Hello! Finally got around to gathering up these photos from a trip I took with my wife and some of our friends to Disneyland a couple weeks ago. This has turned into something of an annual tradition, and it's particularly fun to go around the holidays now that none of us have annual passes. We go once a year and this is the time we go; and while the park is certainly more crowded than in February, it's continually impressive to me how well the resort (particularly Disneyland, obviously) soaks up crowds.
We've gotten Genie+ the past couple years because we'd all prefer to hang out with a snack or a drink rather than in lines, but it's absolutely a luxury purchase. Anyway! This was a particularly nice trip because so much has changed in just 12 months. We've got a brand-new attraction in Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and a thoroughly refreshed attraction in the Adventureland Treehouse. I'm a huge fan of MMRR and was thoroughly impressed by the work imagineering did on the Treehouse and in the overall Toontown refresh. That land, for the first time, is really a nice place to be.
This is the third Disney castle park we've visited this year and, holy crap, the Disneyland castle will forever look tiny to me. Still, the vibe of the original Main Street is simply untouched in any of the others I've visited.
We started the day in Galaxy's Edge where we grabbed a Ronto Wrap for breakfast (a personal favorite of the group) and queued for Rise of the Resistance. We waited only 35 minutes with a standby time of 80. So, whatever breakdown they factored into the wait did not materialize. Lucky for us! We also grabbed a couple drinks at Oga's Cantina, where we also enjoyed the five-blossom bread. Pretzels and beer, in any galaxy, is a winning combination.
We performed reasonably well on Smuggler's Run, but were bummed to see the Hondo animatronic MIA. No idea how long it's been like this, but it's an incredibly impressive animatronic to see up close and personal.
Pirates of the Caribbean was in fine shape and one of the adjoining stores (not Pieces of Eight, the ones whose name I never recall) had a fun Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. It's no tribute store, certainly, but it was nice to see Disneyland get in on the action.
While waiting for aFastPass Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation to come good, we decided to visit the Adventureland Treehouse! I was underwhelmed when I read about the revised treehouse, though in fairness I can't remember the last time I visited the Tarzan incarnation. I will forever have the audio loop stuck in the recesses of my brain thanks to many long nights working Fantasmic! guest control. Ah, well.
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that this is a wildly improved experience, was taking on gobs of guests without a queue and features some of the best views you can get of Disneyland. It featured plenty of fun sight gags, some great music and it really felt like old-school Disneyland. Take 15 minutes (or more!) to check this out on your next visit.
I can't recall if this Pizza Planet sign is new, but it looks terrific. The lighting package on Space Mountain in conjunction with this facade makes for a very welcome combination. Obviously we're still looking at a bunch of dead or underutilized space throughout Tomorrowland, but that has literally been true my entire life — so why change now?
My wife and I had both been on Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but this was the first time for our friends. We were all impressed by the attraction, but what sets the Disneyland version apart is its facade and, more importantly, its queue. There are too many fun gags to mention in one post (or take in through one viewing) but the creative team did a wonderful job with this installation. Beyond the attraction, it's amazing how fresh the rest of Toontown feels. This is an area of the park I've avoided for many, many years — but, especially at night, it really looks wonderful. The wear and tear concerns are legitimate, but that (for me) doesn't detract from what a great install this is.
My knees are only just now recovering from squeezing four full-grown adults into one teacup, but we came close to making my wife sick — and in the end, isn't that what we're all trying to do?
I drank more and took fewer photos at Disney's California Adventure (correlation...causation...whatever) but we had a very nice time. We grabbed brunch at Lamplight Lounge where I had some very good french toast and enjoyed their rotating Nitro Porter tap. We also split an order chilaquiles which were just fine. Frankly, the reason to go to Lamplight is the vibe and the drinks — both of which are fabulous.
We mostly snacked around the park the rest of the day, though we did get a great couch at Hearthstone Lounge in the Grand Californian. The drinks and service were excellent and it's one of the best spots in the resort when it's decorated for Christmas. Otherwise, we also enjoyed Cars Land at night, which really does Christmas decorations very well. A nighttime ride on Radiator Springs Racers by utilizing the single-rider line ended a great weekend.
Thanks for reading! Looking forward to our next trip.
We've gotten Genie+ the past couple years because we'd all prefer to hang out with a snack or a drink rather than in lines, but it's absolutely a luxury purchase. Anyway! This was a particularly nice trip because so much has changed in just 12 months. We've got a brand-new attraction in Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and a thoroughly refreshed attraction in the Adventureland Treehouse. I'm a huge fan of MMRR and was thoroughly impressed by the work imagineering did on the Treehouse and in the overall Toontown refresh. That land, for the first time, is really a nice place to be.
This is the third Disney castle park we've visited this year and, holy crap, the Disneyland castle will forever look tiny to me. Still, the vibe of the original Main Street is simply untouched in any of the others I've visited.
We started the day in Galaxy's Edge where we grabbed a Ronto Wrap for breakfast (a personal favorite of the group) and queued for Rise of the Resistance. We waited only 35 minutes with a standby time of 80. So, whatever breakdown they factored into the wait did not materialize. Lucky for us! We also grabbed a couple drinks at Oga's Cantina, where we also enjoyed the five-blossom bread. Pretzels and beer, in any galaxy, is a winning combination.
We performed reasonably well on Smuggler's Run, but were bummed to see the Hondo animatronic MIA. No idea how long it's been like this, but it's an incredibly impressive animatronic to see up close and personal.
Pirates of the Caribbean was in fine shape and one of the adjoining stores (not Pieces of Eight, the ones whose name I never recall) had a fun Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. It's no tribute store, certainly, but it was nice to see Disneyland get in on the action.
While waiting for a
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that this is a wildly improved experience, was taking on gobs of guests without a queue and features some of the best views you can get of Disneyland. It featured plenty of fun sight gags, some great music and it really felt like old-school Disneyland. Take 15 minutes (or more!) to check this out on your next visit.
I can't recall if this Pizza Planet sign is new, but it looks terrific. The lighting package on Space Mountain in conjunction with this facade makes for a very welcome combination. Obviously we're still looking at a bunch of dead or underutilized space throughout Tomorrowland, but that has literally been true my entire life — so why change now?
My wife and I had both been on Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but this was the first time for our friends. We were all impressed by the attraction, but what sets the Disneyland version apart is its facade and, more importantly, its queue. There are too many fun gags to mention in one post (or take in through one viewing) but the creative team did a wonderful job with this installation. Beyond the attraction, it's amazing how fresh the rest of Toontown feels. This is an area of the park I've avoided for many, many years — but, especially at night, it really looks wonderful. The wear and tear concerns are legitimate, but that (for me) doesn't detract from what a great install this is.
My knees are only just now recovering from squeezing four full-grown adults into one teacup, but we came close to making my wife sick — and in the end, isn't that what we're all trying to do?
I drank more and took fewer photos at Disney's California Adventure (correlation...causation...whatever) but we had a very nice time. We grabbed brunch at Lamplight Lounge where I had some very good french toast and enjoyed their rotating Nitro Porter tap. We also split an order chilaquiles which were just fine. Frankly, the reason to go to Lamplight is the vibe and the drinks — both of which are fabulous.
We mostly snacked around the park the rest of the day, though we did get a great couch at Hearthstone Lounge in the Grand Californian. The drinks and service were excellent and it's one of the best spots in the resort when it's decorated for Christmas. Otherwise, we also enjoyed Cars Land at night, which really does Christmas decorations very well. A nighttime ride on Radiator Springs Racers by utilizing the single-rider line ended a great weekend.
Thanks for reading! Looking forward to our next trip.
