Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 5

Disneyland at rope drop

Day 5

• Disneyland - Genie+ day - We were getting close to the end of our trip and we have found later in the week the parks get busier.  Because of all of this, we decided to at Genie+ to our ticket for this day.  We used it on our last trip and it was very similar to MaxPass (which was the best iteration of FastPass).
• Alice - walk on - This morning we started the day with just the four of us because the rest of our group had a character breakfast at Storytellers.  We got to the park before rope drop and somehow it was not packed again.  We were very close to the rope and got some great unobstructed views of the park.  Because we were so close, we had our pick to decide where we wanted to start.  We had not ridden Alice in Wonderland so we headed to the right of the castle toward the Matterhorn and on the Alice.  There was only 1 group ahead of us and we got right on.  All four of us love this ride.
• Small World - walk on - Next we walked back to Small World to ride the holiday version.  This ride is so great, especially with the Christmas overlay.  Lisa can't ride it enough to be satisfied.
• Matterhorn - lightning lane - Grady thought the yeti was a little scary but liked the ride - Next we used Genie+ for the Matterhorn.  It worked just like FastPass and we got on pretty quickly.  Grady had never done this ride and he was worried about the Yeti.  We took off and he did really well.  When we got done he said he liked it.  We had not done this ride for several trips and we all enjoyed it more than we remembered.
• Space Mountain - standby posted 35 min - Grady was pretty scared - The standby for Space Mountain was not bad so instead of using Genie+, we waited in line.  The pasted time was 35 minutes, but we ended up waiting close to an hour.  We enjoy this ride, but it was not worth an hour wait, especially since we should have used Genie+.  Grady had never ridden it and he wanted to try it.  He was a little nervous.  Overall, he did ok, but he said it was too much.  Ellie loved it.
• Galactic grill breakfast - it was ok - After Space Mountain, we stopped for breakfast.  We had eaten at the Galactic Grill for breakfast in the past and really enjoyed it.  Not this time.  It was not very good and they did not have good non-meat options for us.
• Toffee pretzel - On our way out of Tomorrowland, we saw the pretzel cart with the Toffee Pretzel.  It was delicious.  It was a regualr Disney pretzel with toffee bits stuck to the outside and cream cheese inside.  MmmMmmm.......
• Attempted Grady nap time - Failed - We then went for a walk and tried to get Grady to take a nap.  He was a bear and needed a nap, but would not go to sleep.  He just kept getting up or talking or just laying in the stroller with his eyes open.
• Found group - About the time Grady started to calm down to possibly fall asleep, we found the rest of our group.  Oh well.  No nap for Grady.
• Rode monorail - One of the things my brother wanted to do was ride the monorail.  I'm not sure I have ever done the full loop so we all got on to ride.  As we waited to get on, a cover piece of the door fell off.  Not a good sign.  The inside was pretty worn.  It might be time for refurbs of both Florida and California monorails.  We had a good trip and I remembered why I didn't remember going the full loop:  There's not much to see from Downtown Disney back to Tomorrowland.
• Found food (daddy getting cranky) - tropical hideaway - dole whips, baos and lumpia - We started walking around to find the next activity and I was getting cranky, we needed a food stop.  We stopped at the Tropical Hideaway for Dole Whips and other snacks.  Lisa and I got Dole Whips and found they have the lumpia, which is the pineapple/cream cheese cannoli type snack we loved in Pandora.  These were very good too.  This was a successful and much needed stop.
• Tiki room - Josie rocked it - We had heard that Josie loved the Tiki Room.  The rest of our group had gone the day we were napping at the hotel.  We all decided to go after our Dole Whip stop.  I really enjoy the Disneyland version of the Tiki room.  It is comfortable and the air conditioning works.  I like the songs and the show as well.  Lisa is not a fan.  But this time was different.  We sat behind the rest of our group and as the songs started, Josie stood up and just danced her heart out.  She loved it and we all loved watching her enjoy it.  This is something I have told everyone is that you never know which attraction the kids will enjoy, but then the parents enjoy the attraction so much more because of the kids.
• Haunted Mansion - LL - Next we used Genie+ to ride Haunted Mansion Holiday.  I could go on this as much as Lisa would ride Small World Holiday.  This time the ride stopped at the dining room scene and we got to watch/see the gingerbread house much closer.  That room is great and we got to see many more details than normal.
• Big thunder - LL - Then we used Genie+ to ride Big Thunder Mountain.  The kids are all starting to love this ride and I really enjoy them on it.  Grady is still a little nervous, but he overall enjoys it.
• Splash mountain - LL - Crosby got soaked, Spence took him back to change - We went back and forth about whether we would ride Splash Mountain because it was not super warm or sunny on the trip.  We finally decided that since this was our last chance to ride it before it closed to be converted to Tiana's Bayou Adventure so we had to do it.  I had never done the Disneyland version before and I found that I liked the Florida version better.  The ride looked very aged, almost rundown, and the log layout is different and not as good.  We got split up because we couldn't all fit (my parents stayed with Joie and Grady), but when we got off, Lisa and I got lucky and didn't get very wet.  The girls did ok (we got lucky and another group passed their ponchos on to us and the girls got ponchos to wear).  But Spence and Crosby got wet.  Crosby was soaked.  He was so cold and wet and did not enjoy his experience.  Spence decided to head back to the hotel with Crosby because there was no way to warm him up without getting dry clothes.
• River Belle Terrace- add whole group (except Spence and Crosby) - I made a reservation for the four of us to eat at River Belle Terrace because we hadn't eaten there and I wanted to try it.  It was also inside and we could sit and rest for a bit.  After Splash Mountain and Spence left with Crosby, my parents with Sam and the girls didn't have a dinner option.  We talked to the hostess at River Belle Terrace and they were nice enough to not only add the rest of our group to our reservation, but they even sat us inside at the same table.  It was great service.  Overall we enjoyed the dinner, but the food was just ok.  I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to go again.  The best parts were the service, setting and company.
• Soarin’ - LL - so good - We decided to head across to DCA because we wanted to see World of Color.  We found Spence and Crosby and then headed to Soarin'.  We love this ride and we love that the kids have started to like it now as well.  Grady even hums along to the music in the car when it comes on.
• Cocktails - ok - I had seen Micheledas around DCA for several days and found they were coming from the Hollywood Lounge.  My brother and I got Micheledas and Lisa got a holiday cocktail.  They were ok and the Micheleda gave me some serious indigestion.  Probably not the best stop.
• Monsters - LL - took a while for some reason - We grabbed a Lightning Lane through Genie+ for Monster's Inc.  We got in line and for some reason it took a LONG time to wait in line.  We are not sure what happened, but it took a lot longer than it should.  I really enjoy this ride.  It stems from Ellie's love of Mike and Sully when she was about 3.
• World of color - trouble finding a spot, wrong show from virtual queue - kids crashed - In the past, we have done meal packages to get better spots to watch World of Color.  We decided to try and get a boarding pass in the virtual queue this time.  We got a pass, but it was for the later show.  We tried to hang out and get in to the boarding pass section, but we didn't get in.  We ended up watching it from the back in a roped area that was opened just before the show started.  The Christmas version is not my favorite, but I'll take any version of World of Color I can get.  It was not the best spot to watch, but it was still a good show.  After the show, we went back to the hotel and crashed.  There was a very brief discussion about doing more, but that faded fast.  On the way out of DCA, the fireworks at Disneyland started.  We stopped in the esplanade and watched the fireworks.  It was a pretty cool extra on the way out.

Fantasyland fun to start the day.

Snacks, Tiki Room and Monorail

Haunted Mansion Holiday - Stuck in the Dining Room

Big Thunder Mountain!

Nighttime fun, Bbq Tofu, night shows

Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 4

 

Day 4

• Disneyland - Our next day started at Disneyland and strangely enough the lines for security and entry were not bad.
• Rope drop, close to rope - straight to fantasyland - took path by grotto, no one there - We got in the part before rope drop and somehow we were only about 4-6 rows of people from the rope.  We weren't THAT early.  I really enjoyed being up there because we got a great view of the castle and the hub.  We were a little annoyed (and we turned it in to a joke) because people would come up next to us looking for their group after getting coffee or snacks.  Everyone that walked by had their head up high looking over the crowd for their group.  It was hard to tell if they found their groups, but some appeared to just find a spot by themselves.  It got pretty silly.
• Peter Pan - When the rope dropped, we were close enough to the front that we went straight to Fantasyland and got in line for Peter Pan.  Note, if you get that close to the rope, take the path by the grotto, not through the castle.  The queue line had not completely filled yet so we didn't have to wait the typical 45 minutes, it was more like 25 minutes or so.  This is such a great ride.  I wish it was a little longer but still great.
• Pinocchio - Next we rode Pinocchio's Daring Adventure.  It was a short line and the kids wanted to do it.  It's fun, but it needs an overhaul.  I would put this refurb ahead of Toad.  It's a lot of doom and gloom.  I'd like to see either a different property put in here (maybe Tangled or Beauty and the Beast), and if not a complete change, maybe more of a musical because the music from Pinocchio is so classic.
• Carousel - After that, the kids wanted to ride the carousel.  They all hoped on and I ended up watching and taking pictures.
• Casey Jr - Fantasyland started to get busy so we were ready to move on, but the little kids wanted to ride the Casey Jr. Circus Train.  This is a cute little train ride and it is a great view of the miniatures in the Storybook Land Canal Boats.
• Red rose Taverne- yummy, kids ate a lot - Ellie got the Mickey pancake, Grady got the Bonjou Breakfast (eggs, potatoes, bacon, etc) and Lisa and I both got the Little Town Harvest Bowl, which was quinoa, mushrooms, cauliflower and other veggies.  We each destroyed our breakfasts.  It was a good stop.  We also got a Holiday Grey Stuff to share.  It was really cute because it looked like a Christmas tree, but it just tasted ok.
• Snow White - After breakfast we got in line to ride Snow White's Enchanted Wish.  I love this reimagined version of Snow White's Scary Adventures.  It has the right blend of old school charm and modern technology.
• Josie nap/Star Tours - Next we headed to Tomorrowland and rode Star Tours.  We had some issues with this ride last time because Grady got really scared.  He is so into Star Wars and watches all of the shows so I wasn't as worried and that came to fruition.  He was a little scared, but loved it.  
• Frustration and arguments - headed to hotel for rest time - stopped at Panera for lunch - We ended Star Tours in the big Star Wars shop in Tomorrowland.  This is a great shop, but it can be overwhelming for the kids.  We had some disagreements about buying everything in the store.  This continued outside of the shop with bickering between the kids.  We decided to take a break.  We had been extremely fast paced for several days and it was time to take a break.  We headed back to the hotel, stopping at Panera for lunch.  I wasn't sure how rest time was going to go, but we all fell asleep.  It ended up being a good break.
• All 4 napped - back at park, parade going as we came in, headed to Star Wars land - After a nice nap, we collected our things and headed back to the parks.  We went back to Disneyland and as we walked in the parade was running.  We watched it for a while and then headed back to Galaxy's Edge.
• Grady had Mando costume on; Saw Kylo and stormtrooper; Saw Mando, Grogu and Fennec Shand - Grady had decided to wear his Mandalorian costume from Halloween to the parks after naptime.  As we walked in to Galaxy's Edge we saw some Stormtroopers.  With them was Kylo Ren.  Grady enjoys pretending to be bad guys from Star Wars, but this experience changed his opinion.  The group of bad guys walked right up to Grady dressed as a Mandalorian.  They asked if they had his allegiance to the First Order.  He turned into a little puppy and turned around and hid behind me.  It was cute and he did say he liked seeing the even though he was scared.  After that, we continued walking along the path around the outside of the market and we saw The Mandalorian with Grogu and Fennec Shand walking around.  They too came up to him and he walked up to them.  They talked to each other about being a strong brave Mandalorian.  It was sooo cool and he LOVED it!!  He was SO excited after seeing them up close and very personal.  It was one of the best moments of the trip and ranked up with him meeting Captain America on the previous trip.
• Got Star Wars drinks (cold brews and green drinks) - After our character encounters we walked through the market and stopped to get fancy drinks.  Lisa and I wanted the Cold Brew Black Caf and Ellie got a bright green super sweet drink.  It tasted like a green apple Jolly Rancher.  The coffees were delicious!
• In line for rise of the Resistance- wait time 60 min - ended about a 45 min wait - great ride, Grady loved it, he was nervous/scared through the bad guy stuff but loved it - We were walking around and I saw the wait for Rise of the Resistance was 60 minutes.  It was the shortest wait I had seen on the trip.  The four of us got in line.  I texted my brother to let him know and they got in line about 20 minutes after us.  We ended up waiting about 45 minutes and since the line moves and there is plenty to see in the queue, it didn't seem too bad.  This is an amazing experience and Grady LOVED it.  Ellie did better as well.  Grady got scared when you get off the transport and on to the Star Destroyer with all of the Stormtroopers.  Once we got moving into the ride, he loved it.
• Kids did Batuu creature scavenger hunt - they loved it - We walked through the market looking for a Christmas ornament and stumbled into a scavenger hunt.  The premise was to help find creatures, footprints and other information about creatures in Batuu to research them.  It was really cute and the kids LOVED it.  
• Met rest of group - dinner at Rancho del zocalo - really tasty, took a long time - We found the rest of our group at the exit of Rise of the Resistance as we finished the scavenger hunt.  We decided to go to Rancho del Zocalo for dinner.  We ordered ahead, but it still took a long time to get our food and we were really cold.  Once we got our food, it was delicious, but it took too long.
• Found great spot for fireworks, good show, got to see the castle this time - Dinner was late so we went to find a spot for fireworks.  We got to the hub from Frontierland just as the cast members were setting up the ropes so we snuck in behind the rope right in front.  It was a great spot.  A couple of the kids fell asleep waiting, but we did get to see the show.  The holiday fireworks are not my favorite, but it's always fun to see fireworks.
• Downtown Disney for shopping - Grady asleep before we left the park - Grady fell asleep in the stroller as we were leaving the park, so we decided to walk through some of the shops in Downtown Disney since we hadn't been there yet.  It was pretty busy, but we were able to see and find everything we wanted.

Fantasyland Fun!

Fantasyland Carousel

More Fantasyland fun, Holiday Grey Stuff and Star Tours

Grady meeting Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers

Grady meeting Mando, Grogu and Fennec Shand.  He LOVED it!

Rise of the Resistance, yummy drinks and family picture

Galaxy's Edge Scavenger Hunt - Met Rey by Rise of the Resistance

Fireworks and Done