2017 Disney World Packages are HERE!

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- Book dining reservations for you
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Make any special reservations you may need, such as Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique, Pirate's League, Wishes Fireworks Cruise
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Day #6: Disneyland Day #3

It was our last day at the Disneyland resort. And we were ready for it to end and continue on with the rest of our vacation - a weekend in Las Vegas and then a few days in Hollywood and So Cal. We chose to go back to Disneyland for our last day, since there were a few things we hadn't done yet.

As we entered the hub, we realized there was something going on on the bridge into Sleeping Beauty's Castle. There was a person lip syncing to a version of it's a small world being played and there were camera people. So of course we had to be nosey and take a few photos.

I ended up finding out months later that it was a social media thing and this girl was some kind of youtube singer or something. I got to see the official video that came from this little photo shoot, so it was really cool to be like "Hey...I was there! Just on the right of the castle when this was going on!"

We headed to Fantasyland and rode Casey Jr.'s Circus Train and Storybookland Canal Boats. The boat ride was very very cute. I loved all the tiny little kingdoms :)

We did a meet n greet with Tink and her friends :) It was really cute. Way nicer than the Pixie Hollow meet n greet area in the old Toontown at Magic Kingdom.

We rode Splash Mountain again, cause it was hot and we love it :)

We rerode some of the other things we loved, like Pirates and haunted Mansion. We then got some good seats in the shade for the afternoon parade- Mickey's Soundsational Parade. It was really cool! I loved all the dancers and the floats were fun.

After that we were pretty much done. We had experienced pretty much everything we could and like I said earlier, we were ready to move on. We headed to Downtown Disney for some dinner and my daughter was begging us to go to the Build a Bear there. As if we don't have one at home. But it was her money, so we let her. We ended the evening with some more swimming at the hotel. :)

Overall, we had a fabulous time at the Disneyland Resort. There were a few bumps, but we were so so glad we made this trip. Carsland itself was worth the journey. And just like every Disney trip we take, the memories we made and the fun we had as a family was 100% worth every dime. Don't think we'll be in a hurry to go back to DL though. If anything, the trip made us miss WDW and yearn to go back. (We already have a trip planned for September!) But I was very glad to be there and see the original park, even if it doesn't really look like it anymore. :)

Day 5: Disneyland Day #2

Day 2 at Disneyland! We were very excited to go back and do all the things we missed on Day 1!

We were greeted by Ariel as we walked in. Which was very surreal. No line to meet her. No handler. That is just not heard of in WDW. 

We headed right for Tomorrowland! We rode the Astro Orbitor first. It's such a great nostalgic ride :) This one doesn't go as high as the one at WDW, but that was okay.

We enjoyed the rest of Tomorowland- Buzz Lightyear- which was a little different than it's Magic Kingdom counterpart. The blaster guns are much easier to use! We did Space Mountain and the Autotopia, then headed to the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. I remember this attraction from my first trip to DL in 1989. Very little sticks out from that trip, but this did. I thought it was very cool then and my kids loved it now :)

Then we rode the Monorail full circle. I just love the Monorail :) And it was honestly a very odd feeling to board it from inside the park :)

We then headed to Adventureland and the Indiana Jones Adventure. I had heard about this ride and was excited for it, since there is not one in WDW. It was very cool. The queue was fantastic! It was a great ride and reminded me a lot of the Dinosaur attraction at Animal Kingdom, but all Indiana Jonesy :)

And while in line, my husband got all giddy and fanboy over a famous WWE wrestler. (Nick Foley...I had no clue.)

Then we headed to a new show- Mickey and the Magic Map! It was very very cool! I took a ton of photos but tried to pick a few of the good ones to post!

We headed to Downtown Disney for dinner. We ate at ESPN Zone. I was in desperate need of an adult beverage and it was quite tasty. The food was decent...typical bar and grill type food, but not exactly cheap. We've never been to the one at WDW.

My son just HAD to do Ridemakerz. He used his own money and it was pretty cool :)

Back at the park, we were once again greeted by princesses. Just milling about. This would NEVER happen at the Magic Kingdom. There's like an hour wait to meet these ladies!

We played around in the firehouse then checked out the arcade and some shops on Main Street.

Fireworks time! The castle is so gorgeous all lit up at night!!!

The show is not nearly as good as Wishes at the Magic Kingdom, but it was a lovely show none the less.

I always have to snap this shot on my way out!! So pretty at night!

Next up- Our last day at the Disneyland Resort :(

Day 3: Disneyland Day #1

I was so ridiculously excited for Disneyland! I had been dreaming of this day for years! I had been there once...when I was 11. But things are so different now. I'm a total Disney fanatic now. After catching the "Disney Bug" and a few trips to Disney World, I really wanted to revisit the only park Walt Disney stepped foot in. Walk where he walked....ride the rides he rode.

So I could't wait to go to Disneyland!

California Adventure the day before had been nice...but aside from A Bug's Land and Carsland, it felt very un-Disney. It just didn't have that.....special something. But walking into Disneyland, walking under the train and into the park, all the warm fuzzes and magic washed over me, and of course, I got all teary.

At first glance, it looked a little different than the Magic Kingdom, but in so many ways it was the same too. A mix of the familiar with the new.

Of course one of the first things we noticed that was different was the castle. I knew it would be smaller, but when you're there, you see how much smaller it really is :) But it's beautiful and magical none the less :)

We head to Fantasyland and rode Alice in Wonderland first. Very cute. Then we rode Mad Tea Party, which is a must every trip, regardless of how nauseated the spinning makes me! The one at Disneyland is really cool, since it's all open. Loved all the lanterns hanging in the trees!

Next up was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The kids had never been on it, since the one at WDW was long gone when they first visited.

We finished up the rest of Fantasyland and then headed for it's a small world. And we were amazed at how different it was on the outside. And it was so beautiful!! This was one attraction we adored far better than it's WDW counterpart.  The outdoor queue was very cool and the attraction in general just looked so much more impressive out in the open. And inside, wow. I've always loved this ride, and openly admit that I love the song! And I was so impressed with how different it was. Little touches here and there. Like the inclusion of Disney movie characters in the countries where their movies take place.

We then moved on to Toontown. And OH MY! What a HUGE difference from the former Mickey's Toontown Fair in WDW. THIS was awesome. The entire town is themed so perfectly. My kids didn't even care that they and no clue who Roger Rabbit was. They loved all the cars and the cute little things there.

And they were very excited to visit Minnie and Mickey's houses, since they are gone at WDW.

And Donald's boat, which is so much cooler (figuratively) than the one that was in WDW.

After Toontown we headed into Frontierland, had some lunch, then rode the Mark Twain Riverboat. Then we head to The Haunted Mansion!!! I was very excited to see how this one compared to the Magic Kingdom version. It was pretty cool, especially the building. So different. But the actual ride was shorter and some things were missing. We really love the attic scene at MK.

It was pretty hot so we stopped for a snack. My daughter just and to have a churro and I had a Mickey Bar. I guiltily admit.....this was our 11th trip to a Disney park...and it was my first one. But it did live up to the hype. VERY tasty! I'm not usually a fan of ice cream bars. 

We then headed to New Orleans Square for Pirates of the Caribbean! I could't wait to see how this one compared. The outside was very very different...and entirely different feel. The ride itself had some definite differences. I really liked the whole bayou scene at the beginning. Very cool. This was another attraction where we thought the DL version was better :)

We rode Jungle Cruise and explored Tarzan's Treehouse. Had some dinner and that was pretty much it. Headed back to the hotel and ended our day with some swimming.

One last thing I need to mention is The Matterhorn. We found out pretty early in our day that it was closed for refurbishment. We had all been looking forward to this attraction...for months and months. Especially my son. I keep very current on all the Disney sites and the refurbishment schedule. This was not listed anywhere. And it was only closed for five days......and yep...you guessed it...the five days we were there. We were soooooooo upset. It would have been different if we had known and could prepare for it mentally. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was closed for a major refurb. And that's my daughter's fav. But we were okay with it since we can ride it's counterpart at the Magic Kingdom. We can't ride The Matterhorn anywhere else, and I have no clue when we'll get back to California. :( It's been over 6 months and my son still mentions The Matterhorn and how he wishes he could have rode it. :(

Next up: Day 4, our second day at California Adventure!