When PIXAR Invades The Disneyland Resort! April 7-15, 2018! *COMPLETED 8/6/18*

Day 5: I’m Finally Home (Disneyland) - Part 1!

Hello everyone and welcome to the start of my Disneyland updates! I can’t wait to tell you about these 4 days at my favorite place on this Earth. So, lets get started! :)

We were now 5 days into our trip, and I was on my way to Disneyland. My Dad would not join me on this day. He only wanted to go to Disneyland for 2 days of this trip, so I had 2 days to myself (somewhat) before my Dad would join me at my favorite place.

So, I woke up bright and early, and I would catch the bus at my hotel (Embassy Suites Anaheim South) to Disneyland. My hotel offers transportation to and from Disneyland for $6 per person per day (price can change). Kids are cheaper if I remember correctly.



After a quick bus ride and getting through security, I would arrive inside Disneyland!



Seeing this sign will never get old!



As I was walking into Town Square, I noticed one of the Main Street Vehicles there. It had been a long time since I had been on one so I jumped on the opportunity. It would drive down Main Street to Sleeping Beauty Castle.

This would be my first chance getting to see the new brick work on Main Street which I thought was really nice. Also, Main Street was ready for Pixar Fest with the banners of Pixar colors. Part of me thought that these banners didn’t make sense on Main Street. The colors were just overpowering in my opinion.











I would finally arrive at Sleeping Beauty Castle!





The wait for Peter Pan was already about an hour with the park only being open about 15 minutes. So, I elected to skip Peter Pan. So, my first ride of this Disneyland trip ended up being Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!





My 2nd ride of the day would end up being Alice in Wonderland!





This attraction is really cool, because you eventually exit the building onto an elevated area. This offers nice views of the surrounding area of Fantasyland.



It would then be time for me to spin a teacup. So, it was time to go on the Mad Tea Party!



Yellow is my favorite color so I had to get in the yellow teacup.



I purchased MaxPass on this trip which is very similar to My Disney Experience at Walt Disney World, but you can only book fastpasses on your phone the day of and only one at a time (unless the time allows you to get a second eventually, but you have to wait to get a second fastpass at Disneyland).

So, it was time for my first fastpass of the day! It was time for me to ride Big Thunder Railroad. It was still early in the morning so this wasn’t needed. I just figured I would use the MaxPass system.



I would walk towards New Orleans Square, and I didn’t really know what to do next.



I looked to my right, and I realized the Mark Twain was getting ready to sail for the first time of the day. So, I decided to take a sail around Tow Sawyer Island.



I would get a chair in the front of the boat.





Enjoy these pictures of my cruise on the Rivers of America:























We would arrive back at Frontierland!



I really like sailing around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain. It is a really relaxing ride.



I would then make my way to New Orleans Square. What would I do next?

More in my next post.
 
Day 5: I’m Finally Home (Disneyland) - Part 2!

I decided that I would go on the Disneyland Railroad to Tomorrowland. I wanted to see the new train route from the train since I just saw it from the Mark Twain.



I would board the train at the New Orleans Square Station.



It wouldn’t take long for the train to arrive.



Enjoy the pictures of the new train route:















We would eventually arrive at Toontown Station and then go right by It’s A Small World!



When I arrived at Tomorrowland, I decided to take another form of transportation. It was time to go on the monorail!





The monorail would arrive and the orange monorail had been themed to Pixar Fest starting in a couple days with Incredibles characters.



Every time I go on the Disneyland Monorail, I usually always request to sit in the front. So, I got to ride the monorail in the front. :)











After a circle trip on the Disneyland Monorail, it was time for my 2nd fastpass of the day. I would travel to space on Space Mountain!





I always request to sit in the front on Space Mountain.



It was now getting close to lunch time, and I was wanting to try some of the Food & Wine items at Disney California Adventure. So, I would make my way to the exit of Disneyland.

As I got to the hub, I noticed the horse trolleys were out. It had been a long time since I had been on one of these, so I decided to take the horse trolley to Town Square. The horse pulling the trolley was Dallas.











I would then exit Disneyland and make my way to Disney California Adventure.

Stay tuned for more updates from this exciting day at the Disneyland Resort!
 
Just joining in.

You're right about the Pixar banners on main Street. They look lovely and colourful by themselves, but they just look out of place on main Street.
 
Just joining in.

You're right about the Pixar banners on main Street. They look lovely and colourful by themselves, but they just look out of place on main Street.
Thank you for joining in!

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks that way. I remember the banners for the Main Street Electrical Parade. which I actually liked. I might have been a little biased there, because I'm a huge Main Street Electrical Parade fan.
 


Nice flight and the A’s game looked like a lot of fun despite them losing. It’s all about the experience, right? Nice day for the beach, can’t go wrong with a good milkshake :teeth:


And cool that you got to see KC play LA and win! Good call staying quiet getting out of there though.


Huzzah for hitting Rainforest at DTD, it is a family favorite of ours. Great fireworks shots!


I agree on those banner colors on Main Street, just doesn’t fit. Cool that you went straight to Mr. Toad! My kiddos did the same on their Magic Morning. And cool that your rode Alice, we completely skipped it this year and had meant to ride it.


Nice shots from the Mark Twain, amazing the detail they’ve put into the new Indian areas and of course those pesky beavers! Cool follow-up jumping on the train and funny that the Mark Twain tracked with you. And then the triple threat! Mark Twain to Train to Monorail – up front even!


And the horse-drawn trolley was a nice finish :thumbsup2
 
Bonus Post: The Lion King in Kansas City!

Hello everyone. I’m going against this trip to tell you about an awesome experience I had today.

As some you might know, I am a HUGE Broadway musical fan. So, when a musical comes close to me that I really like, I have to go see it.

Earlier last year, I went to a Kansas City Symphony concert on the same night that a musical was happening in the performing arts center in KC. I looked over toward the musical side of the building at the KC Theater League banner for upcoming musicals, and I literally gasped. I gasped so loud, because I saw the artwork for the Lion King on their banner. I immediately went over and the people working the booth confirmed to me that the Lion King was coming to Kansas City.

Fast-forward to today! It was the day where I finally got to see my favorite musical in Kansas City! This would be my 6th time seeing this amazing musical!



I would enter the theater, and I always check the cast list to see if there are any understudies performing. Today, we would have the understudy for Mufasa, Simba, and Pumba.



I would then make my way to my seat, and I would have some an amazing seat for this show! I was in the front row of the mezzanine section. I also bought this ticket about 2 weeks ago. The majority of the performances in Kansas City were down to single seats. Therefore, I was really happy to get a spot where I did.





Review of the show:

It’s hard to critique the Lion King, because it is truly an amazing experience. The lighting is phenomenal!!! The lighting is probably the coolest part of the show, because that is literally how they do the majority of their set design. There are about two songs that I really don’t care for. Those being “Chow Down” and “The Madness of King Scar." However, every song is still fun to listen to. I am also a huge fan of the Lion King, so it is really hard to make me upset.

The cast was really good. The understudies were just fine, and you really couldn’t tell they were an understudy. I feel like the actor playing Simba had a little to low of a voice for the song “Endless Night” which is one of my favorite songs of the show. Overall, that is my major critique from the entire show. Rafiki was great as usual, and performed “Circle of Life” perfectly. "Circle of Life" is literally a showstopper right when the show begins. Young Simba and Nala really stole this show. They were fantastic!



So, the Lion King is an amazing experience if you ever get the chance to go see it! It is a very expensive show to go see, but it is worth it! If the Lion King comes to a city near you, go see it!

Thanks everyone for reading about a Disney experience I was able to have in my hometown.

Stay tuned for more updates from my Disneyland vacation!
 


The start of your Disneyland day sounds just perfect! I have never been able to ride a Main Street vehicle, let alone the trolley--I bet that would be just a perfect way to experience Main Street!!!

The Lion King is incredible! I was able to see it in Chicago a few years ago and it seriously blew me away! Awesome to get a bit of Disney magic closer to home :)
 
Nice flight and the A’s game looked like a lot of fun despite them losing. It’s all about the experience, right? Nice day for the beach, can’t go wrong with a good milkshake :teeth:


And cool that you got to see KC play LA and win! Good call staying quiet getting out of there though.


Huzzah for hitting Rainforest at DTD, it is a family favorite of ours. Great fireworks shots!


I agree on those banner colors on Main Street, just doesn’t fit. Cool that you went straight to Mr. Toad! My kiddos did the same on their Magic Morning. And cool that your rode Alice, we completely skipped it this year and had meant to ride it.


Nice shots from the Mark Twain, amazing the detail they’ve put into the new Indian areas and of course those pesky beavers! Cool follow-up jumping on the train and funny that the Mark Twain tracked with you. And then the triple threat! Mark Twain to Train to Monorail – up front even!


And the horse-drawn trolley was a nice finish :thumbsup2

- *Angels* game. :D Milkshakes are definitely the best! Ruby's doesn't have my favorite. In-N-Out definitely takes the crown for best milkshake for me, but they are still delicious!

- I always enjoy seeing my team win. I'm actually traveling to two more Sporting Kansas City matches in the coming weeks. One this weekend and another one in June (against a team that I am really excited to see their stadium (Portland)).

- I'm glad to hear that your family enjoys the Rainforest Cafe. This is a great example on how different people can have a different opinion. :)

- I usually skip Alice, but it didn't have a bad wait when I went by so I took the opportunity to go on it. If I don't beat the rope drop crowds to Peter Pan, Mr. Toad is usually my go-to first ride of the day or Space Mountain.

- I love the beavers!!! :D I just hope they don't eat all the way through the wood. :D I didn't plan to do 3 transportation rides in a row. I just went with the flow and that's what I ended up doing lol.

- I love the horse-drawn trolley! It had been a long time since I had done it, because I can easily walk down Main Street faster. Stay tuned for an awesome horse-drawn trolley experience that I had later in this trip.

The start of your Disneyland day sounds just perfect! I have never been able to ride a Main Street vehicle, let alone the trolley--I bet that would be just a perfect way to experience Main Street!!!

The Lion King is incredible! I was able to see it in Chicago a few years ago and it seriously blew me away! Awesome to get a bit of Disney magic closer to home :)
It was a nice and relaxing way to start the day. You should definitely give one of the Main Street vehicles a try on your next visit.

The Lion King is amazing as always. I'm actually thinking of going again to see it since it will be here for the next couple weeks. However, I'm doing some traveling in-between (no Disney trip). I am traveling 3 hours north to see Wicked this week which is one of my favorite musicals. My other favorite musical no longer is performing which was Newsies. I'm just happy I can watch the movie whenever I want now.
 
The Lion King is amazing as always. I'm actually thinking of going again to see it since it will be here for the next couple weeks. However, I'm doing some traveling in-between (no Disney trip). I am traveling 3 hours north to see Wicked this week which is one of my favorite musicals. My other favorite musical no longer is performing which was Newsies. I'm just happy I can watch the movie whenever I want now.
I LOVE Wicked!! I've seen that show 5 or 6 times now, and I just keep going back every time it comes to town :) We took my Mom to see Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella for Mother's Day, which was pretty good, but I don't love it as much as the original movie.
 
Joining in! It sounds like you guys had a great trip so far! I agree too on the Pixar colors on Main Street. Kind of intense... I love the amazing horses that pull the trolleys! I always like to get a picture with them when I can. :) The new monorail design looks pretty awesome!

I would love to see the Lion King on Broadway! The closest I've come (so far) is seeing the musical celebration at WDW like 20 years ago, haha. :) I have seen Wicked once, and we're planning to see it when it comes again next year. We actually went to Les Miserables for the first time this year (just getting where we can afford a show or two hear and there ;-) and I took my girls to Cinderella just before Christmas this year!

Excited to hear how the rest of your trip goes! I've done some solo hours, but never a solo day before. It's definitely on my bucket list!
 
So obviously super later but joining in!

Just some thoughts guys:

Seems like a good idea to combine some other Southern California activities in. I didn’t realize how close it Disneyland the Angel’s stadium is. Stupid question: does Disney hav ownership in them? I know they did in the Mighty Disck hockey team but wasn’t sure for the Angels. I think I hav only been to 5 stadiums so you are doing pretty good!

I agree with you about the Pixar colors on Main St - I love Pixar but think it fits better in DCA than Disneyland proper

Seems like a productive morning! I like be that you can still ride in the front of the monorail at disneland (that was a big priority for us during our trip there)
 
I LOVE Wicked!! I've seen that show 5 or 6 times now, and I just keep going back every time it comes to town :) We took my Mom to see Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella for Mother's Day, which was pretty good, but I don't love it as much as the original movie.
I have never seen Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, but I know several people who like it.

Joining in! It sounds like you guys had a great trip so far! I agree too on the Pixar colors on Main Street. Kind of intense... I love the amazing horses that pull the trolleys! I always like to get a picture with them when I can. :) The new monorail design looks pretty awesome!

I would love to see the Lion King on Broadway! The closest I've come (so far) is seeing the musical celebration at WDW like 20 years ago, haha. :) I have seen Wicked once, and we're planning to see it when it comes again next year. We actually went to Les Miserables for the first time this year (just getting where we can afford a show or two hear and there ;-) and I took my girls to Cinderella just before Christmas this year!

Excited to hear how the rest of your trip goes! I've done some solo hours, but never a solo day before. It's definitely on my bucket list!
Thank you for joining in!!!

I saw the U.S. Tour of Les Miserables back in December for the first time (bucket list item for me). I thought it was VERY good.

In many aspects, solo trips are my favorite.

So obviously super later but joining in!

Just some thoughts guys:

Seems like a good idea to combine some other Southern California activities in. I didn’t realize how close it Disneyland the Angel’s stadium is. Stupid question: does Disney hav ownership in them? I know they did in the Mighty Disck hockey team but wasn’t sure for the Angels. I think I hav only been to 5 stadiums so you are doing pretty good!

I agree with you about the Pixar colors on Main St - I love Pixar but think it fits better in DCA than Disneyland proper

Seems like a productive morning! I like be that you can still ride in the front of the monorail at disneland (that was a big priority for us during our trip there)
Thank you for joining in!!!

Disney did own the Anaheim Angels for a time. I can't tell you for how long. I believe they sold them in 2000 or 2001 right before the Angels won the World Series in 2002. I think this is why we have the AWESOME Disney movie called Angels In The Outfield. :D

I agree about Pixar. When they first announced this festival, I wish it was only in DCA.

I rode in the front of the monorail way to many times on this trip, but I love it! :D
 
Oh, forgot to mention in my comments that I really like the look of the new train trestle but obviously haven't seen it in person or ridden on the train since the change - what are your thoughts on it now that you have?
 
Oh, forgot to mention in my comments that I really like the look of the new train trestle but obviously haven't seen it in person or ridden on the train since the change - what are your thoughts on it now that you have?
I was very hesitant of it (like every Disneyland fan) when they announced the change. That is also because the route from New Orleans Square to Toontown has always been my favorite. However, I really do like the changes A LOT! It really adds to the area. Plus, for the most part, you can't really tell that there is construction for Star Wars (you can because it is so tall), but there is only one train to my knowledge that has forward seats at Disneyland. The rest of the trains face towards the river. So, it doesn't necessarily detract from the experience. Disney really did a great job with this.
 
Day 5: California Adventure - Food & Wine Festival!

It was now time for me to make my way over to Disney California Adventure where this park was already getting ready for Pixar Fest as well!



They would also have the Pixar banners over in this park, and I am also not sure if I like the color scheme of the Pixar banners over at Disney California Adventure. They are just really bright and eye-popping.





The main reason for my travels across the Esplanade to Disney California Adventure was for the Food & Wine Festival. It was now close to lunch time, and I was getting hungry. It was also the 2nd to last day of the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. So, I had to go to it at the start of my Disneyland trip instead of waiting until the end.

I would also like to let all of you know that I don’t drink alcohol so this will only be a food review.



I would make my way towards the back of the festival area, because I wanted to eye what certain booths had. This is probably the first time where I didn’t do any research for a Disney festival beforehand.

I would eventually settle on the Cluck-A-Doodle-Moo Booth where I would order the Salt &Beer Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings.



The chicken wings would cost $7.50. I’ll be honest when I say that I thought they were very good. The only negative I had from this dish was i could tell that they had been sitting out for a while, because they were on the verge of being cold. I thought the portion size was definitely worth $7.50.



The next booth I would travel to was the Garlic Kissed Booth. Here is where I would get the Creamy Mac& Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumble. I mostly wanted this Mac & Cheese, because I really like garlic bread.



This Mac & Cheese cost $7.00, and I wasn’t that impressed. There was another Mac & Cheese at another booth that I heard was really good from a friend, and I probably should have gone with that one. I came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t want to get this item again.



The next booth I traveled to was the Citrus Grove. This is where I would try the Crispy Orange Chicken & Rice.



This dish would cost me $7.50.

I am a big fan of orange chicken, and I later heard after I tried it that this dish had a lot of mixed opinions from people. My conclusion is I really enjoyed it. The orange sauce that was used in this dish isn’t my favorite type. It was definitely very sweet, and it also tasted fresh. I’m just not a big fan of sweet orange sauce. However, they used the right amount of consistency between the sauce and the rest of the dish that I actually didn’t mind this sauce. Everyone has different opinions, and I am surprised that I actually liked it. I would have actually went and got this item again, but there was another dish I was wanting to try from another booth.



I would then make my way into the Hollywood area of Disney California Adventure, because they had more booths in this area of the park.





The last booth I would try is the LA Style Booth. This is where I would try the Korean BBQ Beef Short Rib Tacos. I also wanted to try the Chicken Teriyaki Slider from this booth. I was going to save the slider for the next day, but I never had the chance to get over to this booth to try it.

This booth also had the longest line that I experienced.



The tacos would cost me $7.50. This was my least favorite item from the festival that I tried. The short ribs were very hard to eat. So, I later just resorted to eating a de-constructed taco. I still ate it, but I knew I wouldn’t get this item again. With how long that I waited for these tacos, it was not worth the wait.



Well, that is my review of the items I got at the 2018 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. I really like how Disney California Adventure handles this festival. With EPCOT at Walt Disney World having a global view, Disney California Adventure has a more “local” feel to it which I find really cool being a former Californian.

More in my next post!
 
Day 5: Fun in the Sun at Disney California Adventure!

After enjoying some food, I decided to do some walking around Disney California Adventure before my next fastpass.

So, I would make my way into Cars Land and walk past one of my favorite areas in all of the Disneyland Resort!





I would then make my way over to the construction area of Pixar Pier. This is still a sour spot for me, because Paradise Pier was one of my favorite areas inside Disney California Adventure. I still don’t know why this area had to be re-themed.

Here are some pictures of the construction:

















My next fastpass was for Toy Story Midway Mania!





I would achieve the “Best In Vehicle” Score!





At this point, I would make my way back over to Hollywood, because I had a fastpass for Guardians of the Galaxy. I also had a fastpass right after that for Soarin: Around the World.

However, as I was getting close to Guardians of the Galaxy, I got a message from a DISer that I had plans to meet up with later. He said that he was in line to see Frozen: A Musical Spectacular at the Hyperion Theater right next to Guardians of the Galaxy. I really wasn’t feeling like riding riding Guardians of the Galaxy, and I didn’t need to ride Soarin: Around the World yet on this trip. So, I elected to meet up with my friend at this point since I hadn’t seen Frozen at Disney California Adventure in a long time. I’m still bitter about Aladdin leaving.

So, now I would like to welcome @wnwardii (Willis) to this trip report.

I would quickly get in line for Frozen since it was about to start where I would meet up with Willis inside the theater.



We would find some great seats in the theater on the orchestra level.



The show wasn’t as bad as I remember it being. However, I still remember Aladdin being inside that theater, and Frozen is NOT as good as Aladdin was.

So, we would make our way out of Disney California Adventure, and I made a request to stop at one of my favorite smoothie places that has a location at Downtown Disney. That place is Jamba Juice.



I always get a Razzmataz!



Willis and I were then on our way to Disneyland Park!

More in my next post!
 
Day 5: Back to Disneyland!

Willis and I would make our way inside Disneyland Park where our first stop would be the Disneyland Railroad!





We would travel the new railroad route where the train would slow down for me to get a nice unique picture of Big Thunder in the background and a sign on the bridge.



Willis and I would then go on Pirates of the Caribbean. Every time I went on this attraction on this trip, it was always a sad one. That is because this would be my last trip ever seeing the original Auction Scene at Disneyland.





It was now time for dinner! Willis had made reservations for the Fantasmic Dining Package at Blue Bayou before I knew I was officially coming to California on this trip, and he was gracious enough to let me join him at one of my favorite restaurants at Disneyland.



The Fantasmic Dining Package comes with an appetizer, entree, and a dessert.

For my appetizer, I would get the gumbo which was delicious.



For my entree, I would get the Surf & Turf that came with lobster and a Filet Mignon. This was very delicious. I’m not much of a lobster person, but I really enjoyed that a lot.



For my dessert, I would get the Creme Brûlée. This was also delicious and very refreshing.



I really like the ambiance of the restaurant.



Willis and I would spend quite a bit of time in the Blue Bayou talking.

When we were done eating, we would make a fastpass for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters before making our way to Fantasmic!





After helping Buzz Lightyear defeat the Evil Emperor, Zurg, we would make our way to the Fantasmic viewing area.

Stay tuned for more updates from this day at the Disneyland Resort!
 
I'm not sure why they decided to reimagine the pier either....I've never visited, so I only have an outsider's perspective anyway, but I thought it seemed perfect. I'm interested to read people's reports on the changes once it opens again.

Blue Bayou sounds like a great place to eat! I love New Orleans and it really has that vibe. Have you ever eaten at a water side table there? I hear that's just incredible as far as theming goes!
 

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