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Visit Date: 3/22/13
Steps: 22,433
Parks Miles: 8.4
Time in Parks: 10

 
Trip Log:

Arrived at the Disneyland Resort earlier than usual, around 10:30. There were plenty of trams and no real wait to head to the parks so took the tram. First stop was Disneyland, which of course had lines to get in, looking over to DCA there were none. Entered Town Square and headed to the Opera House to pick up a wristband for the Dave Smith presentation this evening. The process went quickly and within a few minutes I was on my way. Made my way up Main Street and to the hub. Stopped by Fantasy Faire and caught the Tangled show in the Royal Theatre then headed to Frontierland where I boarded the Columbia for a trip around the Rivers of America. Once back on dry land some of the group headed for the Golden Horseshoe and I decided to take a quick walk around the park. Strolled around the Big Thunder Trail and out to the Ranch. Paused at the Jamboree then continued on through Fantasyland and out to Toontown. Circled around and doubled back by Alice and through the hub to return to Frontierland to watch the Billies. After the show made our way to Main Street then over to DCA. Strolled through Buena Vista Street and out to the Wharf for lunch. After lunch decided to look for some of the hidden Easter Eggs that were part of the scavenger hunt going on this week. Started off in Cars Land, found those two quickly then headed back to the Wharf. Did not see that one on my first pass through so continued on to the Pier. Walked around and found the couple out there then back to the Wharf and finally found that one. Walked through Bugs Land and out to Sunset Blvd and found the two there then turned onto Hollywood Blvd and found the two there before ending up in Carthay Circle to find the last one on the list. Visited with some friends on Buena Vista Street then returned to Disneyland for a ride on the Disneyland Railroad. Took it around to Tomorrowland. Walked through Tomorrowland and then through the Hub and another pass of Fantasy Faire. Exited through Frontierland and strolled through Adventureland and back to Main Street. Made my way to the Market House and Disneyana then it was time to get in line for Dave Smith. The line stretched from the Opera House entrance back toward the park entrance. We were in the tunnel under the train. The line moved quickly and we were let into the lobby then into the theater for the presentation. Dave took the stage and talked for about an hour showing pictures of the parks construction on early years. After the presentation caught the Voices of Liberty in Town Sqaure then returned to DCA. Walked through Buena Vista Street and out to Route 66. Decided to go to HollywoodLand since some had not seen the Oz Preview. Had a few minutes before the show started so watched the Mad T Party Band open their set. After Oz made our way to Carthay Circle. Some went to Taste Pilots to eat and the rest of us through some shops on Buena Vista Street and then over to Main Street. I returned to Fantasy Faire for a couple night time pictures then we regrouped and headed for Downtown Disney, the tram, garage, car, and home.

Other Interesting Stats:
* Moderate Walking Stats (meaning over 2.5mph): 15,137 steps, 139 minutes.


For Comparisons to other trips or more park miles click here to visit our park Miles Section.

Note: These totals may be skewed because the pedometer is zero'd when we start and then left alone and read when we leave. So attractions, and other things may cause extra "steps" to be counted. The pedometer that we use basically measures up/down motion as a step, so if your standing in line and moving up and down it may be counting steps, etc.. so the total distances traveled and steps may be off.. so use these as rough distance comparisons between trips and they may not be accurate in terms of actual distance traveled.
Pictures & Video From this Trip:


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My Thoughts & Observations:

Hello all,

Friday marked my first Spring trip to the Disneyland Resort. The weather was nearly perfect with highs around 70 and lows the low 60s when I left. Crowds were on the heavier side which is to be expected as the Spring Break season is upon us. As I walked the parks they felt crowded but wait times were not too insane with a couple of exceptions. Racers I saw posted at 180 minutes at one point.

Jason

Trip logs and mileage reports are in the Park Miles section.

Thoughts and Observations:

  • Stopped by the Fantasy Faire to see a performance of Tangled in the Royal Theatre since I arrived at the park earlier than usual. I enjoyed this show and again thought it was a very well done show, just as I did with Beauty and the Beast. I give the edge to B&B, not sure why, maybe because I saw it first. There were some great one liners and park reference scattered throughout. The story kept moving and the performers were fun to watch. If you are in the park I would highly recommend checking out the Royal Theatre. It is classic Disney entertainment in the sense that works on many levels and just about everyone can find something in the show they enjoyed.

  • At California Adventure there was a Vinylmation Easter Egg Hunt going on this week as part of the Limited Time Magic Promotion. I was really surprised at the number of guests participating. As I walked around the park I saw groups wandering around with their maps looking for the hidden eggs. I thought the price point of just under $5 made this an affordable activity for those looking for something different to do in the park. I would have liked to have seen a dated pin or something else as the prize vs a two pack of Vinylmation keychains and judging by the reaction of some of the guests I think they would have preferred something else too. I did not buy a map, but instead set out on a quest to find the eggs on my own since I did not want the key chain thought I would save my $5. Most of the eggs were fairly easy to spot.

  • At Disneyland there was a special Annual Passholder Limited Time Magic event going on at the Opera House. It was a presentation by Dave Smith entitled Disneyland: The Way We Were. The checkin process was similar to other events, you show up, show your pass and get a wristband. You were able to choose between a 5pm and a 7pm session. There seemed to be plenty of wristbands available most of the day. I went to the 5pm session and it was a full house. Saw a couple scattered empty seats but not more than a handful. I thought everything with the event ran very smooth. The waits were minimal and the process seemed organized. The presentation itself was typical Dave Smith. Meaning some great old pictures and his narrative that intermixed observation, Disney History, and some of his own opinions/humor into it. The audience also participated a bit with some feedback. I was a little disappointed the presentation was done on two large LCD screens instead of the movie screen. It made seeing the detail of the images tough and photographing them even more miserable. The presentation itself was a shortened version of what he did at the D23 Destination D: Disneyland 55 event a few years ago (Click here to see my pictures from that event, which were better than the ones from this year). So those who attended that saw everything and then a bit more that was shown Friday it seemed. I also would have liked to have seen some time for a Q&A or something. I understand they needed to clear the theater for the next show and Dave needs a break before repeating himself but it just seemed weird that he got to the last slide, finished and we exited.

  • I spent a little bit of time in the Market House and Disneyana Store since both are slated to close in mid April and be converted into a Starbucks opening later this year. It should be interesting what this transformation does for the area. The Disney Parks Blog made the announcement and in the comments Disney confirmed many of the elements of the Market House will be present in the new store.

  • Went back to Fantasy Faire after sunset and this week all the lights were on. Again a large number of guests in the area asking Cast Members what it was and why it was all closed already. Seems the new addition is doing the trick of drawing guests in, but unfortunately it is closing at 7pm for the evening and they are looking to visit.

  • As we were leaving, which was pushing 9:00pm there were a lot of guests still making their way into the parks. The lines for both DCA and Disneyland were long and there were full tram loads returning from the Mickey and Friends garage. There was also a large number of guests leaving already. This was before the evening shows were to begin and the weather was pleasant but the first tram stop had a 2-3 tram wait and the second a 1-2 tram wait to head back to the garage. In the garage cars were circling looking for parking spots.


Interesting Web Finds/Notes:
Below are some interesting links, notes, and rumors I found/stumble across/or have been informed of since the last Geekspeaks column.

Be sure to check out the picture update that goes with this Geekspeak column, it can be found in our Disneyland Resort Pictorial Update section

Stop by the Geek's Forum to discuss this and other Disney topics.. click here

Send comments, questions, any other email to: disneygeek@disneygeek.com
Pictures & Video From this Trip:


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