Grad-Trip of a Lifetime...I finally made it to Walt's Park!

Really enjoying your trip report. I love to hear WDW vets experience with my childhood park. Sounds like an amazing time. I'm headed to the World a week from today. Super excited because I haven't been there many times. One day at Epcot in my early 20s. Then not again until 2012 with my family for a week. This next trip is just me and a friend meeting to attend a wedding in Orlando. So we are squeezing in two 1/2 days one MK, one AK and a full EP day. Can't wait! Reading your Disney fun while I await my trip is nice!!!
 
Really enjoying your trip report. I love to hear WDW vets experience with my childhood park. Sounds like an amazing time. I'm headed to the World a week from today. Super excited because I haven't been there many times. One day at Epcot in my early 20s. Then not again until 2012 with my family for a week. This next trip is just me and a friend meeting to attend a wedding in Orlando. So we are squeezing in two 1/2 days one MK, one AK and a full EP day. Can't wait! Reading your Disney fun while I await my trip is nice!!!

Thank you so much! It truly was incredible. It was lifechanging as a lifelong Disney fan. It's taken me a while to finish writing it, but it's also been nice to be able to reflect and remember it months later. Our day in DL was even more magical. One of the best days of my life that I can't wait to write about. I think your quick trip to WDW sounds perfect!
 
I'm glad you had a fun time! I dream of staying in the Disneyland hotel some day! That chocolate cake looks to-die-for, and your pics of In-N-Out made me crave that, too, even though we have 3 within a few miles of me (in AZ). :) That is an awesome interaction your mom got to have with Minnie! (You might want to update your signature pic though - evil Photobucket won't show it...)
 


I'm glad you had a fun time! I dream of staying in the Disneyland hotel some day! That chocolate cake looks to-die-for, and your pics of In-N-Out made me crave that, too, even though we have 3 within a few miles of me (in AZ). :) That is an awesome interaction your mom got to have with Minnie! (You might want to update your signature pic though - evil Photobucket won't show it...)

I've stayed in some really cool hotels, but the Disneyland Hotel is towards the top...if you're a Disney history lover (which I am going to assume EVERY ONE on here is LOL), then it's just perfect. DARN you for living so close to an In-N-Out LOL. I know it'll never happen, but I hope they come to the east coast and thank you for telling me! I never realized it until you said something.
 
After Alfresco Tasting Terrace, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling that wine a little bit lol. Walking around all day, drinks in you, you’re jet lagged, waking up early, let’s just say it was hitting me all at once. So, I thought while we were waiting for WOC to start, I would head to the Corndog Castle to get my first Disneyland Corndog and knock another food item off my list!!! I was absolutely salivating at the thought of one of these ever since I started my research. I love corndogs, but the frozen ones are never that good. We decided on getting 2 regular corndogs and my sister wanted to try the Hotlink version. PRO TIP: I read that you can order the corndog a la carte, so you don’t get the chips and you save I think over $1. We did this and it worked out! So let me put this corndog in a nutshell. It is the best corndog you will ever eat, it will put all others to shame and it will probably be one of the best things you have ever eaten in your life. It is perfectly crunchy, the batter is thick, but not obnoxiously thick, it has the PERFECT amount of sweetness to complement the salt and it was surprisingly not too greasy. I have had dreams of this corndog. The spicy one was really good, it DEFINITELY has a kick. I can handle my spice, but I felt the burn on this one. Also, both dogs are really juicy and not dried out at all. These are just so fresh and perfect. Out of all Disney food, I think I like it better now than the Dole Whip and I freak for a Dole Whip.

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We had about 45 minutes until WOC. We did reserved seating because of a family friend we’ve known since the first time we went to WDW. He worked in guest relations, I don’t think he works there anymore, but he still knows a lot of people and hooked us up, which was so cool! The reserved area was roped off behind where the dessert party is. There were seats, which was very nice because we were all starting to get very tired. We decided to just sit there and rest before the show started. We met two very nice people who were Cast Members at WDW and it was fun talking to them because they were explaining a lot of differences between both parks because they make the trip to DL a lot. We tried playing that game that coincides with the Fun Wheel, but it wasn’t working well on our phones. I almost fell asleep because it was very cold. It was weird because the east coast was hot, but we expected California to be absolutely perfect weather and it was a lot chillier than we expected. I definitely suggest bringing jackets, even if you’re going in the hotter months because my friend who lives in San Diego said once the sun goes down, it really does get cold in California.

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World of Color was starting and we could not have been more excited. This was one of the main things my mom and I had to see. In a nutshell, the show the absolutely mesmerizing. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen in my life. I have seen water shows and projections, but the way the projections and water colors mix with the fun wheel, it’s a spectacle for the eyes. Pictures simply do not do it justice. The introduction and ending are both chilling. It’s truly Disney at its best. I also love how it doesn’t have fireworks (odd right?). It made it super relaxing to watch a nighttime show without the giant bangs of fireworks. Don’t get me wrong, I love fireworks, but this was just such a unique and different experience. I think if you’re going to Disneyland just for one day even, it’s worth it to take time out of your day to see it, even if it required park hopping. It is that incredible. If you love Disney movie music, you’ll be humming all night long (not that you’re not probably already LOL). I won’t go on because everything that has been said about it probably has, but I will say that I am so obsessed with WOC that I listen to the soundtrack almost daily at work. One of the BEST things EVER!!!

We originally had plans to walk around Cars Land at night after WOC to see it all lit up, but I think we were going to pass out from exhaustion lol. I was able to take a couple pictures of Carthay Circle all lit up. The whole park is so much different at night. It’s majestic, magical and it feels so special. I wish we could have spent more time, but hey, I guess that’s why you can always go back!
 

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I forgot to upload the pictures of the Storytellers' Statue! I was very excited to see this, as the partner statue is one of my favorites. It's right near Carthay Circle, you can't really miss it. As a major inspiration to me (and I'm guessing a lot of us, seeing Walt just reminds you of how much he gave us and is still giving us).


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And with that...our day in California Adventure was sadly over. We accomplished virtually everything we wanted to, we were exhausted, but in such a good way. It was an absolutely perfect day. Walking through Downtown Disney, the only stop we made was at Sprinkles to get my mom a cupcake and EVEN THE CUPCAKE was perfect. My mom got the Black & White cupcake and I swear has dreams about it. We were in D.C a month after and we planned part of our day to get Sprinkles because the closest location is about 3 hours from us. I don't even really like Cupcakes and was boggled at how good they were. So now with Cupcake in hand, it was truly the end of a perfect day. We made it back to our room, turned on the animated head board and I think we were all asleep in 5 minutes....A dream is a wish your heart makes, When you're fast asleep, In dreams you will loose your heartache, Whatever you wish for, you keep..." Yes you will have that stuck in your head and you won't want it ANY other way. NOW ON TO DAY 2....DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!
 
Sounds like you had a reaaaaaally great trip!:yay: You have some great Photos as wellpixiedust:. I enjoy reading trip reports like yours. This is the reason to goto DisneyLand!:hyper2:
 
Sounds like you had a reaaaaaally great trip!:yay: You have some great Photos as wellpixiedust:. I enjoy reading trip reports like yours. This is the reason to goto DisneyLand!:hyper2:

Thank you!!! And I certainly did... I'm trying to find time to talk about day 2...hopefully soon!
 
Ok so finally I have time to start day 2. I slept like an absolute rock that night. I still woke up with relative ease because my body was still on east coast time and I was just so excited for DL. Our general plan (timing wise) for the money was to leave the room by 8, grab breakfast and then head into the park. The hours for the day were 9-11 (8-9 EMH) and we thought since we were going to be there pretty late, we wouldn’t rush like we did for DCA. My friend from San Diego drove up to join us and got to the room at around 7:30. This meant the world to me because we have always talked about going to Disneyland together and with her work schedule, we didn’t know if it’d work out, but thankfully it did. She has been to DL probably 2-3 times, but never with a DIE hard Disney fanatic, always a very casual trip. We just walked around the grounds while the rest of my family was getting ready. It was another VERY breezy morning, but still not like DCA, which again, I could not complain.

My one request of my mom was that we somehow make it to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen because she wanted beignets. So we stopped for breakfast at the Express, got a bag of beignets and we got breakfast sandwiches. They came with hashbrowns (which were surprisingly really good) and the bacon was delicious. The beignets were VERY good, I just couldn’t have too many (too much sugar in the morning lol) and with that….we were on our way to DL. I was absolutely giddy. I was FINALLY there. After MONTHS of planning, years of dreaming…this was it. Now I was excited for DCA…but DL….COMPLETELY different story. Once I saw Mickey in the flowers, the train station and the “Here You Leave” sign…just surreal.

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As we walked in, it truly felt the same as the MK (which I guess technically MK feels like DL), but Main Street really did feel like a miniature version, but not in a bad way. It felt very intimate and inviting. All the trees were a beautiful sight too, the lamp posts with the MSEP banners.

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It was all exactly what I hoped it’d be. You could watch hours of POV videos on YouTube but nothing quite does it like walking down and smelling the smells. The castle was definitely noticeably smaller lol. I knew it was small, but WOW it really is small, especially compared to Cinderella Castle. It was absolutely beautiful in person though. The way the clouds were coming in also made for some really cool pictures over Tomorrowland.

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Before we embarked on our magical journey, we took the typical pictures in front of the castle with the Photopass photographer before it got too crowded. The photographer took great pictures, but he REALLY zoomed on them and you don’t really know until they pop up on the app, so it was a little disappointing to not get more of Sleepy Beauty Castle in them. But I got a really great picture with my friend that I’ve since framed and I love it! We continued to Fantasyland and for all you WDW peeps who can’t wait to point out the differences…this is one area where you REALLY tell. It’s very tiny compared to Cinderella Castle. But once you exit into Fantasyland, that is where the better differences start. The details in Fantasyland really make you mad that WDW isn’t the same or at least comparable. The brickwork, the boxed trees, it is just so cool. It definitely is cramped and you’ll see that because the queue for Peter Pan’s Flight will basically hit you right out of the castle tunnel. The carousel, which is the centerpiece of Fantasyland, is gorgeous and looks even better at night and the background music is very relaxing. On your left, you’ll see Snow White’s Scary Adventure and then next to that Pinocchio’s Daring Journey.

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On your right, you’ll see Peter Pan’s Flight and Mr. Toad (WOO). I love the classic movies and dark rides, so I was very excited for Pinocchio (one of my favorites), Snow White (never saw this in WDW when I was little) and Mr. Toad because what avid Disney fan doesn’t freak over Mr. Toad? We planned on doing those later in the day, first we wanted to take on Peter Pan because everyone knows this gets massive waits and by the time we got there, the line was already pretty deep. We approached one of the cast members at the umbrella for the disability pass near the canal boats. It was about 30 minutes, so we thought perfect.

We then went to Matterhorn and the standby was about 15 minutes. The queue REALLY wraps around the whole mountain which was funny because we just kept walking and walking to see where the line started. I know everyone just tries to rush and rush (and when you only have a day it’s hard not to), but the details are so interesting. I could have spent a whole day just not riding any attractions and just walk around exploring. We finally got in line for Matterhorn and I was a little nervous…not for the thrill level of it, but the rumors that it REALLY bangs you up and to be honest…it was not as bad as I expected. Couple parts were a little “oof”, but nothing Space Mountain in WDW doesn’t do to you. The ride is SO much fun though. The darkness, speed and turns are really fun. No big drops either, which my friend really appreciated, since she doesn’t like huge drops. I screamed the whole way. We had the track that enters on the right, I do not remember which one that is (faster or slower). But if you’re worried about it…go on it. It’s so much fun and the mountain is breathtaking. Pictures don’t do it justice and it’s MASSIVE.

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I'm glad you are going to finish your report! I always love to hear perspectives from people who haven't visited DLR much or at all. I guess I need to try Sprinkles cupcakes... I need to stay off here though, because it just makes me want to go back to Disney!!
 
I'm glad you are going to finish your report! I always love to hear perspectives from people who haven't visited DLR much or at all. I guess I need to try Sprinkles cupcakes... I need to stay off here though, because it just makes me want to go back to Disney!!

It has taken me an extremely long time, but better late than never...and if you like Cupcakes or dessert in general, Sprinkles is just incredible...and the Boards are dangerous. They make me want to go back so sad...trying to plan a mini trip to WDW in November!
 

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