Mark Williams
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2021
First pandemic era trip to DLR and DCA! I have been going to Disneyland and other Disney parks globally every few years since early 80s (46 now), on this trip, celebrating our anniversary with my wife (39) who has only been a few times to the Florida and California parks and being Danish did not go as a kid, so does not have the same nostalgia for them I do. We don't have kids, but that has never dampered our Disney enthusiasm, lol.
Our basic philosophy is to save on the hotel and spend as much of the savings as possible on food and drinks
I was religious about grabbing online reservations for all, starting 60 days out and checking multiple times most days until 45 days out when diminishing returns, and by then had something decent locked in for all. Resumed the final 3 days prior to departure and upgraded several, snagged Napa rose (whew..) and got Trader Sam's twice which had evaded me earlier.
Flew into SNA from SFO, Southwest, easy Lyft, 2mins from clicking, to The Anaheim Hotel, $24 + $5 tip. We like The Anaheim, simple, no fuss, clean and spacious rooms, nice pool area, good on site pizza and craft beer, and under 10mins walk to the front gate. Booked 3 months ago on Agoda for $127 per night including all taxes. Arriving at 2pm, we headed straight to Ballast Point Brewery where I enjoyed a bacon fig burger and she had the caesar salad with seared ahi, we had several of their excellent beers. If you don't know their beers, it is your best option near the parks, although several other local breweries are even better if you have time to take a 20 minute uber to reach them.
We had the 3 day single park tickets (Calif locals deal), so headed to DLR for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I won't list all the rides but we went on all of them aside from the kiddie ones over the three days We are glad to take the single rider line when available to save time and never waited more than 15-20 minutes at most for any, the majority were near walk-ons, but we were quite strategic about when we went on what. We snagged the virtual queue for Rise while we were still in San Francisco, and they took us on at 4pm, no worries (boarding group had been called at 10am). Overall, best newer ride at either park easily, a new classic. Jotted over to Craftsman for a few poolside cocktails with live music, a great spot then back to DLR for a couple more hours, dinner at Cafe Orleans, Monte Cristos and pomme frites for both of us, enjoyed the dining experience there, Oga's at 10pm for cocktails (walk up, 5min wait), stayed until 11pm, good afternoon and evening in the park. People were good about masking, it does not bother us in the slightest to stay safe and make sure those around us are comfortable.
Day 2 was DCA for rope drop, we walked on to Rad Springs (well close, quick moving line towards end), Guardians, Soarin' in first hour, then took the rest of the morning at leisure. Morning brunch at Lamplight Lounge (our anniversary day, so no expense spared today crab and potato cake benedict for her and New York avocado toast, for me, delicious. Multiple flights of Mimosa, so good. Virtual queue was not a problem for Web Slingers, 11am boarding group, neither of us loved the ride, nowhere close to Rise in terms of innovations and wow moments and not in the same league as Guardians for excitement/fun. Several more rides, then a relaxed lunch at Wine Country Trattoria. Soup, bruschetta, tuscan salad with shrimp and salmon entrees for both of us, all nice, flights of California wine, they had a nice selection. We both thought that they had the nicest outside seating area of any of the places we visited on this trip. Back to the hotel by 2pm for a siesta and some pool time, nice and relaxed there. Carthay Lounge for a few cocktails at 5pm, finished up our rides, got everything in generally under 10mins wait by monitoring the app, playing it by ear, crowds were moderate as at DLR. Napa Rose, our splurge for the trip began at 8pm and enjoyed 2 hours there for the lovely 4 course prix fixe vintner menu and wine flights, I won't list everything but it met expectations. I've been several times since it opened and feel it has held up well. Short walk over to Trader Sam's for the last few cocktails of the night, then a quick Lyft back to The Anaheim, why walk?
Final day back at DLR, this was the hottest day so we changed our plan accordingly. Rope drop was not too mobbed, we hit Indiana, Jungle Cruise and Matterhorn within the first hour, basically walk-ons then slowed our roll after that. Buffet breakfast at Plaza Inn, good not great, no complaints. We worked our way through the park but at a slow pace, sat and enjoyed people watching half way through to lunch, which was 1pm at River Belle Terrace, where we enjoyed open faced blackened catfish for her and the pulled pork sandwich for me, the heat was becoming annoying, so back to the hotel for a siesta and then poolside and a dip. Saved some steps by grabbing a Lyft to DLH and our 2nd visit to Trader Sam's for 5pm cocktails, stayed longer this time until outside temps had dropped. Couple hours more at DLR and 8pm dinner at Blue Bayou, she had the jambalaya, I chose the salmon and lobster tail/ steak. Lovely to have wine with our meal in the park! Pleasantly cool now we finished off our ride list, and had time for a final stop at Oga's Cantina for final cocktails of the night, great way to close the day.
Next two Disney trips should be Tokyo and then Florida, prob within the next 18 months or so, we can't wait to see both again!
Our basic philosophy is to save on the hotel and spend as much of the savings as possible on food and drinks
I was religious about grabbing online reservations for all, starting 60 days out and checking multiple times most days until 45 days out when diminishing returns, and by then had something decent locked in for all. Resumed the final 3 days prior to departure and upgraded several, snagged Napa rose (whew..) and got Trader Sam's twice which had evaded me earlier.Flew into SNA from SFO, Southwest, easy Lyft, 2mins from clicking, to The Anaheim Hotel, $24 + $5 tip. We like The Anaheim, simple, no fuss, clean and spacious rooms, nice pool area, good on site pizza and craft beer, and under 10mins walk to the front gate. Booked 3 months ago on Agoda for $127 per night including all taxes. Arriving at 2pm, we headed straight to Ballast Point Brewery where I enjoyed a bacon fig burger and she had the caesar salad with seared ahi, we had several of their excellent beers. If you don't know their beers, it is your best option near the parks, although several other local breweries are even better if you have time to take a 20 minute uber to reach them.
We had the 3 day single park tickets (Calif locals deal), so headed to DLR for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I won't list all the rides but we went on all of them aside from the kiddie ones over the three days
We are glad to take the single rider line when available to save time and never waited more than 15-20 minutes at most for any, the majority were near walk-ons, but we were quite strategic about when we went on what. We snagged the virtual queue for Rise while we were still in San Francisco, and they took us on at 4pm, no worries (boarding group had been called at 10am). Overall, best newer ride at either park easily, a new classic. Jotted over to Craftsman for a few poolside cocktails with live music, a great spot then back to DLR for a couple more hours, dinner at Cafe Orleans, Monte Cristos and pomme frites for both of us, enjoyed the dining experience there, Oga's at 10pm for cocktails (walk up, 5min wait), stayed until 11pm, good afternoon and evening in the park. People were good about masking, it does not bother us in the slightest to stay safe and make sure those around us are comfortable.Day 2 was DCA for rope drop, we walked on to Rad Springs (well close, quick moving line towards end), Guardians, Soarin' in first hour, then took the rest of the morning at leisure. Morning brunch at Lamplight Lounge (our anniversary day, so no expense spared today
crab and potato cake benedict for her and New York avocado toast, for me, delicious. Multiple flights of Mimosa, so good. Virtual queue was not a problem for Web Slingers, 11am boarding group, neither of us loved the ride, nowhere close to Rise in terms of innovations and wow moments and not in the same league as Guardians for excitement/fun. Several more rides, then a relaxed lunch at Wine Country Trattoria. Soup, bruschetta, tuscan salad with shrimp and salmon entrees for both of us, all nice, flights of California wine, they had a nice selection. We both thought that they had the nicest outside seating area of any of the places we visited on this trip. Back to the hotel by 2pm for a siesta and some pool time, nice and relaxed there. Carthay Lounge for a few cocktails at 5pm, finished up our rides, got everything in generally under 10mins wait by monitoring the app, playing it by ear, crowds were moderate as at DLR. Napa Rose, our splurge for the trip began at 8pm and enjoyed 2 hours there for the lovely 4 course prix fixe vintner menu and wine flights, I won't list everything but it met expectations. I've been several times since it opened and feel it has held up well. Short walk over to Trader Sam's for the last few cocktails of the night, then a quick Lyft back to The Anaheim, why walk? Final day back at DLR, this was the hottest day so we changed our plan accordingly. Rope drop was not too mobbed, we hit Indiana, Jungle Cruise and Matterhorn within the first hour, basically walk-ons then slowed our roll after that. Buffet breakfast at Plaza Inn, good not great, no complaints. We worked our way through the park but at a slow pace, sat and enjoyed people watching half way through to lunch, which was 1pm at River Belle Terrace, where we enjoyed open faced blackened catfish for her and the pulled pork sandwich for me, the heat was becoming annoying, so back to the hotel for a siesta and then poolside and a dip. Saved some steps by grabbing a Lyft to DLH and our 2nd visit to Trader Sam's for 5pm cocktails, stayed longer this time until outside temps had dropped. Couple hours more at DLR and 8pm dinner at Blue Bayou, she had the jambalaya, I chose the salmon and lobster tail/ steak. Lovely to have wine with our meal in the park! Pleasantly cool now we finished off our ride list, and had time for a final stop at Oga's Cantina for final cocktails of the night, great way to close the day.
Next two Disney trips should be Tokyo and then Florida, prob within the next 18 months or so, we can't wait to see both again!
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