We (my girlfriend Claudia and I) just returned from our recent trip to DLRP. It was my fourth trip to DLRP and our second Disney trip this year (WDW in January, posted in International Trip Reports). We stayed at the Santa Fe Hotel for 6 nights with 5 days of park entry.We had a marvellous time, like always. Although we enjoyed every minute of our time in the parks, we figured out that four days are perfect for us, since we are more organized then. We really like the Santa Fe, but after three times in a row it's really time for a change now. So for our next trip we plan to stay in the Sequoia Lodge.
So here we go with my trip report:
Arrival
We started our journey at 7:00am and after a looooong 10 hour drive we arrived finally at Disneyland. We checked in at the Santa Fe (Room was nice and clean as always) and then walked over to Disney Village, where we were happy about the improvements they made about it. Dinner was at Annette's Diner, where we both ordered the veggie burger which was very tasty, although the portion was huge! After checking out the merchandise (imo so much nicer than in WDW) and a few drinks at the Sport's Bar we walked back to the hotel and went to bed early.
Day 1 in the Parks
We woke up very early to make full use of the EMH. So we had breakfast at 7:00 which was nice and quiet. When we left the dining hall there was a huge queue outside so we were happy that we got the earliest breakfast slot.
When we entered Disneyland Park we were so happy to be back in "our" park because we didn't have the nice "Disney feeling" at the Magic Kingdom in WDW (which was the last Disney park we visited). It was so nice to be "home" again.
After staring at the castle for a while we entered Discovery Land and went on Buzz Lightyear, and then on to Space Mountain, which we rode two times! Unfortunately our experience was very bumpy, I'm not sure if that's just our personal impression, anyone else has noticed that too?
After having a little snack in the Cable Car Bakeshop we went to the Guest Relations to make some reservations for restaurants. Unfortunately we were told that Walt's was closed ALL WEEK LONG! NOOO! So we were a little disappointed by that since it's our favorite restaurant. We headed over to the Studios, and were shocked by the huge queue in front of Crush's Coaster that was all through the park back to Hollywood Boulevard. It wasn't even open yet!
Claudia didn't feel very well that day so we decided to go back to the hotel so she could have a little nap. After that we returned to Disneyland Park and had lunch at the Pizzeria Bella Notte. We've never been to this restaurant, but the theming is so nice. I had the four cheese pizza and Claudia had the Pasta Neapolitana. We enjoyed a very quiet lunch since it was only 12:00.
In the afternoon we enjoyed our favorite rides: Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, Phantom Manor (which was a little disappointing compared the updated version in WDW. Time for an update, folks!). Then we went over the Studios again and rode the Tower of Terror, which is just brilliant!!! We loved it. And the Cast Members were just amazing, they did such a good job – very creepy.
We had dinner at Au Chalet de la Marionette. We both had the salad with cheese, which was ok. One word of warning: Don't try to sit outside (especially in the afternoon). They have some serious issues with the restrooms nearby, and so the wind brought over an awful smell. We escaped to the other side of Fantasyland.
We watched Candlebration, but the show was disappointing, first of all you couldn't see the lights at the Castle and they re-used the Parade Music and second it was very short. After leaving the park we had some drinks at the Sports Bar and then went back to the hotel.
Photos will follow.
Arrival Day:
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Nice pics..........thanks for sharing :wink:
Epcot_Boy :ears:
More pictures of the first day:
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Great report, looking forward to the rest!
I find SM very bumpy too... Last time I could only go once on it, I bumped my knee and after it was so painful whenever anything touched it, that I couldnt face going on SM a second time...
You had such a lovely weather!! And park seems fairly quiet in your pics... Looks perfect!!
Great report and pictures Dagobert, thanks for sharing them, I look forward to seeing the rest :)
lovely pictures and great review. Looking forward to more :D ...
thanks for sharing your trip report with us!!
I love all the pictures especially the ones of walt disney studios!!
i cannot wait to read more!!!
great pics reading it is just getting me more and more excited for my visit :D
Second Day in the Park
We had breakfast again at 7:00am and headed over to the park just in time for the Extra Magic Hours. We enjoyed our favorite rides in Fantasyland – Tea Cups, it's a small world, Pinocchio and Peter Pan. Then we went over to the Studios because we really wanted to ride Crush's Coaster! So we were in line for 45min and then they told us that they had technical difficulties and that they wouldn't open the ride. Arghh! We also had a really bad experience with another guest. A guy with his kid tried to get in line right in front of us. He just skipped half of the Crush line (which was again insanely long). Needless to say he wasn't very successful in his attempt and ended up somewhere in the back. I can't believe how rude some people are. Fortunatley, this was the only case of bad guest behavior we've seen during our stay.
After this disappointing experience at Crush's we went back to Disneyland Park and had a little snack at the Salon Mickey, since I'm a new shareholder. Yay! Very nice.
Later we returned to the Studios and there was only a short queue in front of Crush (30 minutes). So we got in line and finally were able to enjoy this fun ride!! And then we rode it again! Whoohoo! Two time Crush's Coaster in a row – I am really proud, haha!
We took a little break at the Hollywood boulevard. With all the new additions, this part of the park is now such a nice spot to sit down and relax a little. We tried the Perrier "Cocktails" which come in yummy flavors and very bright colors. And we met Goofy as Bellhopper! ?
We returned to the Disneyland Park just in time for a late lunch at the Blue Lagoon. I was a little sceptical about this restaurant as it gets so many bad reviews. But we had an amazing time there, the service was excellent, the food was very yummy and you really can't beat the setting!! I had the Mahi-Mahi fish and my girlfriend (who is a vegetarian, by the way) had the pasta. We shared the goat cheese as an appetizer and the Creme Brulée as a dessert. So good! If anyone is interested in food pics, I can post them.
After dinner we were a little tired and very full, so we just walked through the park and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then we walked over to Disney Village because we've found out that they have a Happy Hour at King Ludwig's – two beers for the price of one! So we had to try that. After a nice evening in the village we went back to the hotel.
Pictures:
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Crush twice in a row, whoa!! Very jealous!
Great pics, looking forward to more!
Back in DLP:
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Hey, thanks for the trip report and the really great pictures so far, dagobert :)!
And aw, it's great that you liked the Veggie Burger at Annette's (is it only for take-out or is it also possible to eat it inside? For 13 Euros or so?), as my boyfriend and I (both Vegetarians, too) want to try it for the first time during our Christmas trip :)!
The pics are really awesome, and you had so nice wheather!! The cocktails look really yummy!
We also had the pasta last year (September) at the Blue Lagoon, the atmosphere is incredible, isn't it? :)
Hi Nala!
Yes it's possible to order the burger in the restaurant. The burger is delicious and the portions are very big, so make sure that you are really hungry.
You're definately not the only who gets bashed around on SM. I find my head knocks side to side on the restraint the whole way round. :(
The 7:00 am breakfast is one of DLRP's best kept secrets. It's so unbelievably quiet!! I'm not normally a morning person, but usually we get up chuck on some clothes, go and have breakfast at 7am then go back to the room and get ready properly, that way you're not up too early. It also works out well for lunch as you're hungry earlier meaning that you miss the big lunch rush! :D/
your pics are sooooo good i just cant wait
anyone else want to come with me :D
@ jeakat24: So don't tell everybody about the breakfast time :wink:
Thanks everybody for your answers and compliments.
Quote from: "dagobert"@ jeakat24: So don't tell everybody about the breakfast time :wink:
Thanks everybody for your answers and compliments.
Lol I don't think sharing it with too many people will do that much harm [-o< Of course I'm hoping that no one I tell is planning to go at the same time as me :wink:
good idea for breakfast time think ill be doing that when i go :D
Our third day in the parks:
On our third day we were really tired and our feet were sore. We had an early breakfast and then made full use of the EMH. After the other lands opened we headed over to BTM and to our joy we discovered that Fuente del Oro was open! That was the first time I've seen this place open! We walked through Frontierland and suddenly saw Minnie Mouse at Woody's Round-Up. And the queue was really short, so of course I had to get a picture with the two girls! We also took a picture with Woody.
We had an early lunch at the Fuente del Oro, and it was very yummy. Everything was fresh and was a nice variety to the usual burgers and pizzas in the park.
After lunch we rode the PotC and then just strolled around the park as we were so tired. We had some delicious Ben & Jerry's ice cream (my favorite flavor is Cookie Dough, my girlfriend loves Phish Food).
After a quick look at the Mary Poppin's show and the picture with one of the cute penguins we walked to the Studios to our favorite attraction: The Tower, of course!
We also rode Rock'n'Roller Coaster. It's so sad that there are no people at this attraction, we basically always walked through. Also the pre-show seems shorter. But the ride is smoother than Space Mountain. We also watched Animagique, the cutest show ever.
It was our first time to do the Art of Disney Animation, during the last trips we were just not interested in that. I have no idea why, it's such a cute little exhibition and we loved the Animation Academy! We've drawn pretty nice Winnies and Mickeys. How fun!
We headed back to Disneyland Park to watch the Parade (as you can see, we made full use of the Park Hopper Ticket). The floats that were in the Parade were really nice and we liked their smell, but we didn't like the music so much.
We had an early dinner at Cowboy Cookout Barbecue, and tried the really good Omelette Burger. Then we walked back to the hotel, had a nap and a shower and then we went back to the Disney Village for a nice evening.
Pictures:
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For all who want to know, here is a picture of the Annette's Diner Veggie Burger.
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That burger looks yuummmy I WANT ONE NOW, wait I can wait 17 days :D
Dagobert, you made my day with the Veggie Burger pic - I'm getting hungry!!! :mrgreen: It looks absolutely yummy, and not much different than the one we ate at the Rainforest Café last year (also with avocado stripes?!) for 15,90 Euros!! Do you remember much the burger costs? ;) But price doesn't matter, looks just too good hehe!
Thanks again for the other pics and report, it's absolutely fun to read your reports and look at the pics! It all just sounds so similar to our trips, as we're also Veggies f.e. or also had "Cookie Dough" and "Phish Food" last year at the Gibson Girl's ;)!
I especially love the pic with you and Minnie, really cute and such a cosy atmosphere :)! I think we won't get to see her as I asume there'll be Santa instead in December... The pic of your girlfriend with penguin is also really sweet ;)!
I think the price for the burger was 13,95€. And yes, there was an avocado in the burger, but I didn't like it, so my girlfriend had to eat it. :D
I have to admit that I'm not a vegetarian, but I like to try the vegetarian meals.
I can really recommend everybody this burger. It was one of the best I have ever eaten.
Great pics once more!
Particularly like the ones with the parade, and how you got the whole floats in your pics! But you didn't like the Just like we dreamed it song??
And great picture with Minnie!!
Behind the sitting area at the castle stage, there is a little balcony (you can meet Winnie the Pooh there) and there were no people. This is a very good spot to watch the parade, because you don't have any people in front of you.
No we didn't like the song so much, but the floats look really great.
Wow great pictures, you were really lucky with the weather. I havent been on SM for a while as I have had a few hip problems over the years, the last time I went on it i couldnt move for an hour OUCH!!!
great pictures and lovely reviews once again =D> ...
And if it's not too late I would like to see food-pics from Blue Lagoon :oops: . I love the restaurant but was a bit disappointed with the food last time. Still planning to give it another chance though.
Icecream sounds yummy (and so do the Perrier "cocktails"...never even seen them before) but w´hat is Phish Food icecream :shock: ???
Wow twice in a row on Crush's coaster - thats amazing ! :D
You seemed to have great weather and the parks didn't seem too busy.
Fantastic trip report =D>
Mr_B
So here are some food pics from Blue Lagoon. As I said before, we were also a liitle bit sceptical, because of bad reviews, but we wanted to have our dinner there, because of the very nice theming of the restaurant. The food was really good, it was hot and the service was also quick. So we will eat there again.
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Fourth Day in the Parks
Again, early breakfast! Then we caught one of the cute little Main Street Vehicles that brought us to the castle. We walked through the castle (the gallery upstairs was not open every day) and took a look at the refurbishment of the "Sword in the Stone Place". After that we went on Buzz Lightyear , Space Mountain and we did a little bit of shopping.
For lunch we had a reservation at Agrabah Cafe. The food was really nice, there were a lot of vegetarian options. We had a nice experience, although we are usually not big fans of buffet restaurants – we just can't watch going so much food to waste (people overloading their plates and then leaving all behind), but this time it was okay. The restaurant itself is really pretty! The rest of the day we rode our favorite rides! BTM, PotC and Phantom Manor. We rode Star Tours, too, but it needs an update.
We also went back to the Studios for the Studio Tram Tour and we also rode Cars, which was really funny! Those little cars spin really fast, perhaps this is due to our heavy weight in the back and no people in the front row.
After Cinemagique, we left the park a little earlier because there were some really dark clouds in the sky. We went to King Ludwig's to have a drink and then we also ordered some food which was really good. I had a potatoe soup, Claudia had the Onion Soup – very filling! Afterwards we have spent some time in the Disney Village. By the way it looks so much nicer with all the trees and plants.
Pics:
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The crowds were okay all week long. I think the longest waiting time was always at Crush's Coaster. I understand it, because this ride is really a lot of fun.
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Day 5 will follow tomorrow. If some is interested in food pics from the Agrabah Cafe or King Ludwig's, let me know and I will post them.
yes would love tos ee pics of the food from both
Okay, here are the pictures:
Agrabah Cafe:
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Great trip report, thanks for sharing! Also thanks for the food pictures, although it's making me hungry!
Great report and fantastic photos!! Loved how you photographed the Once upon a dream parade, capturing the whole float of them all except the last as it is very long!
Thanks for sharing!! You've made me hungry with all the food pictures!:) hehe
Aveen xxx
Thanks again for report & pictures!!
You're the second person who recommends the Agrabah Café also for Veggies, and thanks a lot for the food picture, looks really yummy :) I sooo hope that it'll be opened during our trip!!
great report once again. And thanks so much for the food pics :D/ !!! The fish in Blue Lagoon looked really good imo...
Fifth Day in the Parks
We wanted to have something nice for our last day, so we booked a table at Cafe Mickey. On our last morning it was raining but the sky cleared up after some time, so we could enjoy our last EMHs.
I broke my personal record at Buzz Lightyear, very proud of that ?. After exploring Adventure Isle, which is one of my girlfriend's favorites, we rode BTM and then went back to the Village for lunch. We've heard some terrible things about Cafe Mickey (pure chaos...) so we were sceptical. But we had a great time, met lots of characters: Tigger, Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Smee, Pluto, King Richard and Brother Tuck! The food is really pricey, but also very yummy. I had a pizza, Claudia had Cannelloni, and we shared Tiramisu for dessert. It was a great photo opportunity and the interaction with the characters was really funny, however, it gets really noisy. I would advise anyone who wants to eat there to go there for lunch because for dinner the waiting time is just crazy, and I'm sure it's even louder (if that's possible).
After lunch we went to the Studios. We draw another picture at the Animation Academy, went on the Flying Carpets, RnRC and ToT. Then we went back to Disneyland Park where Claudia had some candy floss. We were already a little bit sad we had to leave so we just walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere for the last time. Then we said "Goodbye!" to the Castle and promised to return soon.
We went over to the Village and had dinner at King Ludwig's, very yummy. Then we did some shopping, bought pins and other souveniers. Oh, we also bought the new Disneyland-DVD (which is as bad as usual, haha.).
The next day, after breakfast, we went on our looong journey back home.
Pictures:
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For those who are interested, here are food pics from Cafe Mickey and King Ludwig's:
Cafe Mickey:
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SUMMMARY
We had an amazing time! However, there were some things we didn't like too much. One of those were the restrooms. Seriously, there was no men's restroom where all toilets were working! It was also hard to find a working hand dryer. And as I already mentioned, the restrooms at Au Chalet de la Marionette were the worst.
I was also a little angry that seemingly it's not possible to announce the closures and refurbishment dates a little earlier on the Official Disney Site. One week before we went they announced 3 more refurbishments for September. I really approve refurbishments, but it would be nice to plan around those, because I have attractions that I really enjoy and I want to ride them, and I would consider choosing another date if those were closed (which was not the case here).
There was one more thing that I didn't like too much: In the Studios they had characters out everyday. There were so many people pushing around them and no Cast Member was in sight. You couldn't get a normal picture (I think nobody could, because there was always someone pushing or standing in the way) and it can get also dangerous for the characters with so many people.
One more word about smoking: Although my girlfriend and I are not smoking, we are really not bothered by smokers (as long as they are not smoking in queues or buildings). There were smoking people everywhere outside, in their defence I have to say that the non-smoking signs at the entrance are really not noticeable, especially when all you want is to go into the Park. My girlfriend didn't notice a single sign at the entrance (too distracted!). Also Cast Members didn't say anything about smoking and they still have the old garbage bins with the ashtrays everywhere, which is quite confusing – why should there be ashtrays if smoking is not allowed?
What we especially loved about this trip were the Cast Members, especially those at Adventureland and at the Tower of Terror. They were excellent pirates and bellhoppers and just completed our experience. It's also nice to see that the Cast Member have fun while they are working, which was obviously the case. We had a very good experience with the Cast Members in the whole resort. It's also helpful that they are approaching people that were misbehaving (flash pictures in shows.. argggh).
Another thing I like about DLRP is, that everything is in walking distance. It is no problem to walk from the hotels to the parks or to change between the Studios and DLP. So you can make use of the Hopper Ticket. If you want to go to another park at WDW you had to take a bus, monorail or a boat. I know WDW is very big, but the short walking distances in DLRP are a big advantage.
We hab an amazing time and we are already planning our next trip, which will be hopefully not too far in the future!
I hope you liked our trip report and pictures and I want to thank everybody for the nice compliments and replies.
Quote from: "dagobert"SUMMMARY
There was one more thing that I didn't like too much: In the Studios they had characters out everyday. There were so many people pushing around them and no Cast Member was in sight. You couldn't get a normal picture (I think nobody could, because there was always someone pushing or standing in the way) and it can get also dangerous for the characters with so many people.
This is a problem I think most people find about Disneyland Paris, it really is a fight to get your photo with Characters! Especially with Parents shoving their children infront of adults who want photos, as though Children are allowed first pickings, which I feel is completely wrong but I am not excusing the other adults who also shove. Unfortunately I find even though I would not be rude and do that I end up having to be in disneyland Resort Paris because otehrwise you would never get the photo with the character :oops: . If I see someone has been there before me though I do try to ensure I don't push in before them but with so many people pushing in its a hard battle. It's why I now ensure I book a character meal so that I can get a few character photos without this hastle.
Other than the few problems you had it looks like you had a great time in Disneyland Paris, your photos are great, I love all the character photos you got!:) The pictures of the food look yummy too!:) Thanks for the report!
Aveen xxx
Quote from: "dagobert"SUMMMARY
There was one more thing that I didn't like too much: In the Studios they had characters out everyday. There were so many people pushing around them and no Cast Member was in sight. You couldn't get a normal picture (I think nobody could, because there was always someone pushing or standing in the way) and it can get also dangerous for the characters with so many people.
We encountered this on our last trip in the Studios too. My little sister was trying to meet and get a autograph/picture with Donald in Front Lot. She was one of the first people there but kept being pushed aside by other kids who were just turning up and shoving their way to the front. Long story short, she ended up in tears, and Donald went straight to her, so there's a tip for you, but unfortunately it doesn't look the best in the pictures :x :wink:
Anyway, fantastic trip report Dagobert, I've really enjoyed reading it and seeing your pictures. I'm glad you had such a great trip :)
Fab Trip Report dagobert... =D> =D> =D>
Actually I'd just spotted this one on the new posts, and again like what happened to a few other trip reports I accidently missed, so reading them late, you're never kept waiting, you can read and read and read, the whole report in full in one go... :wink: :D
I must admit, I've never read a report with as many different references to the restaurants, as well as the different dishes. Such a brilliant cuisine tour... :D/ :D/
I'm glad you both really enjoyed yourselves as ever. :D
Once again thanks for sharing.. :wink: :D
THANK YOU!
this was ONE of the BEST trip reports I have seen and you have got soooo many pics you need to tell us how you managed to remember what you done each day!
really enjoyed the last parts as well plus the pictures of course. Seems like you had a wonderful time and you made me wanna go back to DLRP so bad now. And I hope you can go back soon as well so that you can write another brilliant trip report :P ...
Again a great report and beautiful pics, it's so much fun to look at them!! Thank you very much :)
Aw, the pic of Claudia & Minnie is really cute! And I like it that you also always take pics from the food at DLRP, we do this also everytime :mrgreen:
Brilliant trip report - I love your pics, especially the ones in Minnies house! I have a niece coming with me to DLRP in October, she is going to adore Minnies house :D/ .
What a fantastic trip report! I really enjoyed reading it! Thank you =D>