evilmommie
Disneyland CM Alumna 80's-90's
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2016
Whewwwww----eeeee, it was a hot one on Monday, August 2nd! It was 95 degrees at the Happiest Place on Earth for 3-4 hours and it made for a melty-fun day.
A bit of info on me: Empty-nest-50ish-Mama (retired RN, military wife & mom) I worked at Disneyland through high school and college and that's where I started my appreciation of all of the hard work and dedication Walt and his team put into developing Disneyland.
My hubby and I have had on occasion been passholders, including WDW. We were able to score re-opening day reservations and a stay at GCH for that weekend. We've been fortunate to have been able to go back 8X since April, including this past trip. I had hosted a trip in June where I played tour guide to a few dear friends, so this solo trip was a chance for me to catch up on a few of the details I so love about Walt's Parks.
Transportation: Husband dropped me off in the drop off zone on the Harbor side at about 8am. Since the reopening, we have yet to use the Park parking structures. We have either used a car service, been dropped off or used Lyft. It has saved us loads of time.
Start of day: 8am-ish
After hubby dropped me off, I sped my way up the sidewalk through the crowds to the security check area. Lines weren't horrible and the security line I picked had a very efficient CM that was expediting people through the line very quickly. Lining up for the gates to Disneyland was a different story. The lines extended to the middle of the esplanade, so I picked a line and waited...it was already warming up. Got up to the gate, I used a day of my CA resident ticket (they asked for my CA ID) and was inside by 8:20! Awesome-ness. Started taking it all in and then headed over to the Disney Gallery for a tour of new and old artwork.
If you're looking for an intense, over achieving trip report: this ain't it. Although, I will tell you I was able to get in 8 rides, have leisurely snacks, see all kinds of characters and appreciate all kinds of small Disney details. Much more than I would accomplish on regular summer day, pre-2020. Rides accomplished: Horse drawn carriage, Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Storybook, Mr. Toad's, Space and Big Thunder. No rides in DCA. Only adult bevs.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is open. The lobby is also a great place to see more Disney history and cool off.
Original Bench from Griffith Park
I meandered up through Main Street checking out all of the stores, with my sights set on getting a few pics of the castle, having a breakfast snack and capture to find more hidden treasures.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has such adorable details in their shop and there were plenty of sweet princesses picking out their tieras.
During my wanderings around the castle and Fantasyland, I stopped by Maurice's treats for a breakfast snack (it's next to the Castle, on the left side..near the princess meet and greet) If you haven't had a snack here, try it out! So delicious. I had the garlic cheddar bagel twist which easily could be shared by two people. Yum! Perfect combo of cheese and soft bread. Also grabbed a hot coffee. Kind of crazy, considering it was already 80+. Anyway, a great quick alternative to Jolly Holiday for a donut, churro gears and a drink. See menu below. : )
Had to stop by and ride my former home in the 80's. Gorgeous as always.
A bit of info on me: Empty-nest-50ish-Mama (retired RN, military wife & mom) I worked at Disneyland through high school and college and that's where I started my appreciation of all of the hard work and dedication Walt and his team put into developing Disneyland.
My hubby and I have had on occasion been passholders, including WDW. We were able to score re-opening day reservations and a stay at GCH for that weekend. We've been fortunate to have been able to go back 8X since April, including this past trip. I had hosted a trip in June where I played tour guide to a few dear friends, so this solo trip was a chance for me to catch up on a few of the details I so love about Walt's Parks.
Transportation: Husband dropped me off in the drop off zone on the Harbor side at about 8am. Since the reopening, we have yet to use the Park parking structures. We have either used a car service, been dropped off or used Lyft. It has saved us loads of time.
Start of day: 8am-ish
After hubby dropped me off, I sped my way up the sidewalk through the crowds to the security check area. Lines weren't horrible and the security line I picked had a very efficient CM that was expediting people through the line very quickly. Lining up for the gates to Disneyland was a different story. The lines extended to the middle of the esplanade, so I picked a line and waited...it was already warming up. Got up to the gate, I used a day of my CA resident ticket (they asked for my CA ID) and was inside by 8:20! Awesome-ness. Started taking it all in and then headed over to the Disney Gallery for a tour of new and old artwork.
If you're looking for an intense, over achieving trip report: this ain't it. Although, I will tell you I was able to get in 8 rides, have leisurely snacks, see all kinds of characters and appreciate all kinds of small Disney details. Much more than I would accomplish on regular summer day, pre-2020. Rides accomplished: Horse drawn carriage, Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Storybook, Mr. Toad's, Space and Big Thunder. No rides in DCA. Only adult bevs.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is open. The lobby is also a great place to see more Disney history and cool off.
Original Bench from Griffith Park
I meandered up through Main Street checking out all of the stores, with my sights set on getting a few pics of the castle, having a breakfast snack and capture to find more hidden treasures.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has such adorable details in their shop and there were plenty of sweet princesses picking out their tieras.
During my wanderings around the castle and Fantasyland, I stopped by Maurice's treats for a breakfast snack (it's next to the Castle, on the left side..near the princess meet and greet) If you haven't had a snack here, try it out! So delicious. I had the garlic cheddar bagel twist which easily could be shared by two people. Yum! Perfect combo of cheese and soft bread. Also grabbed a hot coffee. Kind of crazy, considering it was already 80+. Anyway, a great quick alternative to Jolly Holiday for a donut, churro gears and a drink. See menu below. : )
Had to stop by and ride my former home in the 80's. Gorgeous as always.
Last edited: