
I recently returned to the Disneyland Resort after nearly two years away. I spent a fun-filled but tiring solo weekend in the parks, and I’m here to tell you all about it.
For those of you who don’t know me, I worked here at The DIS for just under 10 years until COVID hit and left me with little to do. I spent my time at The DIS writing news stories, sharing blogs, hosting podcasts, and posting videos from the parks.
I was in the parks A LOT over those 10 years gathering content for the site [like the 2012 updates on the construction of Cars Land above…I was SO young], so being away for 22 months and 2 days, was not easy.
Now, I’m not only able to be back in the Disneyland Resort on a somewhat regular basis, I’m once again able to share my thoughts and experiences here on The DIS!!
In this article, I’m planning to give you an overview of my weekend. I may, however, save a few details for future articles. I will still have plenty to say and hopefully be slightly entertaining.
Day 1
After a 4-ish hour drive from my home in Fresno, I checked into the Anaheim Castle Inn & Suites. I will share more about this Good Neighbor Hotel in the near future, but I did have a comfortable stay. It’s strange to say that one of my biggest surprises about the Castle Inn was the parking. Some of the older and smaller properties near Disneyland struggle to have enough parking for guests. That was NOT an issue here and I was able to park two spaces from the elevator.
I didn’t really plan anything, but I had hoped to get into the parks for a bit Friday evening if the Southern California traffic to Anaheim wasn’t too bad. It was going to be a busy weekend, so I thought it might be a good idea to have some “me time” in the parks: no list and no tripod…just the emotion of being back in the parks.
Of course, I couldn’t turn off the blogger in me and ended up experiencing one of the newest attractions at Disneyland: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
I made it into Disneyland maybe 30 minutes before the fireworks started. Main Street, U.S.A. was packed, of course, so I headed toward the area in front of “it’s a small world” to get a glimpse of the show. I was tempted by the churro cart in the area, but decided to wait…at least for the moment.
Disneyland fireworks are always magical, and these were no exception. I won’t go into too many details, because it was the special Pixar Fest show that is ending soon.
Following the fireworks, the churro craving was just too strong, and I succumbed to the urges, enjoying my first Disney churro in a very long time. It did not disappoint. Sometimes the memory is actually better than reality…that was not the case here.
Once the area started to clear, I quickly decided that I should try to make my way into Mickey’s Toontown, having never experienced the land after the fireworks.
I know I’m late to the game on this, but Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is amazing. It was like a classic Fantasyland dark ride, but modernized with current technology. There is also so much to see that it’s very repeatable. It is the perfect addition to Toontown.
By the time I left the post-ride gift shop, the day had caught up with me. After a full day at my regular job and the long drive down, I was ready to crash and recharge for a full day in the parks the next day.
Day 2
I’m too excited to sleep!!! Except that I wasn’t, and I even hit that snooze button a few times.
I won’t give you the minute-by-minute details of my day, but I will hit some of the highlights.
I started in Disneyland Park and did a lot of roaming around and just taking it all in. I loved that nearly all of the Main Street vehicles were out, enhancing the hustle and bustle of the area.
I tried to think of all the new (to me) things that I needed to experience and stumbled upon one that I had forgotten about. The updated Adventureland Treehouse inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson, which replaced Tarzan’s Treehouse (which replaced the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse).
The Imagineers did such a wonderful job with this attraction, including subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to the previous versions, plus music and animatronics that brought the treehouse back to life.
The stairs are still there…no escalator…but if you’re able to navigate them, it’s definitely worth it.
I also got to check out Star Tours: The Adventures Continue with the Ahsoka updates. It was a 10-minute wait and I couldn’t resist. I love that they try to keep this attraction fresh. It was something they initially did with Toy Story Midway Mania, but quickly dropped.
Since I was traveling alone this trip, I wandered over to Galaxy’s Edge and took advantage of the Single Rider Line on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. As is usual for the Single Rider Line I was the Engineer, which is actually my favorite role. I succeeded in keeping the ship together and making the necessary repairs, although I feel like some of the lights that were supposed be flashing at various times were burned out, including the all-important harpoon.
I was ready for an afternoon break, but first I took a walk through the Downtown Disney District. I feel like the construction is moving way too slowly on the west side and there a lot of wasted space. There are also several buildings that are not being utilized, with no plans announced that will change that.
After some rest, I headed back into Disneyland. I was able to catch the Magic Happens parade, which is growing on me. I saw it when it premiered just before the pandemic, and not since. It was good to see it with a fresh eye. I’m still not crazy about some of the design choices that were made, but it’s a fun, upbeat parade with a lot of characters.
I ended the Disneyland portion of my day with a quick dinner at Tiana’s Palace. I’ll talk about both my lunch and dinner for the day in separate articles.
Earlier in the day, I had booked the Virtual Queue for World of Color – One, so I made my way over to Disney California Adventure for the first time this trip.
If I remember correctly, the only attraction I experienced that evening was Web Slingers, with the Single Rider Line. It took me most of the ride to get back into the swing of slinging webs…pun intended.
I ended up in the yellow viewing section for World of Color which is on the far right and fairly close to the water. While the technology behind World of Color is amazing, I just wish they could figure out how to tell a story. In my opinion, World of Color – One was a mess that jumped from movie to movie and genre to genre. I will see it again if I’m traveling with someone who hasn’t, but really don’t want to spend the time necessary to catch the show otherwise.
After a fairly long day, I headed for my hotel for some well-earned rest.
Day 3
My last morning started at California Adventure, exploring new areas and catching old favorites.
After a free sample of sourdough bread, I took a walk through San Fransokyo Square. This was a fun update to a lightly-themed area. If you had a favorite food option in the Pacific Wharf, you’ll be glad to know that it’s likely still there.
I also used the Single Rider Line on both Web Slingers (again) and Incredicoaster, then enjoyed the air conditioning on The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventures.
After a walk through the shops on Buena Vista Street, I headed for Disneyland Park. I’m amazed that, after being away for a while, I was able to resist the urge to load up on merchandise, though I did make some notes for future purchases.
I had asked my Facebook friends for lunch suggestions on Saturday and one of the most popular answers was a Disneyland corn dog, so I decided to head to the Little Red Wagon.
This is a treat that I seldom pick up, but I see why these freshly-made snacks-on-a-stick are popular.
I wanted to see the Toontown update in the daylight, so I headed to the back or the park. Runaway Railway was only a 20-minute wait, so I took advantage. I am so happy to see how busy Toontown is now, with families enjoying nearly every corner of the area.
It was nearing the time when I needed to head home, so I grabbed the Disneyland Railroad for half of a grand circle tour. I hopped off at Main Street and made my way to the exit.
I’m already looking forward to my next trip and have started a list of food and attractions I missed on this trip. It will also be the start of Halloween Time, which is always a great time to visit.
Let me know what you’d like me to check out on my next visit. What should I add to my check list?