Cast: me, 27 & hubby, also 27 - both big Disney fans, with multiple trips to DL & WDW
I was fortunate to have a conference in Pasadena so DH decided to fly in afterward and meet me there to visit DL & check out DCA. We were in CA for vacation in Sept, so the suspense of DCA was killing us and we were glad to have this opportunity come our way.
We met at LAX on Friday and took Super Shuttle to Anaheim. It was about a 45 minutes drive and only $28 for the two of us. We checked into the Candy Cane Inn, the same motel we chose for our Sept trip. When we first made the reservation, only deluxe rooms were available for $92/night. We really only wanted a standard and had heard they were closer to the front of the resort, but after many calls, there were no cancellations so we kept it as is. But when we checked in, we had been moved to a standard room, close to Harbor for $82/night. Perfect. That was a good way to start the vacation.
After settling in, we decided to head to Downtown Disney. It was hopping! We really missed DD when we visited DL last. We always spend an afternoon there at WDW and have such a great time. This one is very different from the one in FL. Mostly expensive non-Disney shops & restaurants. But we enjoyed it, although it seemed more like Pleasure Island than WDW's DD. Most of the people there were dressed nice and looked like they were out on dates, not taking a break from a theme park. So we were probably a little underdressed, but glad to be there just the same. We decided to try Y Arriba Y Arriba for dinner. It was a very cool restaurant, but also very loud. They have live entertainment - a band with singers, and dancers that perform on a stage. It's a fun place to be, but not a good place to talk and we were really hoping to catch up since we'd been apart all week. But the tapas we ordered were excellent & reasonable for the ingredients/quantity. But drinks were very pricey. All the mixed drinks are $7.50 per drink. DH ordered the special for the night after hearing the waiter's description and it turned out to be $8.50! I guess their specials aren't necessarily discounted. But the food & service were both good. Our server was friendly and explained most of the items to us & gave suggestions. I'd go again. It might be quieter around lunch time. We did some shopping and strolled through the World of Disney store to get jazzed up for our next day at the park. The shops were fun, but not necessarily things I would shop for while on vacation - upscale cosmetics?We stopped at La Brea bakery for coffee & were able to see the DL fireworks from the patio. That was a nice surprise, but it's not nearly as amazing of a show when you can't hear the music.
We were both pretty tired after traveling that day, so we walked past the park entrances to wave & walked back to the hotel to call it a night. The walk to & from Candy Cane Inn is only about 5-10 minutes. Very convenient and not a bad little stroll. We only rode the shuttle a couple of times during our stay when it was pretty chilly or our feet just couldn't go anymore. But other than that, I prefer the walk (so I can eat more at the parks without feeling guilty!). Off to bed for us because we had to be at DL at 8 am on Saturday morning!
I was fortunate to have a conference in Pasadena so DH decided to fly in afterward and meet me there to visit DL & check out DCA. We were in CA for vacation in Sept, so the suspense of DCA was killing us and we were glad to have this opportunity come our way.
We met at LAX on Friday and took Super Shuttle to Anaheim. It was about a 45 minutes drive and only $28 for the two of us. We checked into the Candy Cane Inn, the same motel we chose for our Sept trip. When we first made the reservation, only deluxe rooms were available for $92/night. We really only wanted a standard and had heard they were closer to the front of the resort, but after many calls, there were no cancellations so we kept it as is. But when we checked in, we had been moved to a standard room, close to Harbor for $82/night. Perfect. That was a good way to start the vacation.
After settling in, we decided to head to Downtown Disney. It was hopping! We really missed DD when we visited DL last. We always spend an afternoon there at WDW and have such a great time. This one is very different from the one in FL. Mostly expensive non-Disney shops & restaurants. But we enjoyed it, although it seemed more like Pleasure Island than WDW's DD. Most of the people there were dressed nice and looked like they were out on dates, not taking a break from a theme park. So we were probably a little underdressed, but glad to be there just the same. We decided to try Y Arriba Y Arriba for dinner. It was a very cool restaurant, but also very loud. They have live entertainment - a band with singers, and dancers that perform on a stage. It's a fun place to be, but not a good place to talk and we were really hoping to catch up since we'd been apart all week. But the tapas we ordered were excellent & reasonable for the ingredients/quantity. But drinks were very pricey. All the mixed drinks are $7.50 per drink. DH ordered the special for the night after hearing the waiter's description and it turned out to be $8.50! I guess their specials aren't necessarily discounted. But the food & service were both good. Our server was friendly and explained most of the items to us & gave suggestions. I'd go again. It might be quieter around lunch time. We did some shopping and strolled through the World of Disney store to get jazzed up for our next day at the park. The shops were fun, but not necessarily things I would shop for while on vacation - upscale cosmetics?We stopped at La Brea bakery for coffee & were able to see the DL fireworks from the patio. That was a nice surprise, but it's not nearly as amazing of a show when you can't hear the music.
We were both pretty tired after traveling that day, so we walked past the park entrances to wave & walked back to the hotel to call it a night. The walk to & from Candy Cane Inn is only about 5-10 minutes. Very convenient and not a bad little stroll. We only rode the shuttle a couple of times during our stay when it was pretty chilly or our feet just couldn't go anymore. But other than that, I prefer the walk (so I can eat more at the parks without feeling guilty!). Off to bed for us because we had to be at DL at 8 am on Saturday morning!
