Our first trip to Disneyland, plus 4 nights on the Wonder - April 2024

[ambula603]

Hi Everyone!

I really want to recap our Disneyland trip while it is fresh in my mind, so here we go!


I have attempted to write trip reports in the past (see signature!) but I am only on Disboards at work and that is sporadic. But I am going to try to post some of this from my phone to help with that. So if you are reading along and posting, thank you and stay with me!

A little about us -
Me (Amber) I am a teacher for a virtual academy in our town in Kentucky. I have been going to WDW all my life and am now a Disney adult! I love the food, the smells in the hotels, the ambiance, and all the rides.

DH (Jason) is an engineer who went to WDW some while growing up but now loves it as much as I do! He just goes along with all of my plans but loves Epcot the most. He is such a good sport and enjoys dressing up/coordinating each day. He never complains and honestly just likes to make his girls happy!

DD (Lilli) turned 15 yesterday! She is a true Disney lover like her mom, and also a foodie. She now takes over our maps and directions, leading the way! She loves all the planning talk and knowing what is coming each day. She helps with countdowns and in general loves to talk about our trips. She loves to read so we say she is like Belle.

DD (Scarlett) is 12.5 and loves Disney, as well. She likes the thrill rides the most. And pretzels. And popcorn. And mickey bars! She doesn't care as much about the sit-down restaurants but lives for the snackies! She doesn't like to know the plans ahead of time, just goes along with us like her Dad! She resonates with Donald Duck - he's always overshadowed and easily frustrated!

Our trip was March 29-April 8 and had a few different legs.
First leg - Hollywood
Second leg - Disneyland
Third leg - Disney Cruise on Wonder
Fourth leg - San Diego

Posting now!

 

[ambula603]

Saving for Table of Contents

 

[ambula603]

Day 1

We went to school as normal (Jason was off work for Good Friday, so that was great!) but I checked the girls out of school a little early so we could get on the road. We fly out of Nashville, TN which is 2 hours away from home. The girls were so excited to be out of school. Lilli is a freshman and Scarlett is in 6th grade. Both play sports and were just ready for a BREAK! We were all ready!


I was pretty worried about the weather for the trip. It was supposed to be cold and rainy...so I packed extra raincoats, shoes, and umbrellas. We always travel with just carry-on bags so this was quite the challenge! But we managed to fit it all with little room to spare! We always travel this way and I have a love-hate relationship with carry-ons. It requires me to be very prepared and planned out in advance (no over-packing!) but I hate lugging the suitcases through the airport. I also always worry they won't fit in the overhead bins. That has only happened once, but it still stresses me out.

Travel to Nash was straight forward and we enjoyed some Chik Fil A at the airport. Our flight was only slightly delayed, not bad. I watched LaLa Land which was very fitting for our trip.

We arrived at LAX in the rain around 9:45. We had to wheel our bags around and find the Uber pick-up location (taking a shuttle in the meantime) but it went well. Something to note about me, I stress the most about logistics. We don't use Uber around home so I was a little worried about how it would all work out. LAX was HUGE but the Uber app was pretty straightforward on where to go. I liked that it wouldn't let me click the final button until we were in the correct spot. Once in the Uber, we were on our way! Exhausted but excited!

 

[ambula603]

Day 2

We had planned to wake early and walk around by the Chinese Theatre (since we were still feeling our Central Time Zone) but since it was pouring rain in LA, we decided to sleep in. We had breakfast at the Holiday Inn (nothing special) but it was included in the price, so yay for that. California sticker shock is real! When we travel we like to splurge on some things, but if it's just one night we try to stay at a Holiday Inn.

I had already booked a tour for the Warner Bros Studio so we took an Uber and headed that way.



Highlights for us: Friends for me




Gilmore Girls for Lil (I surprised her with this area she had no idea it was part of the tour!)




To be continued...

 

[ambula603]

Day 2, Part 2
Highlights were Harry Potter for Jason and Scarlett

This is the face a Slytherin makes when told she is a Hufflepuff!


Lilli is a TRUE Hufflepuff and the sorting hat got it right!


Jason is a Ravenclaw!

Are you even a middle schooler if you didn't make Dobby do the gritty?




It may have been more enjoyable if it had been a tad warmer and not raining, but we all thought it was pretty neat. I would have LOVED to have seen a show being taped but I liked being able to see the soundstage set up.

I did like seeing the corner cafe that I had JUST seen in LaLa Land the night before!


After the tour, we headed to In and Out which Scar has wanted to try for years. It wasn't my favorite (we like Freddys around here - not sure if that is a Southern thing?) Since we weren't able to go there last summer when we were in Cali, I was happy to find one this time. She loved it!


Another Uber back to our hotel to get our luggage and then we were on our way to the Disneyland Hotel! We had ideas to wander around Hollywood and look at the Walk of Fame but the rain messed that up. Honestly, I know we weren't missing much. Jason and I took a trip 10 years ago and saw lots of the touristy stuff then. The girls were just ready to get to Disneyland!

The closest we got to the sign. Oh well!

Next up, the Disneyland Hotel!

 

[ambula603]

Day 2, Part 3

The 10-photo limit makes me feel long-winded, sorry! I am trying to really condense it down!

We pulled into the Disneyland Hotel and I immediately started getting choked up. We had planned to visit DL in 2020, womp womp...so this trip was about 5 years in the making. My 40th birthday is this summer so this trip was to celebrate that. (Minus the actual day Lilli turned 15, ha! I will let her have that day!)


We had two different reservations (borrowed points for 2 nights from a friend and rented the other 2 from a company) so I had to have guest services combine those two rooms. The 2nd room had a preferred view but we didn't want to move rooms just to have that. So we pixie-dusted it to someone who paid for a standard room. At least that's how I like to think of it!

Not a great photo but they had tons of cute Easter balloons set out!



The sights, the sounds, the SMELL of the resort - brought me to tears as soon as I walked in!! It would be the first of many happy tears during this trip.


Our room was beautiful



We loved all the Sleeping Beauty details! Although Scar would have loved more Maleficent appearances, as that is her favorite "Disney princess." She is a true Slytherin, remember!

We took a perfect little Disney nap and then headed out to dinner at the Grand Californian. But first, a walk through Downtown Disney!

 

[ambula603]

Day 2, Part 4

How genius to have to walk through Downtown Disney to get into the parks. Obviously, everyone loves how compact the parks are in California. I had studied the maps but I wasn't exactly sure how it would all feel. I was afraid we wouldn't feel like we were in the Disney Bubble... but I was WRONG. Other than seeing a little bit of the other hotels when we took the monorail, I never saw anything but Disney. Ahh, Heaven!



First up, the Lego store. We are a huge Lego family.

We've had this castle for years and also have the DL train station!

We also love puzzles! See our playroom (old pics, we made that kitchen when Lilli was little!)

We love Legos and puzzles because it is something we can all do together as a family. I hope we never tire of it. You an see who maybe loves them the most...


Anyway, back to Downtown Disney - of course we had to stop in the Lego store. And now we HAVE to have this set!

Up is our favorite - we call my hubby Carl all the time! Insert tears for the 2nd time when I saw this. I was just so happy! We will prob get the set for Christmas, as we didn't have any room to get it home!

Further down, we took a walk through Sephora (again, having a middle school girl means Sephora is a requirement, but no purchases because of the tight carry-on bag sitch.)

We stopped to get our first churro. As many have said, they are 1000% better here than WDW.


Made our way to the Craftsman Bar at the Grand Californian where we had an ADR. I knew we probably wouldn't need it, but I wanted to have something just in case the pre-Easter crowds were bad. Well, we walked to the pool area and since it was still raining, the bar area was closed. Thankfully we pivoted and ordered at the Quick Service (same menu) and found a table inside.

A friend had recommended the Craftsman. We were thinking it would be perfect for our first night to check out the Grand Cal. As suspected, my National Park-loving husband fell in love. I had tried to get 2 nights there with no luck...but maybe next time! He also loved that area of DCA, too. When I told him the rooms go directly into that part of the park, he was sold.

We ordered the charcuterie pizza and we all LOVED it!


I ordered the quesadillas and they were good, but not as good as the pizza. We bought some fresh fruit to take back to the room to snack on.

A quick little walk back and we were back in our room for the night. After another long day, I was ready to hit the sack!

I'll be back tomorrow for Day 3...

 

[AusAnnie]

Loving it so far....looking forward to more!

 

[xApril]

I can’t wait to see those first reactions!!

Ironically La La Land is one of my friend’s favorite movies so when we went to California for his first trip 2 years ago, we watched it on the plane. I’d forgotten how many loud moments it had so that made for some jump scares!

We did the Warner Brothers tour back in 2019 and it was fun! It was a lot of DC stuff for us. No Gilmore Girls which would’ve been cool. I was actually looking at my stuff the other day and they sorted me into Ravenclaw when I feel I am a Hufflepuff too! We ended up eating at the Smoke House after, which is where Mia from La La Land first hears Sebastian play.

 

[ambula603]

Loving it so far....looking forward to more!

Thank you for visiting!!

I can’t wait to see those first reactions!!

Ironically La La Land is one of my friend’s favorite movies so when we went to California for his first trip 2 years ago, we watched it on the plane. I’d forgotten how many loud moments it had so that made for some jump scares!

We did the Warner Brothers tour back in 2019 and it was fun! It was a lot of DC stuff for us. No Gilmore Girls which would’ve been cool. I was actually looking at my stuff the other day and they sorted me into Ravenclaw when I feel I am a Hufflepuff too! We ended up eating at the Smoke House after, which is where Mia from La La Land first hears Sebastian play.

The Smoke House would have been cool!! My oldest loves La La Land and was the one telling me to watch it. I just love Ryan Gosling! Thanks for stopping by!

 

[ambula603]

Real life update - the post-vacation crud has found us. We usually get sick ON the trip, so I am grateful it held off and caught us after we got home. However, with a volleyball tournament and 2 soccer games this weekend, we won't have much time to rest. I did get everything unpacked within about 1.5 hours of getting home and all my laundry finished in 1 day (and that was on a day I went to work!) Honestly, it feels like I ran a marathon. My body aches and I have a sore throat. Last year I caught Covid on the way home and was miserable for about 2 weeks after our trip. Praying that isn't the case this year.

Back to the trip report!
Day 3


After a cold, rainy day in Hollywood, we were ready for sunshine. But we wouldn't find much of that today! I was really worried about the local crowds with it being Easter Sunday. I still don't know if the chilly rain held off the people or if it was the holiday, but we navigated the park easily on this day. While I would have loved sunny photos, I didn't hate the low crowds.

We did not have Early Entry at DL (I chose my park days before that calendar came out) but we did get an early start, thanks to still being on Kentucky time.

Lilli is about 5'8 and really makes me look short! She's our volleyball girl.

The rain didn't really start until we were in the park, but it was drizzly walking in. I was able to get a good first view of Main Street, USA, and the OG Castle! I thought it was so cute and perfectly sized, despite what I think photos show. Maybe because everything is compact, but it just WORKS.

Blurry but HAPPY! Of course, happy tears flowed.

You can see the rainy surroundings while we waited near Adventureland for the rope to drop. Everyone was just buzzing with excitement and no one seemed to mind the drizzle.

Soon though, it was poncho time. We would take them on and off ALL day. I was kicking myself because we packed raincoats but like idiots, didn't wear them this day. The girls wanted to show off their cute shirts and I had worn mine the day before and didn't want it in all my pictures again. Priorities!


We rope-dropped Jungle Cruise which is a fave but we were disappointed in our skipper. I hate when they speak so closely into the mic that it is muffled and you can't understand it! I tried to prioritize rides that didn't use LL or rides I knew we would want to do multiple times.

I know we spent some time in Adventureland, doing the treehouse, walking on to Pirates (loved it, so much longer than ours at WDW), and getting a lightning lane for Indiana Jones. That is Jason's favorite so it was at the top of his list. We almost didn't get to ride together because we went through the queue while he was in the bathroom and then he couldn't get to us. Thankfully a kind cast member helped him find us via the exit and we reunited right before we loaded. I was so happy to see it with him. Fun ride and kept us out of the rain for a bit.

Side note - Jason gets seasick and sometimes motion sickness on rides. He has started wearing one of those patches when we do a land and sea trip. Well, after 3 trips we have finally figured out that the PATCH makes him sick! We always thought it was the greasy food or maybe a bug, but this trip he just took it off after the first day and he felt so much better. Once removed, he never got sick for the rest of the trip! But on this first DL day, he really struggled. It will play into our day later on...

We got some breakfast goodies at Jolly Holiday, including the raspberry macaron, the Matterhorn macaroon, and a strawberry croissant. Plus some hot chocolate, which totally hit the spot while we people-watched! I think I cried some more because I was so happy.


A few more rides that I can't remember and then it was time for lunch at Blue Bayou. I had heard mixed reviews on the food here but knew the experience was worth it.

I wanted to check in early (ADR at 11) to request a waterfront table but we were running a little behind. And then the man right in front of me did just that. The cast member said "All the views are great" and didn't act like she was going to try to put him by the water, so I decided it was best not to also make that request.

Feeling a little bummed, we waited with everyone else in the small waiting room for the doors to open at 11.

Imagine my surprise when they called our name first and walked us directly to the water!!



We had excellent service and LOVED the food! I was pleasantly shocked, as I don't love Cajun/creole food. But the gumbo was perfect on this chilly day. Lilli had the famous Monte Cristo and we all shared some of the delicious bread. Scarlett is allergic to shellfish so I was worried about what she would order, but she happily filled up on bread. We had such a great lunch, we really enjoyed the views and the ambiance. We waved to people in the boats and laughed at the children next to us doing the same. I don't know how we managed to get that prime seat but it reminded me of the time we got a waterfront table at San Angel Inn in Epcot. It really makes for a fun memory!

 

[ambula603]

Day 3, part 2
We came out to find tons of Disneyland ducklings! The momma had a TON of babies and they were all scrambling to stay together, it was quite adorable.


I wanted to avoid Fantasyland rides since I knew we would hit those later, but we did stop by It's A Small World. I loved how they included the princesses in the lands, that was something new for us to look for.


From there, we decided to venture over to Toontown. It was my favorite place at WDW when I was a kid...


But by this time it was raining pretty good. Didn't stop me from posing!


There was a HUGE line to meet Minnie in her house, but Mickey's house was empty so we assumed he wasn't around. That was fine, I just wanted to see his house. To feel the memories from my childhood. To cry more tears, duh. Imagine how tickled I was to realize that Mickey was actually there and we would be the last family meet him at the end! I don't know why all the people were at Minnie's and none were here, but we didn't question it. I laugh now thinking of how much I was crying when I realized we would get to see him. We just don't wait around for characters much these days. So when we stumble upon them, it is truly magic!




I wish it wasn't raining because I think we would have spent more time in Toontown, but alas, we played for just a hot second.


What a fun land!

By this time we were interested in more snacks, I know we got some churros and frozen lemonade that was AMAZING. Seriously, so good.

We had more fun watching Disney ducklings, they were everywhere. My family would lose me because I would stop to watch and giggle at them. I was just like a child everywhere we went. Isn't that the best part about Disney!?


Finally, the sun appeared for a bit...

...but we were losing steam.

I have pics from the railroad and Space Mountain, so I know we did those around this time.

I had big plans to park-hop over to DCA but we were just exhausted. The time change that helped us in the morning was also kicking in and we felt like it was getting closer to bedtime! I planned for a quick service meal of corndogs or maybe heading over to DCA for birria tacos but Jason just wanted Pizza Planet. The man has been thinking about Pizza Planet since he saw Toy Story as a kid. I'll be honest, I knew it would be crap pizza, but I just wanted to make him happy! We were already in Tomorrowland, so the thought of eating there and then taking the monorail back to DD and heading back to the hotel was really appealing.

The food was not good. We ate it and by that time, Jason was not feeling great again. He had taken the patch off but was so exhausted. I should note that he just accepted a new position at work the month before we left. So I know he was full of distractions and mental exhaustion. Sometimes, you just have to call it a day before everyone cries (unhappy) tears!

So we took the monorail and headed back to the hotel, thinking we might get back out and head to DCL later that night.

We were wrong!

Jason went to sleep (no joke, around 7 PM) but the girls and I went to the hot tub. It was glorious!! We had it to ourselves for a bit and that was awesome. I took some pics but won't share them here, as the girls are in swimsuits. But the view was just beautiful, the monorail slide was lit up (albeit still not open) and the palm trees were beautiful in the lights. I had hoped we would come back and do this again but I also knew that would probably not happen with our busy schedule the next 2 days.

When we returned, Jason was still asleep and it was time for us girls to shower and head to bed. While I really wanted to park hop that day, I got in bed exhausted and fulfilled.

I would wake up a few hours later to the sounds of Jason being violently ill...

 

[Mollydolly334]

Loving this TR so far!!! Reading about your DL stay is really making me cross my fingers that Jake and I will make it over to California/DLR in October!! The new DLH villas are so cute. Jake and I were really going back and forth between DLH and GC, but in the end, we just couldn't pass up the Grand Californian.

We went in April last year and experienced very similar weather; kind of cool and gloomy. We did have one really nice day that we spent by the pool- I even got a little sunburned! Crowds were nonexistent though ,and it was nice touring a park without being sweltering (which is how it is at WDW most of the time)!

I know we've talked about this before but we really do have such similar tastes in food!! Jake and I also LOVED the charcuterie pizza at Craftsman Grill and all of the treats at Jolly Holiday!! Can't wait to read more

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I'm here! I have to start working... boo. But I will be back tonight to read!

 

[ambula603]

Loving this TR so far!!! Reading about your DL stay is really making me cross my fingers that Jake and I will make it over to California/DLR in October!! The new DLH villas are so cute. Jake and I were really going back and forth between DLH and GC, but in the end, we just couldn't pass up the Grand Californian.

We went in April last year and experienced very similar weather; kind of cool and gloomy. We did have one really nice day that we spent by the pool- I even got a little sunburned! Crowds were nonexistent though ,and it was nice touring a park without being sweltering (which is how it is at WDW most of the time)!

I know we've talked about this before but we really do have such similar tastes in food!! Jake and I also LOVED the charcuterie pizza at Craftsman Grill and all of the treats at Jolly Holiday!! Can't wait to read more

I am so glad you found me! I don't think you can go wrong with either resort, but we definitely want to try Grand Californian at some point. It was such a vibe!

I told Jason last night that we HAVE to find a way to go back. Jason is a planner, he has every trip we plan to take for the next 7 years mapped out. When your kids are in sports and only have limited breaks, you have to be prepared and think of the long game, ha! But he agreed, he wantd to see it all again. We thought 3 days would be enough, but I could have stayed 5 with no issue since we would have loved to do more at the resort!

 

[ambula603]

Day 4


I left off on a cliffhanger of sorts, where Jason was sick in the middle of the night. The man is NOT a puker. So to wake up to that was very concerning. Poor guy! We were still assuming it was the patch and once he got sick at this point, he felt so much better. I had the exact same thing happen to me two years ago at WDW. Can't believe it took us this long to connect the two.

I checked on him (maybe!?) and went back to sleep but was able to wake at my alarm time with no issue. He was dead to the world. So we decided to go ahead and get a head start in the line and wait for him to join us. On this day we DID have Early Entry at DCA. We made good time getting ready and out the door, and were near the beginning of the security line outside of DLH.


We got through security and the gate easily and headed into DCA. I do love Early Entry, don't get me wrong, but I hate the fast walk that it requires to get to your destination. Number one, I want to savor the moment Number two, I want to stop for photos, and number three...my legs cannot walk that fast without cramping up! I always end up laughing in pain.

I did make the girls stop for this picture on our way to Webslingers, notice how we are the first ones there. We decided to hit up Avengers Campus first.

It was bittersweet not having Jason with us, but we had been texting on and off all morning and he was still not able to join us. No longer sick, just weak and tired. I didn't want to guilt him so we made it a girls' morning.

Webslingers was cute, we were some of the first ones on. Then we headed to Guardians and I missed my golden retriever Bo after seeing this!


We rode Guardians (SO MUCH LOVE, I laughed so hard!)


We saw that we had a few more minutes of early entry time and considered going to Cars Land to just get in line for Radiator Springs Racers. Jason was on his way into the park (after he spotted Lightening McQueen and giggled like a little boy!) and wanted to come to Avengers Campus. So we waited a second for him and then walked right back in and rode it again! I love that the ride is different every time and was happy to ride with him.

By this point we weren't sure where to head to next, so we wandered around a bit. I wanted a photo with this neat perspective art and the marquee sign in the background and someone offered to take one for us.This is what they got! Not at all what I was envisioning, but made for a laugh. I love when people offer to take pictures so I do that for families when I see them posing. But sometimes I wonder if people even notice the background and the framing of the shot!?

Our tummies were rumbly so we stopped at PYM Test Kitchen where Scarlett found her holy grail

She ate the entire thing!

We enjoyed our food and people-watching and talked about how we loved DCA already. I wasn't expecting to be so enamored with DCA. I KNEW I would love DL...but this was exciting.




The sun was shining and the weather was perfect. Finally some California sunshine!

 

[xApril]

I just love DCA! I go back and forth each trip as to what is my favorite park but the vibes are just immaculate in both that I think there’s room for both of them.

I hope your husband starts feeling better soon!

Agree with you on the photo thing. I’ll usually take photos for people first, with a vision in mind, hoping they’ll do similar for me and it never happens. Or it’s for my friends and at least they have the good photos.

 

[ambula603]

I just love DCA! I go back and forth each trip as to what is my favorite park but the vibes are just immaculate in both that I think there’s room for both of them.

I hope your husband starts feeling better soon!

Agree with you on the photo thing. I’ll usually take photos for people first, with a vision in mind, hoping they’ll do similar for me and it never happens. Or it’s for my friends and at least they have the good photos.

Agreed, I am so glad I don't have to pick a favorite. I was pleasantly surprised that each park has its own wonderful aspects. I was afraid it would feel a lot like WDW and it definitely had its own charm!

Glad to know I am not alone in the photo department!

 

[ambula603]

Day 4
The sun was shining and we were excited to feel the warmth. It wasn't ever cold, but it was definitely chilly. Next up was our LL for Soarin. Sadly the ride went down mid-wait so it ended up taking longer than we expected, but the queue area was super cute and we sure do love the California version. Once that was completed, we explored this area of the park and REALLY enjoyed it. We are huge National Park lovers and just completed a huge California NP tour last summer so it was a nice connection to where we had just been.


We did the Grizzly water ride since we had ponchos and were ready to trash them after...it was much better than I expected, we didn't get too wet. We ended up getting stuck on the ride at the end and had great convo with the party sharing the raft.


Then it was time to explore other areas!


We had some cute character interactions. We are at the age and stage of our trips that I prefer the characters to interact with little kids more than us, it always gives me joy to see it through their eyes. Well, Minnie Mouse was walking down the road holding hands with two precious little girls and it got us all in the feels.

I will say, Mickey made a heart gesture and blew a kiss to Lilli and that got me, too! I caught it on video but can't figure out how to upload it so believe me when I say it was precious! As so many have mentioned, the characters free roaming in the parks is a really nice touch. While we didn't see many in the rain on Sunday, we saw the fab 5 at DCA in their cute spring attire.

We always have a list of movies to watch to prepare for our trips and this one had Big Hero 6...which is a new favorite of mine! We had hoped to meet Baymax but the sign said he wouldn't be out for a few months, so this would have to do.

This would make for a precious photo op as kids grow up!

We did see Hero and he was really fun.


I gotta say, the crowds made it hard to enjoy San Fransokyo so we went through pretty quickly, but what a delightful addition! I would have loved to have eaten there (birria tacos were on my list!) and it is one area I am sad we didn't get to spend more time. It is just so well done.


It was approaching mid-day and our LL time for the Incredicoaster. Scarlett really loves this movie and ended up watching it while on the cruise again. I gotta say, it ended up being my favorite because of Jack Jack!! The ride is great, obviously, but I just giggled the whole time hearing HIS giggles!


Jason was starting to feel rough again, so we didn't dilly-dally in the Pixar area. Again, I could spend hours but the sun and the crowds back there made for tough navigation.

We checked in early to Lamplight Lounge and waited in the shade for our table. Jason toyed with the idea of walking back to the room but a little bit of guilt from me (just being real) and the shade helped him to feel better and I am glad he stuck it out...

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hi Amber! I’m here and excited to hear all about your trip!

We always travel with just carry-on bags so this was quite the challenge!

Wow, I’m impressed! We definitely do not travel with only carry-on bags… although I do try to limit us to two checked bags. During our last trip we had five checked bags and that was nuts (we had an additional suitcase with a Pack N Play, plus we checked M’s car seat and our backpack hiking carrier). I’m excited we should be back to our usual two for Disney World!

Highlights for us: Friends for me

The tour looks so fun! My sister would be with you on Friends being the highlight - she’s a huge fan. I would be with your husband and daughter in geeking out to the Harry Potter sections. I’m a HUGE Potter fan and can’t wait to read the books with my girls.

After the tour, we headed to In and Out which Scar has wanted to try for years. It wasn't my favorite (we like Freddys around here - not sure if that is a Southern thing?)

My husband and I tried In and Out on a trip to California a few years ago and we weren’t blown over either. We both thought it was fine, but we didn’t rush to return. Is the Freddy’s you’re referring to Freddy’s Frozen Custard (we have that in the Midwest) or another chain? The Midwest claim to fame is Culver’s, which I certainly love. Butterburgers all the way!

Our room was beautiful

Your room is awesome! Disneyland Resort would be my first choice when we go to Disneyland - I think it’s perfect with young kids. I’ve never been to Disneyland but would love to go in a few years once our kids are older (and taller! ).

Up is our favorite - we call my hubby Carl all the time!

Up is the most delightful Disney movie - it’s one of my favorites.

I don’t know what to think about the fact you refer to your husband as Carl.

As suspected, my National Park-loving husband fell in love. I had tried to get 2 nights there with no luck...but maybe next time!

My husband is a huge National Park fan, too! I’ve become more of one since I’ve known him - he’s great about finding great things to see in the parks and he’s great at finding hikes that are beautiful but not too strenuous for me.

I think booking at the Grand Californian is very difficult unless you own points there. Hopefully you get a chance to stay there next time!

Real life update - the post-vacation crud has found us.

Oh, yuck. That’s not any fun! I’m sorry you’re sick, but at least you have the comforts of home while you’re recovering.

Soon though, it was poncho time. We would take them on and off ALL day. I was kicking myself because we packed raincoats but like idiots, didn't wear them this day.

Shoot! One of the few reasons I’m excited about having a stroller is we can pack our good rain jackets. I love our disposable ponchos but a good rain jacket is fantastic. At least you had the ponchos!

Side note - Jason gets seasick and sometimes motion sickness on rides. He has started wearing one of those patches when we do a land and sea trip. Well, after 3 trips we have finally figured out that the PATCH makes him sick!

I’m glad you figured that out! I’m also glad to hear he began to feel better once he removed the patch.

My husband has some motion sickness issues as well (he’s fine on fast rides like roller coasters, but does not do any spinning rides - every carousels are too much for him). Despite being in medicine he doesn’t like to take anything so I don’t know what to do about some rides at Disney World, particularly Cosmic Rewind. I hate for him to miss out on what’s labeled as one of the best new rides but I also don’t want him to feel poorly for the rest of the day…

Imagine my surprise when they called our name first and walked us directly to the water!!

Wow, what great luck! It looks pretty empty in there so I’m not surprised you were seated by the water, but it’s nice you were nonetheless. I’d love to eat there someday - that Monte Cristo is calling my name!

Imagine how tickled I was to realize that Mickey was actually there and we would be the last family meet him at the end!

Another bit of good luck! I LOVE meeting the characters and would’ve been equally thrilled.

I’m sorry you got too tired to go back into the parks that evening, but honestly, an evening of pool time sounds quite delightful. I’m glad you and your girls were able to enjoy a major perk of the Disneyland Resort!

I would wake up a few hours later to the sounds of Jason being violently ill...

Oh dear… Poor Jason!

She ate the entire thing!

Wow! That pretzel looks HUGE! I’m glad she enjoyed it.

Your DCA day was off to a great start. I’m glad Jason started to feel better and was able to join you.