Reddog1134
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Hello and welcome to my very first trip report/review. Rather than report my trip chronologically, Ill just go over different aspects of the trip including things that werent Disney related. Ill also give my thoughts on comparisons to WDW since Ive been there many times.
OVERVIEW:
This was our honeymoon trip. My wife and I were married on May 2nd. We booked a DVC studio room at the Grand Californian from May 7th until May 16th. This was our first trip to Disneyland, first trip to California and our first DVC stay.
FLIGHT:
No problems with the flight. We had layovers at about the midway point for travel to and from Cali. There was enough time to get something to eat and stretch our legs a bit before getting back on the plane, which was nice. The flight attendant on the trip home noticed we were newlyweds (my wife was wearing my mouse ears top hat) and talked to us for a few minutes. Later in the flight, he congratulated us over the PA system.
WEATHER:
The first half of the trip was very cloudy and not too warm. My wife didnt bring a jacket so I bought her a Tinkerbell hoodie so she wouldnt freeze. She gets cold very easily. The sun came out for the 2nd half of the trip and things really warmed up. No rain whatsoever.
RENTAL CAR:
We rented a car because we planned several trips to Hollywood, the beach, etc. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle to the rental counter. They are supposed to run every 15 minutes but it wasnt too bad of a wait except that I was anxious to get to DLR. I had booked the rental car in my name but we were using my wifes credit card to cover incidentals. The woman at the counter said we couldnt use her card because the rental was in my name, but we could use it if we were married. When I told her we were married, she seemed confused because we had different last names. I explained that we just got married. This is our honeymoon. She said she would make an exception for us. The rental was a Kia Sorrento. It was clean and ran well so no complaints there.
HOTEL:
The hotel was very nice. We usually stay in cheap (but clean) hotels so this was a welcome treat and a great introduction to DVC and Disneyland for us. (Side note: actually I guess our first introduction to Disneyland would be sitting at a traffic light and looking at the Tower of Terror across the intersection as we made our way to the hotel. Being WDW vets, it was very strange to be sitting in the car and looking at a familiar Disney attraction like that.)
The lobby was huge and very impressive. However, it was very cold. Im someone who likes to turn the A/C on all the time and I felt a bit chilly whenever I was in there. My wife tried to spend as little time there as possible. I also loved the easy access to DTD and the private entrance to DCA.
There was no one else in line for Check in so we were helped immediately. We were wearing our Bride and Groom mouse ears so we were given Just Married buttons, balloons, and an autographed picture of Mickey Mouse who apparently was taking a break from the parks and was in the room behind the check in counter. I tell you, that mouse sure gets around. We were told our room was not yet ready but they would send us a phone message when it became available. It was only around 1pm so we fully expected this. Approximately 10 seconds after the CM entered my wifes phone number, we received the room ready message.
The path to our room lead past the pool, Pinocchios Workshop and the Grizzly Arcade. Although we had no plans to use the Arcade or Workshop (no kids, yet), it was nice that they were available to us. (Im the kind of person that appreciates nice amenities even if I dont plan to use them.
We tried the breakfast buffet at Storytellers Café. It was a little expensive but the food was surprisingly good for a buffet. The eggs were a little undercooked but everything else was good. My wife loved the french toast. Special appearances were made by Chip n Dale, Brer Fox and the 2 main characters from Brother Bear. (I think. Ive never seen the movie) All of them seemed to want to sneak up behind the toddler sitting at the table next to us and scare the crap out of her.
ROOM:
Our room was very clean. We found no problems whatsoever in that regard. I was so excited to be at DLR, it didnt register when the CM told me we were on the first floor. Otherwise, I would have asked if anything higher up was available. So our view was of a cement pathway and a wooden fence. Oh, well. Ill know better next time. It was a handicap accessible room which I didnt mind at all. I actually liked the sliding bathroom door (or are they on all the rooms?) It took us a few days to realize that we were supposed to have robes in the room. On the way to breakfast one morning, I mentioned it to one of the CMs in the lobby. They were in our room by the time we returned from breakfast. I did have 2 minor complaints and one thing that I found odd about the room. First, every time we turned on the TV, it was reset to a very loud Spanish language channel. Second, when we took showers, a stream of water would end up along the bathroom floor. No matter how we adjusted the shower curtain, we would still end up with a little river in the bathroom. As for the oddity, the coffee maker was in the bathroom. This could have been easily remedied but neither of us drinks coffee so we didnt bother. Still it was odd. To paraphrase an old saying, Dont S### where you Brew.
DLR:
As a resort, I prefer WDW. The convenience of having the hotel, DTD, Disneyland and DCA so close was great. But the sheer number of things available at WDW makes it the winner for me.
DISNEYLAND PARK:
I must say, I love the Magic Kingdom in Florida but this one has it beat. I found it much easier to navigate and the smaller park combined with the higher number of attractions gave it a great feel. I felt like I could reach out and touch any of the attractions. It was great to finally see Sleeping Beauty Castle for myself. But I have to say, Its small. I knew it was much smaller than Cinderella Castle and Ive even read posts were people have said Be prepared for how small it is in comparison. But it was STILL smaller than I expected. Thats not a slight on the castle in any way, just an observation.
MAIN STREET USA:
It was just as I expected. Very similar to MK. I enjoyed the puppet window displays at the Emporium.
TOMORROWLAND:
Seeing Star Tours here was strange. Ever since Disney acquired Marvel Comics, Ive seen many people cry out No Marvel characters in the Magic Kingdom, but Ive never seen anyone say something negative about Star Wars or Indiana Jones being in Disneyland. Space Mountain was much better than the MK version. Smoother ride, on-board audio and side-by-side seating made for a much better experience. Astro-Blasters had a slight advantage over its Space Ranger Spin counterpart in my mind due to the blasters not being mounted to the vehicle. Captain EO was a TRIP. My wife loved it. On our final day, seeing Captain EO again was the only suggestion she made. Autopia was the longest line we had to wait in. Mostly because of a broken down car on the track. The course was much nicer than the MK version. The Finding Nemo Submarine ride brought back great memories of 20K Leagues. As for Tomorrowland itself, I prefer MK. Visually, it just seemed nicer. Plus, TTA and CoP.
FANTASYLAND:
No contest. MK Fantasyland has nothing on this place. Hopefully, the expansion will change that. The design of the buildings are just so awesome especially compared to Orlando. It was great to experience Mr. Toad again. It was one of my favorite rides as a child. All the dark rides were great. Peter Pan seemed shorter to me than at MK. Is it? The exterior of Small World was just beautiful. The Disney characters inside were a nice touch.
TOONTOWN:
Again no contest. Toontown Fair is a pale shadow of this land. The design is excellent and all the little easter eggs (opening the crates and pushing the detonation plunger) were a great touch. Roger Rabbit was a fun ride but on our 2nd attempt to ride it, it broke down after the second turn. We had to sit for 10 minutes until a CM walked us out.
FRONTIERLAND:
I wasnt sure which version I liked better but then on our next to last day, BTMRR reopened. I loved the queue so much better than the one at MK. I loved standing there with the trains zooming all around me. The western town was a great touch too. (Is that a leftover from an older attraction?) Pirates Lair was far superior to Tom Sawyer Island. It made me wish I was a kid again so I can go running through the caves. I can still run, I just dont fit through some of openings so well. We both really enjoyed Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe. It was a really fun and funny show. I also liked the way Big Thunder Trail sort of felt like a mini-land. We had a good dinner at Rancho del Zocala. My wife is a vegetarian and likes small portions so she got a bean burrito kids meal and it was perfect for her. I got the Carne Asada platter and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of food I received.
CRITTER COUNTRY:
Im not sure why this area is its own land. It could easily be part of Frontierland. Splash Mountain wasnt as good as the MK version but later on I enjoyed the train ride through the mountain. Pooh has once again replaced one of my favorite attractions. However, the wife was ecstatic to see Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore and get her photo taken with them.
NEW ORLEANS SQUARE:
I felt this area was much better themed and had a much nicer feel than its Liberty Square counterpart. POTC seemed like a much longer ride even after leaving the Blue Bayou area. Since this is another one of my all time favorite rides, it was great to experience the superior version I had heard so much about. Haunted Mansion (another favorite) wasnt as good as the MK version. MK has many of the queue elements incorporated into the ride which I believe make it longer. Plus it has the floating Leota head, the improved staircase and the slow changing portrait in the queue. Our big park meal was at Blue Bayou. Its a little pricey but the food was delicious. I got the steak and the wife got a Monte Cristo (cheese only). The steak was thick and done well (but not well-done) and the Monte Cristo was absolutely awesome when you dip it in the raspberry sauce. Also, we got a free dessert for being newlyweds.
ADVENTURELAND:
I really cant say which one I like better. For some reason, we always seemed to start our day in Tomorrowland and work our way around counter-clockwise. By the time we would get to Adventureland we would check the wait time for Indiana Jones and then head back to the hotel for a break. We did get to ride Indy twice. Another great attraction I wish we had in Florida. I got my first night time experience on the Jungle Cruise and thought the piranha pushed this version to the top.
CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:
I thought this was a really nice park even though Ive heard a lot of negative things about it. I didnt find the Sunshine Plaza entrance all that great but it looks like the classic California refurb may be just what it needs.
HOLLYWOOD PICTURES BACKLOT:
I was expecting a more modern experience on the Monsters Inc ride but dark rides are always great, so no complaints. Aladdin was an awesome show. Im glad I got to see it before it ended. (Any chance theyll be moving this to Florida?) I loved how they incorporated current pop culture references. (Aladdin: Who are you? Genie: Ive got blue skin, pointy ears Im your avatar.) While waiting for the next Turtle Talk show, a CM noticed we were newlyweds and let us into the theatre a few minutes early so we could have first pick of seats. It was our first time seeing the show and we loved it. Watching the Toy Story Zoetrope was amazing. Tower of Terror is a great ride but not as good as the DHS version. The random drop sequences and the moving elevator car make it a superior ride in my opinion.
A BUGS LAND:
Yes, this is a kids area but we rode everything here. The themeing is cute and it was a nice break from some of the more thrilling rides. I especially like the firefly lights.
GOLDEN STATE:
I never understood why Soarin is so popular. Its an enjoyable ride but not worth more than a 20 minute wait to me. That being said, we were in the front row (the only other time we rode it at Epcot we were in the back row) and it made for a much more enjoyable experience. But still not worth more than a 20 minute wait. Grizzly River Rapids was fun but I had one problem. I didnt get wet enough. I know, I know, Im crazy. I like getting wet on water rides. Thats why I ride them. I never got very wet on Kali River Rapids either. Now the Popeye ride at Islands of Adventure, that one will get you soaked. I would like to have tried the Redwood Trail but it was closed. By the way, the Pacific Wharf Café has a great vegetarian chili served in a sourdough breadbowl. And Im not a vegetarian.
PARADISE PIER:
I guess this is the part of the park that people complain about the most. Sort of like Dinoland at Animal Kingdom. People feel that these rides are not well themed and not up to Disney standards. I like to look at the land as a whole, which is very well themed. California Screamin is a great coaster. A smooth, exciting and long ride. Toy Story Mania is just as great as it is in DHS. But WHY DOES THIS RIDE NOT HAVE FAST PASS?
DOWNTOWN DISNEY:
We saw Iron Man 2 at the AMC theatre on the day we arrived. Im a huge comic fan and Iron Man is my favorite character so the wife was OK with this and knew it was inevitable. Im also a huge LEGO fan so visiting the large Lego stores is always fun. We ate lunch our first day at Naples. I found it very overpriced for pizza that was just OK. Im a thick crust fan and it was too thin for me. Tortilla Jos on the other hand was excellent. I didnt find it too expensive and we definitely got a lot of food. My wife was only able to finish about 1/3 of her burrito. We got a couple of drinks that were a little pricey but definitely not watered down. We definitely had good luck at the Mexican restaurants on this trip. Overall, I really enjoyed DTD but there is more to do at DTD Florida.
KNOTTS BERRY FARM:
Its a nice park. There are a lot of good thrill rides. Unfortunately, the first one we rode was Ghost Rider. This coaster was SO rough, we both had headaches for the rest of the day. We trudged through a bunch of other coasters and rides just so we got our moneys worth and then left.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS:
Another nice park but it doesnt compare to Universal Orlando. The studio tour was a fun experience. I thought the Jurassic Park ride was better then the one in Florida. Waterworld was a great show, in spite of the movie. I was very disappointed in the House of Horrors. I was expecting a modern horror attraction but got a rec council haunted house with better props. The Mummy ride (one of my favorite coasters) was very good but very different than the one in Orlando. Overall, it was fun but I could skip it if we ever return to SoCal.
SANTA MONICA BEACH:
We went here during the 2nd half of our trip when the weather improved. However, when we arrived at the beach, the clouds decided to come out and drop the temp a few degrees. The wife wanted to dip her toes in the Pacific, which she quickly did. We walked around a bit a looked at what was around. There was nothing the really stood out to me there. Im glad we went but I wont miss it.
HOLLYWOOD:
We didnt see any famous people but we walked around the Chinese theatre to see the handprints. We also had a nice lunch at the Disney Soda Fountain which I did not know existed.
HOT IN CLEVELAND:
We went to CBS Studios for a sitcom taping. This was the first episode of a show starring Valeri Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The show was funny, Betty was hilarious and the warm-up comedian was great. I was hesitant about going but Im glad I went.
MISC:
While walking through the hotel lobby on her way back from the fitness center, my wife was stopped by a cast member who asked her a few questions about her trip. She then offered her $150 if she participated in a 75 minute focus group about the GC hotel. My wife declined since we were getting ready to go to Knotts. When she told me about it, I promptly marched her back to the lobby. I can put off an amusement park for 2 hrs while she makes $150.
STUFF I FORGOT THE FIRST TIME:
MATTERHORN: We rode it twice, once on each side. It was a little rough but a fun ride. It sort of reminded me of a 1st Gen Expedition Everest.
FIREWORKS:
I like fireworks but to me, firework shows are all the same. When someone asks me about the quality of a fireworks show, I usually judge it by it's length. It's either good (long) or bad (short). I've casually watched the fireworks at WDW and my favorite part was when they went off while I was riding BTMRR. We entered Disneyland late one night while the fireworks were going off. As soon as we walked into the town square, they started the "cannonball sequence" of POTC. I stopped dead in my tracks. It was awesome. Then I saw a square shaped firework explosion. I was confused. "What? But..but..fireworks are supposed to be round." We were headed for the Emporium so my wife could by me a jacket (see focus group info above) so I only saw a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, it was our last night there so I didn't get a chance to see the whole thing on another day. Another reason to return.
Overall, it was a great trip and we are considering going back in about 5 years to see the updated DCA.
OVERVIEW:
This was our honeymoon trip. My wife and I were married on May 2nd. We booked a DVC studio room at the Grand Californian from May 7th until May 16th. This was our first trip to Disneyland, first trip to California and our first DVC stay.
FLIGHT:
No problems with the flight. We had layovers at about the midway point for travel to and from Cali. There was enough time to get something to eat and stretch our legs a bit before getting back on the plane, which was nice. The flight attendant on the trip home noticed we were newlyweds (my wife was wearing my mouse ears top hat) and talked to us for a few minutes. Later in the flight, he congratulated us over the PA system.
WEATHER:
The first half of the trip was very cloudy and not too warm. My wife didnt bring a jacket so I bought her a Tinkerbell hoodie so she wouldnt freeze. She gets cold very easily. The sun came out for the 2nd half of the trip and things really warmed up. No rain whatsoever.
RENTAL CAR:
We rented a car because we planned several trips to Hollywood, the beach, etc. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle to the rental counter. They are supposed to run every 15 minutes but it wasnt too bad of a wait except that I was anxious to get to DLR. I had booked the rental car in my name but we were using my wifes credit card to cover incidentals. The woman at the counter said we couldnt use her card because the rental was in my name, but we could use it if we were married. When I told her we were married, she seemed confused because we had different last names. I explained that we just got married. This is our honeymoon. She said she would make an exception for us. The rental was a Kia Sorrento. It was clean and ran well so no complaints there.
HOTEL:
The hotel was very nice. We usually stay in cheap (but clean) hotels so this was a welcome treat and a great introduction to DVC and Disneyland for us. (Side note: actually I guess our first introduction to Disneyland would be sitting at a traffic light and looking at the Tower of Terror across the intersection as we made our way to the hotel. Being WDW vets, it was very strange to be sitting in the car and looking at a familiar Disney attraction like that.)
The lobby was huge and very impressive. However, it was very cold. Im someone who likes to turn the A/C on all the time and I felt a bit chilly whenever I was in there. My wife tried to spend as little time there as possible. I also loved the easy access to DTD and the private entrance to DCA.
There was no one else in line for Check in so we were helped immediately. We were wearing our Bride and Groom mouse ears so we were given Just Married buttons, balloons, and an autographed picture of Mickey Mouse who apparently was taking a break from the parks and was in the room behind the check in counter. I tell you, that mouse sure gets around. We were told our room was not yet ready but they would send us a phone message when it became available. It was only around 1pm so we fully expected this. Approximately 10 seconds after the CM entered my wifes phone number, we received the room ready message.
The path to our room lead past the pool, Pinocchios Workshop and the Grizzly Arcade. Although we had no plans to use the Arcade or Workshop (no kids, yet), it was nice that they were available to us. (Im the kind of person that appreciates nice amenities even if I dont plan to use them.
We tried the breakfast buffet at Storytellers Café. It was a little expensive but the food was surprisingly good for a buffet. The eggs were a little undercooked but everything else was good. My wife loved the french toast. Special appearances were made by Chip n Dale, Brer Fox and the 2 main characters from Brother Bear. (I think. Ive never seen the movie) All of them seemed to want to sneak up behind the toddler sitting at the table next to us and scare the crap out of her.
ROOM:
Our room was very clean. We found no problems whatsoever in that regard. I was so excited to be at DLR, it didnt register when the CM told me we were on the first floor. Otherwise, I would have asked if anything higher up was available. So our view was of a cement pathway and a wooden fence. Oh, well. Ill know better next time. It was a handicap accessible room which I didnt mind at all. I actually liked the sliding bathroom door (or are they on all the rooms?) It took us a few days to realize that we were supposed to have robes in the room. On the way to breakfast one morning, I mentioned it to one of the CMs in the lobby. They were in our room by the time we returned from breakfast. I did have 2 minor complaints and one thing that I found odd about the room. First, every time we turned on the TV, it was reset to a very loud Spanish language channel. Second, when we took showers, a stream of water would end up along the bathroom floor. No matter how we adjusted the shower curtain, we would still end up with a little river in the bathroom. As for the oddity, the coffee maker was in the bathroom. This could have been easily remedied but neither of us drinks coffee so we didnt bother. Still it was odd. To paraphrase an old saying, Dont S### where you Brew.
DLR:
As a resort, I prefer WDW. The convenience of having the hotel, DTD, Disneyland and DCA so close was great. But the sheer number of things available at WDW makes it the winner for me.
DISNEYLAND PARK:
I must say, I love the Magic Kingdom in Florida but this one has it beat. I found it much easier to navigate and the smaller park combined with the higher number of attractions gave it a great feel. I felt like I could reach out and touch any of the attractions. It was great to finally see Sleeping Beauty Castle for myself. But I have to say, Its small. I knew it was much smaller than Cinderella Castle and Ive even read posts were people have said Be prepared for how small it is in comparison. But it was STILL smaller than I expected. Thats not a slight on the castle in any way, just an observation.
MAIN STREET USA:
It was just as I expected. Very similar to MK. I enjoyed the puppet window displays at the Emporium.
TOMORROWLAND:
Seeing Star Tours here was strange. Ever since Disney acquired Marvel Comics, Ive seen many people cry out No Marvel characters in the Magic Kingdom, but Ive never seen anyone say something negative about Star Wars or Indiana Jones being in Disneyland. Space Mountain was much better than the MK version. Smoother ride, on-board audio and side-by-side seating made for a much better experience. Astro-Blasters had a slight advantage over its Space Ranger Spin counterpart in my mind due to the blasters not being mounted to the vehicle. Captain EO was a TRIP. My wife loved it. On our final day, seeing Captain EO again was the only suggestion she made. Autopia was the longest line we had to wait in. Mostly because of a broken down car on the track. The course was much nicer than the MK version. The Finding Nemo Submarine ride brought back great memories of 20K Leagues. As for Tomorrowland itself, I prefer MK. Visually, it just seemed nicer. Plus, TTA and CoP.
FANTASYLAND:
No contest. MK Fantasyland has nothing on this place. Hopefully, the expansion will change that. The design of the buildings are just so awesome especially compared to Orlando. It was great to experience Mr. Toad again. It was one of my favorite rides as a child. All the dark rides were great. Peter Pan seemed shorter to me than at MK. Is it? The exterior of Small World was just beautiful. The Disney characters inside were a nice touch.
TOONTOWN:
Again no contest. Toontown Fair is a pale shadow of this land. The design is excellent and all the little easter eggs (opening the crates and pushing the detonation plunger) were a great touch. Roger Rabbit was a fun ride but on our 2nd attempt to ride it, it broke down after the second turn. We had to sit for 10 minutes until a CM walked us out.
FRONTIERLAND:
I wasnt sure which version I liked better but then on our next to last day, BTMRR reopened. I loved the queue so much better than the one at MK. I loved standing there with the trains zooming all around me. The western town was a great touch too. (Is that a leftover from an older attraction?) Pirates Lair was far superior to Tom Sawyer Island. It made me wish I was a kid again so I can go running through the caves. I can still run, I just dont fit through some of openings so well. We both really enjoyed Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe. It was a really fun and funny show. I also liked the way Big Thunder Trail sort of felt like a mini-land. We had a good dinner at Rancho del Zocala. My wife is a vegetarian and likes small portions so she got a bean burrito kids meal and it was perfect for her. I got the Carne Asada platter and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of food I received.
CRITTER COUNTRY:
Im not sure why this area is its own land. It could easily be part of Frontierland. Splash Mountain wasnt as good as the MK version but later on I enjoyed the train ride through the mountain. Pooh has once again replaced one of my favorite attractions. However, the wife was ecstatic to see Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore and get her photo taken with them.
NEW ORLEANS SQUARE:
I felt this area was much better themed and had a much nicer feel than its Liberty Square counterpart. POTC seemed like a much longer ride even after leaving the Blue Bayou area. Since this is another one of my all time favorite rides, it was great to experience the superior version I had heard so much about. Haunted Mansion (another favorite) wasnt as good as the MK version. MK has many of the queue elements incorporated into the ride which I believe make it longer. Plus it has the floating Leota head, the improved staircase and the slow changing portrait in the queue. Our big park meal was at Blue Bayou. Its a little pricey but the food was delicious. I got the steak and the wife got a Monte Cristo (cheese only). The steak was thick and done well (but not well-done) and the Monte Cristo was absolutely awesome when you dip it in the raspberry sauce. Also, we got a free dessert for being newlyweds.
ADVENTURELAND:
I really cant say which one I like better. For some reason, we always seemed to start our day in Tomorrowland and work our way around counter-clockwise. By the time we would get to Adventureland we would check the wait time for Indiana Jones and then head back to the hotel for a break. We did get to ride Indy twice. Another great attraction I wish we had in Florida. I got my first night time experience on the Jungle Cruise and thought the piranha pushed this version to the top.
CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:
I thought this was a really nice park even though Ive heard a lot of negative things about it. I didnt find the Sunshine Plaza entrance all that great but it looks like the classic California refurb may be just what it needs.
HOLLYWOOD PICTURES BACKLOT:
I was expecting a more modern experience on the Monsters Inc ride but dark rides are always great, so no complaints. Aladdin was an awesome show. Im glad I got to see it before it ended. (Any chance theyll be moving this to Florida?) I loved how they incorporated current pop culture references. (Aladdin: Who are you? Genie: Ive got blue skin, pointy ears Im your avatar.) While waiting for the next Turtle Talk show, a CM noticed we were newlyweds and let us into the theatre a few minutes early so we could have first pick of seats. It was our first time seeing the show and we loved it. Watching the Toy Story Zoetrope was amazing. Tower of Terror is a great ride but not as good as the DHS version. The random drop sequences and the moving elevator car make it a superior ride in my opinion.
A BUGS LAND:
Yes, this is a kids area but we rode everything here. The themeing is cute and it was a nice break from some of the more thrilling rides. I especially like the firefly lights.
GOLDEN STATE:
I never understood why Soarin is so popular. Its an enjoyable ride but not worth more than a 20 minute wait to me. That being said, we were in the front row (the only other time we rode it at Epcot we were in the back row) and it made for a much more enjoyable experience. But still not worth more than a 20 minute wait. Grizzly River Rapids was fun but I had one problem. I didnt get wet enough. I know, I know, Im crazy. I like getting wet on water rides. Thats why I ride them. I never got very wet on Kali River Rapids either. Now the Popeye ride at Islands of Adventure, that one will get you soaked. I would like to have tried the Redwood Trail but it was closed. By the way, the Pacific Wharf Café has a great vegetarian chili served in a sourdough breadbowl. And Im not a vegetarian.
PARADISE PIER:
I guess this is the part of the park that people complain about the most. Sort of like Dinoland at Animal Kingdom. People feel that these rides are not well themed and not up to Disney standards. I like to look at the land as a whole, which is very well themed. California Screamin is a great coaster. A smooth, exciting and long ride. Toy Story Mania is just as great as it is in DHS. But WHY DOES THIS RIDE NOT HAVE FAST PASS?
DOWNTOWN DISNEY:
We saw Iron Man 2 at the AMC theatre on the day we arrived. Im a huge comic fan and Iron Man is my favorite character so the wife was OK with this and knew it was inevitable. Im also a huge LEGO fan so visiting the large Lego stores is always fun. We ate lunch our first day at Naples. I found it very overpriced for pizza that was just OK. Im a thick crust fan and it was too thin for me. Tortilla Jos on the other hand was excellent. I didnt find it too expensive and we definitely got a lot of food. My wife was only able to finish about 1/3 of her burrito. We got a couple of drinks that were a little pricey but definitely not watered down. We definitely had good luck at the Mexican restaurants on this trip. Overall, I really enjoyed DTD but there is more to do at DTD Florida.
KNOTTS BERRY FARM:
Its a nice park. There are a lot of good thrill rides. Unfortunately, the first one we rode was Ghost Rider. This coaster was SO rough, we both had headaches for the rest of the day. We trudged through a bunch of other coasters and rides just so we got our moneys worth and then left.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS:
Another nice park but it doesnt compare to Universal Orlando. The studio tour was a fun experience. I thought the Jurassic Park ride was better then the one in Florida. Waterworld was a great show, in spite of the movie. I was very disappointed in the House of Horrors. I was expecting a modern horror attraction but got a rec council haunted house with better props. The Mummy ride (one of my favorite coasters) was very good but very different than the one in Orlando. Overall, it was fun but I could skip it if we ever return to SoCal.
SANTA MONICA BEACH:
We went here during the 2nd half of our trip when the weather improved. However, when we arrived at the beach, the clouds decided to come out and drop the temp a few degrees. The wife wanted to dip her toes in the Pacific, which she quickly did. We walked around a bit a looked at what was around. There was nothing the really stood out to me there. Im glad we went but I wont miss it.
HOLLYWOOD:
We didnt see any famous people but we walked around the Chinese theatre to see the handprints. We also had a nice lunch at the Disney Soda Fountain which I did not know existed.
HOT IN CLEVELAND:
We went to CBS Studios for a sitcom taping. This was the first episode of a show starring Valeri Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The show was funny, Betty was hilarious and the warm-up comedian was great. I was hesitant about going but Im glad I went.
MISC:
While walking through the hotel lobby on her way back from the fitness center, my wife was stopped by a cast member who asked her a few questions about her trip. She then offered her $150 if she participated in a 75 minute focus group about the GC hotel. My wife declined since we were getting ready to go to Knotts. When she told me about it, I promptly marched her back to the lobby. I can put off an amusement park for 2 hrs while she makes $150.
STUFF I FORGOT THE FIRST TIME:
MATTERHORN: We rode it twice, once on each side. It was a little rough but a fun ride. It sort of reminded me of a 1st Gen Expedition Everest.
FIREWORKS:
I like fireworks but to me, firework shows are all the same. When someone asks me about the quality of a fireworks show, I usually judge it by it's length. It's either good (long) or bad (short). I've casually watched the fireworks at WDW and my favorite part was when they went off while I was riding BTMRR. We entered Disneyland late one night while the fireworks were going off. As soon as we walked into the town square, they started the "cannonball sequence" of POTC. I stopped dead in my tracks. It was awesome. Then I saw a square shaped firework explosion. I was confused. "What? But..but..fireworks are supposed to be round." We were headed for the Emporium so my wife could by me a jacket (see focus group info above) so I only saw a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, it was our last night there so I didn't get a chance to see the whole thing on another day. Another reason to return.
Overall, it was a great trip and we are considering going back in about 5 years to see the updated DCA.
