bellebookworm9
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
What a great trip report!
I loved all of your pictures thank you for mentioning what a good deal PP+ is at Disneyland, I never knew.
Thanks for reading! We took Photopass+ as a personal challenge to get as many pictures taken as possible!
I think it's great you have a friend like PB who loves Disney and loves to travel. (And he gets you some great discounts! Wahoo!)
Next we're talking about visiting the parks in Paris and Tokyo.
Kind of a little on and a little off topic: I love reading about WDW vets going to DL. It's interesting and informative to hear of the trials and triumphs of a different style of Park touring.
Things that fascinate (or confuse) me when I read WDW trip reports:
1) "Resort days" (I can't imagine going to California to hang out in a hotel or a resort.)
When I travel by myself, there is no such thing! When I'm with my mom, we'll do maybe a half day relaxing at the resort.
2) Discussions of the "MAGIC" and the alleged 'bubble'. Where the Magic begins, where it potentially ends. Who has the ability to either enhance or spoil someone elses Magic.
3) Serious planning. ADRs. Waking up at a ridiculous hour to potentially get a reservation at a restaurant or a dessert buffet months in advance. This concept is both bizarre and awe inspiring. Mostly bizarre but I would do it too!!
It was bizarre to me to NOT have to do this for DL!
4) The Meal Plan Snack credits, counter service, Character meals that cost the price of a small car. (Or two meal credits!) I can envision a vacation filled with food, but no rides. Who has time for rides when there are meals to monorail to?! Or boat to. Or bus to. All those pre-planned ADRs sound like they involve traveling to some far-off location.
This has me cracking up! PB was actually shocked that DL doesn't have a dining plan like we do. I explained their voucher deal but that wasn't available to us.
5) Cups that get you free soda. I cant believe the angst over bar codes on a cup. And those who cheat, and those who excuse their soda cheating.
I have more of these cups than I know what to do with because they're included in the meal plan (which is a great deal for CMs, not so much at full price). And I will admit that before they instituted the RFID chip, I used the same mug for over a year while I was working there. Hey, I didn't want to pay for soda every time I visited a resort, and the mug design hadn't changed!
6) Transportation: buses and buses and buses, oh my! (And boats and taxis and rental cars and free baggage collection the airport!) How much of a persons time is spent waiting on transportation vs. touring? I can never tell.
Lots of time wasted with transportation. I rented a car for the first time last July and will never go back to the buses. Even with the outrageous underage fees, it's still a better value to me than wasting time at SEVEN bus stop at Caribbean Beach.
7) The fascination of the Fur Suit. I have a secret fear that I will be forced to Tour with someone who waits hours in a fur-suit line.
I have never, ever waited hours for this and never will. I have, however, used Kenny the Pirate's advice to work in character meets to this trip tomorrow with little waits.
8) The correct or the incorrect Resort to stay in. Plus, What room should I ask for? Close to the bus pick-up area? Pool view? Close to the Food Court? (And those soda machines!)
I usually just look for a bed and shower, in that order.
I may or may not have sent in a room request with a bazillion specific room numbers.
9) Park-hopping. I have learned this means very different things on each Coast. Im not sure if I would attempt park hopping in FL, with exception to switching Resorts or Parks for one of the hard-to-get ADRs with fur-suits that cost two meal vouchers.
You are cracking me up! Yes, totally different things on the two coasts. While park hopping is not as easy in FL, it is doable-I have visited all four parks and DTD in one day. On this trip there are several days I plan to hop from one park in the morning to another in the afternoon with a break in between.
10) The Castles. Yours is bigger, mine is smaller. Mine was first, it has History. Walt built mine! He walked through mine in his pajamas! Yours was built the way Walt would have wanted it, your castle has presence and style! I cant imagine the skyline with a tiny castle! I dont feel like Im in Disney until I see Cinderellas!
I think each castle has it's own merits and that one is not better than the other, per se. To me , Sleeping Beauty castle is prettier but Cinderella castle is certainly bigger and our park icon.
Thank you for sharing your first Disneyland trip with us: I loved the pictures and your great descriptions. I like how you had pictures for every step of your journey. I always imagine I can attempt a trip report like this, but I usually come home without all the "right" pictures. Reading your trip report was like receiving a present I had always wanted: it completely delivered!!
I look forward to reading your other trip reports on WDW, they will be helpful to plan my first WDW trip!
I'm a picture maniac, what can I say! And thanks, that's maybe the highest compliment I've received so far!
Thanks for reading. 
