Friday January 27 – Last Day at Disneyland

Since we went to sleep so early last night we are awake early and we are determined to get there early today. But first I am craving pancakes – weird I know.  I rarely eat pancakes but today that is what I want. 

We decide to catch the ART bus early and go to the IHOP right across the street from the main gate. It works out perfectly and they even let me order a three stack of pancakes. 

As soon as the park opens (9 am) we are in! We have a game plan.  First California Adventure for the Radiator Springs Cars ride Fast Passes but the queue just to get the fast passes is like 100 long! So we decide to just take our chances and head to the ride and we go in the singles line and we wait maybe five minutes and most of that was walking there.  

Next stop is Toy Story ride again and it is a long queue but 40 minutes passes as we chat with others in line.  Bernie woops my butt again! 

I head to Paradise Pier Roller Coaster and as a single I have no wait at all.  Boy that run is fun!

We wander along the pier enjoying the sites and the sounds enjoying a few bits of entertainment throughout. It’s Tough to Be A Bug is our next stop as we didn’t make it last time as the ride had technical difficulties.  I really enjoyed it! So cute and loved all the effects.

Okay we are done with California Adventure and we cross the parks to Disneyland – it is CRAZY busy.  

Maybe not as busy as the holidays but it is twice as crowded as it was on Tuesday for sure. With the train down for refurbishment it forces those to walk to all areas and it does create pinch points.

We head to Frontier Land to get fast passes for Thunder Mountain and we don’t have to wait too long. Just enough time to get a coffee and sit and watch people go by. 

The only other area I want to see is Fantasyland which of course is crazy with all the young kids. We ride Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and then the Storeybook Land Canal Boats. 

But after all the lines, crowds, we are ready to head out. We have been here for 7 hours and we are hungry and want to sit down and enjoy a good meal.

We catch the #1 ART bus down Harbour Boulevard to Joe’s Crab Shack and this time we can get in. We enjoy a great meal with great service. We catch the bus back to the park and then the #12 bus back to the hotel.

It is 5 pm and I wish I could say we still were heading out for the night but both of us are tired. 

I do some ironing – many of our dress clothes for the cruise (well all of them) are very very wrinkled. 

Bernie is still suffering with that cold but it looks like the worst is over. 

Tomorrow we board the Ruby Princess!  Really looking forward to it.

Thursday January 26 - Day Three at Disneyland

We wake and Bernie is suffering with a cold. Not really surprised after all that travel and flying and then being in contact with so many people (especially kids) in the last few days. 

We are a bit slow to get up and ready and after breakfast downstairs at the hotel we dress and head to the park for around 10 am.

We head into Disneyland first and go to get Fast Passes for Indiana Jones.  We ride Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted House, Winnie the Pooh and then Indiana Jones twice.  I really want to see the Tiki Room – it is one I remember from my childhood and it is so sweet and even cuter to see all the little ones in the room enjoy it.

The Radiator Springs Racers is still down first thing this morning and when it opens it has two hour waits. We try for fast passes but they are all gone and were gone very early today.  We ride the Toy Story ride, where Bernie beats me this time.

It is now 3:30 and we are meeting Ali for a meal in Downtown Disney.  So nice to see her again and even better to catch up on how she has been and just to see her face to face is lovely.  Just wish she was cruising with us.

After we say goodbye around 5 we check the wait time for Radiator Springs and it is still 2 hours so we both agree to call it a day.  

Bernie needs some cold meds so we walk to the Wallgreens and then walk back to the hotel.  It is about a 35 minute walk to the hotel from the park but we are already 15 minutes in so we continue down the road to the hotel. 

Oh we also bought two bottles of wine to bring on the ship.  
Tomorrow is our last day at the park and there are some things I really want to see/do.

Wednesday January 25 Day Two at Disneyland

It was so nice to sleep in and boy did we need it.  We were both very tired. 

After waking we enjoy a coffee and watch tv and just relax. 

Today we are not heading to the park until later as we will be there late into the evening to catch Color of the World.

The hotel has a great breakfast for a reasonable price and while enjoying breakfast I quickly get the blog up and pictures and stuff as the Wi-Fi in the room is minimal. The router is a bit far from our room so I have to stand next to the door just to check things on line and forget about uploading pictures to my cloud for my blog as it just keeps dropping the signal. 

Not a huge issue as I accept it and I don’t need to be connected all the time.  I am also working hard at trying to focus on life around me and not on my phone/tablet screen.

Not that I had an issue with always being on line but I want to experience life first hand and that is my goal.

After breakfast Bernie does two loads of laundry. The hotel has laundry facilities but Bernie comments that it is rather confusing to find and the room is small with no where to wait. 

We didn’t pack a lot of stuff so doing laundry is one necessity and since the weather is colder than anticipated we are wearing the clothes we brought for the Andes – long sleeve shirts, pants etc.  Shorts and t shirts are staying in the bag.

Bernie trying hard to take a selfie

We head to the park later – catching the bus just after 11. 

Today we are focussing on California Adventure.

We arrive and grab a coffee and head to the Radiator Springs Fast Pass but it is down!  Ending up being down all day making many of the other rides busier.

So we get fast passes for Soaring Around the World and walk around Grizzly Peak and then around Paradise Pier. 
Riding the Fun Wheel, California Screamin, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.  We try to get into It’s Tough to be a Bug but it is down currently.  So we wander around A Bug’s Land, Cars Land then around Hollywood Land. 

We made sure to get a sundae at Ghirardelli Soda Fountain.
Make our way to the Soarin’ Around the World and that ride is amazing!

I should add they are celebrating the Lunar New Year and have lots of things set up around Paradise Pier to reflect the celebration including menu items, face painting, lantern making, acrobats and Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession.

I really wanted to head into Disney Animation Building and we go the Turtle Talk with Crush and the Animation Academy – that was cool.

We had reserved dinner and passes to view World of Color at Carthay Circle Restaurant. We arrive at 6 pm for our reservation.  Beautiful dining venue but odd to be dressed so casually here and the couple beside us is in a Wookie Hat and she has a Tiara seems appropriate for Disney but odd for this nice restaurant.

It is a set menu and had a few choices for appetizer and entrée and two desserts for a fee of $62 per person.  We add a glass of wine and raise our glasses to a great day.  

The food was very good but nothing special but certainly better than what I expected. Dessert was a monkey bread with caramel sauce but it was cold, sure would have been better warm.  Overall it was a nice treat but I probably would not do it again.

After dinner we try to go to the bugs life show and we make it all the way into the theater but they have technical difficulties and we are escourted out.  Oh well.  

We take the long way around to the viewing area for World of Color.  It starts with a show about the Lunar New Year that lasts about five minutes then the World of Color Show starts. All I can really say is wow!  Very impressive! 
Sure glad we saw it and how we did.

One thing I have to add is the couple beside us both had their cell phones out video taping the whole thing.  So they watch this great show thru their phone. They missed so much because they are so focussed on capturing it with their camera their eyes don't get to see it and feel it.

After the show we all file out and we arrive in the transit loop and our bus is there.  There are quite a few people and there is a family with four small kids. Two little ones are tired, one is crying.  Mom has one, Dad has the other.  The other two kids are fidgeting and restless.  Dad is balancing kid and stroller.  I offer some help and offer to take stroller but they say they are okay.  But when the child in Dad’s arm cries for Mom, Mom takes him and now she has a child in each arm.  

But she can’t board the bus easily so she turns and says here can you take him.  So I gladly take the little guy who is 3 I find out later, in my arms and he cries but settles and hangs on as we all get on the bus.  While on the bus we find out they are a large family travelling together from Utah and they stayed late and the kids missed their naps.  No worries, I am glad to help.  

Back at the hotel we quickly crawl into bed and a few minutes later we are asleep.  

One thing is today I felt like I was 8 years old in a 51 year old body.  Disney brings that out in me. 

Day at Disney California Adventure

Can't believe it has already been three days that we have been here.  Today is our last day and we are heading to California Adventure.  

We wake and grab a quick bite to eat before walking over to the park to meet up with Angelique and Simon at the park's gate at 8 am.

Did I mention how much I love that there is Starbucks in the parks.  Oh and the Starbucks cups have little Disney symbols on them.  Love it.


As soon as we get into the park we see Oswald so I get a picture with him and I am honoured when he gives me a kiss.

We start by getting a Fast Pass for Cars Land for a later time.  We then walk thru Cars Land and I am loving this park and the theme, music, decorations and the vibe.  

It is really quiet this early and we all decide to just head into the single rider line at Cars Land and ride once and it was such a fun ride. One of my favorites.  We actually return later with our Fast Pass and ride again.

Right after Cars Land we head for Paradise Pier and Simon it is less than a five minute wait!  OMG that was fun!  I loved it!  We get off and decide to ride again and are on within a few minutes.  

We walk and ride the Mickey's Fun Wheel (in the non swinging car).

We decide to try our luck at some of the Midway games and Simon is the champ, he wins a Dumbo and Bernie is so trying to get a Woody!  We try and again and Simon wins again but decides to give Bernie the Woody... now that is true friendship.  Nothing like a friend to give you a Woody.

Here the rides we tackled today:  Toy Story Midway Mania, Jumpin Jellyfish (which the guys refused to ride but Angelique broke out into hysterics after my crazzy antics), Golden Zephyr, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Luigi's Flying Tires, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (which really freaked me out and I screamed at the top of my lungs, ironically Bernie loved this one and said he would do it again).

We visited the Disney Animation building and love the Turtle Talk with Crush.  Make sure you take your kids to this.  Also walked thru the Sorcerer's Workshop and Character Close-Up.  

We had a meal in Condor Flats - and the food was rather good.  

The park is not crazy busy, in fact it is less that 50% full today, not bad for a Saturday.  We are fading though and as we walk around I know I am going to need a nap today.  

Our last stop in the park is Ghirardeli Soda Fountain for sundaes... I can't even finish mine!

We leave the park and we are back at the hotel around 3:30 pm for a bit of a rest.  We are meeting back up with Angelique and Simon for dinner later.

What a fun day and night... we are very thankful for such amazing friends who came to share in our excitement.