First Visit, and a return after 2 decades

[ZenMondo]

Hello there, old time member returning after a long absence. I used this site and just dreamed of an eventual Disney vacation while I lived in Wyoming. Well last year, I moved back to California, and my ladyfriend decided that she thought a trip to Disneyland would be a good thing to do "for Christmas". Well due to scheduling the closest we could fit in a trip is Januarary 12. As a bonus, she figured that we would probably want to return throughout the year, and living in California the annual pass is actually more economical (especially being able to pay in installments!) so in about a week, I will begin what I hope is a year full of Disneyland visits!

My ladyfriend has never been to any Disney Park, and it will be the first visit for me in about 22 years or so. I had probably been 5 or 6 times in my life, from early childhood through my teenage years, and one visit as a very young adult 22 years ago. I think the "newest" ride I have been on was Splash Mountain. What should I look forward to, and what should we do to make my Ladyfriend's first visit truly "magical"?

There are things, that I was pretty much unaware of back in the pre-disney fansite era... for instance I have never had a Dole Whip or a Monte Cristo Sandwich. I hope to remedy at least the Dole Whip... not sure if I want to pay over $20 for a sandwich... but I just might.

I am pretty excited, part of me does not even believe it is finally happening after waiting so long.

[Amy]

How exciting! I would venture to say from looking at the pictures, you could buy one Monte Crisco Cristo sandwich and split it as they look huge!
Beyond that, having just returned from a short visit to DL/DCA ourselves, I would say you should most definitely plan enough time to see everything. We had three days in the parks, and while one 1/2 day was pretty much devoted to lunch at Club 33, we still missed seeing a lot of shows and attractions as we just ran out of time! The parks closed at 8 pm two of the nights we were there too so that didn't help either. Carsland was new for us this trip and it was pretty amazing. Unfortunately we didn't take the time to look closely at all the details like the windows at the Cozy Cone and all the other storefronts.
I might also suggest moving this discussion to the trip planning and reports thread. I think you will get more posts and helpful information there Plus that is where you will want to share your awesome trip report and photos once you return! From every trip!!

[ZenMondo]

For this first trip we are planing a total of 3 days (the first day being a split travel/partial day at the parks). Most disappointing for our dates is that the Haunted Mansion will be closed, but if we took what our alternate dates would have been, Pirates would have been closed. I am not TOO worried about seeing everything with this first trip back, as I said we bought annual passes pretty much for the savings (stuff like free parking 20% discount on food... and because of free parking getting a hotel further (read: cheaper) from the park.

I was not sure what all there was at the California Adventure park worth doing -- until I saw the Luigi's Tire ride that looks like its pretty much a recreation of the Tommorowland Flying Saucers ride from the 1960s That I have seen over on yesterland, but was gone before I was even born. Looking forward to that indeed!

[Amy]

For this first trip we are planing a total of 3 days (the first day being a split travel/partial day at the parks). Most disappointing for our dates is that the Haunted Mansion will be closed, but if we took what our alternate dates would have been, Pirates would have been closed. I am not TOO worried about seeing everything with this first trip back, as I said we bought annual passes pretty much for the savings (stuff like free parking 20% discount on food... and because of free parking getting a hotel further (read: cheaper) from the park.

I was not sure what all there was at the California Adventure park worth doing -- until I saw the Luigi's Tire ride that looks like its pretty much a recreation of the Tommorowland Flying Saucers ride from the 1960s That I have seen over on yesterland, but was gone before I was even born. Looking forward to that indeed!

You definitely have the advantage of knowing you will be making multiple trips with having an AP! And that $16/day parking add up for sure, and 20% food is a great plus!
Luigi's Flying Tires was really fun And I think it probably is quite similar to what the Flying Saucers attraction would have been. I love so many things at the park that it would be hard for me to choose something I wouldn't want to see
I'm sure you know them, but just in case, here is a link to all the attractions at DCA
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attrac ... adventure/

[Wizzard419]

Ah, so you're going to be located in So Cal (I think the installments are only allowed for "locals"), for now many of the big rides are going to be down in DLR for refurbishments, removal of overlays, etc. But since you have APs, it won't mean much. Be sure to get on Nemo this trip though, supposedly it is going into the refurbishment closure like they did for Rocket Rods (first telling people that it is coming back and suddenly removing the signs).

[ZenMondo]

Actually we are located in Central California. But the zipcodes that allow the installment plan on the AP goes pretty far north. Its definatly not an every weekend kind of deal. We have 3 firm times we want to go this year (our first trip in about a week, my birthday in April, and then Christmas) but I am pretty sure we might squeeze a few more trips there. I don't think we are getting there in time before teh subs are shut down though. The original sub ride was one of my favorites when I was a little kid. I loved that sea monster with his googly eyes.

[Wizzard419]

Avoid Christmas, just don't do it. I forgot to mention that you were lucky that your plans got blocked because between 12/25-whenever people go back to work (which was today) the parks are slammed and reach capacity. When they do, what the gates close to single day guests (allowing AP and onsite to be still allowed in) and a new line forms outside allowing people in only when someone exits. So just imagine how long the waits become inside.

[ZenMondo]

Well when I said "Christmas" what I mean is my Ladyfriend wants to go to the park during the season, not the day. So pretty much the day after Thanksgiving to mid december or so. Somewhere in there.

In 1987, I went with a group, we traveled that Thursday from Stockton, and ate Thanksgiving Dinner at Knott's Berry Farm and went to the Park the next day. The crowds were very light. The kids I was roomed with on the trip we all got up very early and walked to the park quite some time before the park opened we actually were the first people in line in the second turnstile to get in the park. We wanted to make sure to get on Star Tours, the gates open and my new friends starting running down main street at a full sprint. I try to say, hey don't worry, we can run if people behind us are running. And one said, "look behind you" and when I did I just saw this swarm of people mostly kids sprinting after us.. so we ran faster.. then they said they did not know where they were going... I was the only one that had been at the park before, so I said, "Follow me!" and lead them to tomorrowland." We were the first on Star Tours that day. and we went three times in a row, only having to wait about 5 or 10 minutes in line for the third ride.

[Amy]

Well when I said "Christmas" what I mean is my Ladyfriend wants to go to the park during the season, not the day. So pretty much the day after Thanksgiving to mid december or so. Somewhere in there.

In 1987, I went with a group, we traveled that Thursday from Stockton, and ate Thanksgiving Dinner at Knott's Berry Farm and went to the Park the next day. The crowds were very light. The kids I was roomed with on the trip we all got up very early and walked to the park quite some time before the park opened we actually were the first people in line in the second turnstile to get in the park. We wanted to make sure to get on Star Tours, the gates open and my new friends starting running down main street at a full sprint. I try to say, hey don't worry, we can run if people behind us are running. And one said, "look behind you" and when I did I just saw this swarm of people mostly kids sprinting after us.. so we ran faster.. then they said they did not know where they were going... I was the only one that had been at the park before, so I said, "Follow me!" and lead them to tomorrowland." We were the first on Star Tours that day. and we went three times in a row, only having to wait about 5 or 10 minutes in line for the third ride.

It was pretty busy when we were there the first week of December last year. And during the week the parks closed at 8 so it was hard to fit a lot in
I can just see your eyes getting bigger as you were glancing behind you!

[Wizzard419]

Oh yeah, Star Tours will be new for you as well, with the randomized video.

It apparently used to be dead on holidays but now everyone goes on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. But if you want to go during the holiday season that actually starts up mid November so they can get the most out of the installations/parades as well as be able to film for the holiday specials.

[ZenMondo]

I am a HUGE Star Wars fan, having seen the first film on a Wednesday Afternoon in 1977 -- My father picked me up from Kindergarten in the middle of the day, and took me to the first showing. In the 1970s and 80s Adventure Thru Innerspace was one of my favorite attractions (When I went in the Summer of 1978, was so scared, because I believed I would really be shrunk and was worried if I would be made my regular size again), and so when I went one summer and it was closed and the People Mover said that Star Tours was coming, it was like I was losing my favorite ride for what would become my next favorite ride.