WDW Nut heads west to CA for first time visit
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Eeyore's Donna · 08-29-2014, 09:32 AM

I am a frequent visitor to WDW and a self-proclaimed Disney nut who had never visited the west coast before. Decided to go on vacation with my daughter and her husband....no young children. (My daughter is a former Disney College Program cast member.) We all love things Disney and wanted to try something different. Thus, the idea for our trip to CA was born. I also love Passporter and have always gathered much helpful info reading these boards but was dismayed to find that the Disneyland boards are much less active than the Disneyworld one is. Too bad. Anyway, I write this trip report in the hope that something in it will help someone who is planning a trip west to see the mouse.

We flew from JFK to LAX on Sunday morning. I had read that John Wayne airport was nicer/closer to the Disneyland Resort but unfortunately flights there were more expensive and offered less choice of times for departure so I bit the bullet and headed to LAX. We made great time and landed a full half hour early. I had arranged private transportation to Anaheim from Prime Time Shuttle with an option they offer called GO SEDAN. When we arrived, the driver was already waiting for us in baggage claim holding a sign with our name on it even though we were early. He whisked us out of the airport to his town car where he had cold water waiting. Excellent service. I was impressed with my first encounter with the freeways...we made great time and arrived at the Disney Resort in about one hour.
The first part of our trip was a stay at the Grand Californian. The lobby and theme of the rooms are beautiful, much like the Wilderness Lodge in WDW. Our room overlooked Downtown Disney and we had a great balcony where we could watch the fireworks. Tired from the flight, we headed to the pools. Having read that the GC had three pools, we were dismayed to find that they are clustered together...more like one big pool. False advertising...no quiet pool like we are accustomed to in WDW. The bar service is much better in the west and we spent the afternoon lounging around the pool with tropical drinks. We had early reservations for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. Comparable to Chef Mickey's in WDW, we found the hot food choices much more limited at Goofy's Kitchen than its WDW counterpart. The desserts were to die for, though, and earn this restaurant an added star in its rating. We went to bed early in preparation for Magic Hour the next morning.
The next morning we headed to DCA. Our first stop was Cars Land. I was awed by the attention to detail in this entire section of the park...Disney has outdone themselves. We were able to ride RSR twice before it became crowded. This ride is amazing....much like the old Test Track used to be in WDW before they revamped it and ruined it. We then tackled the other big rides in the park before the really big crowds showed up at noon. We had lunch at the Carthay Circle where we got a three course meal deal that included reserved seating for World of Color that night, (This is a great deal and the reserved area for Carthay Circle guests is awesome. More on the show later.) The special menu was somewhat limited but we thought the food was tasty and the service excellent. Overall, a memorable meal. After lunch, we returned to our hotel for a break...that private entrance to DGC sure is handy. (At WDW, when you return to your hotel you must take transportation and it requires about an hour of time in each direction. It was nice to just take a quick ten minute walk to do so at Disneyland.) We returned to the park later that evening but so did hoardes of other people. (Although I have visited WDW during peak seasons, it never feels as crowded as Disneyland. Perhaps because the parks are bigger.)We returned to DCA in time to catch the afternoon parade. It was bubbly and delightful. Spent the rest of the afternoon catching shows (Aladdin is phenomenal and not to be missed) and going on the rides that we hadn't made it to in the morning. We had dinner at Flo's V8. The food was average but overlooking the scenery of RSR at night was cool. We saw what attractions we could before it was time for WOC. The Carthay Circle reserved seating for WOC is perfectly located...easy in, easy out. We thought the show was fantastic...WDW has nothing even close to it. We left after the show as Jet lag was finally catching up to us.
The next day was Magic Morning for Disneyland. We wanted to ride Indiana Jones first before the big crowds hit but our touring plans went amok when we discovered that only certain areas of the park are open for MM. We hit as many rides as we could in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. We then went to Adventureland and Frontierland when the rest of the park opened. We had a fantastic breakfast at the Mary Poppins- themed Jolly Bakery. Mostly pastries and coffees but their hot breakfast sandwiches and their quiches are to die for. Don't overlook this quaint eatery as it is truly five star. Our thoughts of Disneyland...Enchanted Tiki Birds and POC are much better here as is the fascade of Main Street...Haunted Mansion pales when compared to its WDW counterpart as does Fantasmic because of its lack of seating.

To be continued...

pamcarey · 08-29-2014, 11:37 AM

Great start! I'm hoping to return to DLR next year after a 25 year break, so I'm very interested in your report!

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**chezp** · 08-29-2014, 01:56 PM

Great start!

It sounds like, so far, a wonderful trip!

shazza · 08-30-2014, 09:30 AM

Looking forward to reading more.

Eeyore's Donna · 08-30-2014, 10:19 AM

To Continue...
I'm sure someone more familiar with Disneyland, who knows where to go and when to go, can have a much more enjoyable experience viewing Fantasmic there. (In retrospect, I wish I would have known about Disney's Fantasmic Dessert package. I highly recommend that first time visitors like me take advantage of it.) My opinion is from the perspective of a first-time rookie who is used to watching the show at WDW. I went to the wrong showing, showed up way too early, stood too long in the wrong spot, and got caught up in the huge crowd trying to leave after the show. (When visiting WDW, make sure you sign up for a Fantasmic dinner package at one of three great restaurants. That will get you reserved seating in a special section of the private theater where Fantasmic is held and you don't have to arrive hours in advance to make sure you get seats. The bleacher seating is actually very comfortable and the buffer from the rest of the park adds to my enjoyment of the show. At the conclusion of the show, the reserved seating has it's own exit and you won't get caught in the crowds...similar to the Carthay Circle seating for WOC. I love it!) Some of the things at DR I enjoyed more than WDW but my experience with Fantasmic wasn't one of them. If I visit DR again, I will certainly ask for recommendations for viewing Fantasmic or take advantage of the fore-mentioned dessert package.
There are several rides at Disneyland that they don't have at WDW and seeing these for the first time was awesome...brought back that magic feeling I had the first time I visited WDW. That in itself justified the trip west. I especially loved Pinocchio, which surprisingly didn't seem to draw the crowds that the other rides in Fantasyland did. My family loved Matterhorn Bobsleds, the ride that is inside the huge mountain that towers over the castle and serves as the visual centerpiece for the park. We all enjoyed Indiana Jones, which is a ride like Dinosaurs in WDW to the theme of the movie and WDW show Indiana Jones. Great fun but something you must either do first thing in the morning as soon as Adventureland opens at regular park opening or fastpass. (Should have mentioned these "New" attractions from DCA in my previous post....The entire Cars Land was phenomenal and so unique. We loved it! My family really enjoyed California Screamin' with its special twists and we all loved Monsters Inc. with its special animation of Mike & Tully.) Also better at Disneyland...Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan, both much longer and more detailed rides. Small World in CA is awesome, too. The waiting area is outside with a view of the beautiful castle-like structure that houses the attraction and the show incorporates animated characters from Disney stories. LOVED IT! Also great in Disneyland is Pirate's Lair. This is what they based Tom Sawyer's Island on but they missed the mark in FL. When your child is tired of all that structure of waiting in line, this is the perfect place to let him burn off a little steam by clambering through haunted caves and climbing across swinging bridges. There are things to touch, things to do, plenty of photo ops....well worth the raft ride over, unlike at WDW where it is virtually dead space. We really enjoyed Toontown in CA, too. The attention to detail is awesome and we really liked the ride Car Toon Spin. Don't miss this one....it's kind of hidden and you might walk by without realizing it's a ride. Totally cool area of the park and great photo ops for all ages.

Food for thought or thought for food...We had an early lunch at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ and it was probably one of the best and most filling meals of the whole trip. Situated in Frontierland next to the petting zoo ranch, this eatery is decorated as a country hoe-down and the ambience is fun. The ribs were not overwhelmingly great but the chicken was fall-off-the-bone delicious and the all-you-can-eat policy guarantees you'll leave well-satisfied. The food is appropriately served in metal pails and when you want more of something, you just ask your server. ( If you are ever there and if you still have room after stuffing yourself with the other vittles, order the cookie sundae. Served hot in a skillet, it's the perfect treat for a family. Absolutely delicious!) The best meal of the trip.

Knowing we were going to have a full lunch, we had made a late dinner reservation. After reading these boards, I knew I couldn't leave Disneyland Park without a visit to the Blue Bayou. The atmosphere was everything I thought it would be, very pretty and reminiscent of San Angel Inn at WDW. The tables are close together, though, and unless you are sitting right at the water's edge, you might not even notice that POC is nearby. Make sure you ask for a table by the water. Personally, I didn't care for the food. My Jambalaya was over-spiced and I normally love Jambalaya. Even my will-eat-anything son-in-law didn't care for his meal. Service was not anywhere as good as it was at Carthay Circle. The ambience was the only bright spot at this restaurant in my opinion and, if I return to Disneyland, I wouldn't visit Blue Bayou again...There are just too many other places to try.

To be continued...

**chezp** · 08-30-2014, 03:43 PM

I'm with you on the Blue Bayou - we enjoyed the atmosphere, although we weren't impressed with the food either.

Interesting to read your experience of Fantasmic! As it's not one of our favourite shows at WDW, we haven't bothered yet to watch it Disneyland.

pamcarey · 08-31-2014, 11:10 PM

Great review and tips! I found your review of Fantasmic interesting, because most people seem to rave about it, but the logistics of watching it don't sound very comfortable to me. I enjoy having somewhere to sit, like at WDW.

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Eeyore's Donna · 09-01-2014, 08:09 AM

To continue...When we were making our plans for this trip, we couldn't decide where to stay. We thought about splitting our stay but I couldn't find any info on that on these boards and even calling Disney wasn't very helpful. Anyway, we decided to take a chance. We split our stay between the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel. Bell services at GC took care of transferring our luggage and when we checked in at the DH that afternoon it was waiting for us. (Bell services were great...said they do split stays all the time. I should have called them! LOL) We were assigned a room in the Frontier Tower, slightly more removed from the action but quieter than the other two towers. Rooms here are larger than the GC and the light-up headboards are a nice touch. We overlooked the pool and could watch the fireworks off in the distance so we enjoyed our view although I missed not having a balcony. The lobbies in both our building and the main building are rather spartan but I guess that goes with the whole modern feel they are trying to achieve. The lobby in our tower featured a small scaled model of a ride in Frontierland and rather ugly cow hide chairs. The pools at the DH are bigger than those at the GC. My adult children also enjoyed the monorail slide there as it is taller than the slide at the GC. The pool waitstaff was excellent at both places and we rarely had to wait before they brought us another cool drink. They also offer to deliver food to you at the pool, which is a nice touch as you never really need leave your chair
Food choices abound at the DH. In addition to Goofy's Kitchen, at which we had already eaten, there is a full-service steak house called appropriately Steakhouse 55. We didn't have a chance to catch dinner there but we did visit this establishment for breakfast....their breakfast is the best kept secret of DR. For $12, I had a huge serving of a full American breakfast that I could only finish half of. Another secret....when you leave, they will gladly make you an extra coffee to go. The inside of the restaurant is divine and the service was excellent, too. Fantastic dining experience.There is also a quick service restaurant at DH called Tangaroa Terrace but other than coffee, we didn't have an opportunity to sample their wares. (Thirty years ago, there was a full-service restaurant by this same name at WDW in the Polynesian Resort. Its location was hidden but it had the best food on property. Alas, it is no more.) Food is also served at Trader Sam's but it is more limited to pub fare. This establishment is a must-visit for drinks, however. We were lucky enough to get seats inside (they have very little indoor seating unfortunately) and were able to watch the "show". Each time someone orders one of their specialty drinks, something magical occurs....from a shipwreck in a bottle to a full-scale volcanic eruption. Both the bartenders and the patrons get into the act and the bar is great fun for adults. A must-visit establishment.

Our itinerary called for a tour day at DP but my daughter woke up feeling sick and we had to change our plans last minute. Love, love, love Disney Customer Service as they were able to move our tour to the next day without skipping a beat. This change, though, caused a conflict of our schedule for the next day. We were scheduled to go on a OC Beach Tour with the Anaheim Tour Company then so I called Brooke Stewart from Anaheim Tour Company to see what we could do. She was able to squeeze us in later that same day and luckily for us, my daughter was feeling up to the trip by then. It is such a relief when something goes wrong to be dealing with companies that offer excellent customer service. Just a brief pause to recommend the Anaheim Tour Company. I was tipped off to them when I read about them on a post from the Trip Advisor boards and from the minute I called them from my home in CT, I knew I had found a tour operator who genuinely cared about their customers. After exhausting research online, I couldn't find a tour that would encompass everything I wanted to do and I called Tom Stewart, the owner/operator of Anaheim Tour Company to discuss what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted a private tour, to be able to experience exactly what I wanted and for our group, it wasn't much more expensive than the individual fares would have been for the tours on the market. Tom explained that what I wanted would waste too much time traveling in traffic and suggested I cancel my shuttle ride back to the airport from Anaheim, and he would pick me up on the last day of my stay, take us on a tour o f LA/Hollywood, and drop us off at the airport at the conclusion of our tour. This would free up one whole day of our vacation and save us paying shuttle fare to the airport. After further discussion, we decided to book a second tour of the OC beaches with him and he generously offered us a discount because he had, in effect, talked me into two tours. Best decision ever!
We were waiting outside the DH for our tour when we received a text from Tom Stewart that his driver had hit traffic and would be ten minutes late...further evidence of good service. When he arrived, our driver Rick was behind the wheel of a bright red touring bus with surfboards mounted on top. We climbed aboard to the tunes of the Beach Boys and made our way to Newport Beach. We enjoyed our stay there tremendously, as long stretches of powdery sand are exactly what is missing from CT beaches. All too soon, the beach bus was back and it was time to move to a new location...Laguna Beach. While a different experience, we didn't think the beach at Laguna was as nice as Newport as the sand was strewn with rocks and sea grass. The bustling beach town was fun, though. We lunched at Johnny Rockets and spent some time browsing in the shops. We were sad to leave but evening had come and it was time to return to DR. We experienced some of rush hour traffic on the freeways firsthand and were very glad we had decided not to rent a car and drive ourselves.The Anaheim Tour Company is definitely the way to go if you want to visit the Orange County beaches.

That evening was our designated Downtown Disney time. This area is much smaller than its WDW counterpart but it attracts many more patrons. It is more reminiscent of Pleasure Island before that location closed as the bars & restaurants out number the shops. We spent a great deal of time in the World of Disney, checking out what was new in logo merchandise and stocking up on things that said Disneyland. The rumbling in our tummies cut our shopping short as our day in the sun had increased our appetites. We had no dinner reservations for once and strolled around the downtown area checking menus. We decided on the full-service restaurant Tortilla Jo's. They advised us that it would be a short wait, then sent us a text message when our table was ready as so many of the more modern restaurants do. (At WDW it is difficult to eat at most sit-down restaurants without a reservation and even reservations are hard to get without booking months in advance. I spoke to a cast member who explained this was not true at DR because most of their visitors are annual passholders who decide last minute to visit the parks.) The food at Tortilla Jo's was heavenly and the portion sizes huge. Alas, we had no room for dessert. We went to bed stuffed.

We had arranged to take one of Disney's tours while we were out west and, in honor of Disneyland being the starting point of Walt's dreams, we selected the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour. Our tour was scheduled in Disneyland Park and we headed there Thursday morning. Counter service meals were on this day's itinerary. We had enjoyed Jolly Holiday Bakery so much when we purchased snacks there earlier in the week that we decided to break our fast there. Their quiche and hot breakfast sandwiches are delicious. The pleasant atmosphere of this quaint Poppins-themed cafe is a terrific start to the day, too. Our last day in the parks, today was all about our tour, seeing the shows and catching the few rides that we had wanted to see but hadn't gotten to yet. We watched the show "Mickey and the Magical Map". Although I had read a lot of negative reviews of it on these boards, I thought it was cute. It is held in an outdoor theater, similar to Beauty and the Beast in WDW. The true gem of the west coast as far as shows go, though, is Aladdin. It was incredible. (For anyone who has seen the show...I thought the elephant was a star and the genie was a hoot!) The theatrical effects of this show are just astounding and all of the actors gave stellar performances. Talking to a cast member after the performance, I learned that the Broadway show Aladdin came about because of the popularity of this attraction at DLR. It is def that good! I love my "less structured" days in the park where I can stop and smell the roses, so to speak. I was able to catch a couple of performances of Newsboys...The enthusiasm and fun that these young, college-aged performers put into their shows is contagious. The Dapper Dans, the Jazz musicians in New Orleans Square, the cast of the Golden Horseshoe...these great performances are often overlooked in the rush from attraction to attraction but I was glad I had time to catch some of their special magic. Another talented performer I encountered that day was a young animator who was "teaching class" at the Animation Academy. She was able to instruct me in drawing a Pixar character I had never seen or heard of before. She was definitely a good teacher because when I brought my "souvenir" home, the younger members of my family instantly recognized the character! (Surprisingly, this attraction was almost empty when we visited. I wish more people would take a few minutes out to visit the Animation Academy because it truly is a fun time. One little boy in our class was clutching three or four precious drawings he had made that day and I'm sure they meant more to him than something his parents could have bought him in the gift shop.)
The whole purpose of our trip west was to see where it all began and we couldn't leave CA without taking the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour. I'm so glad we did because we learned a lot about the man whose magical dreams started with Disneyland and then spread to Orlando. I'll tell you a little about the tour because when I was researching it, I couldn't find much info on it. It is a walking tour and the pace is brisk, so wear comfortable shoes. The tour guide has a microphone and each participant has a headset so it is easy to hear all that is said. The tour groups are small, about a dozen or so adults and they even break this up into smaller groups for the last stage of the tour. The tour guide makes a full loop of the park, stopping periodically to discuss an attraction Walt had a hand in or a part of the park that brings to mind a funny story from Walt's past. For example, when we stopped next to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln we learned that Walt's original plan for this attraction that debuted at the World's Fair called for all the presidents to appear (similar to the Hall of Presidents at WDW today) but the art of animating these life size statues was so time consuming back then that Walt's dream had to be scaled back to just one president. Trivia that I find fascinating. The tour group also visits several of the original rides without waiting in line. On the day of my visit, we went on Peter Pan, Enchanted Tiki Birds, and DLRR but this is subject to change at the discretion of the tour guide. The highlight of the tour is a visit to Walt's private apartment, something most tourists don't get a chance to see. Photography inside the apartment isn't allowed but bring your camera anyway because the tour guides will snap one souvenir photo of you amidst Walt's treasures. My personal photo even shows the lamp that is lit 24/7 in honor of Walt which you can see in the window above the firehouse on Main St. The tour culminated with a light meal served outside in the alcove off Main St. where the tour originated. You have your choice of either a turkey, tuna, or vege sandwich with chips/fruit or a salad and either cake or a cookie. As welcome as the meal was the opportunity to talk further with the cast members who conducted the tour to glean further details about the workings of DLR was more so.
To be continued...

**chezp** · 09-01-2014, 01:20 PM

We are going to have to do that tour next time we visit Disneyland - I keep saying that, as every time I hear a review of it, they're always good. Great that you got such good customer service from both Disney and the Anaheim Tour Company.

pamcarey · 09-01-2014, 11:24 PM

Sounds like you're getting excellent customer service! This is the first time I've heard mention of breakfast at Steakhouse 55, so I'll have to keep that in mind!

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Eeyore's Donna · 09-02-2014, 06:03 PM

To continue...
As welcome as the meal was, the opportunity to talk further with the cast members who conducted the (Walk in Walt's Footsteps) tour to glean further details about the workings of DLR was more so. To describe further my tour of Walt's apartment....Warning: May contain spoilers. I was shocked to see how small the apartment is, little more really than a single room and a closet. The living area doubles as a sleeping area and contains two pull-out couches, one for each Mr. and Mrs. Disney. When the grandchildren visited, they had to sleep on the floor. Decorated by Lillian herself, the apartment is furnished in the Victorian-style with a pink/red rose motif that she favored. Both Walt and Lillian loved to shop for antiques and unusual items and the apartment contains many one-of-a kind things such as the mismatched china in the cupboards of the kitchenette area. The collection of articles found around the apartment are much as Walt left them on his last visit, most in working condition, including the music box Walt gifted to Lillian, the grammaphone, and the grilled-cheese toaster (Walt loved simple food). Photography is strictly forbidden inside the apartment but bring your camera anyway because the tour guides will take one souvenir photo of you amidst Walt's treasures. My personal photo even shows a glimpse of the lamp that is lit 24/7 in memory of Walt, which can be seen outside in the firehouse window. BTW, the apartment is not handicapped accessible, as there are several flights of rather tricky stairs to negotiate in order to reach it. At the conclusion of the tour, you are presented with a gift for your participation...an exclusive collectible trading pin to commemorate your tour. This is a good tour for adults who have a special fondness for Walt Disney.
The parades at DLR are good, too, although none can capture that special magic of the Main St. Electrical Parade IMHO. I don't know if it because the parks are logistically smaller than those in WDW or what, but the parade routes seem to encompass more of the parks and there are more viewing places in DLR. People still stake their claim to spots a half-hour to an hour before the start of each parade. For the Soundsational Parade in DLP, we chose a piece of "prime real estate" on a curb at the beginning of Main Street. (I must pause here to comment how much I love, love, love Main St. in DLR. The buildings are not as tall as their WDW counterparts, but they are more ornate and detailed. I especially love the alley ways scattered on either side of the street. I was delighted to discover the "Marceline Hotel" down one. It's these small touches that tickle a Disney nut and are something that the casual visitor might miss. On our tour, we were told about a dentist's office where sporadically you can hear the sound of drilling coming from inside. Sadly, we heard nothing and Yes, we checked

cMickey himself leads off the Soundsational Parade, appropriately playing the drums. The Fab 5 make appearances as do several princesses including Aurora, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Belle. Several popular film characters were featured playing music from their movies. I especially enjoyed Mary Poppins, the Little Mermaid and the Lion King. The whole Parade is over a half-hour long but all too soon it was over. A slightly longer parade is held over at DCA. Their Pixar Play Parade is good, too, but personally I am less familiar with the Pixar characters so I am not the best judge. I did enjoy the characters from Toy Story and Monsters Inc., however. The "special effects" were great...the bubbles, mist, and spraying water lent some of that special Disney magic to the entertainment. Also on Buena Vista St. in DCA, somewhere on the right side...I can't remember the name of the establishmentfor sure but I think it was called Clarabelle's ...perhaps someone here knows, is a delightful ice cream shop where we purchased sweets to watch the parade. They sell a personal size "kitchen sink" sundae that is reminiscent of the behemoth one sold at Beaches & Cream in WDW. The sundae is the perfect size for one hungry individual or even large enough to share if you have a willing partner and the red plastic Mickey sink is yours to take home, a perfect ice cream/cereal bowl and a wonderful souvenir :0
This was our counter-service meal day and it was difficult to choose as there were so many choices. My daughter and son-in-law have a long-standing tradition to end every Disney trip with a visit to Earl of Sandwich, so, we enjoyed dinner there. (Get the soup...it's delish!) The only complaint I have about Earl's is that there is never enough seating. This is a very popular restaurant both in DLR and WDW...wish Disney would realize that and expand the seating. Anyway, rant over, when we were finally able to snag seats, we sat outside and listened to a great blues band performing on the stage nearby. I have to say that whenever I walked through DD, there was always someone performing on that stage. Disney doesn't scrimp on entertainment. The DD area is bustling at night and doesn't lack for adult entertainment. Reminds me of Pleasure Island in WDW before that venue closed.
Side note: When we took our tour, we enjoyed FOL rides on DLRR but it was just general seating. I could be mistaken about the whole thing but I was under the impression from our tour guide that the Lilly Belle car was not used at all, in memory of Lillian Disney. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

**chezp** · 09-03-2014, 12:58 AM

Ok, we will have to add the parades to our "must-do" list for our next visit. How terrible does this sound, with all the stuff we haven't seen after five trips to Disneyland?

Eeyore's Donna · 09-03-2014, 12:37 PM

All too soon, it was our last day in CA...time to head back home to CT. We make a point to mark our last day at Disney with a leisurely character meal...it's our special way of saying goodbye. This time, we had reservations for breakfast at PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel. It's a very short walk from Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel where we were staying. We left a little early so we could check out the hotel while we were there. I must say that we were impressed. Although Disney didn't build this hotel, they have Disney-fied it and the hotel now boasts that special sort of Disney magic. The beach theme is carried out very well and I would compare the PP to a cross between the Beach Club and the All-Stars at WDW. Greeted in the hotel lobby by a life-size statue of Goofy with a surfboard, we had little trouble finding the PCH Grill...we just followed the crowds. This is a popular eatery. The beach theme carries over into the restaurant and the meal is appropriately called the "Surf's Up" character breakfast. The characters are even garbed in beach attire. The hot foods were your typical breakfast fare but the made-to-order omelettes were excellent. It did take quite some time to get your order, though, as they only had one chef manning this station. The variety of sweets at the buffet was sorely lacking, though...no doughnuts or croissants or anything comparable to the array of breakfast pastries that are put out at the breakfast buffets at WDW such as Cape May Cafe. However, the character interaction was good and we got the opportunity to see Minnie, Pluto and Stitch tableside. Mickey presides at this breakfast but spends his time at the entry, posing for photos. Overall, we enjoyed our last meal here.
Our plans called for us to take a tour of LA/Hollywood with the Anaheim Tour Company before they dropped us off at LAX for our flight home. They picked us up promptly at 1:00 pm and we hit very little traffic on the freeway, making it from Anaheim to downtown LA in less than an hour. We visited several sites in the downtown area including the Biltmore Hotel (historic site of the Academy Awards) and the Disney Concert Hall. We then made our way to Hollywood. Our driver was able to get very close to the Hollywood sign as she took us up some narrow, winding residential streets in the area. We then toured the Chinese Theater and the nearby Walk of Fame. This area is much smaller than I thought it would be and much more congested. I admit to not feeling safe here as the street performers were tenacious. It is hard to even read the inscriptions on the stones, much less capture them in a photo, with the crowds pushing and shoving. A quick fifteen to twenty minute stay is all that is needed. (After much searching, we did find Walt Disney's star...at the far end of the Walk of Fame. Tickled to find one for Mickey Mouse, too.) We toured the Hollywood area, checking out celebrity homes and made an obligatory stop at Rodeo Drive where we (window) shopped. Tired and famished, we cut our tour slightly short and headed to the airport. (Far from a critique of the Tour Company but we found the tour of Hollywood rather dry and anti-climatic....these sights are best viewed in conjunction with something a little more entertaining such as a stop at the beach, a visit to a studio or time at Universal. These tours are standard offerings from the Anaheim Tour Company and are probably better choices.) We had just planned to eat at the airport but this was a huge mistake. For all that LAX is touted to be a big airport, its food venues and shopping places are EXTREMELY limited...not a place you want to hang out at for any real length of time. Don't plan on "just grabbing a bite" at the airport!

I'm very glad that I ventured west and saw the Disney park that started it all. I truly enjoyed my stay at the Disneyland Resort. It was a very different experience than my trips to WDW. I won't argue which resort is better....Each one has positives and negatives, both so completely different that a true Disney nut should make a point to visit both. The compact size of DLR makes it ideal for short trips, park hopping, and trips back to the hotel for a midday break. The expansiveness of WDW makes it more of a destination vacation with more parks, more hotels, more things to see and do. Moreover, WDW is more spread out which makes it seem less crowded than DLR. Most people would prefer the weather in So Cal, which lacks the humidity of FL and has cool evenings. (I'm in the minority but I love the tropical heat at WDW and froze at night in CA...didn't like having to take a sweatshirt to the park each day.) Likewise, most people would prefer how close the other main tourist attractions are in Orlando as compared to how spread out things are in So Cal.
For me, seeing "new" attractions like the rides in Carsland and watching awesome shows like Aladdin and WOC, brought back that same magical feeling that I had had the first time I stepped in a Disney park. That feeling alone made my trip west worthwhile. (Seeing the first park that Walt built was special and I recommend the tour "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" as a good way to learn more about this fascinating man. )
Thank you for taking the time to read this trip report....Perhaps something in it will help you plan an upcoming trip.