It'll Be Alright: Disneyland February 2020

Family picture on in a Tea Cup

Peter Pan - Saturday was another early entry day at Disneyland. I was pretty worried about it because of the previous Disneyland days did not go the way they should have. This one was different. There were cast members ensuring people were in the right lines and also turning away people that were not hotel guests. This made the park much less busy and the way it should have gone. We also got there a little earlier and had figured out our schedule better. We went straight to Fantasyland and checked Peter Pan. There was a much shorter line so we hoped in. We only waited about 25 minutes. During our wait, we tried out the Disney Play app. I had used it off and on through our trip and it was ok. It was really fun during the Peter Pan queue. It was a scavenger hunt and it unlocked visual items in the queue. Pretty cool. The ride was great as usual. I went with Ellie and she really enjoyed it.

Alice - After Peter Pan, we wanted to try Alice in Wonderland. We hadn't ridden it yet and we missed it the last trip so I wanted to do it. This was our chance. We waited about 25 minutes here as well. What a great ride. We really enjoy this one too.

Tea cups - When we got out of Alice, there was no line for the tea cups so we hoped on. I really enjoyed riding this with all 4 of us. So much fun. Ellie loves it and Grady found that he really liked it too. This was one that he got off the ride and said "FUN!". During the ride I tried to get a boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance, but didn't get one. We heard lottery cheering around the park though. What a weird experience.

Toad - We also hadn't ridden Mr. Toad's Wild Ride so we tried it next. There was not a very long line here either. This ride is ok. Not my favorite, but a good dark ride. Grady didn't know what to think about it.

Red rose tavern - We were getting hungry so we decided to try Red Rose Tavern. Grady was becoming a bear again so we just got food and ate. We all really enjoyed it. Grady didn't eat much, but my hash was really good and Lisa's french toast was good too.

Dumbo fail - We then tried to ride Dumbo, but Grady was melting down. We got out of line and went somewhere else.

Indy - We had got a Fast Pass for Indiana Jones, but it was down, so we got a Fast Pass for any ride. While we were trying to decide what to do, Indy came back online so we went and did it. I love this ride. Ellie did it for the first time and she did pretty good. I was worried she would be scared, but she did really well. Sam stayed out with the boys and the rest of us rode it.

Haunted mansion exhibit and characters - After Indy, it started raining so we went back to main street to walk through some shops. We decided to get a couple of treats at the candy shop and I got some popcorn for the kids. We then walked through the shops and Grady fell asleep.

Magical map and chimichanga - I wanted to walk through the Disney Gallery and as we walked through we saw Mickey. That was a surprise. We got to take a picture with him. Then we found a Haunted Mansion exhibit which was really interesting. Then we saw Cinderella, but she was leaving so we didn't get a picture. Next to Cinderella was Goofy and Pluto and we got pictures with them. This was a cool experience. We were just trying to get out of the rain and ended up finding a Haunted Mansion exhibit and characters. Pretty cool. After that we walked through the park and I got a chimichanga by the Matterhorn. I took it with us to see Mickey and the Magical Map. This is a cute show that gave us some down time and a snack. The kids enjoyed the show too.

Nemo sub and space mountain - We got a Fast Pass for Space Mountain since we hadn't done it. Ellie and Lisa went first. I went to ride the Nemo submarine with Grady. I thought we would enjoy it but come to find out we are both claustrophobic. It was not great. Too contained and not enough to see. I don't need to do this again. After that, I got to ride Space Mountain with Ellie. It was fun.

Shopping - After that, we went across to DCA and did some shopping. The kids got some good stuff (crocs, a sweatshirt and a couple other things).

Monsters - We got a Fast Pass to ride Monsters since we hadn't been able to do it yet. We really love this ride and found that Grady really liked it too. He was pointing and waving at the characters and then he said "FUN!" at the end again.

Carousel - Next we were going to ride the Incredicoaster, but the wait time was longer than the app said it was so we rode the Critter Carousel. This was a hit with the kids.

Lisa Ellie Guardians - Lisa had not ridden Guardians of the Galaxy so we got a Fast Pass and she and Ellie went to ride it. I waited with Grady, but it started raining so we went into the shop and waited. He had fun seeing and playing iwth the stuff in the shop. When they were done, we had to hurry across to Disneyland for dinner.

Dinner - Carnation Cafe didn’t work out for us, Grady and rain; went to Red Rose Tavern - We got to Carnation Cafe and since it was raining there were no tables. They finally told us they could not seat us inside and if it rained we would be stuck outside. Grady was already getting antsy and I was not going to deal with him at another long meal. We split up and my family left, my brother's family stayed and ate there. We ended up at Red Rose Tavern. It was ok. We were so tired at this point. Mine and Lisa's feet were so sore and tired we just enjoyed sitting for a while.

Smuggler’s run x 2 - After dinner I saw on the app that Smuggler's Run had a relatively short line so we headed that way and told my brother's family to meet us. Once we got there, Lisa stayed with Grady and the rest of us got in line. We didn't wait too long, maybe 10 minutes and all 6 of us got to ride together. There were enough that we filled a cockpit. It was so much fun. This is a ride that you have to have a group that you are familiar with to make the best of it. We had a blast. After that, we traded Spence, Sam and Crosby for Lisa (because Crosby didn't like it) and we rode again. Ellie loved this ride. We had fun again. Not quite the same because there was 4 of us instead of 6, but still a lot of fun.

Fantasmic / Mix Magic with Dole Whip - Next we walked back through Star Wars land and toward Critter Country. When we got there, Fantasmic was going so we stopped and watched a little. Then we walked back toward Main Street, stopping at the Tropical Hideaway for one last Dole Whip) and stopped at the end of Main Street to watch Mickey's Mix Magic with fireworks. The kids were asleep so we just stopped and ate our Dole Whip while watching the show. We didn't want to leave, but it was a great way to end our trip.