**** Official 2014 AUGUST - Disneyland thread ****

[gerilyne]

Well back at work today after spending the last week at the parks. It is always bittersweet coming home; the part of me that wants to stay forever conflicting with the part of me that is exhausted and just wants to get home.

The crowds last week were really heavy until about Thursday or Friday. I can't understand why they shortened the hours to 9-11 and 9-10. It felt like it was still summer crowds and made very little sense to us.

Quick review of our trip:
The Pros- we got to eat at Steakhouse 55 which was the best meal of the trip. The steaks were amazing and the sides quite good as well. We also got to ride RSR 3 times during the week, twice on one day with the wide right technique and getting a fast pass. Overall we averaged about 20 rides a day on our 5 full days there (getting there at EMH, taking a break in the afternoon and going back until about 10-10:30 at night).

The Cons- hated the parks opening an hour later than the last 2 years. The crowds were much heavier for EMH and we never felt like we got as much done starting off at 8 instead of 7. Also, none of the big rides opened at DLR until after 10am. On Thursday we were over at Splash when the cast member told us that the don't open the ride until after 10 Mon-Fri. This also seemed to happen with Indy, and Space didn't get going until after 8:30 on EMH mornings. At least on Saturday which was our last day Splash was opened at 9am so we were able to ride all 4 mountains one last time before heading out to check out, shop and head for the airport.

Overall it was a very up and down trip; some cast members were great while others were surely and just acted like they didn't want to be there. The rides not opening with the park was probably our biggest gripe after the change in park hours but still, I'd take a day at Disneyland for however long than almost anything else!!

Now the planning begins for next year and maybe a small trip between now and then!!

 

[zanzibar138]

OMG - one week to go! I am so excited and I just started packing last night. I have a TON of things to do before we go, but this week is just going to fly by...

I have a week to go too! Not sure where I'm going to find time to get everything done I'm pretty nervous about the running, but super excited about the trip

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

I am literally starting to panic. I leave tomorrow at 7am. We will probably get to the hotel at about 10am and enter the parks by 11am.

What do I do first?! Do I go grab FP for RSR? I was monitoring my wait apps this morning and both parks were at 40% until Noon, and then they shot up to 80% after 1pm.

That scares the crap out of me. I hate lines, I hate people cutting in lines, and it's going to be hot. I know I need to take a chill pill, but really, as a first time summer-goer, I am freaking out you guys.

 

[modegard]

I am literally starting to panic. I leave tomorrow at 7am. We will probably get to the hotel at about 10am and enter the parks by 11am.

What do I do first?! Do I go grab FP for RSR? I was monitoring my wait apps this morning and both parks were at 40% until Noon, and then they shot up to 80% after 1pm.

That scares the crap out of me. I hate lines, I hate people cutting in lines, and it's going to be hot. I know I need to take a chill pill, but really, as a first time summer-goer, I am freaking out you guys.

Don't freak out! You will be in Disneyland! Hopefully everyone will be happy and courteous and lines will be short and move quickly.

We leave tomorrow too but will not go to the parks until Wednesday. I am hoping for nothing but smiles and laughs. (line cutters ruin my day)

 

[wakica]

We are EXHAUSTED!!! California is beautiful and we have been non stop busy since we got here last Monday!!!! Today is our last day in San Francisco and then we head on down the coast. Hoping it's a bit slower paced cuz whew are we pooped out right now!!!!

Loved reading about all the trips

Could someone remind me of the wide right thing for RSR? I read it a long time ago but don't quite remember it and don't have the time to find it as we are on our way out to Fishermans Wharf for our last evening in the city.

 

[Rubygoose]

We are EXHAUSTED!!! California is beautiful and we have been non stop busy since we got here last Monday!!!! Today is our last day in San Francisco and then we head on down the coast. Hoping it's a bit slower paced cuz whew are we pooped out right now!!!!

Loved reading about all the trips

Could someone remind me of the wide right thing for RSR? I read it a long time ago but don't quite remember it and don't have the time to find it as we are on our way out to Fishermans Wharf for our last evening in the city.

Here's the "Cole's Notes" version of wide right:
-only works when no one is in the park before you (ie. on non-EE day if you're staying offsite)
-get to the gates at least 30 minutes before opening
-lots of gates will open, so line up at any gate that has a short line
-when you get through the gates, speed walk straight down BV street until you get to the "rope" that is a gas hose held by two CMs.
-You want to stand as close as possible to the CM on the right. It's better to be behind someone on the right than up at the front, holding the hose, on the left or in the middle.
-you will be walked slowly down route 66, led by Mater and/or Lightening
-they will funnel the line over to the right, so if you are already there, then you're in perfect position
-if you have little kids, pick them up or walk with them behind you and holding BOTH of your hands so that you don't get separated when people are merging in from the left.

We did it last summer and got on the second run of cars for the day!

 

[Aladora]

At Seatac waiting to board!

 

[cdntink79]

Just wanted to follow up with how our trip went! We were in California from Aug 2 – 10 and had an amazing time.

Saturday - our arrival day. We were picked up at LAX by DK Livery (Lansky) and the service was great. We made a grocery stop along the way. We were too early for check in but the hotel stored our luggage while we explored Downtown Disney. We stayed at Park Vue Inn and it was fantastic. When we came back to check in, our bags were all in our room. The room was perfect for us (2 queens, bunk beds, fridge, microwave). The pool was good and so was the breakfast. We went to Goofy’s Kitchen that evening for dinner and liked it a lot.

Sunday – Disneyland Park. Got there for rope drop and headed straight to Peter Pan, was on in 15 minutes. Then went on a bunch of other Fantasyland rides. Headed to Tomorrowland to get FP for Space but it was shut down (the first of many ride shutdowns throughout our stay). Got FP for Autotopia instead. Followed by a FP for Star Tours. Had lunch at Village Haus and FP for Thunder Mountain before heading back to our room for a break. Back to the park for more rides, Toon Town to meet Mickey, and ended the day with the fireworks show which was fantastic.

Monday – Huntington Beach. We rented a car and drove to Huntington Beach for the day. A very easy drive from Anaheim. We loved it there. It was a beautiful, relaxing day. Rented a beach cruiser bike, played in the waves, walked the pier.

Tuesday – Disneyland and California Adventure. we started the day with MM at Disneyland and park hopped back and forth the rest of the day. There were many ride closures this day including Indy, Matterhorn, Soarin, Screamin. But we were still able to enjoy many rides and experiences. We saw the Frozen pre-parade which was an easy way to see Anna and Elsa. Watched Mickey and the Magical map and it was cute. That night we watched World of Color and thought it was amazing. It was our favourite night time show. We got a spot close to the front rail on the second level of the yellow section and had a good view.

Wednesday – More park hopping. Started the day at CA and went to Paradise Pier for TSMM and Screamin. Then picked up FP for RSR. When it came time to ride RSR it broke down not long after we got on the ride and we had to be evacuated. We went to guest services and they gave us another FP. We went back later in the day and while in line the ride broke down again. Finally got to ride it that evening. We really enjoyed the theme of Carsland, just like in the movie.

Thursday – LA/Hollywood tour. We booked a tour through Grayline. It was good. I wish we had more time in Hollywood but I guess it’s hard to fit it all in. The stops were Hollywood, The Farmers Market/Grove, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach. A great way to see lots in one day.

Friday and Saturay – We parked hopped both days and just took the time to enjoy everything we could. We saw Fantasmic and thought it was good. We liked the Animation Academy, the Aladdin show, POTC (way better than WDW version), California Screamin, Indy. We even took a ride on the monorail and the train. We got to do everything we wanted to do at least once. Summer crowds were not as bad as I thought it would be, same with the heat. We went for park opening every day and took breaks in the afternoon at our hotel. We brought water and snacks with us as well as empty water bottles to fill at the CS restaurants. Earl of Sandwich is delicious! So are Dole Whips!! We are so happy with our vacation and really hope to go back one day. Also wanted to thank everyone on here for all the help and advice while planning!
Let me know if you have any questions! I’m so jealous of those of you who are leaving soon!

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

@cdntink79, I hope you finally got to ride Space Mountain (a local last weekend ordered me to stop calling it "Space" without the "Mountain"!), it's so much better than the WDW version. Usually at DLR, attractions only go down for a brief time. If they don't make you leave the line, it's usually a good idea to stick around. Especially for Space Mountain--the problem there is CMs only have 30 seconds to load each train and move it along or the ride "cascades" all the block brakes in the mountain stopping all the trains, and they all have to be reset. If the mountain isn't evacuated, this mean CMs have to reset the brakes and push each train individually to get it going again. It doesn't take that long, but unfortunately happens pretty frequently.

I was there some of your days and didn't experience the same RSR issues, but I know they take longer to work out. The Single Rider line for RSR is a lifesaver if you want/need to come back later--it tends to be very short.

I encountered issues with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which you may have encountered, too. For some reason, that ride was just finicky while we were there. (Like, Magic Kingdom's version of Splash Mountain finicky, if you know what I mean--it just worked when it wanted to.)

 

[ColdNeverBotheredMe]

Midway through our stay! It's been amazing so far, and we have two more days before we go home.
Arrived last Wednesday in the evening and went to Disneyland for a few hours that night, crowds were very manageable.
On Thursday we slept in and went in the afternoon, saw Aladdin, had dinner in Downtown Disney, and then got in several rides at Disneyland before closing.

Friday, we went to Disneyland early morning and went straight to Adventureland. Frontierland was crazy, it was practically deserted! We nearly walked on Thunder Mountain. Lunch at Cafe Orleans. We went back to the hotel for naps, and then returned in the late afternoon to do a few rides in DCA. We hopped back to Disneyland after it closed but we only had time to do a few rides there.

On Saturday, we hung out with family, then went to the pier in Huntington Beach for dinner.

Sunday, we went to church, and to the Discovery Museum, and then came back to DCA for an awesome evening at Paradise Pier. We circled the pier and did every ride except two! Then we did Soarin', and hopped back to Disneyland to round out the night with HM, Pirates, the end of Fantasmic, and Jungle Cruise. The crowd levels were very manageable, it was very relaxed and fun. That is eleven rides plus fantastic in four hours!!!!

And yesterday, we went to Disneyland at rope drop, rode a lot of Fantasyland rides, hopped to DCA to do RSR single rider (which was only about a 20 minute wait!) and then back to the hotel for naps. Last night we came back to DCA for a few rides, and then to Disneyland where we rode Indy and Thunder.

And today we went to DCA in the morning, went straight to RSR at rope drop, and then did lots of rides before coming back to the hotel. Our plan is to see World of Color tonight, sleep in tomorrow, and then see Mickey and the Magical Map, Soundsational, and fireworks.

Overall notes: crowds were lighter than they were when we were here for spring break, but there was definitely an increase when the Southern California passes were unblocked yesterday. Even so however, this whole trip has had a very leisurely, relaxed feel, it's been great! Only a few breakdowns, the only ride down for refurb is Nemo which we all hate anyway, so that's been nice! Looking forward to finishing up our magical vacation soon. I might post a trip report when we get home.

 

[Dreamer2012]

Has anyone on here stayed at Best Western Stovall's Inn that can tell me about it? Tips? Things to know? ANYTHING AT ALL???

 

[surfmontana]

Monday – Huntington Beach. We rented a car and drove to Huntington Beach for the day. A very easy drive from Anaheim. We loved it there. It was a beautiful, relaxing day. Rented a beach cruiser bike, played in the waves, walked the pier.

On Saturday, we hung out with family, then went to the pier in Huntington Beach for dinner.

Glad you both had a great trip.

We will have 5 days in Anaheim and have a 5 day hopper passes.

Thinking of going to Huntington Beach on one of the days rather then taking a room/pool break.

If we only have a few hours do you think it is worth it? Is the drive about an hour each way? Thinking of spending may 2-3 hours at the beach

We will take it as it comes, but we are totally land locked in Montana, so a little beach time sounds great.

 

[cdntink79]

@cdntink79, I hope you finally got to ride Space Mountain (a local last weekend ordered me to stop calling it "Space" without the "Mountain"!), it's so much better than the WDW version. Usually at DLR, attractions only go down for a brief time. If they don't make you leave the line, it's usually a good idea to stick around. Especially for Space Mountain--the problem there is CMs only have 30 seconds to load each train and move it along or the ride "cascades" all the block brakes in the mountain stopping all the trains, and they all have to be reset. If the mountain isn't evacuated, this mean CMs have to reset the brakes and push each train individually to get it going again. It doesn't take that long, but unfortunately happens pretty frequently.

I was there some of your days and didn't experience the same RSR issues, but I know they take longer to work out. The Single Rider line for RSR is a lifesaver if you want/need to come back later--it tends to be very short.

I encountered issues with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which you may have encountered, too. For some reason, that ride was just finicky while we were there. (Like, Magic Kingdom's version of Splash Mountain finicky, if you know what I mean--it just worked when it wanted to.)

Yes, we did finally get to ride Space Mountain a few times. We liked it much better than the WDW version. We did have issues with Big Thunder Mountain being down as well, but were still able to ride it about 4 times throughout our trip. It's nice that everything is so close together, we would just do something else while a ride was down and check back later. When RSR went down, they made everyone leave the area. One CM said there was a safety issue.

 

[cdntink79]

Glad you both had a great trip.

We will have 5 days in Anaheim and have a 5 day hopper passes.

Thinking of going to Huntington Beach on one of the days rather then taking a room/pool break.

If we only have a few hours do you think it is worth it? Is the drive about an hour each way? Thinking of spending may 2-3 hours at the beach

We will take it as it comes, but we are totally land locked in Montana, so a little beach time sounds great.

I took us about 30 minutes to drive to Huntington Beach without using any freeways. I think it's totally worth the trip there!

 

[cdntink79]

Overall it was a very up and down trip; some cast members were great while others were surely and just acted like they didn't want to be there. The rides not opening with the park was probably our biggest gripe after the change in park hours but still, I'd take a day at Disneyland for however long than almost anything else!!

Now the planning begins for next year and maybe a small trip between now and then!!

Yes! We had the same experience. Some CM's were even downright rude. Some seemed like they didn't care to be there. While others were fantastic.
The rides not opening at park opening was frustrating as well. One morning we asked a CM for directions to Matterhorn entrance and he gave it to us. We got there and it was closed. On our way back to find a different ride instead, we passed the same CM and told him Matterhorn is closed. He said yeah it's not open this morning. Ummm thanks for letting us know before we walked all the way over there! He just shrugged.
We have a two year old who ended up doing a lot of waiting with one of us while the others would go on a big ride. One time, a CM blew bubbles for him to chase the entire time we were waiting. Then gave our son an honorary Disneyland citizen pin. I thought it was such a nice thing.

 

[Rubygoose]

Suitcases are packed. I made 5 dozen mini banana muffins this morning to bring along for quick breakfasts and snacks (they'll probably be all eaten up in the airport before we even arrive in Anaheim!) and I checked us all in for our flights and printed off our boarding passes! It's going to be a very long day of waiting today, then early bedtime tonight and up and ready to go by 6am tomorrow morning.

I haven't checked in online for flights before. I have my boarding pass printed out. Do I have to talk to a person, or do I just scan it at a little machine? We don't have any checked baggage.

 

[BriannaRuth]

If your boarding passes are printed out and you have no luggage, you just go straight to the gate. You'll have to show them at security but other than that, not again until you board.

Have fun!!!

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

So beyond our issues with GCH which I already groused about, I've been remiss in reporting back about the rest of our trip. We had an awesome time in the parks and in DtD overall. My partner, now on his third trip to DLR, feels like a vet now, too. At one point he was all like, "Excuse me, I KNOW my way around Disneyland!" So, you know, hurray!

FRIDAY
We arrived on Friday, and after check-in headed straight for the ticket booths to renew our APs (no more Premiers for us--we're all about DLR now--so we got Premiums), the into the parks. Our day-one schtick is buttons at City Hall (I got my belated birthday button!), then browsing Emporium, then breakfast at River Belle Terrace. That's what we did--by the end of breakfast overlooking the ROA, it always finally feels like we're back in the groove of DL.

We spent the morning and early afternoon following our nose instead of commando-chasing the headliners (Ryan has definitely taught me to stop and smell the roses in DL), though we did ride BTMRR. I can't tell you how much I missed DL's version and the new ending is amazing. Definitely prefer this version over MK's. I especially love the queue going down into the ravine vs. MK's interior queue. (I think this is my favorite Disney queue anywhere, actually!) Lunchtime we spent getting lost in the World of Disney store in DtD. After hanging in the hotel, we came back for our VIP reservations for Magic and F!. I had never watched the fireworks all the way through--Tink and Dumbo were totally awesome! And F! looks in great shape now! (Last October, some show elements were down.)

SATURDAY
Friends from Long Beach came to spend almost the whoe day with us on Saturday. I ran like a loon around DL Fantasyland for EMH, then an old teenage-years friend I used to know in NYC came out to the park, and then two friends I made from my blog--one of whom is a F! CM--came out. We did Indy, Space Mountain, Alice (everyone was floored at the new additions!), and eventually hopped to DCA then back to DL. My highlight was I finally got to have a Corn Dog from the cart on Main Street. First time ever. (Sadly, turned out I'm not a fan. Oh well, other great things to eat at DLR!) We also surprised our friends with lunch at CO (you've never seen so many Monte Cristos in your life!), and drinks at GCH's Hearthstone Lounge to thank them for coming out. Ryan and I will eventually move to SoCal, and it is a total blessing to already have local friends. We were very grateful about the whole day.

SUNDAY & MONDAY
Our remaining two days we played by ear. I spent more time in the parks; Ryan spent more time lounging at GCH. I learned the total magic of the RSR single-rider line, together we did Ryan's favorites at DCA--Soarin (which he loves at DCA but doesn't like at Epcot), ToT, and California Screamin' (which he made me ride four times and he never does that!), the reworked Under the Sea scene in Little Mermaid was a big hit for us, and we managed to watch two Soundsationals in DL because we couldn't stop hanging out on Main Street.

We had three big takeaways this trip:

• After experiencing DtD (Earl of Sandwich FTW!) and seeing the grounds of DLH and interior photos, Ryan desperately wants to stay at DLH now. (Hurray, on-site!);
• Space Mountain looks AWESOME inside the mountain now. Unfortunately, during the refurb they turned off all the blue ceiling lights in the loading zone that were half burnt-out anyway, and only replaced some of the blue lights in the power tunnel after the first lift hill. But..inside the ride dome, the starts have never, ever looked so full, or kinetic. It was like riding in outer space champagne bubbles of stars, just amazing. Best I've ever seen it look in there; and
• The Disneyland Monorail feels amazingly useful when you're staying on-property. We finally totally get how wonderful it is to hop out of DL to DtD and your hotel, and then right back in via the Monorail. Magic!

I also Instagrammed a lot of the trip as @mikedoyleblogger. Next time, that may be all we do. (Tired of not finding FP+ photographers in DL.) But all in all, we had a great time.

Also, don't tell Ryan, but I'm dragging him back over Rosh Hashanah weekend at the end of September.

P.S. I promise I wasn't paid per exclamation point or use of the word awesome, either.

 

[Rubygoose]

If your boarding passes are printed out and you have no luggage, you just go straight to the gate. You'll have to show them at security but other than that, not again until you board.

Have fun!!!

Great, thanks!

 

[Rubygoose]

So beyond our issues with GCH which I already groused about, I've been remiss in reporting back about the rest of our trip. We had an awesome time in the parks and in DtD overall. My partner, now on his third trip to DLR, feels like a vet now, too. At one point he was all like, "Excuse me, I KNOW my way around Disneyland!" So, you know, hurray!

FRIDAY
We arrived on Friday, and after check-in headed straight for the ticket booths to renew our APs (no more Premiers for us--we're all about DLR now--so we got Premiums), the into the parks. Our day-one schtick is buttons at City Hall (I got my belated birthday button!), then browsing Emporium, then breakfast at River Belle Terrace. That's what we did--by the end of breakfast overlooking the ROA, it always finally feels like we're back in the groove of DL.

We spent the morning and early afternoon following our nose instead of commando-chasing the headliners (Ryan has definitely taught me to stop and smell the roses in DL), though we did ride BTMRR. I can't tell you how much I missed DL's version and the new ending is amazing. Definitely prefer this version over MK's. I especially love the queue going down into the ravine vs. MK's interior queue. (I think this is my favorite Disney queue anywhere, actually!) Lunchtime we spent getting lost in the World of Disney store in DtD. After hanging in the hotel, we came back for our VIP reservations for Magic and F!. I had never watched the fireworks all the way through--Tink and Dumbo were totally awesome! And F! looks in great shape now! (Last October, some show elements were down.)

SATURDAY
Friends from Long Beach came to spend almost the whoe day with us on Saturday. I ran like a loon around DL Fantasyland for EMH, then an old teenage-years friend I used to know in NYC came out to the park, and then two friends I made from my blog--one of whom is a F! CM--came out. We did Indy, Space Mountain, Alice (everyone was floored at the new additions!), and eventually hopped to DCA then back to DL. My highlight was I finally got to have a Corn Dog from the cart on Main Street. First time ever. (Sadly, turned out I'm not a fan. Oh well, other great things to eat at DLR!) We also surprised our friends with lunch at CO (you've never seen so many Monte Cristos in your life!), and drinks at GCH's Hearthstone Lounge to thank them for coming out. Ryan and I will eventually move to SoCal, and it is a total blessing to already have local friends. We were very grateful about the whole day.

SUNDAY & MONDAY
Our remaining two days we played by ear. I spent more time in the parks; Ryan spent more time lounging at GCH. I learned the total magic of the RSR single-rider line, together we did Ryan's favorites at DCA (Soarin'--which he loves at DCA but doesn't like at Epcot, ToT, and California Screamin'--which he made me ride four times (he never does that!), the reworked Under the Sea scene in Little Mermaid was a big hit for us, and we managed to watch two Soundsationals in DL because we couldn't stop hanging out on Main Street.

We had three big takeaways this trip:

• After experiencing DtD (Earl of Sandwich FTW!) and seeing the grounds of DLH and interior photos, Ryan desperately wants to stay at DLH now. (Hurray, on-site!);
• Space Mountain looks AWESOME inside the mountain now. Unfortunately, during the refurb they turned off all the blue ceiling lights in the loading zone that were half burnt-out anyway, and only replaced some of the blue lights in the power tunnel after the first lift hill. But..inside the ride dome, the starts have never, ever looked so full, or kinetic. It was like riding in outer space champagne bubbles of stars, just amazing. Best I've ever seen it look in there; and
• The monorail feels amazingly useful when you're staying on-property. We finally totally get how wonderful it is to hop out of DL to DtD and your hotel, and then right back in via the Monorail. Magic!

I also Instagrammed a lot of the trip as @mikedoyleblogger. next time, that may be all we do. (Tired of not finding FP+ photographers in DL.) But all in all, we had a great time.

Also, don't tell Ryan, but I'm dragging him back over Rosh Hashanah weekend at the end of September.

P.S. I promise I wasn't paid per exclamation point or use of the word awesome, either.

I really enjoyed browsing your photos on instagram
I'm glad that you and Ryan had an enjoyable trip, even with the GCH mishaps. You should really stay at DLH next time. There are magical hidden Mickey's in the shower tiles!