"I Think I Might Be a Disneyland Person!" - Feb. 2016 ~ Updated 2/19/21: TR Complete!!!

Then we got our first look down Main Street towards the miniature castle :laughing: :


Awwww, the little baby castle is so cute!!

Hey, look, it’s a restroom…oh, wait, not WDW :rotfl::


My first thought, too.

Once the parade wrapped up, we headed on over to Tomorrowland, as we had to pick up our first paper Fast Passes here:

I think this would be the weirdest thing for me, to revert back to the old paper FP system. I'm not sure I'd even remember how to do it.

There was a crazy sky full of birds :eek: :


Woah! Very Hitchcock!
 
The miniature castle...:rotfl2: I guess when you're used to seeing Cinderella's Castle at WDW, the DL version would seem small.

Hooray on scoring that package deal on the photopass pictures. The photos would have ended up costing you way more than necessary if you had to purchase it each day.

You guys look like you're having so much fun and it's only the first evening!

Whew, glad those birds in that photo weren't geese...we all read how that turned out for guests the other day. :lmao:

I get a kick out of pictures that show random strangers enjoying other people's reactions to Disney stuff, like the guy in that giant ball photo. It goes to show that happiness is infectious and Disney is more than just rides and shows. :goodvibes
 
It's crazy how you can see Tower of Terror from the street. I remember when we went to DL we arrived around midnight and I was so tired as we were driving to the hotel. Then we drove by DL and I was suddenly wide awake. I thought I wouldn't like it being in the middle of a "normal" street, but it was actually so cool!

You are the queen of deals. Nice work on the hotel room and the photopass package!

Mmmm...Earl of Sandwich! That mac n cheese is enormous!!

I love that the Storm Troopers are out and about and that Dug got a selfie with one. We had a fun interaction with them at DHS in May.
 
Tomorrowland%20-%2013_zpsq2dw6xuf.jpg
The first thing I noticed was the guy totally amused by Izzy joining in. Ha.

Pretty much what my view looked like:

aka Why toddlers aren't allowed to drive! ;)

We checked in right on time (5:40pm) for our dinner at Café Orleans. Izzy got to hold the pager:
A different theme from your WDW trip! Hope it's a new theme for you!
 


So strange that you can see the Tower of Terror RIGHT THERE! I just can't even imagine what that is like!
Sounds like a great first afternoon! Can't wait to see more!
 
Love the posters for the attractions that unique to Disneyland and I totally get what you are saying about it feeling similar and different at the same time

It is very different seeing the smaller Castle. I just have to think different about the castles as at Disneyland it is the entrance to Fantasyland but at WDW it is more of the "weinie" to draw you into the park and build your excitement

Glad you got to see some of the parade - I really liked it when we saw it (I might like it more than Festival of Fantasy :duck:)

haha, Dug looks just so happy after his Stormtrooper selfie!

I would love to try hyperspace mountain - I liked Ghost Galaxy so would be really cool to do the Star Wars Theme

.... very cool shot! :thumbsup2

... very glad you didn't have the recent issue what happened with the birds, um, pooping on the guests at Disneyland :scared:
 


Then we got our first look down Main Street towards the miniature castle :laughing: :
I just never can get over the difference...

Even the baby in that carrier likes the Three Cabelleros:
Everybody likes them!

Hey, look, it’s a restroom…oh, wait, not WDW :rotfl::
:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao: Glad that phase is over?

Such a happy Dug :cloud9: :
::yes:: It definitely shows in the pictures!

There was a crazy sky full of birds :eek: :
Wow! Too bad Disney doesn't own the rights to Hitchcock because that would be some pretty impressive theming!
 
All caught up!

Your location is fantastic and that's a really nice sized room, too!

Dug and the Stormtrooper are too cute!

I am in the process of pricing a trip to DL for this fall. Fingers crossed that this will be the year I finally make it out there!
 
I'm here! This is probably going to make my post-DL depression even worse but I'm going to stick it out! lol I hate that when I leave there, I don't ever know when we will be back, unlike WDW when I normally have at least an idea of when our next visit will be.
 
Awwww, the little baby castle is so cute!!
I know, isn't it adorable? :cutie:

My first thought, too.
:rotfl: Great minds!

I think this would be the weirdest thing for me, to revert back to the old paper FP system. I'm not sure I'd even remember how to do it.
It's kinda like riding a bike - it comes back to you. :thumbsup2

Woah! Very Hitchcock!
It really was! Freaky! :eek:

The miniature castle...:rotfl2: I guess when you're used to seeing Cinderella's Castle at WDW, the DL version would seem small.
It's so itty-bitty, at least from all the way down Main Street. It looks much better once you get close up.

Hooray on scoring that package deal on the photopass pictures. The photos would have ended up costing you way more than necessary if you had to purchase it each day.
I was SOOOO glad that I managed to get in on that package! :thumbsup2

You guys look like you're having so much fun and it's only the first evening!
I love that the-trip-is-just-beginning high! :cloud9:

Whew, glad those birds in that photo weren't geese...we all read how that turned out for guests the other day. :lmao:
I know! :eek: I told Izzy about that and we've been joking about it since. :rotfl2: Really fits a 4-year-old's sense of humor.

I get a kick out of pictures that show random strangers enjoying other people's reactions to Disney stuff, like the guy in that giant ball photo. It goes to show that happiness is infectious and Disney is more than just rides and shows. :goodvibes
Exactly! You can see how Disney brings out the inner kid in people.

It's crazy how you can see Tower of Terror from the street. I remember when we went to DL we arrived around midnight and I was so tired as we were driving to the hotel. Then we drove by DL and I was suddenly wide awake. I thought I wouldn't like it being in the middle of a "normal" street, but it was actually so cool!
I know, something about it was just exciting! I think because I'm so used to WDW it was just novel and exciting compared to the bubble.

You are the queen of deals. Nice work on the hotel room and the photopass package!
Thanks! I try to get a decent deal with most everything I do. :teacher:

Mmmm...Earl of Sandwich! That mac n cheese is enormous!!
Can't go wrong there. That mac & cheese was great, but really huge!

I love that the Storm Troopers are out and about and that Dug got a selfie with one. We had a fun interaction with them at DHS in May.
It was a great start to the trip for Dug! :thumbsup2

The first thing I noticed was the guy totally amused by Izzy joining in. Ha.
I love the look on his face. ::yes::

aka Why toddlers aren't allowed to drive! ;)
:rotfl:

A different theme from your WDW trip! Hope it's a new theme for you!
Well....:rolleyes1 (but don't hold your breath...) In this case, it helped that there wasn't too much walking or transport involved.

So strange that you can see the Tower of Terror RIGHT THERE! I just can't even imagine what that is like!
Sounds like a great first afternoon! Can't wait to see more!
It really is different to just be driving down a city street and see rides! :earseek: I loved it, though. :hyper:

:rotfl: It was a bit... different, huh?
Very much!

:rotfl:

I guess they used to have one...wish they still did.

:goodvibes

Excited to hear about dinner! :thumbsup2
Coming up!

Love the posters for the attractions that unique to Disneyland and I totally get what you are saying about it feeling similar and different at the same time
It was such a strange feeling - things felt so familiar, yet they weren't. :confused:

It is very different seeing the smaller Castle. I just have to think different about the castles as at Disneyland it is the entrance to Fantasyland but at WDW it is more of the "weinie" to draw you into the park and build your excitement
Exactly! ::yes::

Glad you got to see some of the parade - I really liked it when we saw it (I might like it more than Festival of Fantasy :duck:)
It seemed like a cute, unique parade.

haha, Dug looks just so happy after his Stormtrooper selfie!
Oh, he was!

I would love to try hyperspace mountain - I liked Ghost Galaxy so would be really cool to do the Star Wars Theme
Hopefully you get to try it out sometime! :goodvibes

.... very cool shot! :thumbsup2
Thanks!

... very glad you didn't have the recent issue what happened with the birds, um, pooping on the guests at Disneyland :scared:
Me too! I did worry about it for a second there. :scared: I can't imagine on the whole goose thing! :eek: Izzy thinks it's hilarious and keeps bringing it up. :laughing:

I just never can get over the difference...
I know, you can barely spot this one!

Everybody likes them!
:thumbsup2

:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao: Glad that phase is over?
Oh, yes!

::yes:: It definitely shows in the pictures!
He was beaming. :goodvibes

Wow! Too bad Disney doesn't own the rights to Hitchcock because that would be some pretty impressive theming!
Sure would! It's like the Tiki Birds broke free! :rotfl:

All caught up!

Your location is fantastic and that's a really nice sized room, too!
I loved staying there. Room was good and the location couldn't be beat!

Dug and the Stormtrooper are too cute!
Thanks, he loved getting that chance for a selfie with him.

I am in the process of pricing a trip to DL for this fall. Fingers crossed that this will be the year I finally make it out there!
I hope it works out for you! I keep trying to figure out how to get back there again soon! It's so much fun!

I'm here! This is probably going to make my post-DL depression even worse but I'm going to stick it out! lol I hate that when I leave there, I don't ever know when we will be back, unlike WDW when I normally have at least an idea of when our next visit will be.
Haha, we can both try to get through it together. :rotfl: So true - no clue when we'll be back, but I keep trying to figure out how to work it in. Glad you had a good trip! :goodvibes
 
So Much Fried Food!

Our buzzer soon went off and we were led into Café Orleans. We had a nice, semi-private table, which was perfect. Here’s the menu:



We really didn’t spend much time looking at it, as we knew we wanted to get some of the most popular & well-reviewed items on the menu – one of each of the Monte Cristo sandwiches to share (traditional & three cheese), the Pommes Frites (fries), and the Mickey Beignets for dessert. So, that’s just what we did.

Selfie in our little corner:



Izzy was pleased that they brought her crayons:



She colored and drank some milk from her thermos:



Our private little corner was nice for containing an energetic 3-year-old:

(click to see dancing in the corner)

This was the view looking out from our table:





Our spot was like that empty table over there, in a “corner”, but actually in the middle of things. I liked the setup of this place (or what we saw of it).

And then our food arrived:









We didn’t order a meal for Izzy. Instead, she just munched on parts of our food. And also built a strawberry tower:



And seems a little too happy to be wielding a knife :scared: :



So, this was WAYYYYY too much food for us! :earseek: Especially since we’d eaten at Earl of Sandwich not all that long ago. In retrospect, we should have just picked one of the Monte Cristo sandwiches and shared that and the pommes frites. Everything was very good, just so much food! When the waiter came around asking about dessert, I said that we’d wanted to get Mickey Beignets, but were too full to eat them all. I think I actually asked if it was possible to just order one (still paying full price), just so we didn’t waste them. Somehow, the waiter talked me into just getting the whole order anyway. And I think we got some to-go boxes for whatever we couldn’t stuff down (sandwiches and desserts). Here’s our tower of fried dessert :earboy2: :



I think we all shared one and packed up the rest. So good, but SOOOO full!

It must have been dark when we left dinner, so I pulled out a cheapie glow wand I’d brought for Izzy:



My notes say it didn’t work too well, though, so not really a hit. :sad2:

Up next, we saw a 5 minute wait here:





So, we headed right in:







Very cool to see a bit different version than the WDW one.

After that, Dug took Izzy up here:



And I headed over to Indiana Jones to use the Fast Pass I’d pulled earlier. I think this is when I first discovered the extra magic involved with Disneyland Rider Swap. pixiedust: At WDW, we always had to have Izzy right there to get the RS. But I forgot and they were in the treehouse when I got up to the Indy CM – and they didn’t care at all and issued me this:



Yes, even with a hand-written date! ::yes:: In general, we found that none of the Disneyland CMs cared about actually seeing the too-short child. I’d ask if they wanted her to come up from wherever she and Dug were and they never said yes. Made it much easier to split up for these rides – Dug and Izzy didn’t have to tag along after me and then go back to whatever they were going to do. :thumbsup2

Anyway, I was soon heading through the queue:





I think it was around 7:40pm by now.

Looks like Izzy was bored and waiting for me at the exit of Indy:



I LOVED the ride! :thumbsup2 I had a vague memory of it from 2006, but it was so much better than I remembered! It is a similar ride system to Dinosaur, but felt really different to me, due to the surroundings (and different story line, of course). It felt really large and open for a lot of it vs. the smaller, closer feel of Dinosaur. Super fun!! Couldn't wait to ride again another day! :hyper:

Up next: We head back to Tomorrowland for a few more rides!
 
I love the chance to see some of DL from your point of view! It makes me excited for the possibility of a DL trip in our futures.

Somehow, the waiter talked me into just getting the whole order anyway. And I think we got some to-go boxes for whatever we couldn’t stuff down (sandwiches and desserts). Here’s our tower of fried dessert :earboy2: :

How adorable! Little piles of Mickey carbs! Leave it the waiter to make you even more stuffed, but these look too good to pass up :)

Very cool to see a bit different version than the WDW one.

I'd like to see the DL version of this too! I read somewhere I think that in the stretching room at WDW the ceiling goes up, but in DL the floor goes down? It would be neat to see what's similar and what's different.

I LOVED the ride! :thumbsup2 I had a vague memory of it from 2006, but it was so much better than I remembered! It is a similar ride system to Dinosaur, but felt really different to me, due to the surroundings (and different story line, of course). It felt really large and open for a lot of it vs. the smaller, closer feel of Dinosaur. Super fun!! Couldn't wait to ride again another day! :hyper:

I've heard people really love this ride :)

What an awesome day you had! Looking forward to hearing more.
 
That looks like such a cute little restaurant. And I can imagine that food would be VERY filling, especially considering the lunch you had eaten earlier. Those beignets look so good, though!

Indiana Jones is such a fun ride! I do love Dinosaur, but am not a big fan of things popping out at me and scaring me! Nice that you didn't need Izzy there with you to get the RS.
 
It interesting to see the differences between land and world. I love how many of the organial rides have so many differences so you can go to either one and feel like it is anew experience.


The Monte Cristo sandwiches look yummy, but I can't decide if I would like it or not, it just looks so "fried". We didn't do the Indiana jones ride, if we ever get back it's on the must do list.
 
No joke, I would go back to Disneyland just for the promise of that sandwich and those fries. I too feel like it's way too much for one person. Last time I was there I got the sandwich and my coworker got a beef crepe but ended up not liking it and eating part of my sandwich. We easily could have just shared it and the fries, and then we also would have had room (and money) for the beignets! Ah well, live and learn.
 
OK, those monte cristos look good and sickening, all at the same time:) The cheese one looks really good, but I might have to stick with the fried green tomato sandwich. DH doesn't eat monte cristos anymore, since he doesn't have a gall bladder:rotfl2:I would have to eat the whole thing:( Plus, I want to save room for dessert. We love beignets.
 
Our private little corner was nice for containing an energetic 3-year-old:
That is a feature that can be vastly underrated by many.

And I think we got some to-go boxes for whatever we couldn’t stuff down (sandwiches and desserts). Here’s our tower of fried dessert :earboy2: :
A tower of Strawberries and then a tower of beignets? If you're going to build towers at dinner, always make them delicious towers. :thumbsup2

Yes, even with a hand-written date! ::yes:: In general, we found that none of the Disneyland CMs cared about actually seeing the too-short child. I’d ask if they wanted her to come up from wherever she and Dug were and they never said yes.
I know! I think my first realization of this was Thunder Mountain. We asked about getting one at the entrance and she told me to tell the CM on the loading platform. They literally handed it to me as I was getting on the ride.

I LOVED the ride! :thumbsup2 I had a vague memory of it from 2006, but it was so much better than I remembered! It is a similar ride system to Dinosaur, but felt really different to me, due to the surroundings (and different story line, of course)
::yes:: I know they say the track layout is the same, but I think without all the "vegetation" in Dinosaur, you have some more impressive sightlines in Indy that make it feel a lot different.
 
And seems a little too happy to be wielding a knife :scared:
:laughing:

Very cool to see a bit different version than the WDW one.
Isn't it!? I can barely remember HM from DL from my 2010 trip, but I do remember thinking the same thing.

But I forgot and they were in the treehouse when I got up to the Indy CM – and they didn’t care at all and issued me this:
Nice! :thumbsup2

It felt really large and open for a lot of it vs. the smaller, closer feel of Dinosaur.
I LOVED Indy!!! I vaguely remember it too, and definitely remember it being more open. I must have ridden that one a hundred times! :laughing:
 
Those fries look delicious! The Mickey beignets don't tempt me as much, only because I've had the real deal from Cafe du Monde so many times, and I imagine those are pretty impossible to beat! lol What kind of sauces are those with them?

And I headed over to Indiana Jones to use the Fast Pass I’d pulled earlier. I think this is when I first discovered the extra magic involved with Disneyland Rider Swap. pixiedust: At WDW, we always had to have Izzy right there to get the RS. But I forgot and they were in the treehouse when I got up to the Indy CM – and they didn’t care at all and issued me this:

We found this to be true pretty much everywhere but at Guardians of the Galaxy on our trip. In that case, the FP line extended a bit further down from where you actually properly enter the queue, so I asked the CM holding a sign that said "FP Entrance Starts Here" if we'd need to show DD when we got up to the point where they take your FP and give you the rider swap and he said no, so DH and DD started to walk away. Then when I got up there the CM kept insisting she needed to see the small child, so I had to call them to come back so I could point them out. It was a little frustrating, but we learned after that.
 

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