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[davewasbaloo]

Thanks for the write up Reibi, it was a great read.

I have always said that DLP has the potential to be the best resort, but the staggered opening and closings, the lack of the vehicles on Main Street, the reduced fireworks, the hours, and the maintenance issues always makes me feel like it is a pretend DL. Though I love the international feel of DLP and the beauty of the design. Both are great for different reasons.

Overall DL is my fav resort, but it is not perfect. The Annual Pass culture (Jan 4th, 66%  of visitors were APers) is a double edge sword, on one side it means the entertainment and hours are top notch at DL, on the other it means lots of crowds and bad behaviour of guests and cast. There is no perfect Disney experience (though a hybrid of DL and DLP could be).

I do think sadly you visited on one of the worst years though (the parade situ, all the building work at DCA etc.). This is why we will not be returning until after 2012. Hopefully once the DCA Phase 1 is finished, things should be much better.

I am soooo sorry to hear about the merchandise. Our visit in 2007, everything was so much better merch wise compared to WDW (2006) and DLP.  Shame that has changed.

AS for Universal Studios - if you go thinking of it as a visitor attraction/museum, it is fantastic. If you go expecting a theme park, then I think people are disappointed. I really like it. As for Hollywood and LA, yep, they are not nice. I tried to pursuade my wife years ago to forget about Hollywood, but she pursuaded me to take her. She was really sorry she didn't listen to me.

My advice for visiting California - Northern California is beautiful. The mountains (Yosemite, Sequoia are a must), San Diego is fantastic, but in LA, just go to theme parks and museums.

[dagobert]

Thanks for the last part of your trip report. I've really enjoyed reading the whole report and your pictures are great, too.

In terms of castmembers and guests I have the same opinion like you. I have only been to WDW, but I had the same experiences like you. It made me already sick, when people on various forums mean, that the European visitors are the worst and Americans are the best. The same with the CMs.

Hopefully our plan will become reality to vist California in 2011 and of course we have to visit Disneyland. Good to know that Hollywood is an awful place, so we will not spend much time there.

Thanks again and have a nice day!!!

[davewasbaloo]

In terms of castmembers and guests I have the same opinion like you. I have only been to WDW, but I had the same experiences like you. It made me already sick, when people on various forums mean, that the European visitors are the worst and Americans are the best. The same with the CMs.

Having been a regular visitor to DL, DLP and WDW for many decades, I think this is my take on it.

I think Europe has more extreme behaviours of nice and horrid visitors. You can have an excellent trip with nice people, or some really horrible experiences that can make a difference. I think DLP had the best cast in 1992 when they were American trained, and then I think with the run up to the 15th anniversary, the cast at DLP have been getting better and better. Same with guests. Honestly, our worst guest experiences have still been at DLP (for extremes), but it feels like the queue jumping and smoking issues have been getting less and less.

At the same time, in the 70's and 80's, the cast members in the US were awesome, and people were better behaved.  Sadly though, over the last 15 years, Disney in the US has been less choosy about hiring cast members, training them less, and the service has been getting pretty bad. Also, the average american guest seems to be getting more obnoxious and rude.

In 1999/2000 - I would have said the best cast/guest behaviour would have ranked 1. DL, 2. WDW and 3. DLP.

Now I think DLP has improved and the US worse to where they are all equal with different pros and cons.

Just a reminder folks, I am an American who has lived in the UK for 23 years, and speaks German, French, some Spanish, Italian and Dutch. My degree is in International Relations. Although I would not say I am an expert with scientific evidence, this is based on my personal experiences and 15 years reading of Disney boards on line.

[davewasbaloo]

For anyone staying at DL or Anaheim that have an interest in Universal and Hollywood, and may not have a rental car, there is a decent bus trip that drives through the key Hollywood sites before going to Universal. That is not a bad way to do it.

Or a trip to the El Capitan to see a Disney film and exhibit, a trip to the Disney soda fountain and maybe Madame Tussauds is ok.

Other LA places worth while - Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain for coaster fans, and the Gene Autrey Western Museum is excellent (and the imagineers helped design it)

[Riebi]

Thanks for the last part of your trip report. I've really enjoyed reading the whole report and your pictures are great, too.

:lol:  You won´t get shot of me that fast  :lol: There are some parts waiting! Next will be San Diego with Sea World, San Diego Zoo and the original Disneyland Hotel  :mrgreen:

[Riebi]

.

AS for Universal Studios - if you go thinking of it as a visitor attraction/museum, it is fantastic. If you go expecting a theme park, then I think people are disappointed. I really like it.

I think that was my main mistake. I took it as a theme park.

I do think sadly you visited on one of the worst years though (the parade situ, all the building work at DCA etc.). This is why we will not be returning until after 2012. Hopefully once the DCA Phase 1 is finished, things should be much better.

I would say the fences wasn´t that hard. It was hard to see paradise pier without water but on the other hand it´s nice to see how much they invest to make people happy in a buiding side area. They had little transparent "windows" were you could see how world of color would look like at the bridges to paradise pier and other things to make every visitor interested in a visit after the fences. Great building side marketing!

I have always said that DLP has the potential to be the best resort, but the staggered opening and closings, the lack of the vehicles on Main Street, the reduced fireworks, the hours, and the maintenance issues always makes me feel like it is a pretend DL. Though I love the international feel of DLP and the beauty of the design. Both are great for different reasons.

The main thing for me are the reduced opening hours for the attractions at DLP. I thinks it´s a shame that we pay the full price for less. I can understand cuts but not something like that.

[luke85]

Great trip report Riebi! Looks like you had an amazing time, thanks for posting so many photos!

[Soap]

great report and nice pictures Riebi, jsut as if being there
thanks for sharing!

[Riebi]

After trying to post some pictures since days I decided to make first another trip report part.

So thank you all again for your comments. Pictures will follow soon again. But now next part:

13.10 San Diego Zoo, Old Town San Diego and Horton Plaza and Gaslamp Quarter

Our first night at San Diego was over. We stayed in the completly refreshed Motel 6. It was the best Motel 6 on our journey. Fresh paint, fresh room, new big tv screen, at downtown san diego.

The day before we visited hollywood and then we had a journey along the sea to san diego. We visited Horton Plaza shopping center (good shopping place). Then our bed was our favorite friend.
On 13.10. the plan was to go to Sea World. But cause we slept that long this day (was because the Disneyland days were that exciting and ...long:-)) we decited to take the San Diego Zoo for the day.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the biggest Zoos worldwide. And it has a really wide offering on things to do. With the Southern California City Pass you have not just the entrance included but also the special things inside the zoo as the bus-safari and the skyride. It´s great to have everything in one ticket and it´s not nice if you have to pay again and again for everything you want to do inside.

We first took the bus safari. It´s a double-deck bus. It´s better to take your place "downstairs" cause you will see much more from this level.

You will get a nice overview about the whole zoo and it´s good to start the day here like this. After our bus safari we made our way through the zoo. We used the skyride, which is great. You can see the whole Bilboa Park from here and the city in the distance. Under your feet you will see the zoo, of course.

They really nice vista points inside the park where you can watch the animal around you. One of my favorit was the panda. There was only one cause they had procreation and in this times they need it calm and with less visitors. The zoo is something that is hard to describe in words so I think I will post some pics soon.

Interesting are also again some technical aspekts. The San Diego Zoo was the first place were I saw moving staircases in the middle of nothing/greenery/plants. Everywhere where a poor little armerican has to take more then 10 steps in a row they had one. This was quiete funny. I stand on some screaming "To infinity and beyond!"....TIPP: People on moving staircases are thinking that you are more then just a little bit crazy if you are standing on moving staircases screaming "To infinity and beyond!"...


You will need around 5 hours for the zoo. We were at the gates around 10 AM and leave the park around 5 PM. We ate some meatball "italian" pasta (wasn´t really good) and had the feeling of a full belly for the rest of the day so we went to Old Town San Diego for the evening, just to have a look. Old Town San Diego is the old centre of San Diego and shows the mexican/spanish culture. It´s a nice place to be and find some gifts for your people at home (but it´s to expensive so you should only take a look and buy the stuff a day later at walmart or else)

It´s also nice to have a wonderful open air diner. But as said we were both not very hungry for the moment. We just bought some really hot chili stuff and we saw many things with worms inside but not one bottle of tequila with worm.

For the rest of the evening we went back to the city and had a nice walk throught the gas lamp quater. That such a nice spot for the evening. Much brick. Everywhere are people sitting in bars and restaurants and it was a real summer evening ambiance in the middle of october. I fell so in love with San Diego and this year round summer feeling.

To finish our day we made some shopping at horton plaza (My friend bought some sunglasses for me :-D) and after some hour since our zoo meal it was good to have the hunger back. We bought a HUGE cinnamon with frosting and everything and a Panda Plate at Panda Express. Went back to our Motel and there we were eating on the bed and watching an american movie (target group: women with realtionship problems but the right thing fot such an evening).

And that it was: Our first day San Diego!

[dagobert]

Another great trip report!! Can't wait to see some pictures of San Diego, so keep posting!!!

[Riebi]

Another great trip report!! Can't wait to see some pictures of San Diego, so keep posting!!!

Thanks! The pics of San Diego are soon here. First I deliver the other pics between Disneyland (3. day) and San Diego (hope that also ok  :mrgreen: )


11.10.:



[strike:3jtz9p1t]Tom Sawyer´s[/strike:3jtz9p1t] [strike:3jtz9p1t]Adventures Isle[/strike:3jtz9p1t]Pirates Lair





This people are really waiting for fantasmic in the evening...hours later...

Our Tiki Room Pineappppple super desert


The evil pumpkin king

The evil pumkin king and his evil pumkin king castle

12.10.












Xena or something...

I HAVE THE SAME SIZE AS CLARK GABLE!!! (gone with the wind music in the background, sky turns red, tara in the distance...)







The Pin Traders Sundae at the Soda Fountain with an exclusive Pin Traders Pin Limited Edition, LOOOTS of ice cream, hot chocolate, marshmellow cream, sprinkles, cream.....

My new friend between LA and San Diego. He love the sundae at SF too.


Horton Plaza, San Diego

[dagobert]

We definately have to go to the Disney Fountain and Studios Store. This sundae looks really delicious. Great pictures by the way!!!

[Riebi]

Next Part:

14.10 A wet experience at Sea World, cocktails at old town, Fishermen´s village and again the gaslamp quarter

Today was our Sea World Day at San Diego. With our Southern California City Pass we had that again included. We made an early-bird day and had the luck that we were one of the first visitors at the carpark. The gates were open, even the park had an later official opening time. So we took a short walk at the entrance area, ate a giant coookie and watched a - weird - thing. At the official opening hours Sea World plays the national anthem. But that not all. At the official opening hours of Sea World EVERY american visitor freeze with their hands on their hearts cause they play the national anthem. For a german that is a really bizarre move. We asked our self

1. why are they playing the national anthem to open a theme park and - even much more important -
2. why have all the armericans their hand on their heart, freezing, some singing their anthem...

It was really embarrassing. Thanks god I had my giant coooockie to hold something. But that was also the cause of some hard glances of an old american. But ok. We had here in germany this times some years before around the thirties.

But OK the official opening was over and we learned that the visitors wasn´t some display dummies, but normal humans that could WALK! We took our tour through the park. The first thing we saw was the breakfast for the baby whales. A good start for the park. We then took the way to the starfishs where I pet some of them. It´s cool that cou can touch this little friends. We saw many delphins (you can make a delphin therapie there at the "Delphin Encounter"), fishes, whales etc.

They have also some shows there. Seals-shows, soon a new delphin show and of course the biggest: The Shamu the whale show. Again that was one of the strangest things ever. Mostly cause of the beginning, where a sea world team member told the audience to stand up if they had some warriors figthing in the wars around the world for the peace of america. We should to think about all our army members in Iraq, afganistan etc., the woman told us. After something like a speech out of a Bollywood masala movie a silent moment and a big clap there was two bit scared germans in the big shamu stadium. The show started and we were happy about it. But all this things aren´t really fitting to a theme park.

But back to Sea World. Sea World is a great park for a day and it´s wonderful to watch all these animals. Most of them very near.

Also the other attraction are solid. We had much fun on Atlantis ("Aquatic Coaster"), the sesame street (YES I HAD FUN) movie etc.
I had a very wet expierence on the rafting attraction (very high themed! Great)...I saw many people in the queue with rain ponchos. I asked my friend "Shouldn´t we buy a rain poncho???" "WE ARE MEN" he said. After the next steps there was a little rain poncho shop and cause everyone had a rain poncho I asked again "Shouldn´t we buy a rain poncho???" "We don´t need one of this 3 $ rain ponchos" he said. "EVERYONE has one" "We are men! we don´t war rain ponchos" ... After the rest of the queue we were in a boat with men, women, childs ALL wering rain ponchos. An I know why! I was wet. My clothes were wet. My underwear was wet. My shoes, socks, hair, everything was wet. If someone in the queue at Sea World sells rain ponchos BUY ONE!!!!

Thanks god it was San Diego which means hot climate. So after some time and after I take off everything that hadn´t the chance to get dry again the rest of my clothes was dry again. It was late in the afternoon and so we just took a tour at the observatory tower and then we made our way to Old Town San Diego where we had a wonderful mexican meal under the sky. And wonderful cocktails!!! Try them! Great!

Later in San Diego we visited the Fishermen´s village (very nice village. Looks like a Newport Bay Club Disney Village. They should really take this whole area to Paris!). And last thing on our day list was again a visit at the wonderful gaslamp quarter. San Diego is such a wonderful city! Yes it is!

[davewasbaloo]

Glad you loved San Diego. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. as for the patriotic stuff, that is normal in schools, board meetings, everywhere. It is a part of the culture.

[dagobert]

I was also a little bit confused during our semester in the US, that US-Americans sing and play their anthem before every football-, soccer- or baseball game, even in colleges. You will not find this here in Austria, too.

I think they are more proud of their country than we are.

Again a great trip report. Thanks a lot.