I'm going to dive right in to Disney's California Adventure today because there's a lot to talk about!
Wednesday was my dad's business day so I headed to the parks by myself for the morning. Dad met me in the afternoon to finish out the day.
I made my first mistake bright and early. I knew that I needed to get there before park opening. I planned to be there half an hour before go time, around 9:30 am. I made that easily after catching the 9:15 shuttle from my hotel. I GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD ARRIVE EARLY. I was not prepared for the number of people that would be there, through bag check, through the security screens, and admitted into the park before me. The photo below is of people admitted into the park waiting for the ropes to drop so they would be let into the main areas of the park. It was taken 20 minutes before the park officially opened.
I headed immediately upon rope drop to get a Fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers because I knew that it would be the longest wait of the day. This is the only Fastpass I used all day. The line to get these Fastpasses first thing is long but manageable and worth the wait. By the time I got my Fastpass by 10:10, my return window for the ride was 12:25-1:25 pm. When I met dad at the front of the park to meet at around 1:30, the return window was 6:45-7:45. With the park closing at 8, I could tell that the Fastpasses would run out. Note that this is on a slow day. If you want to ride this with all of your family in the same ride vehicle, you MUST get your Fastpasses first thing as soon as you get there.
After I got my Fastpass, I headed to Paradise Pier to get in line for California Screamin', Disneyland Resort's biggest roller coaster. I loved this ride!
This coaster has a quick start - 0 - 55 mph. There is one inversion loop. California Screamin' is a pretty intense roller coaster; the height requirement is 48" and for good reason. This is not a coaster for the faint of heart! I never saw this wait time go above 20 minutes.
Evidently I am super bad at taking ride photos. You are welcome for this gem.
After that, I went to Toy Story Mania. This is the longest I waited all day for a ride - around 35 minutes. To me, Toy Story Mania is always worth the wait! I think it's one of the best designed rides that Disney has ever come up with. It's a midway inspired, fun for the whole family type of ride. You get into your ride vehicle, don your very flattering 3D glasses and use your control to shoot the targets/throw the darts/toss the rings with all of your favorite Toy Story characters.
One notable ride that I skipped in Paradise Pier was Mickey's Fun Wheel, which is a Ferris wheel type ride. It looked like a blast and like it would provide great views of the park. I would have ridden it, but I forgot to take Dramamine before entering the park. I tend to get motion sick easily. This will definitely be on my list to ride next time!
After Toy Story Mania, I headed toward Goofy's Flight School, a small, kid friendly roller coaster.
The ride vehicles seated 4 people, 2 per row. There is a single rider line for those interested. This coaster throws you around a little, but it's all part of the fun! I'd ride again. I waited 15 minutes in line.
I'm really just a big kid. If the line isn't too crazy, take some time to meet the characters! If you have little guys, this will probably be the best part of your day.
I had some time to kill before my Fastpass window for Radiator Springs Racers opened up so I decided to pop into The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure because the wait was only 5 minutes. I thought this was such a cute ride! You sit in a moving clam shell and move your way through scenes from the movie complete with animatronics. A definite must see for little Disney folks.
A good part of Paradise Pier is kid friendly rides. I skipped these because I don't have kiddos of my own, but this is a great family section. Rides include swings and a carousel.
It was finally time for me to be able to get on the Radiator Springs Racers. I went into Cars Land and was truly impressed with the intricate theming. It really is picture perfect! The time period music, the neon, and the characters hanging around made it feel so authentic.
You must stop at the Cozy Cone. Every cone has a different Cone themed snack. Ice Cream Cone, Chili Cone Queso, Popcone. I love puns.
I made my way to the ride with my Fastpass and was put onto the ride within 10 minutes. This was the best ride I have EVER been on in any Disney theme park. It is spectacular start to finish. Radiator Springs Racers mixes classic Disney Dark ride with animatronics and thrill ride. It was a match made in heaven.
Still can't get it together for a ride photo. This ride is a MUST DO!
After this, I wandered around the Grizzly Peak area of Disney's California Adventure for a bit while waiting on my dad who had let me know he was on his way to me. This section of the park is lovely. On a warmer day, I would have ridden Grizzly's River Run, a river rapid raft type attraction. This is the same kind of ride as Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom. Looked like a lot of fun!
I'll also note that this is the area of the park where Soarin' Over California is located. Unfortunately, while I was visiting, the ride was closed for refurbishment. It actually reopened two days after I was there. I missed out on riding at DCA, but I assume this ride is similar to the one in Epcot.
Then I got to meet Pluto! I love when he's out to play.
I got the call that dad had made it so I went and met him at the front of the park. We decided to eat lunch in Cars Land's Flo's V8 Cafe. Mostly I just REALLY wanted to go hang out there some more and thought my dad would love it. We both got the roast beef sandwich, mine with the side of fruit and dad got the pasta salad. We were both happy campers.
I decided to take dad on the highlight reel of my morning. We went to ride Radiator Springs Racers using the single riders line since the Fastpass window was too late for us. This is a great way to make it through a line if you don't mind splitting up your group. Wouldn't work if you have little guys but dad and I made it on the ride within 10 minutes when the standby line had a 45 minute wait. We also went to ride California Screamin' with a 15 minute standby wait.
I managed to take a decent ride photo! I knew where the camera was this time so I kind of cheated. No shame.
Next, we were off to explore! We headed to A Bug's Land, which is precious and very kid friendly. They have a few small rides and It's Tough to Be a Bug! I wish I had caught the show, but was short on time.
Then we went to Hollywood Land where we rode The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, one of my all time favorite attractions in Hollywood Studios at Disney World. I was so pleased to find it of the same quality. Disney always outdoes itself in the details which is why this has always been a top 3 in my book. The theming is top notch and the thrill will knock your socks off. Nothing like zero gravity! A must do, whether you're in Florida or California!
Our last, and certainly not least, ride was Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully To The Rescue. It's a dark ride that takes you through the scenes in Monsters Inc. This ride is great for families and kids of all ages. Of course Roz made the ride.
It is notable to say that dad and I finished our day at the park around 4:30 pm. While we were there, the night show, World of Color, was under refurbishment. From what I've heard, this night time show is a must see and I'm looking forward to catching it next time.
Dad and I were off on the next ride - the long drive home! I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to hang out with him for a few days at the Happiest Place on Earth. I'm a lucky daughter.
You should definitely consider a trip out to California to experience the Disneyland Resort. And do it with someone you love! That's the best part.
Have a zippity doo da day!
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