It'll Be Alright: July 2024

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Disneyland and Southern California - January 2024: Day 5

Friday February 2

Another early morning; kids were really slow moving; 2nd group in line at security - Even though we were slow moving, we were near the front of the line at security for the California Adventure entrance. We were pretty excited to be that close to the front.

Got in to park and walked through empty park to Avenger’s Campus - After security, we were standing at the rope before opening. Once the park opened, we went to Avenger’s Campus. It was really cool to see the park with no one in it. We got to Avenger’s Campus and I took a picture of my mom walking by the Spider-Man show area and she was the only person there.

Webslingers - We walked on to Webslingers with no wait. This is such a fun ride and it gets better the older the kids get. Grady loves this one!

Radiator Springs Racers - won again; Grady loved it - Next we went to Carsland because the park hadn’t opened yet and we wanted to get on Radiator Springs Racers before the crowd got there. Such a fun ride. We all love it and now that Grady is big enough, he loves it too.

Incredicoaster- Grady just barely big enough; he didn’t like it; a lot of fun though - Next we did the Incredicoaster with a very short wait. Grady wanted to try it because he was just barely tall enough. He did not like it; it was a little too much for him. The rest of us loved it and we hyped it up for Grady so he would still have a good experience.

Cookie Nom Nom’s and Carousel - begrudgingly got kids to go on carousel - The cousins were getting cookie nom nom’s and churros so I went to ride Jessi’s Critter Carousel. The kids didn’t want to do it, but I wanted to ride it with them.

Group waiting for Toy Story Midway Mania to reopen - Ellie and Zack go on Incredicoaster - so much fun - Toy Story Mania was closed, but we heard it was about to reopen so the group wanted to ride it. Ellie wanted to ride the Incredicoaster so I told her I would ride with her. She loves that ride so much and she is a blast to ride with. We had a great time!

Brunch at Lamplight - delicious but took a long time - We took a little longer than expected to ride the Incredicoaster so we ended up meeting our group at the table to eat at Lamplight for lunch. We had a little trouble getting seated together (we were told to ask early, but it didn’t make a difference). We also found the service was very slow, nice and friendly, but slow. The food and drinks were delicious, but the service was slow.

Family pictures, walked around DCA and then rest time at hotel - After brunch, we took some pictures in front of the fun wheel then went back to the hotel to rest a little. The kids were getting a little rowdy.

Back to Disneyland for Magic Happens parade - great parade! - We got ready and made it to Disneyland in time to see the Magic Happens parade. I had heard good things about this parade and it exceeded the expectations. This was a really cool parade with the floats, characters and great music.

Shopped Main Street - We walked through the shops on Main Street before heading to Adventureland.

Jungle cruise - great skipper! Scare away hippos like last 5 relationships, I love you, let’s get married, let’s open a joint checking account! - We decided to ride the Jungle Cruise. We have had fantastic skippers in California, and this one did not disappoint. She was amazing. She was very sarcastic and dry and had some great jokes. I little like Amy Schumer in delivery.

Treehouse - After the Jungle Cruise, we want to go through the newly updated Adventureland Treehouse. It is based on Swiss Family Robinson, but it is not exactly the same. It is a really cool treehouse, but not a make or break for a Disney trip.

Parade while waiting for dinner - better closer and at night - We went to check in at Carnation Cafe for dinner and got to watch the parade go by while waiting. It was cool to see the parade transition to a nighttime parade with lights and effects added.

Dinner at Carnation cafe - good dinner, not great, sandwiches and salad - We ate at Carnation Cafe. We were hoping to sit inside, but we sat out. We ate with the 4 of us and my parents. The others wanted to eat somewhere else. Grady was starting to meltdown and wouldn’t just calm down. Dinner was fine, but I was not in a great mood because of Grady’s behavior (reminded me of one of our trips where we bailed on this restaurant because of him). He was better at dinner, but back at it after. The food was fine, but not exciting.

Grady asleep in stroller; hung out in Star Wars land - We got Grady to calm down and lay down in the stroller. Our plan was to meet my brother’s family in Galaxy’s Edge so we had a long walk to get him to sleep. It worked! Thank goodness. We got to Galaxy’s Edge and walked around and hung out.

Watched Mix Magic fireworks - SO good!! - We wanted to see fireworks with Mickey’s Mix Magic show and it did not disappoint. We love this show and the fireworks are an added bonus. It was more fun because the kids got into it, dancing and singing along.

World of Disney and bedtime - After fireworks, we headed back to the hotel, stopping in the World of Disney (Ellie wanted to shop).

Morning fun at DCA

Toy Story Mania and Lamplight Lounge

Family pictures!!

Ironman and Ears!

Magic Happens parade! So good!

Jungle Cruise and Adventureland Treehouse

Grady finally took a nap!

Disneyland and Southern California - January 2024: Day 4

Thursday February 1

Rainy day, slept in a little, G-“the parks should have been closed today” - We woke up the next morning to find it was raining. We slept in a little because people to not rush into the parks in the rain.. At one point Grady said, “the parks should have closed today”.

Bundled up and headed for parks. Grady got wet, raincoat not great; kids wanted to go back to hotel; Galactic Grill - dry but not great food - When we reached the security entrance to Downtown Disney, we found it was pouring rain. We all got our rain gear out and bundled up. Some worked better than others. It rained so much that it started seeping through rain coats. We found that Ellie and Grady’s gear was not good enough. Grady was soaked. He stayed under the stroller cover to stay dry, which it didn’t fit the stroller very well. We got into the park and went to Galactic Grill for breakfast. We were out of the rain, but the food wasn’t very good. The kids were done. They were cold and wet and wanted to go back to the hotel. There were no lines for rides so we talked the kids into staying.

Star Tours - We started with Star Tours because it was close and inside. Surprisingly, it was not super warm, but it was dry. We had a good time on this ride. And to make it better, Grady was the spy!!

Buzz - Next we rode Buzz Lightyear. It was also inside, but there was no line so it didn’t take long.

Runaway Railway - so cute, great queue - We found there was no line at Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Toon Town, so we headed that way. We got a little wet on the way, but the rain started to let up when we got there. We had ridden this ride at Walt Disney World, but the facade and queue were completely different. It was the El Capitoon Theater and there were “props” from Mickey cartoons. It was sooo cute. We enjoyed the ride. I would have liked to have seen more of the queue, but there was no line. After the ride, we got Ellie a really cute raincoat because she was wet and freezing.

Star Wars - cold brew and Rise of the Resistance; Grady was mesmerized - After Toon Town, we found Rise of the Resistance did not have a very long line so we headed to Galaxy’s Edge. We mobile ordered a cold brew and got in line. I went with the boys and they loved it. Grady was in awe and looked like he was in a trance. He loved it.

Winnie the Pooh and candy - dark chocolate marshmallow like old Tigger Tail - Next we rode Winnie the Pooh, Josie couldn’t ride Rise of the Resistance so she was looking forward to Winnie the Pooh. It is really cute. We then went into Pooh’s Corner and I found a dark chocolate marshmallow wand. It was delicious, very similar to the old style Tigger Tails. Ellie got a Rice Krispie Treat.

Snack at Bengal BBQ - Ellie loved it! - We were still hungry and we were walking through Adventureland so we got a snack at Bengal BBQ. Ellie was obsessed. I had to go back and get more for her. We found a new favorite snack for her.

Tropical Hideaway - pork Bao, lumpia and chili-mango dole whip - Delicious!! - I was still hungry after our Bengal BBQ snack so we stopped at Tropical Hideaway for a snack. The bao was delicious. Lisa loved the pineapple lumpia and I tried the chili-mango dole whip. It was good, but a little weird. It was also huge.

Indiana Jones - Grady so excited; he was unsure most of the way and then at the end had a hesitant thumbs up. Then we asked him and he said ‘ten million thumbs up!’ - Before our trip, Grady found he really liked the Indiana Jones movies. He has watched all (except Temple of Doom) and at one point wanted to be Indy for Halloween. He was very excited to go on the ride. There were serval spots he looked scared, but in the end, he loved it!

Shopping, flag retreat and walk back to hotel - After Indy, we decided to walk back to the hotel. We needed to get ready for dinner and World of Color at DCA. We walked through the shops on Main Street and happened to be at the hub in time to see the flag retreat. This is a treat to see anytime you are at Disneyland. My parents were very impressed, especially since dad is a veteran. After the flag retreat, we walked back to the hotel.

Dropped off rain gear; changed in to warm gear - We had dried out, but it was supposed to be chilly. Lisa really bundled up.

Dinner at Wine Country Trattoria- good not great, got WoC package - We had booked dinner at Wine Country Trattoria to get reserved tickets for World of Color. Dinner was ok. The options were not great. We were also outside so most of us were freezing.

Part of group shopped; part rode Mater - After dinner, we split up. Some of us went to ride Mater, others went shopping. I was with the shopping group. We didn’t have a lot of time before World of Color.

Rode Ariel, Ellie asked to ride with me; I sang some; we had fun - We had a little extra time after we were done shopping and decided to ride the Little Mermaid. I got to ride with Ellie. She “loves” this because I get to sing all of the songs to her. She loves and hates it; I love it!

World of Color - found our area for the dining package tickets; great spot/view; like the show, don’t love it; Ellie almost fell asleep, Grady almost fell asleep but the Star Wars part brought him back - World of Color is one of my favorite things at Disneyland. I was very excited to see the new version of the show titled “World of Color ONE”. Overall, it was good. It did not have the emotional strings of the previous version, but it was good. It had sections with Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. I understand they tried to include more IP’s, but it wasn’t quite the same.

Short walk back to hotel; lobby gift shop; bedtime (took kids a long time to go to sleep) - Such a great feeling to know that after World of Color it is only a 5 minute walk back to the hotel when staying at the Grand Californian. We stopped in the lobby gift shop (I got a Tervis cup) and then went back to the room for bed.

A very wet morning at Disneyland

More rain at Disneyland

Sweets after the rain went away!

World of Color!!

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Disneyland and Southern California - January 2024: Day 3

Wednesday Jan 31

Early rise again; near front of line for DCA entrance; got through security at 7:10; entrance at 7:30 - We planned it really well and lined up near the front of security and then near the front of the rope drop. The Grand Californian rope drop is on the way to Grizzly River Run. We headed that direction and went toward Avenger’s Campus.

Webslingers - walk on - We got to Webslingers before the crowd and got on without a wait. It was great. We enjoy this ride, but it is not our favorite.

After ride g-“I wish I was Spider-Man, it would be so fun”

Radiator Springs Racers - long line to walk, short wait; 2 cars for the group and we raced - After Web-Slingers, we decided to try Radiator Springs Racers because the park was just opening to the public. We got in line just before the crowd showed up. We all got to ride and this was even more fun because our group was split in to two cars, and we raced each other. My car won! It was one of the most fun times I’ve had on this ride.

Pym’s and Shwarma breakfast - yummy - After Radiator Springs Racers, we went to Pym’s for breakfast. The kids got food from Pym’s, Lisa and I got breakfast Shwarma. It was all good. I also got a cold brew with an almond sweet cream foam.

Walking around Avenger’s Campus and then Monster’s Inc - After breakfast, we explored Avenger’s Campus. We checked out the new shop at the Avenger’s HQ. It was ok, didn’t find much we needed. We then went to ride Monster’s Inc. It’s such a cute ride.

Soarin’ - After Monster’s, we found Soarin’ had a resonable wait, so we went to ride it. It’s such a fun ride. The kids really like it. They get a kick out of the “thrills” of the ride.

Josie/Grady rest time - The kids were starting to crash so we decided to try and get the littles to rest. We walked around for a while to get them to calm down.

Incredicoaster broken - We tried to ride Incredicoaster and it was down. We had some cranky kids that really wanted to ride it.

Lunch at San Fransokyo - Asian yummy - We made our way to the new San Fransokyo area, and got lunch at the Asian restaurant. It was delicious. Very different food from the typical theme park food. It’s a nice upgrade to the area as well.

Avengers Campus - Spider-Man (couldn’t see it) - After lunch, we walked over to Avenger’s Campus and the Spider-Man show was about the start. We found a spot to sit, but it was not the best spot and we couldn’t see very well.

Met fam at San Fran; decided to go back to hotel to relax and swim. GREAT DECISION! Pool and cocktails. Very refreshing. Get ready for evening. Grady while getting ready ‘I’m not missing ANY fun!!’ - Lisa and I decided we needed a break. The park was busy and we didn’t have time to go to Disneyland. We knew we had a big night planned, so a little rest sounded good. This was the best decision. The kids got to swim and we got to sit with our feet up and have a cocktail. We should do this more often.

Club 33 - got into the park and went to New Orleans Square. We found the door and rang the bell. Told them our name and they let us in. All of the cast members were amazing. Everyone that greeted us knew our name. They let us take pictures in the Court of Angels, then we went upstairs. We took the stairs up and were walked around and given a tour of the restaurant. We were in awe. It was so cool to be there. Then our host said to leave any notable guests alone and mentioned that Disney legend Tony Baxter was dining there that night. Spence and I platzed. They took us to our table and there a couple tables away was Tony Baxter!! The wait staff was amazing and the food was unbelievable. We had some cocktails and were able to go out on the balcony. That was really cool. After dinner, we bought some merch and took some more pictures. We took the elevator down and left. When we were walking out of the door, a couple tried to go in. Lisa closed the door and they said they wanted to go in. Lisa told them they had to ring the doorbell. They walked away and Spence heard say ‘bitches’ because we wouldn’t let them in. We walked to the monorail to go to Downtown Disney. Mickey’s Mix Magic started and the girls were singing and dancing on the way to Tomorrowland. We took the monorail to downtown Disney and went to Trader Sam’s. We had a blast and the drinks were delicious. What a cool bar. It was an amazing night. - There is not much to add to this description. We had an amazing night. It was a bucket list experience. Tony Baxter was a huge surprise. We did not get to talk to him, but it was cool to see him. He was a Disney Imagineer responsible for creating some iconic rides and parks (Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure and Disneyland Paris, among others). Trader Sam’s really sparked something in me. We loved our night at the bar, but since being home I have started making tiki drinks with our mugs.

Kids with Bamaw and Papa - The next day we found the kids and grandparents had a good night too. They ate dinner and hung out in DCA for a little while then went back to the rooms to watch a movie. My dad raved about how good all 5 of them were and how they listened and helped Bamaw and Papa.