mouseketeer mom
12-11-2010, 09:38 PM
Now the highlight of our summer.....
Disneyland!!!!!
After flipping back and forth between the GC and the DL hotel, we decided on the Disneyland Hotel.Without a doubt, this was the right decision for us. This was THE most magical Disney hotel we have ever stayed. A true Disney lovers dream. The music, the touches, right on down to the pillows...When we walked into our room the first bed had a pillow that said "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes..." and the second bed had a pillow that said "When you're fast asleep"....Wow. Perfect start. http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce04b3127ccefb27cddb71c800000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
We stayed Club level and the view from our room was DTD straight ahead, DL to our left, and DCA to our right. Amazing. How we got that room I don't know. It was magical . Did I mention the view of the monorail too?? And DTD felt nothing like WDW. It was much nicer, much more of an attraction, a nicer feel to it for sure. We walked out of our hotel thru DTD, straight to DL or DCA, both a five minute walk. The ease of getting to both parks was terrific. There was such a laid back-to-it ness of DL. Loved the low key feel. We actually had to slow ourselves down. We are so used to rushing at WDW, getting there early, standing in lines, running at rope drop. Not like this at all in DL. First of all, much more of a locals place then a vacation place. Thats what it felt like, at least. Our first time walking into DL was amazing. The whole time felt amazing, but to actually be there took my breath away.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce37b3127ccefb356e9ac10500000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
It was like a dream, a familiar place but everything feels and looks just a little different. I couldn't get enough. Oh, how we enjoyed comparing all the rides and attractions!!! We rated them all, Pirates is better at DL, Small world is better at DL, Splash is better at WDW...and so on. We got park hoppers for all 10 days, even though the parks are much smaller. We wanted to be able to take it all in, as much as we wanted, without worrying about running out of passes.
DCA is a small park, they are still doing lots of expansion..We did every attraction here too! Doing Soarin' actually in California was a trip.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce04b3127ccefb26a7a5d0ff00000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
I think my eyes were like saucers the whole trip. My husband says the best part of this trip was seeing me so happy.
The funniest part of DL was the castle. It was sooooo tiny !!! We were like...that's it????!!!!!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce37b3127ccefb3433f6a19300000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/ You could almost miss it.
We loved World of Color and did the WOC picnic to reserve a spot. We loved Goofy's kitchen in the DL hotel. No kidding, nothing like Chef Mickey's. We had the characters to ourselves!!! The food was similar to Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but again, no stampede, no waiting, no crowds, no ADR needed. Just a refreshing change of easy peasy. We did the character breakfast at the Plaza on Main street, and we ate at Carnation Cafe on Main Street, and I met Walts friend Oscar who is still working at Carnation cafe every day and was at DL on opening day!!! This was a wonder for me. One degree of separation from Walt Disney. It left me breathless. We loved New Orleans Square a whole bunch. Had a very unique feel apart from WDW. A big difference between both WDW and DL is that DL was much more relaxed with its onstage presentation. You know how in WDW, you would never catch a Main Street Cast Member walking around in costume in Liberty Square for example?? Well, in DL, we saw CM's walking through one land or another, not just their particular "land" that they were working in. Very different. One thing that was the same was the Dole Whips!!! We enjoyed those all week too!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce11b3127ccefb2915b4c21700000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
We did the PCH, Malibu, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Muscle beach, and Los angeles, Beverly Hills and Hollywood too! Here's me and Walts "star"... http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce04b3127ccefb27d46f31e800000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400
There is so much to say about this trip, hope you enjoyed this mini snapshot of our adventure. My husband is returning next year, same time, so of course we'll join him. Without a doubt, we will stay e-ticket club at DL hotel again. And the D23 expo is being held in Anaheim the very same week we are there, so I'm really excited to be a part of that next August! I'm a convert. I loved Disneyland...One more trip to go!!! WDW here we come again! To be continued.....
Disneyland!!!!!
After flipping back and forth between the GC and the DL hotel, we decided on the Disneyland Hotel.Without a doubt, this was the right decision for us. This was THE most magical Disney hotel we have ever stayed. A true Disney lovers dream. The music, the touches, right on down to the pillows...When we walked into our room the first bed had a pillow that said "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes..." and the second bed had a pillow that said "When you're fast asleep"....Wow. Perfect start. http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce04b3127ccefb27cddb71c800000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
We stayed Club level and the view from our room was DTD straight ahead, DL to our left, and DCA to our right. Amazing. How we got that room I don't know. It was magical . Did I mention the view of the monorail too?? And DTD felt nothing like WDW. It was much nicer, much more of an attraction, a nicer feel to it for sure. We walked out of our hotel thru DTD, straight to DL or DCA, both a five minute walk. The ease of getting to both parks was terrific. There was such a laid back-to-it ness of DL. Loved the low key feel. We actually had to slow ourselves down. We are so used to rushing at WDW, getting there early, standing in lines, running at rope drop. Not like this at all in DL. First of all, much more of a locals place then a vacation place. Thats what it felt like, at least. Our first time walking into DL was amazing. The whole time felt amazing, but to actually be there took my breath away.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce37b3127ccefb356e9ac10500000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
It was like a dream, a familiar place but everything feels and looks just a little different. I couldn't get enough. Oh, how we enjoyed comparing all the rides and attractions!!! We rated them all, Pirates is better at DL, Small world is better at DL, Splash is better at WDW...and so on. We got park hoppers for all 10 days, even though the parks are much smaller. We wanted to be able to take it all in, as much as we wanted, without worrying about running out of passes.
DCA is a small park, they are still doing lots of expansion..We did every attraction here too! Doing Soarin' actually in California was a trip.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce04b3127ccefb26a7a5d0ff00000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
I think my eyes were like saucers the whole trip. My husband says the best part of this trip was seeing me so happy.
The funniest part of DL was the castle. It was sooooo tiny !!! We were like...that's it????!!!!!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce37b3127ccefb3433f6a19300000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/ You could almost miss it.
We loved World of Color and did the WOC picnic to reserve a spot. We loved Goofy's kitchen in the DL hotel. No kidding, nothing like Chef Mickey's. We had the characters to ourselves!!! The food was similar to Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but again, no stampede, no waiting, no crowds, no ADR needed. Just a refreshing change of easy peasy. We did the character breakfast at the Plaza on Main street, and we ate at Carnation Cafe on Main Street, and I met Walts friend Oscar who is still working at Carnation cafe every day and was at DL on opening day!!! This was a wonder for me. One degree of separation from Walt Disney. It left me breathless. We loved New Orleans Square a whole bunch. Had a very unique feel apart from WDW. A big difference between both WDW and DL is that DL was much more relaxed with its onstage presentation. You know how in WDW, you would never catch a Main Street Cast Member walking around in costume in Liberty Square for example?? Well, in DL, we saw CM's walking through one land or another, not just their particular "land" that they were working in. Very different. One thing that was the same was the Dole Whips!!! We enjoyed those all week too!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce11b3127ccefb2915b4c21700000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
We did the PCH, Malibu, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Muscle beach, and Los angeles, Beverly Hills and Hollywood too! Here's me and Walts "star"... http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce04b3127ccefb27d46f31e800000040O00AbuGzdu3YuW IPbz4c/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400
There is so much to say about this trip, hope you enjoyed this mini snapshot of our adventure. My husband is returning next year, same time, so of course we'll join him. Without a doubt, we will stay e-ticket club at DL hotel again. And the D23 expo is being held in Anaheim the very same week we are there, so I'm really excited to be a part of that next August! I'm a convert. I loved Disneyland...One more trip to go!!! WDW here we come again! To be continued.....