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[bad-pink-tink]

I have been in USA since 21 June, 3 Days in New Orleans, 4 Days in Santa Monica in LA and now I am in Anaheim.

DAY 1 Friday 27 June
I don't drive so I have been with my friends who have a car but they did not come to Disney with me. I got The Big Blue Bus from Santa Monica to LAX Airport ( which cost $1 !!) and then got the Disney Shuttle Bus http://www.graylineanaheim.com/airport_info.cfm from LAX to my hotel.

I left my hotel in Santa Monica at 1pm and arrived at my hotel in Anaheim at about 5.15pm. Yes it was long, but I had about an hour at the airport between buses so I had some lunch. Also Friday evening traffic made the journey a bit longer.

After I checked in I contacted my friend S who lives here in Anaheim and we spent the rest of the evening at Downtown Disney. We had planned to eat at Rainforest Cafe but being Friday evening it was really busy. There was a 1 hour 45 minute wait for a table, so we went to Earl of Sandwich instead.

Usually when we come to Disney there is a group of us, so it was really nice just to be with S. Living in Anaheim she has been to Disney so much so for once I get to do things just for me,

We wandered around Downtown Disney for a while, I did some shopping and we planned for Saturday in the park. S had been at work on Friday so we didn't stay late. We stayed to watch the fireworks which are in the main park. You can see them over the buildings  in Downtown Disney but you can't hear the music.

After the fireworks we just came back to my hotel for awhile and then S went home.

[norhel]

Sounds nice so far :-)

[daddyof2]

Sounds nice so far :-)

Well, it is the happiest place on earth 

[seraphelle]

Slightly off Disney topic: Just wanted to say, that aside from Disneyland, New Orleans is my most favourite place on earth! I hope you had a blast there. I haven't been in years, since before I had my children, but as soon as they're old enough and mature enough to deal with what they may see there, or stay at home while their Dad and I go, I'm straight on a plane!  The music, the food, the cocktails, the architecture, the coffee......I just love the place. xx

[bad-pink-tink]

hey everyone, I will write up the rest of my report, I just got home and I'm sooo tired, I will upload some photos too

[bad-pink-tink]

Day 2

Disneyland California has 2 parks, the main Disney Park and California Adventures. The entrances to the 2 parks are opposite each other, across a big square. The other sides of the square are Downtown Disney / the Disney Hotels and the shuttle transport area.

There are bag check areas and ticket booths at Downtown Disney and at the shuttle bus area.

Disney Park
Main Street USA
Fantasy Land
Frontier Land
Adventure Land
New Orleans Square
Critter Country
Tomorrow Land



California Adventures
Buena Vista Street
Hollywood Land
A Bugs Land
Cars Land
Pacific Wharf
Paradise Pier
Grizzly Peak
Condor Flats



S collected me at 9 am at my hotel and we went straight to the parks.  After parking in the Mickey and Friends Parking , we took the Disney shuttle to the parks. 

The entrance to DLP is much more impressive with the Disneyland hotel, as at California you just have the turnstiles and you can see Main Street Train Station as you approach the turnstiles.

As I had said the night before I wanted to see World Of Colour night-time water show, we went straight to California Adventures.  After a breakfast stop at Starbucks ,which is in California Adventures park,  we went to the fast-pass area for World of Colour. This is one of the hidden tips many people don't know about.  The fast-pass gives you access to the viewing area near the water. The best fast-pass to get is BLUE viewing area, which is the area with the best view. There is also yellow viewing area and then after that, general viewing with no fast pass.

While we were in California Adventures, we also got a Fast-pass for Radiator Springs Racers. This is one of the more popular rides in the new Cars Land, which is part of California Adventures Park.

By now it was after 10 am so we went back across to the main park and straight to Fantasyland. We did Peter Pans Flight, Snow White and Pinocchio. It was so nice to hear the audios in English instead of French.

Then we went though Frontierland, past the riverboats and it was time for Pirates. I prefer the theming of the DLP Pirates queuing area but the California updated Pirates is far better than the DLP. Not just the additions of Captain Jack Sparrow,(there are 3, the last one is the really really lifelike) but just the overall feel, it seems longer  and in better condition than DLP.

After Pirates we went over to Haunted Mansion. Again it was really nice to hear the audio in English. The don't have Boot Hill here though and some parts of the ride are different.

After Haunted Mansion, we came back to New Orleans Square and got the train to Tommowland. Captain EO had just closed the week before, which was disappointing.

In Tomorrowland we got on the MONORAIL. A hidden tip is to ask to ride with the driver. As there were only 2 of us, we were lucky that no one else had asked on this journey. We were right at the front of the Monorail, beside the driver. We had an amazing view. The front section can hold up to 6 people.  The Monorail goes from Tomorrowland through Hollywood Studios in California Adventures , through Disney Grand Hotel California and stops in Downtown Disney. The return journey goes back through Downtown Disney, past the main park entrance,  2 loops through Fantasyland and back to Tommorrowland. 

After the Monorail, I went on Star Tours. S doesn't like it so I went on my own. OMG the new 3D Star Tours is AMAZING!!  Its far far better than the 1st version which is still in DLP. There are a number of different start, middle and end scenes which are in random sequence. This means that you could do the ride 10 times in a row and get a different version on each ride.

We then did Buzz Laser blast, which of course S beat me at, as she has been to Disney alot more times than me. The photos were funny though

After Buzz, we got the train back to New Orleans Square as we had a lunch reservation for The Blue Bayou Restaurant in Pirates of The Caribbean.



Our reservation was for 2.30 pm but we got there at 2.00 pm to ask for a table by the water. We were lucky, we just had to wait about 15 minutes and we brought to a table by the water. I did take photos but they are a bit dark.

The lunch menu at Blue Bayou


My starter New Orleans Gumbo


My main course Tesoro Island Chicken


My dessert Creme Brulee


S Main Course Le Special de Monte Cristo Sandwich


S dessert Lava Cake


After lunch, it was time to back to Cars Land in California Adventures for our Fast Pass to Radiator Springs Racers. 





Radiator Springs is a Cars themed ride, like a roller coaster but on a track. You race another car around the track. Its  the most popular ride in Cars Land and without a fast pass you can wait over an hour or more.

Then it was onto to Toystory Mania, Little Mermaid and Soaring Over California.

Toystory Mania is a 3D shooting game similar to Buzz, Little Mermaid is a dark ride, similar to Phantom Manor and Soaring Over California is an IMEX type video but you are suspended in the air and it feels like you are in the screen.

We then went over to Hollywood land and found we were just had 30 mins to wait to see Aladdin.  S was getting tired though, so just before the show started she decided to go home. We arranged to meet at 9 am the next morning at my hotel.

Aladdin was amazing, the proper Broadway show condensed to 40 mins. I managed to get a brilliant seat, centre of the front row of the balcony.

After Aladdin, I had a wander through Hollywood Land and found the Mad T Party in full swing.


It is a outdoor evening entertainment live band  themed in the style of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.  The band was playing covers of rock music so I stayed for a while, enjoying the music and atmosphere.

By now I was getting hungry so I had a quick snack of hotdog and chips. After eating  I found Muppets 3D.  This is a mix of 3D film and live action in a special theatre.

It was getting close to the time for World Of Colour. My fast-pass gave me access to a viewing section right in front of the big Ferris wheel, which is where the show is centered on.

My camera battery ran out just as the show was starting but I found this video on YouTube. It is not my video but whoever filmed it had the same view as I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TazFqQpAN7M

World Of Colour is amazing, far far better than dreams. Before the show started , there were announcements that people in the front section at the water would get wet.

After World of Colour, California Adventures closes (10 pm) so I went back to Disney Main park. I headed straight for Pirates and as Fantasmic water show was on, there was no queue for Pirates.

Then I went back to Haunted Mansion again. By now it was after 11 pm and I was getting pretty tired so I decided to head back to my hotel. I was staying at Motel 6 Main Gate, which is one of the partner hotels. There is shuttle transport provided by Anaheim Resort Transport http://www.rideart.org/route-map to many of the partner hotels. The shuttle buses are located just beside the main entrance to the parks and there are about 10 different routes to various hotels in the Anaheim area. I was lucky I only had to wait about 10 minutes for the bus to my hotel. The last bus leaves at 12.30 am, 30 mins after the park closes. I didn't want to stay that late in case the bus was very crowded, so it was about 11.30 pm when I got the bus.

Back at my hotel, exhausted I fell into bed.

[bad-pink-tink]

Day 3

Like yesterday S collects me at 9am and we head to the parks. We park  the car and get the shuttle from the car park to the main entrance.  Like yesterday we go to California Adventures first. While I get breakfast in Starbucks, S goes to the Fast Pass machine for Radiator Springs Racers.  Then it's over to the main park. Today we decide to take things a bit slower, so we wander up Main Street just enjoying the atmosphere. We head to Peter Pan but the wait time is too long for us so we decided to go to Adventureland  instead. On the way we stop by Pixie Hollow.I don't usually do character meets but S wanted me to see the theming of Pixie Grotto and the queue time wasn't that long so we went to visit Tinkerbell.  As we come out of Pixie Hollow S sees 2 of her friends sitting on a bench so we stop and chat with them for a few minutes.

We then head into Adventureland. We decide to go the farthest and work backwards so it was up to Haunted Mansion.  Around the corner from Haunted Mansion is Critter Country where Splash Mountain is. Neither of us like Splash Mountain so we don't usually go here but today as I wanted to do as many different things as possible, we decided to go on The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh.  This is a dark ride like Snow white, but a really gentle ride with sweet theming. 

We then walked back through New Orleans and had a look at the shops

As we were heading out of Adventure Land, S asked me had I been on the Jungle Riverboat Cruise. I said I hadn't so we checked the wait time and found we had just enough time to do it before our FastPass for Radiator Springs in California Adventures.

This is a really fun typical Disney boat ride. It is a separate river, behind Indiana Jones ride and themed in the style of Indiana Jones. The tour guide / captain of the boat have a script which is full of puns and jokes. All the sights on the river banks are animatronics but the tour guide acts as if it's all real. It's a great way to cool off and sit in the shade for a few minutes.

After the Jungle Cruise we had to go back to California Adventures as its getting near the time for our fast pass for Radiator Springs.

As we approach Radiator Springs we see a lot of people crowding around the entrance.  There is a lot of CM's standing around and we ask one what is going on. The ride is temporally closed due to a technical fault. When we say we have a Fast Pass, we are told that the Fast Pass will be accepted at any time when the ride reopens, no matter what time is printed on the ticket.

It's too hot to just stand around and wait for the ride to reopen so we decide to get something to eat. The nearest place to eat is Flos V8 Café.

This is a quick order café, and the food is very American.

Entrées
Beef & Cheddar Sandwich with a Pickle and choice of one side item $10.49
Roast Beef with Home-style Beef Gravy with your choice of two sides and a Garlic Chive Roll $12.49
Pork Loin with Coca-Cola® BBQ Sauce with your choice of two sides and a Garlic Chive Roll $11.99 Citrus Turkey Breast, Old-fashioned Turkey Gravy with your choice of two sides & Garlic Chive Roll $11.99
Citrus Turkey Salad Mixed Greens, Carrots, Cucumbers and Yellow Peppers with a Citrus-Tarragon Dressing and served with a Garlic Chive Roll $11.99
Veggie Tater Bake Roasted Vegetables, Bulgur Wheat, Soy Crumbles, Cauliflower and Mashed Potatoes topped with Cheddar Cheese and served with your choice of one side and a Garlic Chive Roll  $10.99

Sides
Roasted Corn Medley $2.59      Mashed Potatoes $2.59
Vegetarian Baked Beans $2.59      "Radiator" Pasta Salad  $2.79
Peas & Carrots $2.59         Cole Slaw  $2.59

Kids' Mickey Check Meals
Roast Beef Sandwich served with Fruit, Vegetables and choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitutions $6.99
Turkey Sandwich served with Fruit, Vegetables and choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitutions $6.99

Kids' Meal Desserts
Flo's Signature Apple-Cheddar Pie-O-Rama "Made Right Here™" $5.19
Flo's Signature Chocolate Mud Pie-O-Rama "Made Right Here™" $5.19
Flo's Signature Seasonal Fruit Pie-O-Rama "Made Right Here™" $5.19
Flo's Classic Vanilla Shake topped with "Road Gravel" $4.29
Flo's Classic Vanilla Shake in a Souvenir Glass topped with "Road Gravel" $9.59
Flo's Classic Chocolate Shake topped with "Road Gravel" $4.29
Flo's Classic Chocolate Shake in a Souvenir Glass topped with "Road Gravel" $9.59
Flo's Classic Strawberry Shake topped with "Road Gravel" $4.29
Flo's Classic Strawberry Shake in a Souvenir Glass topped with "Road Gravel" $9.59
Flo's Classic Neapolitan Shake topped with "Road Gravel" $4.29
Flo's Classic Neapolitan Shake in a Souvenir Glass topped with "Road Gravel" $9.59

Beverages
Assorted Fountain Beverages – Regular $3.19
Assorted Fountain Beverages – Large $3.69
Dasani® Bottled Water  $2.79
Minute Maid® Juice Box $1.79
Nestlé® Nesquik® Chocolate Milk$ 2.79
Lowfat Milk $1.79
Coffee Regular or Decaffeinated $2.79
Hot Tea $2.79
Hot Cocoa $2.79

Specialty Beverages
Mater's Tulsa Tea Gold Peak® Sweet Green Iced Tea topped with Tropical Fruit Foam  $3.59
Fess Parker Riesling $6.00
Silverado Chardonnay $8.00
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir $8.00
Red Sangria $7.00
Racer 5 IPA $8.00
Red Rocket Ale $8.00

I had the Pork Loin with Coca-Cola® BBQ Sauce with two sides and a Garlic Chive Roll. I choose Vegetarian Baked Beans and Mashed Potato for my sides and I had Vanilla Milk shake. The "road gravel" is Oreo cookie bits.

The Vegetarian Baked Beans are not like the baked beans we know in Ireland and UK. They were more like the beans you get with Nachos, what the Americans call refried beans. They were called Vegetarian because it is very common to put pulled pork into refried beans and Disney doesn't put the pork into these beans.

After eating we go back to Radiator Springs and yes the ride is open again. We join the Fast Pass line and get almost to the top when the ride stops again. Luckily we are in the shade and near a CM so we hear that it's just a temporary stop. Apparently if one of the sensors on a car gets blocked, then the whole ride automatically shuts off.  As the ride is out door, it could be something as simple as a piece of paper on the track which shuts the whole ride down.  After about 10 minutes we are on the move again.

I don't usually like rollercoasters but this has got to be one of my favourite rides in Disney.

After Radiator Springs we have a stroll around Cars Land and do some shopping.  I see another ride that I haven't done, Luigis Flying Tyres. S doesn't like this one either so I go off on my own.  This is like bumper cars /dodgems but on hovercrafts which are themed like giant car tyres. Up to 3 people car ride in one "tyre" but as I discovered its best with 1 person.   You climb on, close the seat belt and when everyone is on board all the "tyres" are started together. To move around the track you lean left, right or backwards. Its sooo much better than traditional dodgems, but like a lot of Disney rides, the time is too short.

By now S was getting tired and decided to go home. We went back to the main park to do some final shopping on Main Street.  As we came out of The Emporium we saw that the parade was starting soon. I said goodbye to S and found a spot in the shade. As I had a few minutes to wait I sat down on the pavement to rest my feet. There was a family in front of me sitting at the pavement curb. After a few minutes I could hear the parade music coming from the Fantasyland direction. The family in front of me didn't seem to be getting ready to stand up. I asked them would they be sitting for the parade and they said they would. Brilliant news for my aching feet , lol. I had a great view of the parade, and I was sitting in the shade.

The parade is much longer and there are more floats than the summer parade at DLP. The floats in the DLP are double ended, whereas the floats in California are not.  It is called Mickey's Soundsational Parade. The first parade of the day also has a pre parade of the Frozen float with Anna and Elsa.

The parade proper starts with Mickey and Friends and a drumming band

Then in order
Genie and Dancers from Aladdin
Aladdin Float
Little Mermaid Dancers
Little Mermaid Float
Donald Duck Float with Dancers
Princess Dancers
Princess Float with Snow White, Rapunzel,  Belle. Aurora and Cinderella
Lion King Dancers
Lion King Float
Princess and The Frog Dancers
Princess and The Frog Float with Tiana
Peter Pan and Pirates Dancers
Tinkerbell Float
Chimney Sweep Dancers
Bert and Mary Poppins on Carousel Horses
Chimney Sweep Float

This is a video I found on YouTube, It is not my video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ElMM2eLi4

After the parade my plan for the evening was mostly do rides I had never done before.

I went straight to Indiana Jones in Adventureland. This is totally different to Indiana Jones in DLP, it is a dark ride on a track not a rollercoaster. The queue theming is similar to Pirates in DLP.  You get into a range rover type jeep, close your seatbelt and hold on.  The audio comes from speakers in the vehicle. It is very fast, with a lot of noise and effects, and there are many of the scenes from the films.

After Indiana Jones I went over to the Mark Twain Riverboat.  The boat was boarding and nearly full. I saw two CM's at the entrance and decided to ask about riding with the Captain. They said that this rotation someone had already requested this, but if I waited for the next rotation, it would be possible.  This was fine with me, as I needed a drink. I went off to get a drink and came back to the seating area to wait for the boat to come back. It was really nice to sit in the shade and people watch for a while.

When the boat came back and after all the passengers I got off, I was escorted on board before the next load of passengers. I was taken by the Captain right up to the top level, through the Captains private cabin and up to the bridge area.

The Captain chatted with me while we waited for the boat to load and I signed the Captains Log book. We got the all clear on the radio and then we were off. OMG I was like a child, it was amazing, I was steering the boat, I was ringing the bell, I was tooting the horn. It was the best fun ever. The view from the top was amazing and it was great to chat to the CM out of character.  It didn't matter that I couldn't hear the audio , cos I was steering the boat!!

At the end I received a special certificate to say I am now a Pilot Of The Riverboat Mark Twain On The Rivers Of America, Frontierland, Disneyland.

After the fun on the Mark Twain, I decided to go back to Fantasyland and try for Peterpan again. I must have picked a good time as the queue was a lot shorter than when we tried in the morning.

After Peterpan I saw another ride I had never done before, Mr Toads Wild Ride.  This is another dark ride similar to Snow White. 

By now I was getting really tired and hungry so I decided to eat at Village Haus Restaurant. This is German styled quick service restaurant in Fantasyland, themed in Pinocchio scenes.

Entrees
Angus 1/3 lb Pastrami Cheeseburger
Angus Chuck Burger with Pastrami, Swiss cheese, Caramelized Onions, Lettuce, Pickles, and Mild Creamy Horseradish Sauce served with fresh Fruit or French Fries $11.49
Angus 1/3 lb Cheeseburger
Angus Chuck Burger with Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, and Our Signature Sauce served with fresh Fruit or French Fries $9.49
Chicken Sausage in a Pretzel Roll
1/4 lb Chicken Sausage Link topped with Sauerkraut served with fresh Fruit or French Fries $8.99
BLT Flatbread Pizza
Thin Flatbread Crust, Cherry Wood Smoked Bacon, Mozzarella Cheese, Caramelized Onions, and Marinated Tomatoes Topped with Arugula and Shaved Fennel $8.79
Cheese Pizza $ 7.79
Pepperoni Pizza $7.99
Apple & Cheddar Salad
Blend of Red and Green Apples, Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Greens, Dried Cranberries, Golden Raisins, and Candied Walnuts with Honey-Yogurt Dressing $ 7.99
Garden Vegetable Burger with Cheese served with fresh Fruit or French Fries $8.49

Kids' Meals
Hamburger served with sliced Apples and Carrots $6.49
Pizza served with sliced Apples and Carrots $6.49
Turkey Sandwich served with sliced Apples and Carrots $6.49

Toddler Meals
Yummy Cheesy Macaroni served with Applesauce and small Lowfat Milk $4.49

Desserts
Chocolate Black Forest Cupcake $5.49
Apple Strudel with Vanilla Bean Sauce $5.19
Crispy Treat $3.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie $3.29

Beverages
Assorted Fountain Beverages – Regular $3.19
Assorted Fountain Beverages – Large $3.69
Juice Box $1.79
Lowfat Milk $1.79
Chocolate Milk $2.79
Coffee $2.79
Hot Cocoa $2.79
Hot Tea $2.79
Travel Mug includes Soft Drink, Coffee, or Hot Cocoa at time of purchase $6.29
Souvenir Sipper includes Soft Drink at time of purchase $6.99

As you can see by the menu, its Americanised German food, lol. I had the BLT Flatbread Pizza and a drink, which was actually very nice.

After resting my feet and recharging, I decided to go back to Adventureland and Pirates.

After Pirates, I decided to take the train around to Tommorowland.

As I came off the train in Tomorrowland, I decided to go on Autopia, again something I had never done before.  I don't drive but I saw the little kids wizzing around so how hard can it be. Omg, it was insane. I felt soooo sorry for anyone behind me, I was really slow, and driving very erratic. It is defiantly something I want to do again, but I am really a terrible driver.

After Autopia, I went over to Star Tours. I was in a different pod to the day before and I got a totally different start middle and end scenes.

Then it was one last go on Buzz.

After Buzz I started to feel really tired and decided it was near the end of my Disney adventures. I got the train back to New Orleans Square for one last ride on Pirates and then I was done.

Feet aching, hot and tired I said goodbye to Main Street for another year and headed over to the transportation area to get the shuttle bus to my hotel.

Luckily I didn't have long to wait for a bus and was really glad to finally get to my cool air conditioned room and my bed.  I couldn't face packing and just went straight to sleep.

[bad-pink-tink]

Day 4
Today I leave USA and fly back to Ireland.  My flight is in the afternoon, from LAX and I have booked the shuttle bus for 1 pm. Even though I am not going to the park today I set my alarm for the same time. I get up and pack and I am ready to leave the hotel just after 9 am. I check out and leave my case at the left luggage room in the hotel and I get the shuttle bus to Downtown Disney.  S is working today so I won't see her until I come back next year.

It's really strange to be at Disney but not be able to enter the parks. I go to Starbucks in Downtown Disney for breakfast and then it's time for some last bits of shopping.

As I walk through Downtown Disney I find that one of the hotels Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa has an entrance right beside the shops. I didn't notice this before, and as I have some time, I decide to take a look at the lobby area. It's very similar to Sequoia Lodge in DLP. 

After a quick look around, I go back out to Downtown Disney and just sit and people watch for a while.

I decide to head back to the hotel just after 12 pm , collect my case and wait for the bus to the airport.

So that's my USA adventures over for another year. I really enjoyed Disney this year. It was really nice to spend time with S in a place she loves so much. We managed to get so much done, the parks are a lot easier to get around when you are on your own or just with 1 person who knows the park inside out.  I did miss the fun of being in a group, even though you don't get to do half as much rides.

Disney in California in June is not for the faint hearted though. The parks are at full capacity, the ride queues are long, and the heat is intense averaging around 40c.  The weather in LA /Anaheim can be deceptive, mornings are usually overcast but between 12 and 4pm the baking sun comes out and the temperatures really rise.  You have to be aware of keeping cool, keeping your body hydrated and especially for European skin, applying a high factor sunscreen regularly.  Many of the queuing areas for the rides are outside with few or little shade. It gets dark around 8.30 pm, the fireworks in the main park are at 9.25 pm every night. After the fireworks the park stays open until mid-night. Many people leave after the fireworks but the park is really nice in the balmy California night time.  Many of the rides have little or no queue times between the fireworks and park closing.

There is a lot more to see and do in Disneyland California compared to DLP. Even with 2 days, early morning until late at night, I still felt I didn't have enough time. At Christmas I had 3 full days in DLP and for me that was enough time to really do the parks. The second park in DLP is a lot smaller with a lot less to do than California Adventures. Hopefully next year I can have 2 full days in Disneyland California again.

[bad-pink-tink]

Thanks for the full report, I'll write some things down and use them for my own trip

Hi , thanks for reading. Have you been to Disneyland California before? This was my 5th visit, so I know the park well by now. If you have any questions let me know

[Suus]

Loved your TR, just wanted to go back so badly.
We've been to WDW this year. It was great en beautifull. But we are in love with DLCA!