Come on and Live the Magic! - Sept. 2015 Disneyland TR *Completed 9/6*!

[missangelalexis]

(so I am backed up a few updates, apologies!)

So many great pictures - really awesome ones of the Pier at night. I think that whole area might have been the one that surpased my expectations the most. Like, I knew I would like New Orleans Square and Cars Land, etc. - but the pier was really cool!

That's great strategy to come out the Emporium and watch the fireworks and awesome they had a later Pain the Night parade to catch - and it is definitely worth the wait!

Going through your pictures after just finishing an update on my TR for Hong Kong Disneyland highlights how much they did add to the parade when they brought it to California - definitely more new floats and elements than I had originally remembered

Sorry your mom wasn't feeling well but being "forced" to take is slow and soak in the details sometimes can be a blessing in disguise!

Thank you! I agree with you about Paradise Pier- way cooler than I expected!

I had read that strategy here on the boards and it was a super helpful tip!

It's great that you are able to look back and compare the two versions! Such an awesome parade!

Taking it slow ended up working out pretty well for us! It was nice not rushing around on our last day!

Oh no, last day and your Mom not feeling well. Yuck!

So how were you able to get two Fastpasses at the same time?

Cute meets! I can't wait to meet all of the rarer characters at DL.

Luckily she felt better by the end of the morning!

The Anna & Elsa meet and greet FP is disconnected from the others, which is why I was able to get that plus a ride one!

Thanks!

That Chip is such a ladies man! Their HS outfits are so adorable! They totally fit their fun personalities while still dressing up a bit.

I never did the HS meet with Sulley and Mike but every time I have seen Sulley out at DCA he always seems to be having a great time interacting with guests.

Of course you had to go see her!!! I didn't know Mrs. Incredible did meets there!

I love meeting all of the excited chatty little kids in lines, so many entertaining conversations can be had with kids.

Those chipmunks are definitely flirty! I absolutely loved their outfits!

I was so glad to have such a great meet with Sulley since he's such a fun character in the movie!

It was so cool to meet Mrs. Incredible! I think Mr. Incredible and Frozone also meet but we never did see them out.

I agree! Little kids at Disney are the best!

 

[hokieinpa]

Wow! Last day already! It sounds like a good morning to take it slow with it being so hot and your mom not feeling well. I think I've lost track of how many characters you met on this trip! Is there a paper character guide or a DL app with them listed?

 

[missangelalexis]

Wow! Last day already! It sounds like a good morning to take it slow with it being so hot and your mom not feeling well. I think I've lost track of how many characters you met on this trip! Is there a paper character guide or a DL app with them listed?

We definitely enjoyed our slow pace that morning! I never counted how many characters we met (maybe I should haha) but it was definitely a lot! DL has an app (similar to the WDW one) that lists character time and ride wait times!

 

[missangelalexis]

Day 5 - Character meets & one last time on RSR!

Then it was time to use our FP to meet Anna & Elsa. This was our first time going into the Animation Building and we really loved it! Such a fun atmosphere! While we were waiting, a CM noticed I was wearing a Nightmare Before Christmas shirt and told me they would be drawing Jack in the next class and he could get me right in after our meet if we wanted to. I sure wanted to but it would cut too close into our RSR FPs so I had to decline It was such a nice gesture though!









Within a few minutes we were meeting the ladies of Arendelle!









We then went and grabbed a FP for Soarin! We saw Pluto was out meeting with barely a line, so we stopped for a quick pic!







We then headed to Cars Land for yet another (and our final) ride on RSR!









Up next...Wandering around California Adventure!​

 

[Pluto0809]

Darn, there's another thing I forgot about and want to add to the list, the Animation Class! I miss it so much at HS.

Cute pictures with Anna and Elsa and Pluto! You probably know which one I enjoyed the most.

 

[Carathryn]

How nice of that cast member to offer to get you into the animation class!

The couple of times I have seen Pluto out meeting between Soarin and the Grand Californian there has been little to no line. It seems like not that many people go looking for him over there.

 

[khertz]

Aw, Chip & Dale are SO cute! So many fun character meets that morning. I love that Monsters U setup they have for Sulley there too.

I have said it 100 times on this TR but I'm wanting to get back to DL so bad, so DH and I decided we will go next year! I know the 60th stuff will be done, but I really hope Paint the Night is still around. I'm dying to see it!!

 

[hokieinpa]

RSR looks like such a fun ride! And the Animation Building always looks like so much fun - so much to see?

What hotel did you guys stay at again? I'm seriously torn on either DCL or DL for 2018 so I'm starting to look at everything!

 

[missangelalexis]

Darn, there's another thing I forgot about and want to add to the list, the Animation Class! I miss it so much at HS.

Cute pictures with Anna and Elsa and Pluto! You probably know which one I enjoyed the most.

I miss it too It's really nice in California Adventure, a much bigger room so more people can get in each class AND posted schedules so if there's a specific character you wanted to draw you can plan what time to do the class!

Thank you! I knew you would like the pic with Pluto

How nice of that cast member to offer to get you into the animation class!

The couple of times I have seen Pluto out meeting between Soarin and the Grand Californian there has been little to no line. It seems like not that many people go looking for him over there.

It was really sweet! I wish we could've taken him up on it!

It is a pretty quiet area, so I can see why his line is always short!

Aw, Chip & Dale are SO cute! So many fun character meets that morning. I love that Monsters U setup they have for Sulley there too.

I have said it 100 times on this TR but I'm wanting to get back to DL so bad, so DH and I decided we will go next year! I know the 60th stuff will be done, but I really hope Paint the Night is still around. I'm dying to see it!!

We did meet a lot of fun characters that morning!

YAY! That's exciting to hear! I can't imagine they would take PTN parade away...hopefully it's here to stay for awhile!

RSR looks like such a fun ride! And the Animation Building always looks like so much fun - so much to see?

What hotel did you guys stay at again? I'm seriously torn on either DCL or DL for 2018 so I'm starting to look at everything!

The Animation Building is wonderful, so much nicer than the one at DHS used to be.

We stayed at the Anaheim Desert Inn & Suites. It was right across the street and I can't stress enough how convenient it was! We stayed in a regular room but I bet the suites would be great for your family! I've also heard good things about the Howard Johnson that's around there and how it's good for big families as well- and has a little water playground!

 

[missangelalexis]

Day 5 - Wandering around California Adventure

The heat was really kicking in at this point, so we headed to Pacific Wharf to get some drinks and just sit for a few seconds. We got to see this Mariachi Band play while we rested!





Once we recharged ourselves, we went to get a FP for Tower of Terror and admired some more sights!









Then we went to use our Soarin FP! We love this ride at Epcot so of course we loved it here too! This ended up being our only time riding it though.











It was time for some lunch, so we decided to go to the Smokejumpers Grill since it was right next door. I think we just split an order of chicken nuggets but they really hit the spot! What is it about Disney chicken nuggets that make them SO good??

Up next...We spend time in the Animation Building!
​

 

[hokieinpa]

It sounds like a good break with fun people (and band) watching! That's fun that you got to ride Soarin' actually in California! I'm excited for the new version!

And I'm with you on the Disney nuggets. I'm not a huge fan in real life but at Disney they taste pretty amazing!

 

[Pluto0809]

Sounds like a nice break with the drinks and Mariachi band!

Not sure if we will hit up Soarin' and TOT since they are similar to WDW. I need to make sure we hit the unique rides and those that are same but different before we ride exact duplicates. I know TOT isn't exactly the same but from everything I've read, the WDW version is better.

Disney Chicken Tenders are the best!

We got our flights last week when the Southwest dates opened up! It's starting to get real now that we are actually going.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

That was nice of that CM to come up to you after seeing your shirt and mention the drawing class

that animation building is pretty cool - fun to just have a setting like that

Still kind of annoyed that Anna wasn't there when we had our M&G - looks like you had a good meet

You guys are doing well managing your FPs!

 

[missangelalexis]

It sounds like a good break with fun people (and band) watching! That's fun that you got to ride Soarin' actually in California! I'm excited for the new version!

And I'm with you on the Disney nuggets. I'm not a huge fan in real life but at Disney they taste pretty amazing!

It was nice to sit and relax! And it was cool to Soar over California in California! I'm curious to see the new version as well!

Yes definitely!!

Sounds like a nice break with the drinks and Mariachi band!

Not sure if we will hit up Soarin' and TOT since they are similar to WDW. I need to make sure we hit the unique rides and those that are same but different before we ride exact duplicates. I know TOT isn't exactly the same but from everything I've read, the WDW version is better.

Disney Chicken Tenders are the best!

We got our flights last week when the Southwest dates opened up! It's starting to get real now that we are actually going.

It was definitely a nice little break!

Soarin is identical, and since you will probably already have ridden the new version of it at WDW, its probably not necessary. Tower of Terror is a little different, but the WDW version is WAY better! Both of these rides are pretty easy to get Fastpasses for though, so you may have a chance to sneak one or both in!

I know how much you love Disney chicken tenders too!

YAY! I'm really excited for you, I'm glad it's even more official now.

That was nice of that CM to come up to you after seeing your shirt and mention the drawing class

that animation building is pretty cool - fun to just have a setting like that

Still kind of annoyed that Anna wasn't there when we had our M&G - looks like you had a good meet

You guys are doing well managing your FPs!

It was a really nice gesture! I was glad to have a few memorable CM encounters as overall I didn't get the friendly vibe from CMs the way I do in WDW.

I did love the animation building and the fact that there are several things to do/see inside!

I don't blame you for still being annoyed, especially since it's the only place to meet those 2 together.

It was fun to go back to using paper FPs for a little!

 

[missangelalexis]

Day 5 - The Animation Building & Grizzly Peak

After lunch we headed back to the Animation Building. I loved that the had an actual schedule outside so you can know ahead of time what characters would be drawn at what time!



Because of this, I knew there was a class I just HAD to do He's big, he's white, he's a healthcare companion. Maybe you've heard of him? We were drawing Baymax!

I really love the setup here and how BIG the room is! This used to be one of my favorite things at Hollywood Studios so I'm glad to see it still exists here! I only wish we had time to do more classes!





Since we were here, we decided to check out the Sorcerer's Workshop. We thought it was really neat and a fun way to spend some time!

















After that, we stopped for a quick picture with the Walt & Mickey statues!



And then decided to walk through the only part of the park we hadn't really been to yet- Grizzly Peak! We didn't plan on riding Grizzly River Run, though tempting with how hot it was! Don't believe me? Here's a screenshot I took of the weather app:



HOT! We resisted the urge to get completely soaked and just enjoyed checking out the area.













Up next...Our last bit of fun in California Adventure!
​

 

[Pluto0809]

I am definitely going to be checking out those drawing classes for Pluto!

Just read today that the Paint the Night Parade is ending on 9/5. I'm really hoping that is not true since that is one of the things I'm looking forward to the most. I'm also hoping to try out the World of Color dessert party for me and Mom because it has seats!

 

[missangelalexis]

I am definitely going to be checking out those drawing classes for Pluto!

Just read today that the Paint the Night Parade is ending on 9/5. I'm really hoping that is not true since that is one of the things I'm looking forward to the most. I'm also hoping to try out the World of Color dessert party for me and Mom because it has seats!

I am sure it won't be too hard to get a Pluto class!

Oh no that's so disappointing I hope it's not true either, that would be silly to end it after such a short period of time and all that work getting it ready! Wow, seats for WOC would be awesome!

 

[xlsm]

Caught up again!

We had a great time on our trip, and I had planned to do a TR, but then decided not to because I haven't had a lot of time, and then after catching up with yours I'm thinking about getting one started after all!

The Animation Building was one of our favorite places...we did two Animation Academy classes (Oswald and Pluto), and Turtle Talk, but never did Sorcerer's Workshop, but I can't remember why?? Probably timing, I honestly have no idea, and it was only a month ago,LOL!!

I'm living vicariously through your meet and greet photos...we ended up having really bad luck finding the characters, or it being time for them to leave as we got to them. We did wait half an hour to be first in line for Nick and Judy, and we finally got Oswald on our last park day after waiting almost 40 minutes on a previous day when he never showed up.

I've really enjoyed reading your report! It was perfect for getting me excited for our California trip, and it made me happy to read the most recent updates and remember the fun we had on our own trip!

 

[missangelalexis]

Caught up again!

We had a great time on our trip, and I had planned to do a TR, but then decided not to because I haven't had a lot of time, and then after catching up with yours I'm thinking about getting one started after all!

The Animation Building was one of our favorite places...we did two Animation Academy classes (Oswald and Pluto), and Turtle Talk, but never did Sorcerer's Workshop, but I can't remember why?? Probably timing, I honestly have no idea, and it was only a month ago,LOL!!

I'm living vicariously through your meet and greet photos...we ended up having really bad luck finding the characters, or it being time for them to leave as we got to them. We did wait half an hour to be first in line for Nick and Judy, and we finally got Oswald on our last park day after waiting almost 40 minutes on a previous day when he never showed up.

I've really enjoyed reading your report! It was perfect for getting me excited for our California trip, and it made me happy to read the most recent updates and remember the fun we had on our own trip!

I'm so glad to hear you had a great trip! I hope you do end up doing a TR, would love to read it!

The Animation Building is so nice!

I'm sorry about your bad luck with characters I'm glad you got to meet Nick & Judy though, and Oswald- I know you were looking forward to him!

Thank you so much, I appreciate that

 

[missangelalexis]

Day 5 - Goodbye California Adventure!

We made our way towards Paradise Pier where I decided I was going to conquer California Screamin! Luckily it was back up running today! I would be doing this one single rider as Mom would no way do this one I was pretty nervous when I got on, but honestly it was pretty awesome! The loop wasn't as scary as I thought it would be and it's really such a smooth coaster. I wouldn't hesitate to do this one again!







We also got our pictures with the last of the special 60th photo ops!









We took some last pictures in front of the fun wheel. The area was deserted so we did get some nice ones!

















After that, it was time to use our ToT FP to ride what would be our final California Adventure ride. We had the row to ourselves so left the middle seat open.



We walked towards the front of the park, and I decided to stop in the shop that sells the baked goods and bought ourselves a cake pop to share. I couldn't leave this trip without eating something 60th anniversary related!





It was so delicious!!



Goodbye California Adventure! Your park was a blast!

Up next...We spend the remainder of the day in Disneyland​