As most of you know at this point, I have made two trips to the Los Angeles area in the last two months. Before I was out picnicking in the park with James Corden talking about WW, I had headed out to the Golden State to visit my dear former colleague David and his husband Matthew. After deciding that our visit would need two days at the Disneyland Resort, we locked in a plan that Disneyland itself would be saved for the second day. And similar to California Adventure, I had already been to Disneyland several times prior, but there were elements that I had not yet experienced. Namely: Galaxy’s Edge, the new land of the park dedicated to Star Wars. Between that and coming back to visit a park that I loved, my excitement level was through the roof. AND I got to introduce that all to two wonderful friends who had never been? If the day was going to be anything like our first Disney day together, I knew we were in for an amazing time!
If you are just joining us, David and Matthew had moved out to Los Angeles last summer. Knowing that I was a Disney nerd, David told me that they would give me one year to get out to visit them and go to Disneyland for their inaugural visit. I was flattered that they “wanted to do Disney right with the biggest Disney fan they knew”. So over my Spring Break from the College, I flew out for a 3 day visit with two of the days being dedicated to the Disneyland Resort. Our first day was filled with checking out the California Adventure park, with Avengers Campus and the Food & Wine festival being high on our list. We had an amazing time that day, crashed at a local hotel for the night to avoid an hour or more drive home each way and planned for our second day of Disneyland magic.
We woke up, got ready, grabbed some Starbucks and headed back over to the Disneyland resort. After quickly parking, grabbing a tram and going through some security inspections, we were there. And apparently, so was everyone else. The lines to get into the Disneyland Park were considerably longer then they were at California Adventure. After what seemed like an eternity, we were in.
For those who think Disneyland Park is the same as “Disney World” or the Magic Kingdom, I’m here to tell you that is completely not true. Disneyland is the OG, the original. The one that was built from the ground up by Walt Disney himself. While yes, Magic Kingdom was also of his concept and much of it his creation of course, he sadly never lived to see it open. Disneyland itself has a layer of history to it that does not exist in the Florida Parks or any other Disney Park I’ve been to (Disneyland Paris). Walt’s presence can be felt so strongly in the details here. From the train car named after his wife, to his apartment above the fire station (more on that later), to smaller details throughout the attractions, this is truly the land that Walt built.
Truth be told, I have a major soft spot for Walt Disney. Sure I’m a fan and enjoy the parks as well as the movies and all that. But there’s something about footage of him that makes me tear up. And I’m not one to cry easily. But when I think of what Walt set out to do, which was give families a space to have fun and be together, it gets me. He has no idea what his dream has become. How many families still gather around the TV to watch one of his movies. Or how many time and money has been spent to have a magical vacation in his parks. How many proposals have happened in front of his castles. Or how many others he has inspired with his work. It gets me every single time. The first time I walked into Disneyland, I flat out bawled. Knowing that this was his park caused such a reaction that I was not expecting.
There were no tears this time coming through the gates, but just giant smiles. We got our photos outside of the trademark train station, featuring a Minnie flower landscape instead of the classic Mickey one to celebrate Women’s Month. And then we headed in.
We could have taken our time coming up Main Street USA. We could have taken in all the windows lining the streets with names of people who contributed to the park itself. Hell we could have even stopped to get a photo in front of the smaller, yet still very iconic, Sleeping Beauty Castle.
But we were on a mission. And that was to get to Galaxy’s Edge, the newest part of the park dedicated to all things Star Wars and home to two attractions that we were VERY excited to check out.
There is too much ground to cover here in this Blog entry so I’m going to not dive too deeply into my love of Star Wars. But I am a MASSIVE fan. And thankfully, I wasn’t the only one on this trip. David was equally excited to experience Galaxy’s Edge for the first time. And Matthew, bless his soul, patiently put up with the two of us. I had warned both of them the day before that my full on nerd would be showing once we hit Galaxy’s Edge… and I didn’t lie.
We basically mall walked our way back, passed underneath a train bridge and there we were… Galaxy’s Edge.
Instead of feeling like you were in a part of Disneyland that felt like a scene out of Star Wars, you were completely submerged into the world of it. With working in Epcot for two years, I’m acutely aware of what goes in to making the Disney Parks work. As you walk in from the parking garage, you can see the structure of the Galaxy’s Edge with the false structures. None of this stopped me from being in a complete state of awe to the detail and realness of this area.
We headed straight back to the area where Smuggler’s Run, an attraction based around the Millenium Falcon was. We had a lightning lane reservation booked for this ride and we were super excited to get in before the crowds really got in.
As we walked, we took in everything around us. There wasn’t Star Wars instrumental scores blasting. Why would there be if you were in a real location in the Star Wars universe? That is exactly what Disney wanted you to feel. This wasn’t meant to be a celebration of all the movies. This was instead meant to put you right in the middle of a land that would be featured in one of them. Instead, local sounds came out from droid robots around you. Starships landing on top of buildings. Local market goers yelling. I can honestly say that by the time we got into the line for our attraction, my cheeks were already hurting from smiling.
We loaded into our ride and were filled in on our mission. It was to smuggle goods with a bounty hunter with the millennium falcon and all of us had our assignments on the ship. 6 people were to load into the cock pit. 2 pilots, 2 gunners and 2 engineers. As we each received our assignments, we were then guided into the biggest hunk of junk in the galaxy.
This could not feel more real. After watching so many hours of adventures upon this specific ship, you know exactly what the interior looks like. And this was it. I have no shame in admitting that this 39 year old woman was reduced down to a child in my level of excitement, wonderment and awe. It was all there. The white squared walls. The chess table where Chewie and C3PO played. It was incredible.
We loaded into our spots and got ready for our adventure. My child like excitement didn’t stop there considering my job was to be one of the pilots. So was David. Matthew was assigned to guns. Again, my cheeks were aching at this point but I didn’t care. The adventure started and you truly felt that you were flying through space, hurling giant cases of cargo with you. It was then that right pilot was told to make the jump into light speed. My eyes lit up. I was the right pilot. I grabbed the lever and pulled, just as Han Solo did. And Chewie, and Rey and all the other Falcon pilots had done before. I. WAS. ELATED. And not only did I get to do it once, but a second time too. The entire experience was so realistic and fun, we were all disappointed when it was over.
David told me he could feel my level of nerdiness over in his seat when I made the jump into light speed. As we came out, we took in some photos of the Falcon itself, beings that a full-fledged version of it is one of the, if not the, main focal points of the area itself. We found a few Disney Photopass photographers in this area as well to take some really fun photos here.
Later on in the day, we returned to find R2D2 and Chewie interacting underneath the Ship.
No shame, I busted out in a full run to see R2. He’s been my favorite character for ages. Cause he’s short and noisy, like me. Watching the two of them interact as if we were not there was super fun.
After Smuggler’s Run though, we headed to find some breakfast.
We ate our breakfast at Ronto Roasters and each had some delicious wraps. We then wandered around taking in the marketplace area, filled with plenty of Star Wars based souvenirs and authentic looking items.
Also in the Galaxy’s Edge area is of course a light saber store where you can create your own weapon with your choice of handle as well as your choice of colored blade. David and I completely geeked out here.
While we were not in the market to buy our own, the cast members freely let us hold which ever ones we wanted. I immediately wanted to try Leia’s as it is not one you see often.
Yet again, little kid Karen made an appearance as the closest thing I will ever see to a real light saber. We also tried Kylo Ren’s, the villain in the most recent Star Wars movies.
We also found a Create your Own Droid shop, where you could make your own custom R2 or other robot type unit. The possibilities were endless! So was all of the R2D2 merchandise that was in house. They must have seen I was coming as they even had kitchen equipment in there.
As much as I love Artoo, I left without purchasing a thing.
But without a doubt, as amazing as Galaxy’s Edge is, the crown jewel of the entire thing is Rise of the Resistance. This is an attraction like NO OTHER at any Disney park, except for Hollywood Studios in Florida which happens to have their own Rise of the Resistance attraction. This isn’t just a ride. It’s not a show. It’s an experience.
Before there was times that you and your party could get on the ride. Now it has upgraded to being an option on the Lightning Lane program. However, clocking in at the most expensive ride, you do have to pay $20 a person if you want to do this. You can see my rant about Genie+ and the Lightning Lane drama over on my Avengers post. We of course paid for this beings that it is currently the biggest and newest ride at the park. I had heard nothing but amazing things about this attraction and was ELATED to finally be getting on it.
I will not give away the plot. I will not drop spoilers. I will say that everything that I heard was absolutely correct. This is without a doubt the most unbelievable attraction that Disney has ever created. It is so completely immersive with you changing ride transports through it, walking and being a part of the actual story.
This technology used on this ride is also unreal. David and I squealed like little kids through several parts of the attraction. Little kid Karen and little kid David were out in full force, completely awe-struck yet again. Matthew not being as big of a Star Wars fan was equally impressed with the experience. We walked off completely amazed. Even the cast members on this attraction are in full acting mode to enhance the experience.
We were very lucky that day as there somehow was a glitch in the Genie+ lightning lane app. Once you redeem your pass for your time slot, the pass goes away and you are able to book another attraction to ride. Somehow, ours never clicked as being redeemed. We realized this about an hour or two after our first time riding Rise of the Resistance. Out of curiosity, we headed back and tried to redeem our lightning lane again. To our utter disbelief, it worked and we strolled back on to the ride that most people are lucky if they get to do now! Weight times in the standby or regular line were upwards of 3 hours. And the park was MOBBED that day. So we were understandably elated to get a second chance on it.
Matthew was even excited that we were getting to do it again!
After our second spin helping out the Resistance, we grabbed a blue milk and a yellow milk, the controversial official beverage of Galaxy’s Edge and made our way to Tomorrowland. I had heard most people either love or hate the Blue Milk. We actually all enjoyed it!
We headed over to Tomorrowland, strolling through Fantasyland on our way. Sadly, we only got to do one attraction in Fantasyland because it was a complete mob fest. This is true of Fantasyland most times as it is always the most crowded area in the park, mostly for families with young children. I wanted to do Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and It’s a Small World to name a few, but the lines were too long.
To be honest, out of all the times I had been to Disneyland, this was by far the most crowded I had ever seen it. And although I don’t agree with the new Lightning Lane procedure, we commented several times how happy we were to have gotten it. We overheard some families stating that they could only get one more ride in and there was four hours left of park time. We would not have gotten half as much done if we didn’t have the lightning lane access.
Over in Tomorrowland, I took the Gents on their first ever ride on Space Mountain, something I was quite excited about.
They absolutely loved it! It’s such a classic, iconic Disneyland ride that I feel only gets better as you get older.
We spent some more time in Tomorrowland, riding Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and checking out some stores.
We then wandered over to the Main Street because we all decided we needed some caffeine. A stop at the Jolly Holiday Bakery was in order. My favorite Disney movie of all time, and one of my favorite movies all around is Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews has long been my idol. And that movie doesn’t get a whole lot of love around the parks. So when they opened not only an operation dedicated just to her, but a bakery, I was THRILLED!
The theming of this place is absolutely adorable. Victorian, English and cozy with all kinds of nods to the famous film, it is a must stop for me every time.
We each got a coffee drink and decided to share a Raspberry Macaron as a sweet treat as well. We sat for a few and got ready for our next round of fun.
We headed into some of the Main Street shops, checking out Merchandise and checking out some of the characters. I of course found another pair of food ears, this time it was Donuts!
I did some pin trading as well, something I’m a big fan of when I am in the Disney Parks.
We found some ornaments we liked as well as some other goodies. And I introduced the guys to some hidden gems on Main Street like the Party Line phones.
It was then that we decided it was time for some Thunder Mountain Railroad as well as some other Frontierland fun.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is probably in my top 3 of Disney attractions. It’s just so much fun and no matter how many times you ride it, it still leaves you with a giant smile on your face and feeling yet again, like a child. And you may be thinking, what’s the difference? If you ride Big Thunder in Magic Kingdom, what’s the point of going across the country and riding it there? Well, believe it or not, it’s not the same. Almost all of the attractions that have a duplicate somewhere in the world in a different park are specifically made different so that no two are ever truly exactly alike. Splash Mountain? Different set up and different ride vehicle. Pirates of the Caribbean? By far much MUCH better in California. Big Thunder? This version is a complete mirrored image of it’s Florida counterpart but with a slightly different theme.
Another thing that is different in California versus Florida is that this park is considerably smaller. In fact, the entire California Disneyland Park can fit in the Magic Kingdom’s parking lot in Florida. Also, a lot of lines or queues that you wait in for rides are outdoors in Cali. They don’t have to deal with the extreme levels of heat or random rain storms that Florida contends with. Therefore, you get to enjoy a lot more open air out there.
Shortly after our trip on the wildest ride in the wilderness, we decided some real food was needed and we headed to lunch in the French Quarter. This area of Disneyland is, you guessed it, themed after New Orleans and some of its meal options reflect that. Blue Bayou, one of the Park’s most infamous restaurants, serves up Creole and Cajun favorites while being located within the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. We opted to go to the French Market Restaurant, which was a quick service option.
Served cafeteria style in that you grab a tray and tell the cast member what you want, I grabbed some Jambalaya while the gentlemen grabbed Shrimp Po’Boys.
We sat outside and watched the massive amounts of crowds around us. This area is also home to many small shops, the Haunted Mansion and the most elusive restaurant experience in the Disneyland Resort, Club 33.
To dine in Club 33, one must have a membership. This is home to several extremely special Disneyland artifacts as well as top of the line gourmet cuisine. I was lucky enough to dine there once when it was in its original location elsewhere in New Orleans Square and it was an experience I will never forget.
We wandered through a bit of the stores and then headed to Indiana Jones and the Forbidden Eye attraction.
This is one of my favorite rides in Disneyland and there is not another one of these anywhere else. And while the ride vehicle and track is the same as Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom in Florida, the adventure itself is incredible.
This was another one that we were extremely happy to have Lightning Lane access as the wait was almost two hours long. The queue for this one is very long as Disney expected this to have long wait times. It’s also extremely themed out and interactive. If you know just where to look, there are some really fun inside jokes in here.
Afterwards, it was time for a Dole Whip, another experience David hadn’t tried. We lined up and each got a different option. Matthew went with the new “Tricked Out” Dole Whip that had Tajin spice on it, some raspberry sauce, dried fruits and other goodies. I went with a Pineapple and Mango twist and David picked a Pineapple Dole Whip Float.
We sat for a second and enjoyed our goodies which were incredible. For not being a sweet tooth, I will say Dole Whips are one of my “must do” snacks anytime I’m there. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Next up, Haunted Mansion and what was really on my list, Splash Mountain. Splash Mountain is going to be undergoing some massive retheming to convert from the story of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox to feature Tiana and the crew from the Princess and the Frog. And while I support this retheming, it is always hard to say goodbye to a loved attraction.
My Dad’s favorite Disney character, which is saying something since he wasn’t a Disney fan, was Brer Bear. He loved that he moved at his own pace and did his own thing. So there’s a part of me that is really sad to see it go.
Matthew was game to ride it with me while David is not a fan of water rides. Thankfully, we did not get very wet as we were on the back of the log. We came out, I said goodbye and we waved to Pooh bear as we left Critter Country.
We decided at this point that we wanted to hop back over to California Adventure to pick up a few souvenirs that we didn’t grab the day before. Instead of hiking through the massive crowds, we opted to hop on the train and ride up to the front of the park.
As we approached the Tomorrowland station though, we realized that Star Tours, a Star Wars based ride that we wanted to do in Tomorrowland had opened back up! All the lightning lane options were closed when we were in the area so we made a split second decision to hop back off and go for it!
I’m glad we did as it had new scenes that I had never seen before! It was great and a perfect cap to our day of experiencing new Star Wars things in the park.
We wandered through the Main Street crowds that were already forming for Fireworks that night. The night time shows had been cancelled for almost 2 years due to Covid. And we happened to be there the night that Fireworks were making their official return to the parks. While there was still over two hours until they were scheduled, the area was mobbed with people waiting for it.
After grabbing a few things back over at California Adventure, we returned to Disneyland to do one more ride: the Matterhorn Bobsleds. This is another one that is only available at Disneyland and is so much fun! The ride vehicles are similar to that of Florida’s Space Mountain and the track ride is similar. But this is its own ride and definitely a must do when you are in Disneyland.
For a brief moment, we had David believing that this was a water ride but pushed him on it anyways. It is NOT a water ride. But up until we got off, we had him believing it. Either way, we loved it and it was a great last ride of the day.
The one other “must do” ride that we didn’t get to do was Pirates of the Caribbean. The line was quite long the entire day and there was no lightning lane option on this one. This is by far the best Pirates I have ridden out of the 3 I’ve been on. But we just didn’t get time.
Another one that we bypassed was the actual Fireworks that night. On our way out of the actual park, we heard a few cast members say that there was a strong possibility that the fireworks weren’t actually going to happen that night, but the projection show on the castle would go on. The three of us debated on what we should do. In the end, with the crowds being what they were and how tired we were, we decided to forego it and head home.
We grabbed our last minute purchases and made our way back to the car. All three of us were happily exhausted and thrilled with how the last two days had gone. I was so sad that it was over already. Post Disney depression is strong with me and it was already setting in. I at this point did not know that I would literally be back in the area in a little over a week with the WW commercial. But the experience with these two wonderful people was so amazing and I literally couldn’t ask for more. They had a wonderful time and we had an amazing experience.
On my way out of Disneyland, I looked over to the firehouse and saw the light on in the window above it. That window belongs to Walt’s apartment, a place that he kept for himself when the park was being built and after it opened. Whenever he was there, the light was lit. Since Walt’s passing, the light has remained lit to know that his presence is always in the park. And it is. It’s felt more then in any other park that I have been lucky enough to visit. Disney has always been great with the little details but in Disneyland, they out do themselves. If you are a Disney fan, you need to experience Disneyland once in your life. For the longest time, I felt there was no point. I’m so glad I changed my mind on that and experienced for myself what truly is a man made masterpiece.