now, otherwise they’d expire. And we did get another clip.
What I did notice was, that many people cheer and clap during the clips. I honestly don’t think it’s needed, lol, but then again, when in DLRP, I’ve never experienced it, so maybe it’s just a thing depending where you are / where are from.
After that, we did get FP’s for Buzz, and got another time at a kiosk. This time the Haunted Mansion, in Nightmare Before Christmas style.
Now, problem I have in DLRP is the stretching room, which makes me much too nervous then it should, so I’m allowed to skip it there, and go straight into a cart.
We ask the CM if that’s a possibility, and she gets on her walky-talky to ask if I can, but she gets told it’s not possible.
The same CM walks with us to were the line starts, and asks another CM the same question, if it’s possible. That one tells her it is possible, but it’s so busy today, that there is no one right now to accompany us inside.
I tell them, that if I’ll stay completely at the back, away from the “big crowd”, and don’t look at the walls, I should be OK.
I really like how they incorporated the movie into this.
When we get out, we notice it’s almost 4.30, so we have to hurry to get to Buzz to use our FP’s.
My friend wasn’t really impressed with this one, lol, you can tell from the picture we got. I don’t think she’d ever done this ride, even though she’s been a few times already.
This ride is the exact same as in DLRP.
It’s quite a mission to find your picture when you’re done, but I do like the fact you can just e-mail this to you.
Our dinner reservation is at 6.40, so we decide not to do so much anymore, and just go into some shops.
And we pass by World of Disney, to have another look at the things we would like to get.
When we got to Goofy’s Kitchen, I wasn’t feeling 100% so the picture, I look like a potato sack, lol. And then I forgot to ask a picture of just Goofy oh well…
The picture comes in a nice folder, but we didn’t buy it. If it were with our partners then I would have, and though she’s an amazingly great and good friend, I didn’t feel the need to buy the folder.
The food was so yummy! And so much choice!
Strange choices too, peanut butter or m&m pizza?
The characters are great this evening, lots of energy.
And we got to see every character twice.
Just as I wanted to get up and get some desserts, the waitress came buy asking if we wanted another drink or a coffee.
My friend wanted a coffee, and when the waitress came back, she had a little cupcake on her tray, and I guess I knew what was coming (kind of hoping it was for me, haha).
“We heard there’s a very special birthday here today!” and suddenly there’s like 3 or 4 waiters singing to me, and people clapping!
This was so fun, haha!
After about 1,5 hours we are completely full, and we don’t want to walk all the way back, so we take the Monorail to Tomorrowland. Lot’s of info being told through the PA system inside the monorail.
Between Goofy’s Kitchen and going to the Monorail, the leaflet where I wrote down all the return times got lost somewhere, and I was going to use this for the report, so there’s a few things I forgot in the end.
At 9.30 there’s fireworks, and I would love to see that. I love watching fireworks.
My friend was like, it’s only about 5 minutes, it won’t be that busy to watch.
Boy was she wrong, about an hour in advance, the entire hub and Main Street was packed!
We decide not to watch it tonight, we’ll do it tomorrow.
There’s 1 thing I really want to do here, and that is to meet Goofy in his skeleton outfit.
Around 10pm we’ve had enough for today, and I can feel that the Finding Nemo experience + busyness + heat has taken its toll once more.
But who do we see when we make our way out? Goofy!
There’s quite a line, but for him, I’m willing to do it, haha! And the line is moving so fast.
He was such fun, complete in Halloween style, the way he moved and acted. And he’s acting like a complete goof with us!
So, we did do Big Thunder Mountain, but I cannot remember when we done this, either this day, or the next day (see, I really needed that leaflet, lol).
Just like WDW, I didn’t think much of it, it’s a lot shorter then DLRP, and DLRP is more thrilling also.
Same goes for Jungle Cruise, we’ve done this in the dark, but don’t remember which day.
It was much more fun at night though then during the day! (done it during the day at WDW).
Just a shame you can’t always here the CM clearly through the PA system.
Sunday October 16, 2016 - Disneyland
It’s getting more and more difficult to get up in the morning, lol, we get to the park about 11.15am.
I was up very early, feeling very anxious during the night, so I know I’ve done too much the day before, so taking it very relaxed today.
My friend has been asking me all week if I wanted to do Space Mountain.
Since this one doesn’t have loops (DLRP does, so I don’t go in it), I’m willing to think about it. It’s mainly how I’m feeling at that time.
We get FP’s for it anyways, and we can only go as of 4.15pm
If I decide I’m feeling up for it, then my friend can go twice.
Only 2 more goals for this park, and that’s meeting Tinkerbell and see the parade.
We find a kiosk and we ask for a time at Pirates, and then we split up for a while to do our own thing.
My friend sees on the app that the wait time for Indiana Jones is about the same as the time for Tink, so we split up and we’ll meet at Pirates.
Turns out, she could take the single riders line, and was done a lot sooner.
Around noon we see each other at Pirates.
Looking at some shops first, as we’re about 10 minutes early.
After Pirates we’re looking for something to eat, and she has a look on the app what’s nearby.
We pass another kiosk, and get another time for Star Tours, hoping we’ll get yet another clip.
We’re in the mood for some burgers, and we go to the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country.
We spot a Churro Funnel Cake on the menu! WE MUST HAVE THIS! But we both can’t eat one of our own, so we share one.
OMG THIS IS SO GOOD!!!
The Winnie The Pooh ride is next to it, the line is 10 minutes, so we go in.
It’s a nice quiet dark ride ^^
And the carts are so cute!
I hadn’t been to Toon Town, and wanted to see if we could do a picture with Mickey, since he is also in his new look/outfit.
We walk by Fantasyland Theatre were in 10 minutes a show is going to start.
“Mickey and the magical map”.
It kind of reminded me a little off “Mickey and the magician” at DLRP.
We’re sitting all the way in the back, so taking pictures is out of the question, as I don’t have my big lens with me, so I use my video camera and film the show.
This was a really nice and fun show!
Very surprised with the variety of movies/songs they use.
After the show, we walk into Toon Town.
It says 15 minutes to meet Mickey, but just as we wanted to walk in, a CM comes and changed it to 60. No, we don’t want to do that, we’d rather try and do some other things in that amount of time.
It’s time for Star Tours again, and we’re lucky, another clip.
We go get another time, again for Haunted Mansion. I was fine the first time, as long as I’m in the back of the group, but can’t go there until 9.20pm. It’s 4pm now, so that must be quite some wait time over there.
It’s time now for our Space Mountain FP’s.
A little anxious … hehe. But I’m going to do it!
It’s a Halloween version too now, with ghosts. I was clearly on the wrong side, every turn I was on the side of the screens, lol.
The picture speaks for itself, my friend is laughing, and I’m having my head mainly down, you can see the terror on my face, haha!
It wasn’t too bad though, I love rollercoaster (as long as there’s no loops), so in terms of that, it was good!
The parade today is at 7pm (2nd run) and we’re going to watch it this time.
We sit down on the stone benches near Matterhorn, luckily no one comes to stand in front of us, they all just sit down.
To keep busy while waiting, I get another frozen Minute Maid, this time lemon, mmm.
This parade is so much fun! Cool floats and fun music.
My friend also filmed this one for me, while I took pictures.
The teacups also look quite smaller compared to DLRP.
The line at It’s a small world is 15 minutes, so we’ll do that again.
This time I filmed it, and my friend helped me to make sure I got to see all the “hidden” Disney characters.
Then there’s still the fireworks, my friend got a bit puckish, so while I sit myself down on a bench, she goes out to find a little snack.
The fireworks where short, but pretty ^^
And while I took pictures, once again my friend filmed.
(I did send her a DVD with all the things we filmed when I got back home)
After the fireworks we can go to Haunted Mansion, and there’s time for 1 last return time, the park closes at 11pm today.
My friend tells me I can decide, and what the hell, why not! Space Mountain!
Where we can go at 11pm (lol). The CM tells us to make sure to be a few minutes early.
I thought it was a bit strange, for them giving out a time which is actually closing time?
Once again, from the Space Mountain picture, it’s hard to tell if I liked it or not, but eventually, I did
Time for shopping now! We made lists of things we really wanted (and then I still forgot some stuff).
Only, we didn’t realize that on Sunday DTD would close at midnight, and not at 2am like the other days.
Too bad for us, but our wallets didn’t seem to mind.
Sadly, this is the end of my DLR adventure
The next morning we get up very early, my friend wants to leave at 9am.
It’s a very long ride, and much respect and kudo’s to her for driving!
We leave on time, 9 on the dot, stopped 3 times to stretch our legs and have a bit to eat at Jack in the Box.
And we get back to San Francisco at 5pm.
My friend’s mom lives in Oregon, she’s used to driving long hours (and I don’t drive :/ )
Back at the house, she dives into her study books, as she has a math test that evening.
While she’s gone, I’m playing Tetris with my suitcases, as I am leaving for Belgium the next morning.
I had such a great time during those 2 weeks in SF & DLR.
I know I was there 5 days, and I’m sure some people don’t understand why I didn’t do more rides, but most rides in, for example Fantasyland, are already the same as in Disneyland Paris.
Taking the heat in consideration which I’m not used to being from the part of Europe where I’m from lol, I just wanted to take it slow, and mainly focus on just being there, the surroundings, and doing the things that can only be done at DLR.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading
my buys:
(I’ve moved to the UK 2 years ago)
“My main park” is Disneyland Paris, where I’ve had an AP for many years.
I went to visit a good friend of mine and her husband in San Francisco, from October 5th until October 19th.
I have met them before back in 2006 when we did a Lion King forum meet in DLRP & London.
Did some touristy-things in SF obviously. Golden Gate Bridge, zoo, Walt Disney museum, cable cart, Rainforest Café, Cheesecake Factory, Pier 39, etc …
And it was fleet week, that was cool! My dad was so jealous of me seeing the Blue Angels everywhere!
We wanted to take a look on one of the ships, but the waiting line was so long, shame, but there was plenty of other things to do.
It took quite some planning, as my friend had a job and evening classes to attend to, and the dates we’d go to DLR got changed a few times due to her classes being resheduled, but eventually we managed to get there while it was my birthday, October 15th ^^ (I was really hoping for that to work out).
Plans kept on changing still after booking the hotel near the parks for the dates we manged to decide, so I ended up flying there on my own, and she’d come 2 days later by car, and we’d drive back to SF together.
I can’t believe this is already 4 years ago!
I noticed I had never put a trip report up here, and I’m so bored lately, I decided to translate my Dutch report into English to place it here
Tuesday October 11, 2016
I am going to Disneyland!
At 1.25 is my flight to Santa Ana.
We leave the house quite early, as we are stopping by AAA first to see if they have any 5-day park tickets for a cheaper price, but they only had the hopper tickets, and “only” -5%, so I thought it was very expensive. I also didn’t want to choose a hopper ticket to begin with, as it’s my first time there, and didn’t want to hop from park to park + those tickets originally are more expensive than normal ones. But one could have hoped they would have been cheaper somewhere, hehe.
Then off to the post office, as I had some items I had taken with me to the US so I could mail them to someone else, to save on postage.
Along with some postcards to sent home, and then off to San Francisco airport.
My friend had checked me in the previous day online, hoping I’d get to board a lot sooner.
I am a very panicky person (hence the anxiety/panic disorder), and if I was one of the last to board, having no space for my suitcase above my own seat, completely freaks me out when having to get off.
I was originally in zone C, and I got bumped to zone B nr 5 to check in.
The flight was supposed to last 1h30 but this turned out to be 1h05. Always a pro when you can land sooner.
I was lucky enough now to catch an earlier bus to DLR, and even had spare time to go by Subway and get something to eat for later.
The bus is so pretty ^^
My hotel wasn’t on the list though, but the driver knew where it was, and he dropped me off at the corner about 5pm, and from there it was like, a 300 meter walk to the hotel.
The hotel was about a 15-20 min walk from the parks, in one straight line really, so very easy.
I settled in the room, ate my Subway, chilled for a bit with my laptop. I really wanted to get my tickets today already, so I would be completely ready to go tomorrow, without waiting in line to get those in the morning.
They were building Star Wars land at the time, and I’d walk passed the hangar where they would store floats and stuff, I could see some between the cracks in the fence.
The first thing I hear when walking into Downtown Disney is “Clean” from Taylor Swift. I knew I was going to like it there, lol, love that song!
Got my ticket, and went into DTD.
I walk into their World of Disney Store, and I’m feeling very overwhelmed!
We have WoD at Disneyland Paris, but this one (and the one in WDW) are absolutely massive compared to DLRP (in my opinion).
I didn’t knew where to look… So many nice things
I didn’t buy anything yet, I was going to wait until the last days, after I had seen everything, so I could make better choices, haha.
I did take pictures of everything I really liked (and then I don’t always buy things, but it’s nice to look at, lol).
I am amazed by the amount of “his & hers” shirts there are in the US parks. It’s really not that commen in Disneyland Paris (though, starting to here and there I’ve noticed in 2019).
I already spot some Lion King items which are knew/I haven’t seen before and some items from a tableware/kitchen set I really like, and already bought some items from at DLRP, so I will be getting some of the things they have here in DLR, and not in Europe (DLRP or Disney Store website). I really want the ceramic tiles, and turned out, on our last day, 1 of the tiles was extremely hard to find.
I pass Starbucks and I get myself a strawberry and cream frappucino, and heading out back to the hotel. As I need to be back there at 10pm, I’d finally hear my boyfriend again after not really speaking to him for 5-6 days already. It’ll be 6am the next day for him.
The gas station on the corner from where my hotel was, was so great! Cheap snacks and drinks, hehe. I stock up on Brisk ice tea, and Fanta.
Until it is 10pm I’m just going to watch some TV. Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Seinfeld, all the stuff I like ^^
After finally having a decent chat with the boyfriend, I’m going to bed, it’s almost midnight, and tomorrow will be my first day at the parks!
I had a look on the official website, wrote down the opening times, parade times, etc for both parks, so I could compare which one is open longer (due to Halloween parties), so I’d know where to go on what day.
Since CA will be open longer tomorrow, I’ll start there!
Wednesday October 12, 2016 – California Adventure
The alarm goes of at 7.30 am, and CA opens at 9.
I’m a bit later then I wanted, don’t leave the hotel until 9 *oops* and get there for about 9.20.
Bag check (very firm check), and then I see this massive line at the entrance, and I’m very confused, as the park is already open.
Could it be that busy?
After about 20 minutes in line, I’m inside!
They took my picture for my ticket, they didn’t even say “smile” so I was very unaware, I never got to see the picture, but it couldn’t have been pretty, lol!
A few missions in CA where to get a picture with Oswald & Olaf, the parade and World of Color.
Sadly I was too late to get an FP for this
I didn’t feel very comfortable at CA, I don’t know, walking around was a very strange feeling.
I can read maps just fine, but even with one, I had to ask all the time where something was. I felt very lost.
I ended up at an info kiosk, asking where exactly it was Oswald would be, and the person in front of me got a birthday button, so I already asked one for me too.
After Oswald, many characters were around, and I went in Minnie’s line.
A CM comes to tell everyone there’s no more time, and Minnie will pass the line and shake hands, but no pictures, so I left.
I went into a big store to have a look at some merchandise, and when I came out, Donald is there. Picture with him, on to Daisy!
Daisy got replaced with Goofy just after it was my turn, so I went back into the line to meet Goofy.
While waiting in line for Goofy, there’s grandparents behind me (I assume they were the grandparents, maybe aunt/uncle even) with 2 kids (I don’t know, between 5-10?).
They didn’t really care what the kids were doing, and weren’t really keeping the kids close to them at the time, and the kids were standing in front of me most of the time, or even before the person in front of me.
(I’m not one to make an issue, especially in a different country, a place I’ve never been, I rather not poke my anxiety).
So when it’s my turn, the kids just walk up in front of me towards Goofy, I turn around and tell them “excuse me, it’s my turn, not your kids”.
All I got was “yes yes” and they didn’t bother to get the kids.
So I kind of just shoo them away.
I wanted to take a picture of just Goofy, suddenly, there’s 2 kids in my pictures? OK…
I shoo them again, and I go and stand next to Goofy, and the photographer is very confused, and asks me if the kids are mine?
I tell him they are not but they are cutting in front of me the entire time and the people who they are with don’t seem to mind.
Then the photographer tells the people to please keep the kids with them, as it is not their turn yet. “yes yes” again.
He makes pictures with his camera, gives me the photo card and then he takes my camera to make a few pictures.
Then those people behind me ask the photographer “where is our card? Did you not get photo’s?”
The photographer then says: I’m sorry, your children were cutting in front the entire time, this girl asked you politely to not do so, and I have asked you to not do so, I didn’t take any pictures of your children while it was this girl her turn.
The people just left then, and the photographer winked at me.
All lines this day seemed quite long, 20-30 people in front of me (in DLRP that would take absolutely ages), but for every character I didn’t wait any longer then 10 minutes. People still get to interact, get all their pictures, but it seems to move so quickly.
I look at the timetable, and Olaf should be back at 11am, so I went to his spot.
At the same time, there’s another meet about to start just behind him. As Olaf’s line was quite long, the CM tried to lead some people towards the other meet first, which was Nick Wilde).
Oh nice! Will have to add him to my list also, but I’ll stay in line for Olaf now, as I was quite up front.
While in line, I see a CM giving a “wild about safety” card to a little boy. I’d like one of those! Hehe, as a massive Lion King nut!
I ask the CM about it, and the response I got back was quite rude: no! and besides, they are only for the children! (the entire attitude, how she told me “no!”).
Alrighty then…
After I meet Olaf, Nick’s line just got closed, I will try and catch him later that day.
I went back to the entrance of the park to see if any other characters are still there I haven’t met yet, and Minnie just started a new set, so I went in line.
It’s a little after 11.30am and Nick would meet again at 12, so I start heading back there.
Only 1 family in front of me.
In about 2 hours time, I met 7 characters, even though it was quite busy at the park.
Now it’s time to explore a little…
The different lands/themes are great!
When you walk into Cars-land, and you see the mountains in the distance, it felt like I was really somewhere else.
I was also getting quite hungry, and after looking around for a bit what was out there, I wanted to play it safe and not getting sick, and just get a pizza slice.
Ride times were quite long at the moment, and honestly, I didn’t feel like doing those on my own, as I’ve never done them before.
So my day ended fairly early actually.
How pretty everything is, somehow I just didn’t feel comfortable still there. Probably also because I was alone, and a bit more overwhelmed then I thought I would be, so I didn’t want to do some things on my own until my friend got there.
I’ve looked up rides on youtube, and this was also the park with the least rides I wanted to do.
I made the choice to go back to the hotel, I didn’t feel like walking/sitting around for hours waiting for the parade and then for World of Color.
On my way out, I’m getting a postcard for a friend.
I pass by Earl of Sandwich, to have something to eat later on. Had never been there (there’s one at DLRP also), and it was really nice.
Spent most of the evening watching TV.
Around 9.30pm I hear lots of loud bangs! I actually got really scared, and I wasn’t the only one, others came walking out of their rooms, thinking it might be gunshots
But then I hear “oh no, it’s fireworks!”
The Halloween party! I didn’t realize, since it’s still a 15-20 minute walk, that the parks were -that- close, to hear it so loud, and to see it so well from where I was.
Thursday October 13, 2016 - Disneyland
At 7.30am the alarm goes off, and I’ve booked a character breakfast for this morning at the Storytellers Café at 9.45am.
I had asked for tips on this forum what it’s like to go alone to one of these breakfasts, and had gotten some tips on how to get pictures, and I thought “it’ll be alright”.
I had chosen for this breakfast, because it would have Kenai & Meeko (but there was no Meeko that morning
)I was there right on time, and they give me a table for 4, so everyone around me was looking at me all sad! (the table was huge!)
I have to say, this was one of the worst experiences ever in a Disney park really.
Not because I was alone, I’m perfectly fine with that, but it looked like others had more issues with it, staring at me, instead of looking at their own plates/families.
And the first round of characters was more a thing of “smile and wave and leave”. Not a nice experience at all.
Loads of time at tables around me, and when they got to my table, they just kind of passed by, and I felt like I couldn’t even gesture or say anything, as they left me quite quickly.
First character to pass by was Dale, he waves at me and then goes to the next table. I didn’t really had time to say anything and gone he was.
Kenai is next, and does the exact same thing. Nice … you pay enough for this breakfast.
The food on the other hand was absolutely great!
The waiter that we had in my section when I had just seated wasn’t very enthusiastic, but I think he was really waiting for his break/shift to be over, as 5 minutes later we get a new waiter. This one was sooo nice! He’s the one who helped me get my pictures. If he saw a character was nearby, he would stand around for a little bit if he could and wait, and then offered to take pictures for me.
So I didn’t get a picture with Pluto & Chip, but I did get my picture with Kenai!
I would actually love to go back to this breakfast, and would definately recommend, but I personally wouldn’t go there on my own anymore.
My friend didn’t feel like doing this, otherwise I would have booked it another morning, as she was already going to Goofy’s Kitchen with me on my birthday, and she’s not really into characters much, so she’d rather not do the breakfast also.
Fair enough.
Then it’s time to leave. I’m not staying a minute longer then I need to, as I just felt very uncomfortable, and I’m going to have a look at the hotel gift shop. I see something Lion King (a lanyard medal), but I thought not to buy it yet, as I haven’t seen all the merchandise yet, and I’ll probably come across it again in the next few days. So no worries ^^
I stayed at the hotel for a bit, sat down in one of the sofa’s, and I hear a “happy birthday” coming from a little girl, so sweet ^^
I had my button on my backpack already.
Off to the park!
Today would be much better then yesterday, I “know” this park, I know the way!
Since they are all so similar.
Pass security, through the gates, and I’m inside at precisely 11.18am.
I take a few pictures and walk up to the station to get a nice view from Main Street.
There’s a mailbox, so I mail the postcard I got yesterday for a friend.
There’s a huge Mickey pumpkin on Main Street with a photo pass photographer, but the line was so long all day long.
I make my way to the castle, but stop to listen to the Dapper Dans singing Halloween/villains songs (Cruella de Ville, This is Halloween, etc).
It’s so nice to listen to, and they attract quite the crowd!
It was very busy this day, beautiful weather!
But … what a “tiny” castle? Hehe
When you are used to the Disneyland Paris castle, this one is quite small.
Nonetheless, very pretty and impressive
First, explore Fantasyland. Just like in DLRP, Peter Pan seems to be THE ride to do, mega long wait times, so I skip it entirely, as I do want to make sure I can do everything that’s very different in this park then from DLRP.
Unlike DLRP, but like in WDW, everything is quite close together here.
As said, very busy today, so very long lines everywhere. But I know these rides, so I have no issues in doing most of these on my own today.
I go in line at It’s a small world, the wait time said 30 minutes, but the line was completely outside, so if I would feel sick at any time, I could just walk away.
(I suffer severe anxiety & panic disorder, waiting in line for something gives me huge amounts of distress “being anxious of going towards/doing something”, sometimes I can handle, sometimes I can’t, I take medication, and I’ve been at first aid in DLRP a few times due to having panic attacks).
You’re not supposed to, but you do it anyways: you compare.
DLRP is all nice and colorful, where this one is just … white. Still pretty though, but makes it look so very different.
The ride itself is mainly the same, same room after room, except for the last room.
I love the puppets from movie characters they have put in!
It was so much fun finding them all!
After that, I strolled into Tomorrowland, and got myself a Minute Maid Frozen lemonade. A friend is always so enthusiastic about the strawberry one, so I had to try it now!
I had the regular orange one at WDW (went there in 2014).
I find a table in the shade, and it’s taking me about 45 minutes to finish this thing, lol.
Space Mountain, same, a little bit on the white side, hehe.
I walk around a little end up in the big Star Wars store. I love Star Wars just as much as the next one, but I’m not interested in seeing it in Disney at all really… (unpopular opinion, sorry
). And I also don’t care much for the merchandise *oops*.I continue my walk, and I pass where Fantasmic is supposed to be, but they weren’t doing this at that time.
I’m not sad about that, I seen it at WDW, and wasn’t overly impressed? (again, I’m not making myself very popular I think, haha).
The Haunted Mansion being transformed into The Nightmare Before Christmas I really loved!
The decorations outside, and inside.
Tigger is doing some meets between Haunted Mansion & Splash Mountain (which was closed, nooooo! I love water rides!), but they had just closed the line.
I ask when he’s coming back or if any other character at this location, and I’m told Rabbit will be here too at 2.30pm.
I make my way back to Main Street, as I wanted to see if I could already get a spot for the Soundsational Parade, which would start at 3pm.
It actually wasn’t 2pm yet, but the street was quite filled already with people. Or, blankets really.
I walk all the way to the front, and I spot Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto in their Halloween outfits.
I try Minnie, but I’m just too late. We are told she will be back, but they can’t say where exactly, just hang around here.
5 minutes later Donald walks out in his pumpkin outfit, and I decide to follow him where he will go to get a picture with him.
Such a cute outfit!
When I leave Donald, there’s no space at all anymore on Main Street, and I decide that I don’t want to stand behind someone in the bright sun for about 1,5 hours so I go back to where Rabbit would be doing his meet.
Tigger was still there, and Rabbit joined him. Nice, I can get both in 1 picture ^^
It’s about 3pm now, and I’d want to do another ride. Pirates is a 30 minute wait, but also here, I see the line is mainly outside.
I wasn’t impressed with this version to be honest.
The drops aren’t as good as DLRP, I was holding my arms up, but nothing happened, haha!
But, Jack Sparrow who appears in some places, that was a great add!
By the time I’m all done with this ride it’s about 4pm.
Quite tired, and the sun was starting to get to me (I also hate heat, haha, though, better manageable in the US then back home in Belgium!!).
I decide to call it quits for today.
I’m also on medication, so that, in combo with walking all day, in very warm sunny weather.
I’d rather keep all my energy for tomorrow, when my friend can join me in the park (she’s arriving tonight), and we’ll probably will be there from opening until closing for the rest of our stay.
Before I leave, there’s a little ceremony on Main Street. The Dapper Dans joined in, looked very formal, but I have no idea what this was? I didn’t stay for the entire thing to finish.
I’m quite sure I’ve been into almost every store today, but I didn’t see that Lion King lanyard medal anywhere
not even the big pin store.I want it, so I will pass the Grand Californian hotel on my way out.
I sit down for a bit there, and decide if I really do want to go back to the hotel, or back to the park?
Being online for a bit, watching some TV, thinking if I should get something to eat. I’m hungry, but maybe not -that- hungry to walk a kilometer to get somewhere? /lazy
There’s a Panda Express “near” the hotel, and I’m wondering if I should walk up there and get something to eat (LOVE Panda Express!), but meh, no … I’ll get a pop-tart from the vending machine for 1$ at the hotel, lol.
Like, 30 seconds after I’m back in the room, I hear jiggling on the door, my friend’s here! After an 8-hour drive
she made it to the hotel at 8.15pm.She’s been thinking long and hard to get herself an AP, and she’s decided she’s going to go for it!
She wants to visit with her husband within a year for the Christmas season, so why not?
She’d rather still pick that up tonight from the ticket booth, so we don’t have to be in line for long in the morning.
No problem, park closes at 11pm incl. ticket booths.
She has a little rest, hops into the shower, and about 10.30pm we’re off to “quickly” get her AP.
Her AP has a picture of Mickey & Pluto on it. So I’m like: oh, not your own picture on it?
So I show the guy at the ticket booth my DLRP AP, which has your picture on it.
The guy is very impressed I’m from Europe and asks me what’s DLRP like???
I’m like: the castle is bigger … and PINK! First things that came to mind, haha.
But on the other hand, the DLRP goes up in height, where the DLR castle is more in width.
My friend is hungry so we’re going to find something to eat, we walk through the parking lot, which I hadn’t even seen, or even knew it was there, haha, as I didn’t need to go that far myself the previous days.
We find a pizza place, and McDonalds, get something to eat, and walk back to the hotel.
It’s 1am by the time we’re in bed, and the alarm will go off at 7.30am, so, goodnight!
Friday October 14, 2016 – California Adventure
Today we’re going to CA, as the main park is closed earlier due to the Halloween party.
The alarm may have went off at 7.30am, the park will open at 9, we don’t get there until 9.30.
First thing we do is check for FP’s for World of Color, and we can take place in yellow that evening for the 9pm show. There’s another one at 10.15pm.
We walk to ToT, as my friend wants to do this one before it changes themes. She also takes my ticket, and the line is absolutely massive!
In the meantime I’m going to find an info kiosk and ask some information about their disability system.
I tell the CM what my problems are, and if I can roll along into their system, but he needs my ticket, which my friend has.
Seems the FP line moved quite fast, and my friend joins me at the info kiosk.
The man recognized me from 10 minutes before, and asks both our tickets.
Radiator Springs wasn’t open yet that morning due to issues, so we choose Toy Story Mania.
He scans the tickets and says “anything after 11am, no matter what time you go, as long as it’s after 11am, and mention it’s a return time”.
He gives me a leaflet that has some information on it, and on the back you can write down your times.
They do take in consideration the wait times, and in some cases the wait time of the FP line, as that’s where you need to go.
Very different then DLRP, where you have 2 cards in different colors, and must need a doctor’s note to apply for one.
It’s a few minutes after 10, and I knew Oswald was doing a meet about that time, so I suggest to go and have a look.
My friends is very relaxed and easy, she’s been many times already, and wants me to have a great time, so she’s up for anything (obviously, we do take each others needs/wants in consideration, only normal).
She’s not really into characters, so she’s not very familiar what you can do with them.
She’s already holding my camera, as we were first in line, and while Oswald is already posing in front of her, she’s looking at me like: I don’t know ?? lol
“Can I take pictures of him ??” I’m like: YOU MUST! Haha!
Missed the moment, but oh well, hehe.
The CM asks if we’d like a picture with the 2 of us, and after a little stumble, my friend joins me & Oswald, and she’s having loads of fun with him! Who’d have thought?
I see Mickey is wearing a matching outfit with all the rest of the characters!
I didn’t see him at all 2 days ago, so this another goal to achieve.
The line was quite long, we go in it, but then the CM comes by saying he’s leaving, he’ll high five you, but I tell her I’m not waiting for that, I want a picture
I ask what time he’ll back, and he’ll be there until closing time.
I tell my friend Nick Wilde is doing meets, as she loves Zootopia, and she thinks it’s a good idea ^^
We get to the meet, line closed
and Judy’s there!We ask the CM’s if Judy will be there all day, and I must say, some of the responses we get from CM’s are very inventive, hehe, but eventually just meaning “sorry, no”.
Shame
We decide not to go back at the next meeting time, but will have a look at the app once in a while.
Olaf was there too, but she wasn’t interested, and I already have my pictures, and I noticed it’s the same cranky CM from 2 days ago, I didn’t want to see her again, haha.
The Monsters Inc ride is 20 minutes, so we go in there.
After I got home, I kept thinking “hmm, I should have filmed this”, I did drag my video camera along all week, but sometimes I’m just not in the mood.
When I’m home, I’m always like that “should have filmed this, didn’t take enough pictures”.
My friend said when they were here 2 years ago with a friend of theirs, they could do a private meet due to her having a Disney Visa.
At the time for them it was Stitch, but no one was interested, so they didn’t do it.
I don’t really care who it is, I like meeting characters, so I’m up for it, haha!
Really nice idea to have a meet more private, without anyone looking and staring at you when it’s your turn.
We got Minnie! In her new dress!
I had read about some characters getting an updated outfit, and Minnie was one of them at the time.
I like this one much better than her previous outfit. Not much different, but enough to notice it’s different.
Do we want to see the Frozen show? As we are passing by the theater and are able to get FP’s for it.
But we both are like “nah”, we’ve really had it with Frozen, lol!
It’s almost 11am, so we walk up to Paradise Pier for the Toy Story Mania ride.
We walk through A Bug’s Life and see Flik! But he doesn’t do meets, he walks around, plays with the kids, and if you’re lucky you can make a quick picture when he’s near you.
He’ll be there most of the day, so we’ll pass by later.
There’s a gate with a wheelchair sign where we walk up to and wait for the CM to come to us, and I tell him it’s a “return time”.
He asks me if steps are OK for me, which they are, otherwise we’d have to go somewhere else to get on the ride.
OMG, this ride is SO MUCH FUN!!
My accuracy was … terrible, but I got the most points, lol!
Off course, a shop when you exit the ride, and I saw this cool Alien t-shirt.
Looking up at the fireworks, and going “ooooooooh”.
But it was a V-neck, and I hate V-neck shirts *tsss*.
However, I may ask her to get it for me next time she’s here, I’ll have a think about it
We went into some other stores that were around the ride, and my friend wanted to get an FP for California Screamin’.
Yeah, I don’t do loops, so be my guest, haha.
There’s a kiosk nearby and we’ll ask if we can get another time.
Radiator Springs is open now, so we get that one, after 1.20pm.
We were both getting hungry, and went to Flo’s Café.
We got a rost sandwich (sorry, don’t know the exact name), wow, lots of meat!
A little scoop of mashed potatoes and a pickle.
A while after eating I felt quite sick, so my friend was off to use her California Screamin’ FP, and I just sat on a bench, across from where you can meet Lightning and Mater.
Cool you can meet them here!
By the time my friend got back, it was almost time for Radiator Springs, and luckily, I’m feeling lots better.
I have to say, not knowing what this ride was, was making my anxiety rise, even though my friend kept saying what it was about.
It was great! Hopefully can do this one again before our stay is here is done.
We then went to Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.
I was wondering 2 days ago what that building was, something to eat? Nope, it’s a ride, lol.
It’s so funny to watch!
All the kids running towards a car, we were just like: we’ll just wait until last, see what’s left, lol.
I might want to go and have a look if Flik is still around.
He is, and still not taking pictures. (was this always the case with him?)
Someone was sitting down somewhere, he did sat next to him, and then pose, so he would do things like that.
Then he went to play with the kids for a while, and the CM was telling them how to speak ant.
My friend is having a look at the app, where it says that at 5.30 there’s a Nick & Judy meet.
But first, we go and see the sneak-peak for Moana.
In 4D. I was already getting anxious. I can deal with wind, water, moving seat, but sometimes there’s thing around your legs/feet, and that’s what I want to avoid.
I had bought an icee just before as it was so warm, but wasn’t allowed to take it inside the theater, and also wasn’t going to finish it all anyways, but luckily I did manage half, so not to bad before I got rid of it.
The preview was about 15 minutes, and yes, we got wet, very wet actually.
It’s about 4pm and we walk back to ToT so my friend can use her FP.
I sit down somewhere, and when she gets back, she decides not to use the 2nd FP she had gotten from my ticket.
She has another look at the app, and Judy’s name disappeared
Too bad, but we can still go and see Nick regardless.
For someone saying she’s not much into characters, she sure is having a lot of fun with them!
I didn’t need a picture anymore, but the CM then asked if we both wanted to be in it, so I went up there. Nick takes us by the hand and just walks off with us, hehe ^^
The parade is at 5.50 and it’s about 4.30 now, so we decide to head towards the entrance and find a spot to sit down and watch the Pixar Parade. But first we go to the kiosk to ask for another time. I wanted Radiator Springs again, but it was closed again due to issues. Oh well, Toy Story Mania again then! Where we could go after 6.
We sit down for the parade, perfect view.
This parade is so fun! Nice music, nice dancing.
I was kind of sad now I didn’t stick around to watch it 2 days ago.
My friend asked if she could take pictures for me or film it, so I gave her the video camera to film it.
In the meantime we got a little bit hungry, just a snack.
We all know corndogs where I’m from, but we don’t have them (unless you make it yourself).
I didn’t get a chance to try one in 2014, so I wouldn’t mind trying one now, since there is “corn dog castle” in this park.
Not impressed, haha, the batter was quite heavy (for me), and once you get to the part where the stick is, it all just taste very woody, after the stick.
So, what else would you like to do? The water ride?
No, I forgot my poncho at the hotel
I really wanted to do this ride, but it was getting dark and cold now, and I didn’t want to walk around wet.It’s after 6 now, so we head over to Toy Story Mania, but we notice a lot of people standing around, the ride had broken down.
Since it’s getting dark, and I’m using a new camera, I’m going to make some pictures in the dark.
We’re going to have a look where we need to be later tonight for World of Color, were the yellow block is.
We sat down in front of the lake for a bit, a CM passes us and tells us we can sit there for as long a CM doesn’t ask us to leave, because then it’s time to get everything ready for the show.
About 10 minutes later, a CM asks us to leave.
There’s a massive crowd gathering with each of their color, and we join the yellow block.
It’s about 7.30 and it doesn’t start until 9.
It kind of felt like sardines in a tin, so tight together, and then we had to wait until 8.30, to go to the actual colored block.
We had the choise, get wet or not? Not tonight, lol.
Lucky for us, a pushchair is “double parked” so we can stand behind it and have great view.
About 15 minutes before it starts they played a game with the ferris wheel and if you could go online on your phone.
Nice, keeping people busy.
I decide not to film, as my video camera is so old, it wouldn’t focus in the dark.
But it starts, I make a few pictures, and I’m like “what the hell”, and I start filming with my camera, which can record in HD.
Sadly I can only film for 20 minutes, so after about 16 minutes I find a quiet spot during the show and swith to my video camera, just to get the entire show in the end.
I’ll edit them together later.
World of Color is amazing!
I cried, laughed, lots of ooooohs & aaaaaaaaws, beautiful!
It was quite emotional for me, as in March 2016 I moved into my apartment, for the first time being on my own, and music is a big thing for me (I like to turn it up loud once in a while), and I hadn’t been able to do that since I moved (thinking of my neighbours), and now, I could just sing along as loud as I wanted to!
Once again, I should have stayed for this 2 days ago…
We go back to Toy Story Mania, to see if it’s open again, which it is.
Again, 0 accuracy, but I won in points, lol.
We decide to call it quits for today, it’s been quite a long day and very warm again.
We go into some stores, and pass by The Little Mermaid, where it says 15 minutes, so we’ll go and do that.
After, the 2nd show of World of Color starts, and we decide we wanna see it again, so we’re just standing somewhere in the back, and once again … all those emotions! Haha
And no Frozen
The only thing I want to do before we leave this park today is, meet Mickey!
We arrive at his spot and I ask the CM if the line is still open “it certainly is!”.
Great, because this is the only character from this set of outfits I’m missing.
“No problem, you’re in line, you’re going to get a picture”.
As I was a bit scared they’d come and say he would have to go before we met him.
But no, we got to see him, we were last in line though, so very lucky! After us, the CM closed the line.
We walk through another store (quite a big one), and we head back to the hotel.
Saturday October 15, 2016 - Disneyland
It’s my birthday !!!
The first thing my friend does when she gets up is congratulate me and give me a card (which she has been doing for the past 13 years, she always mails me one). And it’s a nice one, Lion Guard with stickers inside ^^
The park is open until midnight, so we didn’t get up too early, around 9am. I’m on FB a bit first, I see my mom’s online and I make a quick call to her. Asking if my dad really didn’t want to come and pick me up at Brussels airport, but he got very annoyed at that, so no, lol (he had never been, so OK fair enough).
We arrive at DTD, my friend wants to get a smoothie, and by the time we pass security and are actually in the park, it’s around noon.
First thing we do is find a kiosk to get a time for the Matterhorn. I find in terms of theming it’s similar to Expedition Everest.
It’s very busy today, but then again, it is a Saturday.
We then get an FP for Star Tours, but we can only go there from 2.40pm.
The lines are longer than 30 minutes everywhere, and we can’t just walk around aimlessly so we decide to do the Finding Nemo ride.
The line is 40 minutes, and it’s not really moving, so it feels twice as long. This line is outside, straight in the sun *puffs*.
I have no idea how I managed this line, lots of talking … and how I survived the ride itself … When I got out, I needed a few deep breaths.
I was wondering about the amount of people they were letting in, I thought it was a lot, but once inside myself I knew. Quite cramped (at least, that’s how I felt, thankfully I had taken my meds that morning).
Many times I did have my eyes closed, just because the enclosed feeling wasn’t doing me much good. It was all very pretty though, when I managed to open them.
And the woman next to me kept saying “there’s a leak!!” but it wasn’t a leak, she was under the hatch, so it was just trapped water from when the hatch opened/closed.
Then it’s time for the Matterhorn. It’s was nice, but I don’t think I needed to do it again. It was quite a rough ride.
It’s a long time still to use our Star Tour FP’s and we’re getting quite hungry. Though, we don’t want to eat too much, as we have reservations at Goofy’s Kitchen tonight.
We’re somewhere in Tomorrowland, and we just walk into the first eating place we see.
I had a pasta with some creamy sauce, grilled chicked and cheese.
Wow, so much! For so little money, compared.
I do really like the variety in food I’ve seen so far.
Then it’s finally time for Star Tours. The new version is here already! So I’m exhited to see how it’s been changed.
The majority of the waiting line is the same as in DLRP (which don’t have the new version yet, at this time in 2016).
I knew I recognized Patrick Warburton’s voice as the little robot who scans your stuff!
I did think, when you fly off to space, the effect from your seat wasn’t the same as before.
I do like how they pick an intruder from someone who’s actually in the cabin.
We walk out of the ride, and wanted to get an FP for Buzz, to which my friend says “or you want another one for Star Tours, maybe we get a different clip?”.
And just as she says it, a woman passes us, asking my friend “how many are you? We have 2 FP’s, but we can’t use them anymore ourselves”.
So nice! We had to go right now, otherwise they’d expire. And we did get another clip.
What I did notice was, that many people cheer and clap during the clips. I honestly don’t think it’s needed, lol, but then again, when in DLRP, I’ve never experienced it, so maybe it’s just a thing depending where you are / where are from.
After that, we did get FP’s for Buzz, and got another time at a kiosk. This time the Haunted Mansion, in Nightmare Before Christmas style.
Now, problem I have in DLRP is the stretching room, which makes me much too nervous then it should, so I’m allowed to skip it there, and go straight into a cart.
We ask the CM if that’s a possibility, and she gets on her walky-talky to ask if I can, but she gets told it’s not possible.
The same CM walks with us to were the line starts, and asks another CM the same question, if it’s possible. That one tells her it is possible, but it’s so busy today, that there is no one right now to accompany us inside.
I tell them, that if I’ll stay completely at the back, away from the “big crowd”, and don’t look at the walls, I should be OK.
I really like how they incorporated the movie into this.
When we get out, we notice it’s almost 4.30, so we have to hurry to get to Buzz to use our FP’s.
My friend wasn’t really impressed with this one, lol, you can tell from the picture we got. I don’t think she’d ever done this ride, even though she’s been a few times already.
This ride is the exact same as in DLRP.
It’s quite a mission to find your picture when you’re done, but I do like the fact you can just e-mail this to you.
Our dinner reservation is at 6.40, so we decide not to do so much anymore, and just go into some shops.
And we pass by World of Disney, to have another look at the things we would like to get.
When we got to Goofy’s Kitchen, I wasn’t feeling 100% so the picture, I look like a potato sack, lol. And then I forgot to ask a picture of just Goofy
oh well…The picture comes in a nice folder, but we didn’t buy it. If it were with our partners then I would have, and though she’s an amazingly great and good friend, I didn’t feel the need to buy the folder.
The food was so yummy! And so much choice!
Strange choices too, peanut butter or m&m pizza?
The characters are great this evening, lots of energy.
And we got to see every character twice.
Just as I wanted to get up and get some desserts, the waitress came buy asking if we wanted another drink or a coffee.
My friend wanted a coffee, and when the waitress came back, she had a little cupcake on her tray, and I guess I knew what was coming (kind of hoping it was for me, haha).
“We heard there’s a very special birthday here today!” and suddenly there’s like 3 or 4 waiters singing to me, and people clapping!
This was so fun, haha!
After about 1,5 hours we are completely full, and we don’t want to walk all the way back, so we take the Monorail to Tomorrowland. Lot’s of info being told through the PA system inside the monorail.
Between Goofy’s Kitchen and going to the Monorail, the leaflet where I wrote down all the return times got lost somewhere, and I was going to use this for the report, so there’s a few things I forgot in the end.
At 9.30 there’s fireworks, and I would love to see that. I love watching fireworks.
My friend was like, it’s only about 5 minutes, it won’t be that busy to watch.
Boy was she wrong, about an hour in advance, the entire hub and Main Street was packed!
We decide not to watch it tonight, we’ll do it tomorrow.
There’s 1 thing I really want to do here, and that is to meet Goofy in his skeleton outfit.
Around 10pm we’ve had enough for today, and I can feel that the Finding Nemo experience + busyness + heat has taken its toll once more.
But who do we see when we make our way out? Goofy!
There’s quite a line, but for him, I’m willing to do it, haha! And the line is moving so fast.
He was such fun, complete in Halloween style, the way he moved and acted. And he’s acting like a complete goof with us!
So, we did do Big Thunder Mountain, but I cannot remember when we done this, either this day, or the next day (see, I really needed that leaflet, lol).
Just like WDW, I didn’t think much of it, it’s a lot shorter then DLRP, and DLRP is more thrilling also.
Same goes for Jungle Cruise, we’ve done this in the dark, but don’t remember which day.
It was much more fun at night though then during the day! (done it during the day at WDW).
Just a shame you can’t always here the CM clearly through the PA system.
Sunday October 16, 2016 - Disneyland
It’s getting more and more difficult to get up in the morning, lol, we get to the park about 11.15am.
I was up very early, feeling very anxious during the night, so I know I’ve done too much the day before, so taking it very relaxed today.
My friend has been asking me all week if I wanted to do Space Mountain.
Since this one doesn’t have loops (DLRP does, so I don’t go in it), I’m willing to think about it. It’s mainly how I’m feeling at that time.
We get FP’s for it anyways, and we can only go as of 4.15pm
If I decide I’m feeling up for it, then my friend can go twice.
Only 2 more goals for this park, and that’s meeting Tinkerbell and see the parade.
We find a kiosk and we ask for a time at Pirates, and then we split up for a while to do our own thing.
My friend sees on the app that the wait time for Indiana Jones is about the same as the time for Tink, so we split up and we’ll meet at Pirates.
Turns out, she could take the single riders line, and was done a lot sooner.
Around noon we see each other at Pirates.
Looking at some shops first, as we’re about 10 minutes early.
After Pirates we’re looking for something to eat, and she has a look on the app what’s nearby.
We pass another kiosk, and get another time for Star Tours, hoping we’ll get yet another clip.
We’re in the mood for some burgers, and we go to the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country.
We spot a Churro Funnel Cake on the menu! WE MUST HAVE THIS! But we both can’t eat one of our own, so we share one.
OMG THIS IS SO GOOD!!!
The Winnie The Pooh ride is next to it, the line is 10 minutes, so we go in.
It’s a nice quiet dark ride ^^
And the carts are so cute!
I hadn’t been to Toon Town, and wanted to see if we could do a picture with Mickey, since he is also in his new look/outfit.
We walk by Fantasyland Theatre were in 10 minutes a show is going to start.
“Mickey and the magical map”.
It kind of reminded me a little off “Mickey and the magician” at DLRP.
We’re sitting all the way in the back, so taking pictures is out of the question, as I don’t have my big lens with me, so I use my video camera and film the show.
This was a really nice and fun show!
Very surprised with the variety of movies/songs they use.
After the show, we walk into Toon Town.
It says 15 minutes to meet Mickey, but just as we wanted to walk in, a CM comes and changed it to 60. No, we don’t want to do that, we’d rather try and do some other things in that amount of time.
It’s time for Star Tours again, and we’re lucky, another clip.
We go get another time, again for Haunted Mansion. I was fine the first time, as long as I’m in the back of the group, but can’t go there until 9.20pm. It’s 4pm now, so that must be quite some wait time over there.
It’s time now for our Space Mountain FP’s.
A little anxious … hehe. But I’m going to do it!
It’s a Halloween version too now, with ghosts. I was clearly on the wrong side, every turn I was on the side of the screens, lol.
The picture speaks for itself, my friend is laughing, and I’m having my head mainly down, you can see the terror on my face, haha!
It wasn’t too bad though, I love rollercoaster (as long as there’s no loops), so in terms of that, it was good!
The parade today is at 7pm (2nd run) and we’re going to watch it this time.
We sit down on the stone benches near Matterhorn, luckily no one comes to stand in front of us, they all just sit down.
To keep busy while waiting, I get another frozen Minute Maid, this time lemon, mmm.
This parade is so much fun! Cool floats and fun music.
My friend also filmed this one for me, while I took pictures.
The teacups also look quite smaller compared to DLRP.
The line at It’s a small world is 15 minutes, so we’ll do that again.
This time I filmed it, and my friend helped me to make sure I got to see all the “hidden” Disney characters.
Then there’s still the fireworks, my friend got a bit puckish, so while I sit myself down on a bench, she goes out to find a little snack.
The fireworks where short, but pretty ^^
And while I took pictures, once again my friend filmed.
(I did send her a DVD with all the things we filmed when I got back home)
After the fireworks we can go to Haunted Mansion, and there’s time for 1 last return time, the park closes at 11pm today.
My friend tells me I can decide, and what the hell, why not! Space Mountain!
Where we can go at 11pm (lol). The CM tells us to make sure to be a few minutes early.
I thought it was a bit strange, for them giving out a time which is actually closing time?
Once again, from the Space Mountain picture, it’s hard to tell if I liked it or not, but eventually, I did
Time for shopping now! We made lists of things we really wanted (and then I still forgot some stuff).
Only, we didn’t realize that on Sunday DTD would close at midnight, and not at 2am like the other days.
Too bad for us, but our wallets didn’t seem to mind.
Sadly, this is the end of my DLR adventure
The next morning we get up very early, my friend wants to leave at 9am.
It’s a very long ride, and much respect and kudo’s to her for driving!
We leave on time, 9 on the dot, stopped 3 times to stretch our legs and have a bit to eat at Jack in the Box.
And we get back to San Francisco at 5pm.
My friend’s mom lives in Oregon, she’s used to driving long hours (and I don’t drive :/ )
Back at the house, she dives into her study books, as she has a math test that evening.
While she’s gone, I’m playing Tetris with my suitcases, as I am leaving for Belgium the next morning.
I had such a great time during those 2 weeks in SF & DLR.
I know I was there 5 days, and I’m sure some people don’t understand why I didn’t do more rides, but most rides in, for example Fantasyland, are already the same as in Disneyland Paris.
Taking the heat in consideration which I’m not used to being from the part of Europe where I’m from lol, I just wanted to take it slow, and mainly focus on just being there, the surroundings, and doing the things that can only be done at DLR.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading
my buys:
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