Three Days at The Happiest Place on Earth...Oh My!

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Sometimes all you need is a good friend and a few days at Disneyland to clear your mind. It was one of the best trips I've ever taken, which I feel like I say every time I return from The Magic Kingdom. But, it's true. I can't remember the last time I spent so many days in a row at the park, or if I ever have. Either way, it was just the step out of reality that I needed.

Day one: 

I left work a little earlier on Wednesday, so Mandy and I could get down there a bit earlier. We went straight to the park and were able to get on a lot of the rides we wanted: Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, It's A Small World, and so on. We watched the fireworks show, we snacked on churros and popcorn. We watched Fantasmic. There's nothing more magical than Disneyland at night, so we took in all of the twinkling lights, the hustle and bustle of Main Street, and more. We also rode Splash Mountain at night, which I've never done, and got SOAKED.


We had a blast, and we made it until midnight. I was very impressed!


 






Day two:  

 
Thursday morning, we got up early and made it in just a few minutes after the park opened. We wasted no time and started hopping on rides and grabbing FastPasses as soon as we entered.


Here's what we did:
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Monsters, Inc. 
  • Watched the Incredibles 2 preview
  • Soarin' Over the World
  • Made a churro stop
  • Cars
  • Made a pretzel stop
  • Space Mountain
  • Autopia
  • Thunder Mountain
  • Haunted Mansion
  • Shopped a bit
  • Ate frozen parfaits
  • Visited Pixar Fest/Ap Corner
  • Goofy's Sky School
  • Shopping on Main Street
  • Blue Bayou for lunch (I had the veggie pasta and a mint julep - Both were AMAZING!)
  • Thunder Mountain
  • Pixar Parade
  • Went back to the hotel
  • Ate dinner at the California Adventures wharf
  • Turtle Talk with Crush
  • Francis' Ladybug Boogie
  • Watched a little of the Paint the Night parade
  • Saw some of the fireworks as we walked down Main Street
  • Another churro stop
  • Matterhorn 
  • Space Mountain
  • Disneyland Railroad
  • Dumbo











 





 We were still extremely tired out by the end of the night. We closed down the park and walked to the shuttle to get back to our hotel, ready for bed. 

Friday: 


We weren't sure how we would feel on our last day, but we decided to go at least for Pirates of the Caribbean, since it was the first day opening up again after the remodel. It was a crazy line to get in, but we beat it by just a few minutes. Although it wasn't that different, it was cool to see a female pirate represented after all these years.

 



 

 
Once inside the park, we decided to just get another MaxPass and hit any of the rides we wanted.

Pirates of the Caribbean
Guardians
River Rapids
Shopped a little
Ate lunch at the taco truck in the Hollywood Backlot
Cars
Guardians

Once again, we were wiped out. We had an incredible time, but it was time to go, since we wanted to beat the traffic. We did everything we wanted to do and then some. It was SO worth it.

Other Tips:
  • Buy the MaxPass. Not only does it allow you to cover more ground with rides, but it also gives you the digital download of the photos taken on rides. We probably wouldn't have been able to ride half of the rides we did without it. 
  • Don't forget to take a break. If you're going to be there for a few days or have a pass to go anytime you want, don't forget to take a break. We spent most of Thursday hopping between the parks, but by late afternoon, we were spent. We went back to the room for a couple hours to rest and freshen up, then went back to finish out the night. It was the best decision, so we could enjoy Disney at night (the best time, really, because that's when the true magic happens).  
  • Do try all of the treats. With Pixar Fest, the Disneyland Resort is offering many Pixar-themed treats and it's a good idea to take advantage of them. Whether it's the frozen parfaits in California Adventures or the Churro Challenge in both parks. Sometimes I think it's better to skip full meals and just snack all day. We did both, ha! 
  • Download the Disneyland app. The Disneyland app is practically your lifeline while at the park. You can scan your ticket to keep handy, check showtimes, download the MaxPass add-on, get FastPasses, and the latest addition, which is ordering and picking up food from various restaurants in DCA or Disneyland.
I feel like you never have the same trip twice while at the Disneyland Resort. It's part of what keeps the magic alive!

That's all for now,
Shelby
 

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