Let's start off with an emphatic statement before I give my critical analysis of the Disneyland Resort and all it offers: My wife and I had an incredibly good time tagging along with our youngest daughter and her family for vacation to our old stomping grounds. Would not have had it any other way! How can you not love the world famous SoCal beaches, lunch at Tommy Bahamas, and a visit to Roger's Gardens? That only scratched the surface!
But this all does not mean that the Disneyland Resort is up to the old days when it comes to ease of touring or value for the dollar. Ready for a deep dive into the pros and cons?
We were a very diverse group of seven: Besides my wife and I, my daughter's family included three children: 14, 13, and 5. Not an easy group when you want to create experiences that please everyone. They drove in from Colorado, and we took an early morning flight in order to get some time just the two if us. Smart move.
When you land in Newport Beach, California by 9:00am, have your car and luggage by 9:30, it's just a bonus day of travel. John Wayne Airport is just so easy! Since we were so close by, it was off to one of our favorite stops, Roger's Gardens. Sadly, the place no longer holds the original Disneyland Bandstand- you can see it here- but it was still a wonderful, peaceful hour long visit to one of the most beautiful garden centers we've ever seen. Only a few blocks away was Tommy Bahamas where we'd stop for lunch and celebrate my birthday. But we had time to go to Orange, drive through the Orange Circle, visit my wife's childhood home and her parents' gravesites. I'm so thankful that they both loved Jesus, and that we will see them again one day. One of many benefits of surrendering our lives to His Lordship.
After a wonderful afternoon visiting old haunts and hanging out with some siblings, it was time to meet the family at our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Orange County on Chapman and Harbor. Absolutely perfect location. And Pro Tip here- Go to the Disneyland Resort parking lot by accessing the entrance on West Street going north. It was fast and easy, resulting in a perfect parking spot with quick access in and out. Our Disney Vacation Package included Lightning Lane access. (For the record, we did not buy individual passes.)
A fireworks viewing window excited our youngest traveler.
Our first full day together included the beach, visiting the Pixar Place Hotel, and walking into Downtown Disney. The place is full of crowds, noice, and not much to do besides eat. It was sad to see the once beautiful Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen become something so ordinary looking. The Apple Store aesthetic is just not charming. Not befitting to a place that's supposed to be magical. We finished off the day with an evening dinner at the Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel. With the warm evening air, a sight breeze, live music from the islands and surprisingly good food, it was one of the most enjoyable evenings we had.
Disney California Adventure was our first park day. No park hopper just Lighting Lane MultiPass. We knew this would be more of a "big kids day", so beyond the necessity of hitting it first, we started with Radiator Springs Racers. Everyone was tall enough to ride, so for a few reasons, it was a good place to begin. Say what you will about the franchise, but it remains the very best "Disney" attraction in this park. Being Disney doesn't mean character infusion. It does mean extremely high quality attractions with a great story and the attention to design detail that made those Imagineers legendary. This attraction, even with a ten minute downtime before we rode, and Cars Land as a whole really exceeds expectations. But there's a clear down side to this fact. Nothing, just absolutely nothing, in this park comes close to matching its excellence. Follow up attractions are fun but they fall far short of greatness.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout may be the exception. Our son in law skipped it and the youngest child did not. We would have been wise to reverse that! She's a big girl in many ways, but we soon discovered "drops" and things in the dark are much too frightening for her. Of course, the teens loved it. So did me and my daughter. There's few Audio-Animatronics in California Adventure, and the one here is very convincing and effective. I love how the drop tower attractions are each gaining their own identity! That said, I'm still a sucker for Florida's original and best Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
It was time to regroup. After a stop at Pym's Kitchen, we decided a visit with Ariel might put the smile back on our youngest guest's face. By this point in the morning, it was already very hot, so the cooler air of the indoor attraction and the family friendly story was just what we needed. There was a surprisingly lengthy wait, but with so few indoor rides, we should have expected such.
With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, aside from a few of the carnival rides in Pixar Pier, we did just about everything in the park with little wait if any. That was great, as it was hot as Hell. Well, not really, but oh my gosh, we were melting. This was one of the biggest mistakes they have yet to fix from California Adventure 1.0- too much concrete and not enough trees and shade. The other very obvious issue with a touring group as ours, is that there are not nearly enough attractions that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Theater shows aside, I can count three rides that fit: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Monsters Inc Mike & Sully to the Rescue, and Toy Story Midway Mania.
I sincerely hope Disney Corporate is paying close attention to guest feedback on this. The next round of new attractions for the park have big shoes to fill: They must be family friendly with fresh ideas and great technology to match. BUT they must also be of highest quality or California Adventure will always be known as the Disney park that never could shake off its very embarrassing opening era history. Brand withdrawal and all that jazz.
Aside from providing the obvious- much needed air conditioning, the theater experiences were enjoyable but all located in one place. As an adult, I'd rank Turtle Talk with Crush at the top of the heap (Crush was in rare form!), and Mickey's Philharmagic at the very bottom. I was shocked just how good Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was! Our youngest was more engaged in this than any other stage show. (Including Bluey the next day!)
Avengers Campus and the Spider- Man Web Slingers attraction did not impress us at all. The technology used for the ride is fun, but the obvious reworking of the park's original shooter attraction felt easy and cheap, lacking the quality truly deserving of the most iconic and beloved of super hero characters. I will happily say that the flying Spidey robot did impress us, though! Overall, we each found the campus area cramped, rather unimaginative, and lacking in a cohesive theme or purpose.
On to Soarin' Across America thanks to our Multi Pass. It hit me as a modern take on America the Beautiful. Yet, something was off. It did not feel grand, inspiring or even a bit patriotic. Lovely to see and experience, but I'd rank it third compared to the other park productions using this technology. The computer generated opening with the State of Liberty did the presentation no favors.
Lightning Lane ensures a higher number of attractions are experienced but ruins the touring of the park if you're one that enjoys soaking up atmosphere and loves the art of Imagineering. Going back and forth to get the shortest wait time may not always be the best way to tour. Sadly, we used Buena Vista Street as a thoroughfare between sections of the park and very little more. It is one of few charming areas in the park. The place setting is truly excellent, but without an attraction to its name, a guest really doesn't get the chance to soak it all in. I missed the Red Car Trolleys and the energy and charm it brought to this beautiful little land.
Wasted potential.
Big Hero 6's San Fransokyo gave off a nice vibe even if the combo Tori Golden Gate Bridge icon added even more clutter to a rather unattractive in-your-face section of the park. I absolutely love the movie and Baymax (who only made three appearances!), but the area was lacking depth and a real attraction. Being a huge fan of most all things Asian, I was disappointed in the wasted potential of a unique Intellectual Property. Yet, it seemed like a great feat of Imagineering next to the I-still-hate-it Pixar Pier. The whole prefab plastic look is garish, screams cheap, desperate, and solely focused on bringing synergy to the park at the expense of excellence.
As expected, Incredicoaster was a hit with the three guys. Thanks to a nice man whose young sons decided not to ride, his Lightning Lane passes enabled us to skip a 50 minute wait. The only other redeeming attraction in this Pixar carnival is Toy Story Midway Mania. It's much more fun than Webslingers and its forced storyline. Straightforward laughs are hard to beat.
Grizzly River Run gave us a refreshed outlook on a sizzling hot day. Our littlest traveler wasn't sure of it all, but she enjoyed some of the ride. Mostly listening to the rest of us laugh. I had not been to the parks in the Summer since around 2011. I had totally forgotten just how miserable this park is as two major sections of it leave guests openly exposed to the elements.
For a park that was once known for very good food, our lunch at Award Weiners was very average. I would not eat there again, proving once more that on line fandom does not mean it is reality. But we ended on a pretty high note.
Part of me doubts it.
The very last ride of the day for the guys was a single rider accessed Radiator Springs Racers, followed by a relaxing time with a tasty little milkshake at the far back side of the patio at Flo's V8 Cafe. The vibes of sitting there and watching the cars race over the landscape was truly something special. Disney at its best, actually.
We skipped dinner in the park and World of Color. We were all worn out by too many hours under the sun, and we wanted to be fully rested for our next day in Walt's park. The older teens wanted a couple more thrill rides, but when they were reminded that Disneyland and rope drop was the next day, they happily agreed it was worth leaving earlier.
Disney California Adventure remains a work in progress. I'm not sure that Coco or a now delayed Avatar based area will bring just what it needs, but it will round out the attraction roster. There's just something lacking that even the best of Imagineering can't seem to identify or fix. Bad bones last a long time, and I can imagine that Disney will never build another park on the cheap again.
My wife found the park much better than she expected, even on par or better than the most similar Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. She saw its flaws very clearly- they're not able to be hidden easily-and realized the park was a mixed bag. Still it was more enjoyable and better designed than she expected.
Ah, Disneyland. Now, the classic charm and fun of Disney at its best! And we took two days to enjoy it all at a leisurely pace.
By the time we got into the park, there was a large crowd at rope drop. But we got to the Frontierland area about 20 minutes before with a clear view of what was going on. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance was our attraction of choice. I moved pretty darn fast to get to the end of the line as quickly as possible. We were on in about 20 minutes.
Our youngest granddaughter was very scared as we went from one section of the attraction to the next. Before entering the queue leading to our prison holding cell, two very kind cast members stopped to speak to her. My daughter remembers it clearly: "It was two guys. We walked up, and I asked, “She’s scared and so she wants to know if the Disneyland rule is true that the good guys always win” (because that’s what I was telling her).
The first guy said “Oh you’ll just have to wait and see.”The second guys said “Oh yes, the good guys win. But it’s all just a joke.” She just walked away with me. So they really shouldn’t have said anything. Haha. But the second guy clearly understood she was scared." This is where cast members can and do make a big difference. The second one had a clear goal in mind: calming the nerves of a little girl and making sure guest happiness wasn't lost. He had great emotional intelligence. My guess he was a young father and totally got what was going on. After that kind interaction, our granddaughter was able to enjoy the rest of the ride along with everyone else. The final Kylo Ren was in B mode which was a disappointment, but it may have been for the best. There was one more cast interaction that was even better. That story's coming later.
I just wish everything at Galaxy's Edge / Batuu was as good as the incredible headlining attraction. The new and improved Smugglers Run was a modest upgrade, but nothing to brag about. The area music helped, and new characters were "ok", but something is still out of whack. It still remains that Disney took the most powerful purchased Intellectual Property in their entire arsenal, and they fully fumbled the execution of the only "Potter Swatter" they had.
Since our littlest guest's reaction to Rise was less than optimal, we all wanted to reset her reaction to what was ahead. Off we went to the sweet and kid friendly Mickey's Toontown and Runaway Railway. It was a walk on. The Disneyland queue is just a great setting for what's to come. This ride is SO charming, so classic Disney, and so engaging, I will admit it now to anyone who asks, if I had to choose one or the other, I prefer it to Rise. Yes, you heard that right. It's got everything a classic Disney dark ride should have and with a cute little theme song to boot. I just love it- and so did everyone else.
We spent a great amount of time exploring in the land afterwards. Unfortunately, Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin was closed, so the guys in our group opted for Gadget's Go-Coaster while the girls went to visit Minnie's house. It has some zip! I hadn't ridden before. The ride's a great starter coaster for the younger set. Toontown was really delightful as we wandered around and walked down the back streets and explored its sites. All the gags seemed to be working, everything was crisply painted and fresh. The place looked truly great. I'm glad the area has survived the latest plans to bring the park into the new era.
It's A Small World was next. I was surprised to hear that is was actually my oldest granddaughter's favorite ride from either park! She loved Guardians next door as well as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but the sweet old school ride with the ear worm theme song won her heart.
What was the youngest one's favorite attraction of the entire trip? Are you ready for this? The Autopia! She drove the cars three times! And she was great at keeping the car from hitting the guardrails. Better than her older brother! She wanted to ride again (and again), and loved it so much that her parents decided a driver license was the perfect souvenir to take home. (It's pretty cute.) She was definitely an old school girl as simple attractions proved they still have a place in Disney parks- even in the 21st century.
Lunch at the Tomorrowland Terrace was a bit better than I expected. I am happy and surprised that the suits decided to give Tomorrowland a remodel. It needs it! The area looks very dated and disjointed. An unexpected and pleasant announcement for D23 to be sure. With a little shade, a cool drink, and a chance to sit and talk, we were able to recharge a bit. But it did not last.
After a Monorail ride followed by a visit under the sea with Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, things changed. By now, the heat of the day was taking its toll, so the four ladies decided to go back to our hotel for a short rest. This only meant one thing: It was time for the guys to take on some thrill rides! There was only one place to start our journey: Indiana Jones Adventure.
What do you get when you mix in an iconic film character and story, the art of Disney Imagineering at its best, a brand new (at the time) ride system, and an inspirational soundtrack? Perfection! Disneyland is chock full of major E Ticket attractions as well as smaller gems that make the park special for all family members. I so appreciate that "thrill ride" doesn't only mean 200' drops, endless loops, and many other excessive coaster maneuvers.
Wisdom dispensed right when I need it.
In a very discouraging season of my life, I was struck by the message above the ride's exit pathway. It seemed like God was reminding me not to give up or give in. I was instantly reminded of things like this: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12). He is that personal- and I felt the tinge of his specific care for me right when I needed it.
How could we top that thrill? Next was a family favorite, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Kudos to Imagineer Extraordinaire Tony Baxter and his team for creating another crowd pleaser that stands the test of time. From there, it was time to move on to the water based thrills of the bayou. But this meant passing by the Haunted Mansion gift shop right next door. I just couldn't believe it. So out of scale, and so out of place. Profits might have been the only thing they were thinking about when they built it. Tear the thing down, but if you have to have it, try it again until you get it right.
A mixed bag.
As a Splash Mountain fan, I was still willing to give Tiana's Bayou Adventure a fair assessment. The positives are as follows: the same original flume layout, a fair selection of great music, solid atmosphere (especially the grand finale that is equal to the original). The film has a memorable cast of characters that you eventually get to see at the end.
On the flip side, most of the journey is repetitive, finding an animal band to play at her party is not compelling, but to go through several scenes where she duplicates her surprise at finding them seems more than redundant. During Tiana's band search, I noticed everything is at ground level other than those projected fireflies. There's really not any action and not much to get excited about. A one note story falls flat.
And why oh why can't Tiana just be the owner of a great restaurant? Why does she have to go beyond that into something that just doesn't fit? A food co-op? Really. That said, there's no tension in the story at all. Again, it's one note, one flavor. Shrinking down via Mama Odie's work adds nothing to it, except adding the annoying cackling of this unappealing character who appears again and again and again.
I found the finale of the ride to be an equal if not better ending to what was there in Splash Mountain. However, is the new song as good as the classic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah? Of course not! Few are- but Special Spice is a festive tune done very well, bringing the jazz infused party atmosphere alive. Unfortunately for our two rides, Tiana suffered from a broken neck during the final scene and was unable to move her mouth or her limbs while she sang.
Instant reservations and no wait.
We then decided to bypass Rise of the Resistance for Smugglers Run. While we waited the ten minutes in line, I thought, "Hey, I wonder if we can get into Oga's Cantina." Instant availability. I think Lightning Lane purchases are using up disposable theme park money or maybe the novelty of the place has worn off. But here we are, father, son-in-law, and grandson all inside cooling off and enjoying the drinks, food, and atmosphere. The girls never knew what they missed!
However great these attractions are, nothing holds the top spot in my heart and mind like Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes, the new cursed pirate in the gold pile feels just a little bit off. His face is just not in line with the original Marc Davis creations. It could have been better, much better, but it's not a deal breaker. Getting rid of the original auction scene, however, was just plain stupid. The ride is still superb- one of the best Imagineering has ever created. Makes me wish for Western River Expedition at Walt Disney World! Imagineer Marc Davis' plans would have created an epic masterpiece filled with great attractions.
Next up and the last thrill ride for the guys was Matterhorn Bobsleds. On our previous trip, I passed, wanting to save my back. This trip, I caved and climbed aboard. It was a huge mistake. I wish Imagineering would put in a new track. Or even tear it down and rebuild it with new technology. It's a shame that Disney's first coaster is just too painful to ride!
Uncle Walt in Audio-Animatronic form.
Once we got the text that the ladies were returning, we decided to meet them on Main Street to watch Walt Disney: A Magical Life. I had just enough time to wander through all the exhibits and take in the many pieces of concept art. And take a lot of photos!
The presentation was short, and the opening film with voice over by Robert Iger was very well done. The star was Walt himself. Now look. No robotic regardless of how good it is, will ever capture that essence of a person that God places inside. It's just not possible. That is the true "one little spark"- we are all created in His image. The Imagineers caught Walt's mannerisms well, and I found the pieced together vocal track very well done. In all, the show is a warm one, and the robot an effective Audio-Animatronic version of the company founder. I'd be lying if I said the whole thing didn't leave me a bit emotional and with slightly watery eyes. He was a great man- and this show is a fitting tribute!
Since the ladies hadn't yet been able to sail the high seas with Captain Jack Sparrow, we headed toward New Orleans Square. Our youngest traveler became nervous as the queue revealed a nighttime setting. So, being a smart cookie, she asked if this meant there were any drops. In her mind, drops meant Guardians of the Galaxy type. My very wise daughter explained it was a boat ride with no drops but two "slides", making it easier for her to experience the ride without nervousness. I tossed in the idea my granddaughter should look to see if she could find all the animals, and I listed them off. Between these two thoughts, she was able to enjoy the lengthy attraction without any problem.
Very well done!
Exiting Pirates, we explored New Orleans Square a bit and eventually hopped on the Disneyland Railroad. The great grand circle tour was definitely lacking some pizazz with the dinosaur finale, but the ride through a very detailed Frontierland route helped make up for it. Even the gorgeous Disneyland Paris' train route feels rather lacking in comparison. I do like that the Marc Davis inspired additions are being made.
Making our way back to where we began, we walked over to the newly reImagineered Adventureland Treehouse. I'm glad we pooled all our photos because this was the spot my phone battery died.
Kudos to the Imagineering team who recrafted the attraction with great care even while adding surprisingly well-fit technological additions. I'm a huge fan of Swiss Family Robinson. The whole thing was very well done, and I planned to come back the next day and take a large number of photos. Sadly, that never happened.
As we wandered through Disneyland's different themed areas (New Orleans Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland), I was struck by just how satisfying it can be to relax, slow down and enjoy the beauty of the park Walt built. The park is really stunning after 70 years of mature vegetation and all. A slow pace at the park is something that the current management works against as they'd rather sell the "Fear of Missing Out" philosophy to upsell every guest.
Deciding to eat at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree for dinner, as we passed it by, my grandson and I decided to take a quick ride into the not-yet Nightmare Before Christmas version of the Haunted Mansion. Hadn't ridden the original version in years!
He was intrigued, and I was very interested in seeing the latest small changes as the Imagineers keep tinkering with a classic. It speaks volumes that the newer Imagineered E Tickets don't get these touches but the classics continued to be tampered with. Pirates in particular has lots of empty space that could be filled in with new scenes. The original designers were much stronger building atmosphere and looser linear stories, allowing guests to create their own adventures. I'm miss that sense of wonder and imagination they stoked. In a very different way than Tom Sawyer Island, Pirates and Mansion allowed guests to fill in the missing ingredients in the story.
Dinner at Barbecue Jamboree was excellent! One of the best meals we had in either park. I was expecting it wouldn't get any better, but it was surpassed by our dinner the next night.
A quick ride on Winnie the Pooh reminded me the little dark ride was more charming than I remembered, but it also made me think the suits should have saved one theater of Country Bear Jamboree. It would have really rounded out the attractions at Bear/Critter/Bayou Country.
We left the park after the younger ones in the group had a flight with Dumbo. Fantasyland was beyond crowded but still beautiful after dark. Knowing what I discovered the next day, I would have begun our day in Fantasyland instead of starting at the newish Galaxy's Edge.
Day Two at Disneyland began with a relaxed morning, a coffee stop at Starbucks in our hotel, and a leisurely drive into the resort parking garage. Coming in the back way, we still scored a prime parking spot on a lower level. No rope drop for us this morning! As you can see from the photo above we walked through the gates just before 9:30am. Wonderful!
Our second attraction of the day? You might have guessed it! Autopia. While everyone else went off to Tomorrowland, I took some time taking photos. The crowds were thicker than the day before, but the park was still manageable.
I rejoined the group. Our quick stop in Tomorrowland for Star Tours and Space Mountain yielded two attractions with thrills for all and then thrills for a few. It was great we could all ride the still fun Star Wars attraction. Smugglers Run has nothing on the first Star Wars attraction in any Disney park. Space Mountain still rocks with its very smooth newer track. Florida's needs it badly! It's the Matterhorn of the East Coast!
After another ride on It's a Small World, we headed for the theater by Toontown.
We expected things to be different, but Bluey was a waste of a great character. Our 5 year old family member loves the television show but was bored and wanted to go on rides a mere ten minutes into the show. We left with several other families departing as well. When you bore kids with the characters from the most popular show on television, something is really wrong. Contrary to the marketing slogan, it was not the best day ever.
This day, the sun was relentless! Switching the plan up, our son-in-law took their youngest daughter outside the park for a relaxing drive in the air conditioning while he explored Orange County. She dropped fast asleep, and he got some much needed quiet. The rest of us picked right up.
My daughter had not yet ridden Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Once again, we deployed the single rider line, but this time it took almost as long as it would have if we went through the regular queue line.
Indiana Jones Adventure remains another family favorite, and without the littlest in the group, there was no talking up a great ride. Honestly, it would have scared her so much, so even if she was willing, it would have been a no-go. I'm quite interested in seeing the new attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Honestly, I like that they went with a film sounding attraction name: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
Looking for some shade, we all decided to go old school, and it meant after one more trip up the treehouse to go to Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room... and a Dole Whip! A perfect combination! I like absolutely everything about this classic: the music, the simple humor, and the lush environment. The rainstorm at the end of the show is also a nice way to say Aloha!
We casually explored the backstreets of New Orleans Square. Talk about design detail! It remains the undisputed gem of the Disneyland Resort. Nothing- not even the excellently done Cars Land next door- comes close to capturing something so atmospheric, charming, and totally irresistible. All of a sudden, I had a craving for a Mint Julep. I knew where to go- and after the kids each having a sip, they agreed it was quite a refreshing treat on this hotter than hot day.
We decided to hop on the Jungle Cruise. The wait was a full half an hour, so by the time we boarded it was a photographer's dream. But I opted to just watch the grandkids and savor the moment. A note to Josh D'Amaro and really, park management: Please turn on every water feature to full power during the hot summer months. The back side of water (and the front side as well) was very light with only a few streams coming down off the rocks. The Imagineers designed it to be majestic. Give your guests a chance to really cool off, and I bet their park experience will be so much better for when they tell stories back home.
Leave it to the great Disney park cast members to save the day again. As evening approached, we were in the very, very, very lengthy queue for Peter Pan's Flight, our littlest decided she was actually nervous about Captain Hook chasing her down. After giving it some thought, her Mom tracked down a cast member.
Our little granddaughter asked if the Captain Hook robot was going to chase her. She said no, telling her his feet stay in one place. And then, if it’s scary and she lied to her, our little sweet girl could come back and yell at her. Our granddaughter found that very funny! That got her on the ride. She's a funny and quick witted little girl, so when someone makes her laugh for a change, they score big points.
We were facing each other.
The evening was here and darkness was coming quickly. We decided for one more ride before we would do some shopping and then head over for dinner in New Orleans Square. Casey Jr. Circus Train was a sweet little ending to another wonderful day. Our teenaged grandson made the best of being on a kiddie ride. Good for him!
It was close to closing time and Fantasmic! when we arrived at Tiana's Palace. I was very skeptical about the quality, but I have to say that the place had Creole and Cajun favorites that were just as good as what I'd had years earlier at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen.
If you've read this far, you're about to be rewarded. I've saved the best and funniest story for last.
We're all sitting on the patio and Fantasmic! is almost over. The Mark Twain rounds the bend and is filled with almost all of those rubber head Disney characters. Then the littlest sees the very famous English nanny. She looks at us all and yells out: "Mary Poppins! What the Hell?!?" We died laughing. How she has even heard those words, we don't know. None of us talk like that. But what a perfectly funny way to end our vacation time at the Disney property.
How can I wrap this up? Is the Anaheim complex still worth visiting?
Hotel lobby wall mural.
"Disneyland Resort"? Well, no, not really. But what else can you call it? Its collection of two very busy parks, a small number of hotels and a shopping district finding a new identity. This makes it a mixed bag of experiences. California Adventure had better up its game big time. It is still a far lesser experience than every other U.S. based Disney park.
Disneyland is great and will remain a sentimental favorite. But it has changed and I have too. When all is said and done, and I compare resorts, I must say I now prefer a vacation at Walt Disney World. Sadly. Yet, every single person in our group agreed with that assessment.
Will I be curious enough to come back when the new-new- New Tomorrowland comes and when the Eastern Gateway Project and expansion plans in the parks become fully realized? Yes. But in the meantime, it's now Walt Disney World for me.
(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)
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