"Let's Ride Every Ride in Disneyland" - An Awesome Daddy/Daughter Spring Break Trip (Finished 9/26)

Just caught up with your TR. You and your daughter are quite impressive with your go-go attitudes! She reminds me of me as a kid -- I was also such a thrill seeker!
 
Chapter 22: One Last Frolic Around DCA

After getting up from our nap, we set out from the Anaheim Desert Inn for one final night in the parks. We did not have a heavy itinerary planned for the evening, just one last spin on a few rides and some time to enjoy the atmosphere at a casual pace. First up would be DCA to use the MPs I had stacked throughout the day and for a final dinner at Flo's. We started at Guardians, which we rode for the 4th time on the trip.

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Next up was a return to Pixar Pier, where we rode Incredicoaster for the 7th time on the trip and shot our way through Toy Story Midway Mania for a 5th time.

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Then it was time for dinner. Of course my daughter chose to go to Flo's V8 Cafe, where we now recognized as regulars by the CMs after eating there 4 times in 5 days. We both enjoyed our burgers.

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After dinner, it was time to try our luck at Radiator Springs Racers to see if we could finish the trip undefeated in races. Using my daughter's strategy of cheering loudly for our car, we had won our first 4 races of the trip (one on each park day) and were hopeful to continue the streak on our last night.

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Unfortunately, despite having a FP booked through MP earlier in the day, we needed to wait in line for nearly an hour in order to ride. Other rides had been down that day, so guests received anytime "multiple experience" FPs and apparently were deciding to use them en masse to ride RSR after dark. The FP line was so backed up that they actually shut down the standby line and ended up using the usual standby queue for FP overflow. This ended up being our longest wait of the trip, which was frustrating since we had a FP (but so did everyone else). I am glad that Disney is addressing this problem somewhat now by issuing replacement FPs based on tiers rather than just "ride whatever you want if the ride you booked was down".

We finally got to the front of the line, and my daughter yet again urged the other riders in our car to cheer in order to win the race. There was some skepticism, but I was able to tell them that it had worked four straight times for us, so everyone agreed it was worth a try. Sure enough, we won yet again. Five for five!

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My daughter was very proud of our winning streak, and now even more convinced that her strategy was they key to victory.

After the much longer than expected wait for RSR, we had to hurry out of DCA faster than we'd hoped since we wanted to make it to Disneyland in time for the fireworks.

Stay tuned for Chapter 23, where we wind down our last night of the trip with a final lap around Disneyland.
 
Chapter 22: One Last Frolic Around DCA

After getting up from our nap, we set out from the Anaheim Desert Inn for one final night in the parks. We did not have a heavy itinerary planned for the evening, just one last spin on a few rides and some time to enjoy the atmosphere at a casual pace. First up would be DCA to use the MPs I had stacked throughout the day and for a final dinner at Flo's. We started at Guardians, which we rode for the 4th time on the trip.

47609814332_f3e9e34e1f_z.jpg


Next up was a return to Pixar Pier, where we rode Incredicoaster for the 7th time on the trip and shot our way through Toy Story Midway Mania for a 5th time.

46938565224_a694378b37_z.jpg


Then it was time for dinner. Of course my daughter chose to go to Flo's V8 Cafe, where we now recognized as regulars by the CMs after eating there 4 times in 5 days. We both enjoyed our burgers.

40695992303_84a29afb85_z.jpg


After dinner, it was time to try our luck at Radiator Springs Racers to see if we could finish the trip undefeated in races. Using my daughter's strategy of cheering loudly for our car, we had won our first 4 races of the trip (one on each park day) and were hopeful to continue the streak on our last night.

33785185988_01ea093d56_z.jpg


Unfortunately, despite having a FP booked through MP earlier in the day, we needed to wait in line for nearly an hour in order to ride. Other rides had been down that day, so guests received anytime "multiple experience" FPs and apparently were deciding to use them en masse to ride RSR after dark. The FP line was so backed up that they actually shut down the standby line and ended up using the usual standby queue for FP overflow. This ended up being our longest wait of the trip, which was frustrating since we had a FP (but so did everyone else). I am glad that Disney is addressing this problem somewhat now by issuing replacement FPs based on tiers rather than just "ride whatever you want if the ride you booked was down".

We finally got to the front of the line, and my daughter yet again urged the other riders in our car to cheer in order to win the race. There was some skepticism, but I was able to tell them that it had worked four straight times for us, so everyone agreed it was worth a try. Sure enough, we won yet again. Five for five!

47609666932_2c707c5451_z.jpg


My daughter was very proud of our winning streak, and now even more convinced that her strategy was they key to victory.

After the much longer than expected wait for RSR, we had to hurry out of DCA faster than we'd hoped since we wanted to make it to Disneyland in time for the fireworks.

Stay tuned for Chapter 23, where we wind down our last night of the trip with a final lap around Disneyland.
Wow an hour for fastpass! The longest I think I waited was 45 minutes for guardians fastpass when one of the gantry was down. And yeah, while the perk of using a replacement fastpass on any ride has come to an end, I totally agree it's for the best. Actually, any person I've talked to around the park said it's for the best. Fastpass lines can get sooo backed up due to ride breakdowns.
 


Chapter 23: Saying Goodnight and Goodbye to Disneyland

We were able to make it onto Main Street before the fireworks began. After having seen them from a distance a few times earlier in the week, it was nice to be able to watch the show on our last night.

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Mickey's Mix Magic is certainly no Happily Ever After, but we enjoyed the show. Next we went into Adventureland, where I picked up our mobile-ordered Dole Whips for our third viewing of the Enchanted Tiki Room.

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After bidding farewell to Jose and friends, we walked over to Pirates of the Caribbean. Looking back, I'm surprised that we only rode Pirates 4 times on the trip. It is my favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom, and my daughter loved the DL version. I think the length of the ride may have been a factor, but we were certainly glad that we got to experience it again before our trip concluded.

After Pirates, we made our way back to Fantasyland. My daughter wanted photos with the Carousel and with Monstro from Storybook Land Canal Boats.

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We still had some time before the park was closing and the crowd was light in FL, so I asked my daughter which rides she wanted to do. She said that she only wanted to do one more ride and then her trip would be complete: Alice in Wonderland. She had decided this week that she really liked this ride, and wanted to experience it again since WDW does not have it, so she may not be on it again for a while.

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True to her word, after we finished Alice my daughter was ready to leave the park. So we took one last stroll down Main Street and said goodnight and goodbye to Disneyland. We returned to our hotel and got a bit of a jumpstart on packing since we had an early flight the next morning.

Come back for Chapter 24, where we fly home and wrap up our magical daddy/daughter trip to California.

Day 7 Statistics
Parks visited: DL and DCA
Rides: 16
Miles walked (according to my Fitbit): 13.87
 
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Wow that stinks that the FP was so long for RSR!

Your daughter's cheering strategy seems to be a winner!! So cool that you guys never lost a race!

Sounds like a really nice end to your time at DL seeing the fireworks and riding some final rides.
 


What a lovely final evening at DL! I vaguely remember DL's PotC - mostly I just remember liking the load/unload better mabye? :rotfl: It's been nearly 10 years, so my memory is definitely foggy at best!

Excited to hear your wrap up. What wonderful memories you'll both have from this trip :goodvibes
 
I have been preoccupied with house-buying for the last two months, but I finally caught up on your trip! It sounds like it was almost all amazing, and I'm so glad you guys had low waits! What a great memory for her! I'm interested to hear what you thought of Disney Tokyo!
 
After a long hiatus, I'm finally getting a chance to finish this TR. Thanks to those of you returning.

Saturday April 20 (Day 8 - Departure Day)

Chapter 24: Adios to California

We woke up dark and early on Saturday morning to finish packing and check out of the hotel before our flight home. By 6:30 AM we were in an Uber and on our way to LAX. Our flight left on time at 8:15 AM and we had an uneventful trip across the country, landing back at Newark a little after 4:30 in the afternoon. My wife was busy hosting family in town for Easter and preparing dinner, so Caroline and I grabbed our bags from baggage claim and then took another Uber for the short trip home. We arrived home around 5:30 and were greeted by lots of family. I also got to meet my 1 month old niece for the first time, so that was fun. We enjoyed a great dinner as Caroline and I recounted our adventures.

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Overall we had a really fun and productive trip. Not only did we ride all 48 rides operating at DLR, but we rode exactly 100 rides at DL and DCA in total. We each used 50 FPs booked via MaxPass over the course of our 5 days at the Disney parks; at $1 per FP, I feel like we got our money's worth from MP. We rode 26 of the 48 rides more than once. The rides we rode most were at DCA, where we enjoyed the Incredicoaster 7 times, Radiator Springs Racers and Toy Story Mania 5 times each, and Guardians 4 times. At DL, the rides we rode most were Pirates, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain (4 times each). We also got to experience Fantasmic!, World of Color, Mickey’s Mix Magic fireworks, the Disney Jr. Dance Party, Minnie & Friends breakfast, and the Enchanted Tiki Room (3 times). We also had great days at Knott's Berry Farm and Magic Mountain.

Beyond all of the rides, shows, and other activities, like our WDW trip last year, this trip was also a great bonding experience for my daughter and me. Our shared love for Disney, theme parks, and rides has given us great chances for travel and adventures together, with more to come. Since this trip, we have also traveled to Tokyo Disney (TR to come) and are planning a trip to Paris for next Spring. As she grows up, I realize more and more just how precious this time together is. No matter the cost of the flights, hotels, park tickets, Dole whips and Flo's burgers, the memories we make are truly priceless.

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Thanks to all of you who have followed along on our journey!

Final Trip Stats
Park days: 7
Parks visited: DL, DCA, Knott's, and Magic Mountain
Rides: 136
Our goal of riding every ride at DLR? 48/48, accomplished in 2.5 days (and then we went back and rode over half of them again at least once)
Total distance walked over our 7 park days: 88.15 miles
Laughs, smiles, and hugs: Too many to count
 
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Loved reading about your trip! You guys went to Tokyo?? Count me in for that TR!

And you're right, the memories you're making are priceless! Thanks for sharing :goodvibes
 
Loved reading about your trip! You guys went to Tokyo?? Count me in for that TR!

And you're right, the memories you're making are priceless! Thanks for sharing :goodvibes

Thanks Alexis! I will definitely post a link here once I make some progress on my Tokyo TR. Now that I'm back on the boards, I am looking forward to catching up on your amazing engagement WDW TR. I have completed the first few days, but haven't come to the big highlight yet. Looking forward to it.
 
Loved this trip report! Thanks for sharing!

We are going in Feb, not planning on getting park hoppers (But might change my mind). If you had three park days, which park would you choose to do twice if you didn't have hoppers? I am planning on just letting me kids pick the last day after our first two, but am tempted for a Plaza Inn breakfast that day and then would need a reservation. Thoughts? Or do we just need hoppers?
 
We are going in Feb, not planning on getting park hoppers (But might change my mind). If you had three park days, which park would you choose to do twice if you didn't have hoppers? I am planning on just letting me kids pick the last day after our first two, but am tempted for a Plaza Inn breakfast that day and then would need a reservation. Thoughts? Or do we just need hoppers?

If it doesn't blow your budget, I would recommend getting the hoppers. If that's not in the cards, and it is your family's first time at DLR, I would definitely plan on 2 days at Disneyland and 1 at DCA. You can do all of DCA in one day, no problem. You'll want more time at Disneyland. There are a lot more rides, shows, character meets, and things to do generally. The Plaza Inn breakfast is a great idea for Day 3 if you think your kids would like meeting the characters. At the risk of stating the obvious, if you do decide to get the hoppers, upgrade for all 3 days, since it would cost you almost as much to upgrade one day as to do all three.
 
Just found your TR. Thanks for sharing all the details. We are WDW veterans but are lost with DL and this has been very helpful!
We also love rollercoasters. Have you tried Kings Dominion in Virginia? They had an amazing wooden rollercoaster. Coolest coaster i have ever been on!!
 
Just found your TR. Thanks for sharing all the details. We are WDW veterans but are lost with DL and this has been very helpful!
We also love rollercoasters. Have you tried Kings Dominion in Virginia? They had an amazing wooden rollercoaster. Coolest coaster i have ever been on!!

Thanks! DL is pretty easy to master if you have experience with WDW. I haven't been to Kings Dominion since I was a teenager, but it is definitely on the "must do" list for my daughter and me. Twisted Timbers, Intimidator 305, and Dominator all seem like great coasters that we need to try.
 

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