First Timers Visit Over Easter! Can we see it all? - Updated 2/9

This is adorable! Love that you can eat one and take the other home. :-) Casey would so be all over that.
Seriously, Disney World needs to work on there lack of good Macarons! But I am guessing Macarons are harder to make in Disney World?! With the humidity? Maybe? I know they aren't easy to make.

I thought MaxPass was only for those staying at one of the Disneyland hotels. Have they expanded it to the partner hotels now?
I don't know what it was before, but MaxPass is available to anyone but we had to pay for it, it was $10 a day per person. So for us $40 a day to be able to make fast passes on our phone (and not have to search for where the machines were) And stock pile them in the other park for the afternoon, which is what I did for Easter Sunday. And we got photo pass photos with it as well. It was a no brainer for us, for our short trip.

Too funny, Casey was looking over my shoulder and saw your Matterhorn picture and asked if it was Everest. I told her no and when she asked if there was a yeti I said no to. Then we pulled up a video :P I had no idea they had a yeti in there.
Gwen is always looking over my shoulder while reading/writing these as well. She likes to teak me which emoji to use... I guess I forgot to mention that there was in fact a yeti. 2 in fact! Gwen didn't like it at all!
 
Day One: It really is a small world after all!

So, I left us off heading to our next destination, It's a small World! This is always a favorite in Disney World and I knew we needed to ride it here! I hadn't told the girls about the IP characters being in the ride, so I was excited to see if and when they would notice.

It's a Small World Sign

It's a Small World Facade
I love the outside of Disneyland's! Sadly it was being refurb a little. But I tried to still soak it in. This is also about when it really sunk in that most of the lines were outside and not shaded. I made a mental note that we needed to put MORE sunscreen on!

Lizard on Topiary's Nose
I also really like the animal topiaries outside. The girls noticed this lizard on this one.

Topiary

IASW Horse Topiary
And Gwen said this one was missing something.... It's horn... She said it was to be a unicorn.

IASW Duck back up
These ducks were swimming in the water and the CM had to wait till they left before they could let boats go. It was causing a back up for sure. Kind of funny.

The wait wasn't too bad but we were all getting hungry for lunch so I think it felt longer than it really was. But finally we were on our boats!
Morgan & Gwen on IASW

The Happiest Cruise that ever Sailed!
And we were in! I took a TON of photos but my iPhone made most of them blurry since it was a little dark in there and I was snapping so fast.

IASW Sea Serpant
I really liked this guy.

IASW Kids
I really liked the first room which was just these signs but they really set the stage for the ride.

It didn't take long before the girls noticed the different characters. They were pointing and looking everywhere. It was really fun trying to spot them all and I think it was really well done the way they make them. I would love it if they did the same in Disney World.

IASW Dolls
Some of the Mexico Dolls

Donald Duck IASW
We found the 3 Cabellaros!

Ariel IASW
And Ariel! They also added in bits of the IP songs into the standard IASW music. And again done so well! At first I didn't notice it. They had a kid voice singing that clearly was to be Ariel singing. So cute.

Lilo & Stich IASW
Lilo was cute as well.

Woody & Jessie IASW
I also like that they have america in this version. Andy asked after if Disney World had America and I said nope. I have a soft spot for Toy Story. Probably one of my favorite Pixar movies!

We all loved It's a Small World Disneyland version. And def wanted to ride it again to fully make sure we found all of the characters!

After our ride, we decided we def needed to get lunch! We were all hangry!
Gwen
I don't know why I took this picture, but Gwen is pretty cute in it, so behold a cute pic of Gwen on the way to lunch!

Storybook Land
We passed Storybook land on the way, and commented on the fact we def wanted to do that while we were here.

Monstro
The girls have never seen Pinnochio, so they really have no idea who Monster is. They only know that in Disney Infinity there is a building block that looks just like that!

Red Rose Tavern
Finally we made it to our lunch destination! The Red Rose Tavern! I had checked some of the menus before we came and this one had a few things that sounded good.

We walked in and I was bracing for a very busy restaurant. But it wasn't! it seemed like a strange anomaly. We went up and ordered and Andy and the girls went to find a table while I waited for the food.

Gwen went Kids pizza. I didn't get a picture, but they looked like pizza in Disney World. Morgan went with the kids Hamburger and we totally should have ordered her the adult one. She took one look at it and was like no thanks. It was a small hockey puck sized burger that was was over cooked. No picture of that either, but trust me I didn't blame her, it wasn't appetizing looking.


Short Rib Poutine
Luckily, I had ordered this! And Morgan ended up eating some of the short rib meat off of these.

What are those?
Slow-cooked Beef Poutine
Slow-cooked Beef and Gravy over Seasoned Waffle-cut Fries, Pickled Onion and Cheese Curds

These were SOOOOOO good! I could have eaten these all by myself!

And then Andy & I decided to share this as well.
Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich

Enchanted Cauli-Flower Sandwich
Grilled Cauliflower Steak, Spicy Lime Aïoli, Tempura-battered Green Beans, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Toasted Roll, served with Pommes Frites or sliced Apples

We have really grown to love roasted cauliflower and I loved that this was an option in the park. It was ok. Not bad, but we both felt that the cauliflower needed more seasoning. We should have asked for more Spicy Line Aioli but didn't. It hit the spot and we didn't feel gross after our meal so that was good.

I also text the picture to my sister, as her and her husband are vegan.

All in all we really enjoyed the food here and this would def be a regular spot for us if it was in Disney World. We checked out some of the decor before we left.

Belle & Beast Stained Glass
We were sitting near these 3 stained glass windows. So we had discussed which we liked the best.

B&B Mosaic Stained Glass Window

Beast's Castle Stained Glass Window

Live Action Mrs. Potts
I pointed this out to the girls and Gwen got a big kick out of the fact that it was from the live action B&B.

I really liked that they had all of these stations to fill up your water bottles.
Water Bottle Station
Disney World needs these! You would think it would make things easier for the counter service places and they would save on cups? maybe?

We peeked on the Gaston Side as we were leaving.
Gaston with Antlers

Red Rose Tavern Gaston Side

And then headed out. We had a fastness to use and then we were thinking on heading back to the hotel to swim and rest a bit.
 
I love getting to ride with you all on Autopia. Our fam hasn't been on it in several trips, lots of good smiles - loved the driving shot of your little one. am completely MEH on Matterhorn too, I think I may be done with it for good. Cool shots on IaSW, love those little touches of the ride with Disney characters. That poutine looked great! Thank you for the tour of the Red Rose Tavern, we'll have to give it a try next time around :thumbsup2
 
So love the original Disneyland version of Its a Small World. I have no idea why they haven't incorporated the characters into the WDW version. It definitely makes for a better experience.
 


I don't know why I took this picture, but Gwen is pretty cute in it, so behold a cute pic of Gwen on the way to lunch!
Aww, of course it's a cute one! I haven't seen a picture of Gwen and Morgan that isn't cute :cutie:

I really liked that they had all of these stations to fill up your water bottles.
This is genius! I never buy drinks at Disney, I always just refill my water bottle - but I'd prefer this to the water fountains for sure! :thumbsup2
 
We love the IASW version at DL as well! Love seeing all the characters! :stitch2:

Storybook Land is super cute!! Hope you get to ride it.

That's funny they have the "prince with no pants" stained glass at DL as well!! :rotfl:
 


Ariel IASW
And Ariel! They also added in bits of the IP songs into the standard IASW music. And again done so well! At first I didn't notice it. They had a kid voice singing that clearly was to be Ariel singing. So cute.
IASW is the only thing my Mom remembers from her one and only trip to DL when she was a little girl. She cries literally every time we ride it at WDW; it's so cute!! I had no clue they also put some of the IP songs into the ride when they added the characters! That's a pretty neat touch, especially since they did it seamlessly and you don't notice it right away.

What are those?
Slow-cooked Beef Poutine
Slow-cooked Beef and Gravy over Seasoned Waffle-cut Fries, Pickled Onion and Cheese Curds
OMG that sounds incredible!!!!

Water Bottle Station
Disney World needs these! You would think it would make things easier for the counter service places and they would save on cups? maybe?
YES!! That would be wonderful, plus you'd actually be able to fill your bottle without tipping it sideways and not being able to even get it halfway full!
 
hank you for the tour of the Red Rose Tavern, we'll have to give it a try next time around :thumbsup2
We were def pleased with our meal. Granted we only got to try a few places but we were not disappointed! WE really enjoyed pretty much all of the food in Disneyland.

So love the original Disneyland version of Its a Small World. I have no idea why they haven't incorporated the characters into the WDW version. It definitely makes for a better experience.
Seriously. I would love if they did that eventually. We usually try and go on IASW at least once a trip.

This is genius! I never buy drinks at Disney, I always just refill my water bottle - but I'd prefer this to the water fountains for sure! :thumbsup2
Right! This was the only one I noticed but if I was a local I am sure I would know where all of them were.

Glad you enjoyed your lunch. The inside of the restaurant is so cute!
I guess it was recently redone, so I am not sure what it was like before, but we enjoyed the Beauty and Beast overlay.

That's funny they have the "prince with no pants" stained glass at DL as well!! :rotfl:
Ha! I didn't even notice! But he does look like he has no pants on!

I had no clue they also put some of the IP songs into the ride when they added the characters! That's a pretty neat touch, especially since they did it seamlessly and you don't notice it right away.
It really was so well done. When you are in "agraba" you can hear it's a whole new world kind of overplayed. Now I wish I had taken some video!

OMG that sounds incredible!!!!
It was so good. I wish we had ordered 2! they also have poutine flatbread that I wanted to try, but Andy thought it sounded weird.

YES!! That would be wonderful, plus you'd actually be able to fill your bottle without tipping it sideways and not being able to even get it halfway full!
I know! Unfortantly, we didn't have reusable water bottle on this trip, as I was trying to "Pack light" on this trip. :(
 
So, I left us off heading to our next destination, It's a small World! This is always a favorite in Disney World and I knew we needed to ride it here! I hadn't told the girls about the IP characters being in the ride, so I was excited to see if and when they would notice.

Small World is another rides at DL that adds to the list of reasons for me to go. I want to see the characters in the ride.

I don't know why I took this picture, but Gwen is pretty cute in it, so behold a cute pic of Gwen on the way to lunch!

She is very cute.

What are those?
Slow-cooked Beef Poutine
Slow-cooked Beef and Gravy over Seasoned Waffle-cut Fries, Pickled Onion and Cheese Curds

Yum. I could just see Gaston eating this.

We checked out some of the decor before we left.

So many neat touches.

I pointed this out to the girls and Gwen got a big kick out of the fact that it was from the live action B&B.

This is the perfect touch!
 
Wow, your food selections sound a lot better than the standard QS fare in WDW. I'd love for them to bring over cauliflower sandwiches and all those water stations! Sorry that Morgan's burger wasn't good, though. I recently read a report where someone said they burned their kid's burger, too. Maybe since it's so small it's a common occurrence. Either way, kind of frustrating.

Those stained glass pieces were all really pretty. Which one was decided as the favorite??
 
Reading along - it sounds like such a fun trip! I identify with Morgan a little bit. Unknown things make me feel very uncertain, and I'm the world's best gift-react-er ever if it's something I really like. I have to process first and go through a bunch of details in my head! I don't love the Matterhorn ride, but every few years I forget how rough it is or hope they've smoothed it out. ;-)
 
I’m so glad you kept the IASW characters a secret, and I love that y’all were finding so many of them. I gotta get over to California already, lol!

Lunch looks good! We’re not vegan, but I find we eat a lot of vegetarian or vegan meals on vacation, they do seem to feel less heavy, especially on hot days. Sorry about Morgan hockey puck, that’s really the worst.

I totally agree on the water stations! In Detroit we have these fountains, I guess, that dispense cold, filtered water for your bottles. From a financial standpoint, Disney could not only save on cup, but likely make a killing selling adorable water bottles near the filling stations. Where do I sign that petition, lol!
 
Hi Everyone!

I was afraid this would happen when I started this. I feel like I have already dropped the ball a little on keeping this trip report going. I hope to remidy that this week. Although we will see, Morgan signed up for the summer swim team and she has practice every day from 5:30 - 6:30. So begins my life as a swim taxi!

But I said this over on my Disney World Trip Report, and I am very proud of her to giving it another go around at swim team. She was a bit over whelmed by it last year, and perhaps not completely prepared for it. So, it wasn't the best experience for her. But she made the decision to try again. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed for a better more postive experience this time!


Yum. I could just see Gaston eating this.
Right! I wish we had gotten the flat bread as well.

This is the perfect touch!
Isn't it. I thought it was a really nice way to add in the live action version into the park as well.

Wow, your food selections sound a lot better than the standard QS fare in WDW
The Quick Service was WAAAAAAYYYY better in Disneyland! We ate QS the entire trip and never felt like we were missing out at all!

Maybe since it's so small it's a common occurrence. Either way, kind of frustrating.
That is kind of what I figured. I think we told her she needed to start ordering the burgers off the adult menu instead of the kids menu for that reason.

Those stained glass pieces were all really pretty. Which one was decided as the favorite??
I think we all liked different ones.

Loved your small world pictures! I'd love to see this version of the ride someday. It just seems faar superior to the WDW version!
It really was. I do like our better from a flow perspective. But it was so much fun finding all of the characters. Maybe one day they will bring that over to Disney World. One can dream!

Reading along - it sounds like such a fun trip! I identify with Morgan a little bit. Unknown things make me feel very uncertain, and I'm the world's best gift-react-er ever if it's something I really like. I have to process first and go through a bunch of details in my head! I don't love the Matterhorn ride, but every few years I forget how rough it is or hope they've smoothed it out. ;-)
:welcome: So glad you are following along! I promise to get back into the swing of things!

I’m so glad you kept the IASW characters a secret, and I love that y’all were finding so many of them
It made it super exciting for them when they found one! So, I am glad I did as well.

Lunch looks good! We’re not vegan, but I find we eat a lot of vegetarian or vegan meals on vacation, they do seem to feel less heavy, especially on hot days.
We like to eat vegitarian/vegan for at least a couple meals during the week. I love me some good meat! But it helps to balance it all out. And Cauliflower has become a go to for us.
 
Enjoying your report! I'm actually going to Disneyland for the first time next month and so I'm simultaneously wanting to see everybody's reports and photos but also trying to keep some mystery alive, haha.
 
Enjoying your report! I'm actually going to Disneyland for the first time next month and so I'm simultaneously wanting to see everybody's reports and photos but also trying to keep some mystery alive, haha.

Welcome!!!:welcome:

I was TOTALLY the same way before we went! I wanted to know more about it but I wanted to keep things a surprise too! I totally understand. It is good to know what rides to hit early and/or get fast passes for, for sure!
 
Hi Everyone!!!

Sorry for being absent here a little bit. I was a afraid this would happen with having too many trip reports going on, but I am here now! And I want to get an update in now!

We have been busy with end of the year school. Morgan had her very first band concert! She did awsome! She decided to play trombone this year and has really enjoyed it.


Here is Morgan and her friend Amira. 2 girls playing trombone have to stick together!

The girls also decided to join the summer swim team again this year. So, this week they started practice and it is every day after school. Morgan is doing great! So far the is holding her own.


But let's get back to Disneyland!

Day One: "Look Mom, Gorilla Butt!"

I believe I left us off with us finishing lunch. At some point I had grabbed a fast pass for Big Thunder Mountain, so we headed that way.


I loved all of the details on the way over. I am not sure if we went the most direct way from Red Rose Tavern to BTM. But we didn't mind.


But we made it over!


We were getting tired by now, I think we talked about going back to the hotel for a bit after this. I think the Jet Lag was still in effect.


The fast pass line was short and we were on the ride in no time! I only remotely remember the que area and after we got home, Andy said he didn't remember it at all.

I actually wish we had ridden this a second time, I don't think we got the full enjoyment out of it. I think we were all tired at this point. I mean we had fun but I don't remember really the differences between it and Disney World's BTM.

After our ride on BTM, we wandered through Adventureland slowly making our way out of the park to go and rest. It had gotten REALLY busy at this point, and Adventureland was PACKED with people! But I wanted to at least see the rest of the park as we walked out.

We ran into Tarzan's Tree House, so of course the girls wanted to explore it. Since it didn't have a line we said sure.


I remember the days, when this bridge would have scared Morgan to death. But not any more!


The view back across...


It was cute the way they changed it to Tarzan but I don't think it helps the attraction for being more popular.


We walked into this area and Gwen says... "Look Mom! Gorilla Butt!" Oye.


At the end of the tree house, there are a few interactive things. Which was nice. I found Mrs. Potts & Chip while the girls played with the interactive things. I loved that it was subtle.


There was a rope that you could try and swing on and some crank thing that I can't remember what it did at this point. But the girls found it fun to do both.


This video was the hit of the area... It translated your words into "Ape". The girls thought this was hilarious!


After fully enjoying the tree house, we finally headed out of the area.


I spotted the light over the firehouse on the way out! I told Andy about it as we walked out. SO cool. It is such an "insider" things to see.

We headed out of the park at this point. And went back to the hotel. I believe we let the girls swim for a bit in the pool and then rested in the room for a bit as well. We planned to stay for Fantasmic this night, so I wanted to make sure we had some energy for the evening..

How did that work out?
 
Day One: More Macaroons!!!

After our rest we headed back into the park.

I just looked at my time stamps, we left the part around 4:40! And came back around 7:15! And then I just remembered that my phone converted the time back to East Coast time... Ha! So, REALLY we left the park around 1:40 and returned around 5:15....right?

Anyway....


I am glad we took a break, but I was glad to be back in the park. And it did seem like it had gotten a little less crowded while we were gone.


I found it interesting that the Double Decker Bus was out in the afternoon, it is only around in Disney World first thing in the morning.

Since it was our first time walking in together, we tried to enjoy some of the details on Main Street.

We checked out the magic shop, which was cool.




Gwen asked me to take a video of the optical illusion. Don't get too dizzy watching it!

The girls said they wanted more Macaroons! So, we stopped at Jolly Holiday Bakery for more macaroons!



I loved this stained glass window at the bakery.


The girls REALLY loved these!

This wasn't the best idea, since I had booked a Hungry Bear Fantasmic Package for fairly early in the evening. Originally I thought we would have time for one ride before going and getting our dinner, but we didn't. So, we basically went from eating to eating....

But on the way, to Hungry Bear, we saw these!




Gwen saw them walking in front of the exit for the canoes. And exclaimed "That is the cutest thing EVER!!!!"

The ducklings were blocking the exit, so a CM was carefully trying to hurd them out of the way. The girls just loved them.

After that, we finally headed over to Hungry Bear to choose our dinners. I don't think any of us were that hungry but we went with it.


I ordered off of the regular menu and got the crispy chicken sandwich. Which was good. Crispy outside and moist chicken inside.

Andy went with the Blackberry Ribs. He said they were just ok. Not terrible but nothing amazing. I apparently did not


Morgan and Gwen both got the kids Chicken Nugget meals. They were Typical Disney Chicken Nuggets.


They gave the girls Fantasmic Stickers, that Gwen really liked and I am not sure where they are now...


All of our food came in a large brown paper bag, so you could in theory eat it while you waited for the show to start. If you picked a later time. Which I had really wished we had done. Oh well. Hungry Bear was just ok. Probably the most unmemorable meal of the trip but it was the cheapest option for us to get reserved seating for Fantasmic. So, it was what it was.


We sat down on the deck area and enjoyed the view. And discussed what we wanted to do next.

I am going to leave it here for now. I will finish up the evening in the next post!
 
Not sure if I’ve commented here or not. Your trip reports are just delightful. Your love for your girls just shines through. I’m itching to get to DL. Enjoying seeing it through your eyes.
 

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