March
2025
Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure
2025 Disney Land Trip
This will be a non-DVC trip to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Our niece Marissa is a travel agent with ET Family Travel, so we booked through her.
Sunday, March 9, 2025 – Travel Day
Mark met us at our house and his sister Paula drove us to JFK. We flew out on JetBlue, flight 123 to LAX
Our plane’s name was “A Mints Summer Night’s Dream” The front section had these cool office seats or pods (JetBlue's new Mint Suites). One angled reclining seat on each side with a desk to work at. The plane tracker has also been upgraded, more of a 3-D look.
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We bought turkey sandwiches from JetBlue to eat, and the flight offered two drink services for the flight. After that you were able to get up and get your own free refreshments from a galley mid plane.
I watched three movies, Moana 2, Despicable Me 4 and Caddie Shack.
The flight landed early, a five-and-a-half hour flight, and we were outside quickly as we did carry-on only.
Our first Snafu. We followed the email instructions from Karmel Connect and took the LAXit bus over to the ride share lot. Our limo had yet to contact us. We called, they could not contact us because they only had my land line number and not my cell. Worse, they would not pick us up in the lot they told us to go to in the email. We had to hoof it back to Terminal 1 to be picked up. On the plus side our driver, originally from Mississippi, was great, pointing out landmarks and where they film certain movies, For example, the overpasses they used to film "Speed" while they were under construction..
We arrived at The Disney Grand Californian Hotel in about 45 minutes, 11:40am. Our rooms were not ready, so we checked our luggage with bell services. We did get our first visit pins from the front desk.
We then explored Downtown Disney stopping for ice cream at the Salt & Straw. I tried a Pear and Blue Cheese ice-cream, which tasted mostly of pear. Kelli and Mark had the Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Other flavors include Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper ice cream.
The weather was great, low 70’s. Downtown Disney is much smaller than Disney Springs and did not have a large variety of places to eat. The Disney store is also less than half the size. But the setting and flowers were very welcomed after our cold and windy winter.
Back at the hotel we rested in the lobby. Then explored more of the hotel.
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We picked up some snacks, including a Mickey donut, chocolate croissant, blueberry scone, coffee and soda from the GCH Craftsman Grill and ate them outside.
Mark's room was finally ready around 3 PM, as he got his hotel key cards, I went to Bell services to retrieve our bags, They were awfully slow.
Our second snafu. We decided to store everything in Mark’s room but had a horrible time getting there. The front desk told him to use the elevator nearby. On the second floor there were no signs to get to the 2300’s rooms, only the 2100’s, 2200, and 2500’s. We ended up asking six different hotel workers and they could not figure it out. The final worker finally had us go back down to the ground floor, out doors to the OUTSIDE to another wing of the hotel and take a different set of elevators! When we got to his room, his card key was missing. Somewhere in the passing back and forth of the key with people who tried to help, it was lost. He had to go back down the elevator, back outside, back to the hotel lobby and get another one. It took us one wasted hour getting to his room! He did hear that our room was ready and nearby, but we got our keys after dinner. We never got a text message.
Dinner was at Earl of Sandwich Tavern. I tried an Orange Burst (Jameson Orange, Orange liqueur & orange juice) and the Fish & Chips but switched fries to fruit. I enjoyed all my alcoholic drinks on this trip. Kelli had the Chimichurri Steak Sandwich grilled skirt steak with mayo chimichurri, peppers and onions, queso panela cheese, tortilla strips & chipotle ranch. Mark had the Sesame Ginger Salmon with soy-ginger glaze, cilantro rice and green beans.
The bill was $79 before tip for the two of us.
I checked at the front desk, our room was ready. It was adjacent to Mark's room, This time they did not send me to the wrong elevators. We noticed neither of us got a hotel map from the front desk. We saw later on that people checking in were getting them. Bad show Disney Grand Californian!
Our room was decorated with some Chip and Dale features, The wall paper in the bathroom had hidden Mickey's.
We shopped at both the Acorns Gifts & Goods for milk and cereal, and the GCH Cafe again for water, chocolate croissants and a Mickey ice cream sandwich.
We retired early. We did get a knock on our door from Mousekeeping for turndown service. We got chocolates and a couple of extra towels. Mark did not answer his door so got nothing that first night. More on this later.
Monday, March 10, 2025 - California Adventure
We left our rooms at 6:45 am. Due to construction, the hotel had a new entrance to the California Adventure Park that came out at the Golden Zephyr ride.
We waited 20 minutes for early rope drop. A few Band-tailed Pigeons flew over.
At 7:30 we made our way over to the Pixar Pier for the Incredicoaster. Kelli sat this one out. The coaster was great, with one loop and more intense than any of the coasters at Disney World. We then waited for park opening for Toy Story Midway Mania, Toy Story had a different layout than the Florida ride.
When we exited Pixar Pier on the other end I found a flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds. They are west coast versions of our eastcoast blackbirds.
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Next was The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Near-by we found Nick Wilde from Zootopia,
It was time for Kelli’s favorite ride, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, very similar to Alien Swirling Saucers in Hollywood Studios. I loved Mater’s banter while waiting for the ride especially when he spoke Spanish. Each spin on the ride had a different song.
Next, was WEB SLINGERS – A Spider-man Adventure. Best attraction of the trip. You get to sling your own webs to combat spider-bots that are out of control.
We used Lightning Lane for Radiator Springs Racers. There was a delay in the line, but eventually got on. Kelli said at the end of the ride “That was it?” She thought it would be longer. She also said she was one and done with this one. One look at the picture to see why. She did not like the hills on the ride. It was very similar to Test Track, but a great Cars theme and the up and down hills.
Cars land was one of the best themed areas. Tow Mater came down Route 66 while we looked for a place to eat. We chose Flo's V8 Café. Kelli and I shared Ka-Cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, 1000 Island and caramelized onions and a Ramone's Low and Slow Club - turkey breast, crispy bacon, avocado-bacon mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Mark also had the Ramone's Low and Slow Club. While eating we saw Tow Mater come back out.
Next up was Soarin. It was nice to see the Soarin Over California version again. Mark and I liked the Rambler as we stopped for the restrooms nearby.
Pluto was meeting and greeting people in Grizzly Peak.
In this well treed area we saw some local birds including Bushtit, Swinhoe's White-eye (an introduced bird from eastern China) and Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warblers. And a Western Fence Lizard.
My MagicBand activated the Big Al statue.
We made our way back to the hotel, but ran into the Chefs Cooking with the Jammin’ band with Chip and Dale, Daisey, and Clarabell.
Back in the room for a break we found that Mousekeeping left us a little card with Walts wisdom. We got a different one each day.
We made our way to the pool. A nice touch was complimentary ice water and lemon water available for pool guests. We enjoyed the sunshine, the pool and also hit the hot tub which was great on our achy muscles.
Dinner was at GCH Craftsman Bar Dinner poolside. I started with a Strawberry-Basil Daiquiri. Mark and Kelli split a Margherita Pizza - fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, fire-roasted tomatoes and house cheese blend. I enjoyed a fresh Poke Bowl - raw tuna tossed in ponzu with cucumber, edamame, avocado, crab salad, green onions, radicchio, pickled seaweed, furikake, sriracha aïoli, and calrose rice. Bill was 96.44 before tip.
We made our way back to California Adventure and rode the Golden Zephyr, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind and used a Lightening Lane for Mark and I to get a second ride on the Incredicoaster, but at night. The coaster was a little rougher this time.
Next, we found a spot near the park exit back to the hotel, and waited for the World of Color show. Mark went on a long journey to find churro’s for him and myself. He made it back in time. World of Color was nice, but we don’t have to see this every time. The first few songs were lesser-known ones so that played a part. The tempo and music picked up in the second half of the show.
When we returned to our room, instead of chocolates we found a Sleep Rollerball from the spa from the turn down service. It’s a small tube you rub on to help you calm down and sleep. We ended up with four of these by the end of the trip.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 - Disneyland
Breakfast was milk and cereal, and we left the room at 7 and got in line for Disneyland at 7:20 AM.
They let people in at 7:30 and headed right to bypass the rope drop as we had early entry into the park. We made our way through Sleeping Beauty’s castle and into Fantasy Land. We quickly rode Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the original Dumbo the Flying Elephant. This was followed by Pinocchio’s Daring Journey.
Each car on Mr Toad’s ride had its own name, I rode in Moley, Kelli and Mark road in Batty.
Next was Tomorrowland and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters using a Lightning Lane. We had time before our next LL for Space Mountain, so Mark and I rode Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. I never got to ride the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Magic Kingdom and was thrilled to be able to get on this.
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We all rode the Disneyland Railroad to the top end of Fantasyland. I was surprised by the giant Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World / Dinosaur dioramas.
It was a long wait for the Casey Jr Circus Train and we lucked out not to be in the animal cages. I would have never fit. We got a brief view of a Black Phoebe as we rode.
We did the original Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square followed by shopping in Madame Leotas Somewhere Beyond shop and I purchased a magnetic light-up raven plush that sits on your shoulder. This Haunted Mansion has both a pet and person cemetery.
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Lunch was at the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree in Bayou Country. We first tried to use the Disneyland app to preorder the food, but the quickest pick-up time was over an hour away, so we ordered the old fashion way, by waiting in line.
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Kelli and I shared; the Strawberry Shortcake Lemonade (lemonade, strawberry smoothie with sweet cream and shortbread crumbles toppings & strawberry dust, Smoked Barbecue Combo Platter with pork spareribs, pulled pork, with baked beans, coleslaw, and pickled vegetables (very hot and spicy) and Banana Pudding- bananas, whipped cream, crushed wafer cookies, dulce de leche and toffee for dessert. Mark had the Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich with fries.
We ran across Pluto and Goofy meeting guests.
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The park was getting very crowded at this time, so we retreated to the hotel to rest. But when we came to the top of Main Street, U.S.A we hopped on board one of the Main Street Vehicles, the Horseless Carriage Jitney. First time we ever rode a main street vehicle!
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Back at the hotel I ate my Mickey cupcake, Kelli, a decaf coffee and a snack. We left for dinner at 5 PM and noticed this “Sorting Hat” Traffic Cone on the way.
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We were still tired so hopped on the Disneyland Railroad on Main Street to New Orleans Square for dinner at Café Orleans.
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I started with a Mint Julip with bourbon. Kelli had the kids meal, petite steak, mashed potatoes and green beans. It was perfectly cooked. Mark had Sweet Potato & Lentil Hummus and I the Blackened Shrimp Alfredo Pasta. The shrimp were not blackened but seasoned with Maryland’s Old Bay. I did not mind as I love Old Bay. The cost was $71 before tip.
We waited in the long line for Pirates of the Caribbean. This line snaked its way back and forth in a very crowded area.
Next Mark and I rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I fit well in this boat. Most of the best animatronics were at the very end of the ride. It seemed a little sparse in the beginning.
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Mark and I then rode Indiana Jones Adventure. Our last attraction was the original Walt Disney Enchanted Tiki Room. On our way out I noticed these great window displays at the beginning of Main Street.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025- California Adventure
We got up a little later since we spent 20 minutes waiting for rope drop in California Adventure on Monday and met Mark in the lobby at 7:15 AM. This later start resulted in a much longer line to get through security.
By the time we entered the park, early entry rope drop already occurred and we made our way to the Avengers Campus. We passed the regular rope drop being held back on the way in.
We flung our spider webs at the spider robots for the second time on WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. I had the second highest score of the day so far with 8309000. After we exited, we saw these cool spider robots for sale.
On our way to Hollywood Land we saw the sea of people running from the regular rope drop. We had to fight our way upstream. It eased when we reached the hub near the park entrance. Hollywood Land was empty and we quickly rode Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
We could see the, closed for refurbishment, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
We all noticed the nod to Stan Lee of Marvel Comics with Stan’s Heroes NY Deli.
We made our way back to the hub and noticed an unknown character with a “dog” and took pictures with the Mickey and Walt Disney statue.
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Since we paid for our trip with a Disney Visa card, we received both a collectible pin and lanyard and a Disney reward insulated cooler at Julius Katz & Sons shop on Buena Vista Street.
We missed the 9 am Turtle Talk with Crush so we waited inside the Disney Animation pavilion for the 9:30 show. The pavilion had projections on the wall and featured songs from Disney animated movies. After talking to Crush we did the Animation Academy and drew Stitch. One noted fact was that the same animator who drew Stitch left the company and worked on Dreamwork’s “How to Train Your Dragon” and our teacher pointed out the similarities to Stitch and Toothless the Night Fury.
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Mark and I made Lighting Lanes for Soarin at the same time. But when we arrived his said it was an hour and a half later than ours. This is where Disneyland sucks. In DisneyWorld you can group your party reservations together and make unified Lighting Lanes for all. Mark sat this out as we went on.
We were hungry when we came out and Kelli and I wanted to backtrack to Hollywood Land for this food truck. Mark readily agreed and found him on our way there.
The St. Crox Central High School Wind Ensemble (from Wisconsin) was playing in the outdoor theater.
The food truck was called Studio Catering Co.
Kelli and Mark had the Salsa Verde Chicharrón Tacos - pork belly chicharrón tossed in warm salsa verde, topped with salsa macha and pickled onions. I had the Thai-inspired Burrito - chicken satay, pad Thai noodles, peanut sauce, pineapple fried rice and chile crisp. This might be my favorite quick service meal of the trip.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic was next. This theater is less inclined than the one at DisneyWorld, so shorter viewers may have a harder time seeing the show.
Mark told us how he liked San Fransokyo Square (from the movie "Big Hero 6") when he was searching for churros the other evening. We headed over there and Kelli and I shared and enjoyed a Magical Hot Fudge Sundae with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and dipped waffle ears at Ghirardelli’s Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop. Mark had Nob Hill Chill milkshake - vanilla ice cream blended with milk, ice, handmade hot fudge and topped with mini dark chocolate chips.
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We headed out to rest again. Kelli and I later went to the World of Disney to do some shopping.
Dinner was at the Storytellers Café buffet at the hotel. It had temporarily relocated to the Trillium Room. Selection was slightly reduced but the food was very well prepared, but nothing special, basically what you would find at a good hotel wedding buffet stations. There was a selection of fruit, (watermelon, pineapple, blueberries etc), three salads (mixed greens, marinated beet, and kale & quinoa salads), cocktail shrimp, rolls and butter, garlic mashed potatoes, tortellini with pesto cream sauce, sauteed vegetables, carved turkey and salmon. And six different desserts like fruit tarts, brownies, oatmeal cookies, chocolate mousse parfaits, berries and cream, and cake pops. $58 buffet per person, DVC discount saved a total of $17.40 for three people, $169 before tip.
We headed back to California Adventure. A piano player played in the hotel lobby as we passed by.
I made Lighting lanes for Mark and me to ride Goofy's Sky School coaster for later in the evening. Mark and I rode Jumpin’ Jellyfish. While waiting in line, the ride broke down and we had to wait for maintenance to arrive. We eventually got on the second tower that was working.
Mark told us that San Fransokyo Square and Radiator Springs looked great at night all lit up, so we visited both parts and took lots of pictures. Lighting McQueen made an appearance on Route 66. Mark and I rode Goofy's Sky School and all three of us called it a night.
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We shopped at Acorns Gifts & Goods for milk and cereal and Mark got some bags of flavored popcorn for his family.
Back in the room we discovered a nice Thank You card from Mousekeeping. We tried to see the World of Color from our balcony, but did not see much except for the big fireball. Kelli tracked the smoke from this as it drifted over the hotel.
Thursday, March 13, 2025 - Disneyland
We woke up to a light rain that was on and off for most of the morning.
We did early entry for Disneyland again. Due to the rain, Alice in Wonderland in Fantasyland was still not running so we never got on this ride. Mickey’s Toontown was not open for early entry, so we rode Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster before heading back to Toontown.
This area is well themed, and we used the standby line to ride Mickey’s and Minnie's Runaway Railway and made a lighting lane for later.
Next was Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Outside, there were a few interactive features. One where you pull up and then down on a dynamite plunger and there’s an explosion up above you. A mailbox talks when you try and open it up. Secretly, I was hoping to run into Jessica Rabbit.
We walked through Mickey’s and Minnie’s Houses. It was raining hard but managed to run back over to ride Mickey’s and Minnie's Runaway Railway again.
The next lighting lane was for Star Tours – The Adventure Continues, but we had some time. We hopped on the Disneyland Monorail which took us to the far end of Downtown Disney and near the Disneyland Hotel. We stayed on and rode it back. On this return voyage it winds its way through Disneyland before returning to the station we originally got on.
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Kelli braved Star Tours – The Adventure Continues with Mark and me. This version featured the Wookie planet, Kashyyyk, Ahsoka Tano as the hologram, and the planet Seatos where we fought along with Ahsoka Tano, then entering hyperspace returning to the Star Tours terminal to make a haphazard landing.
All three of us decide to try driving the cars in Autopia, each having their own car. All three of us enjoyed this. I was happy to somehow fit in the vehicle, though I had to reach over to the other side for the steering wheel. It was unexpected fun for all of us.
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We saw Rapunzel and Flynn Rider aka Eugene.
We waited in line for the Storybook Land Canal Boats. The miniature villages had incredible details. We spotted a couple of Black Phoebes once again.
Mark and I used a lighting lane to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Unfortunately I could not fit due to my hip and had to bow out. Mark did enjoy the ride.
For lunch we took the Disneyland Monorail to downtown to Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs.
Kelli had a Pickle dog, Mark and I a regular Corn Dog.
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While eating, now in the sunshine, I noticed some birds close to us and managed some great photos of Yellow-rumped Warblers and an unexpected Orange-crowned Warbler.
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In the Star Wars Outpost, I had to get a Star Wars Puffer Pig. It kind of snorts when squeezed.
We stopped at both Acorns Gifts & Goods and the CGH Grill. In Gifts we made sure we had milk for our last breakfast. I broke down and got a Chip and Dale pin I had been eying the past few days. In the Grill, we bought snacks for the plane ride home tomorrow. We got a few chocolate croissants, and the delicious blueberry scones. I also grabbed a Chia Coconut Parfait for dessert back in the room. Kelli had coffee and a scone as well.
We all hit the hot tub and got some sun in the afternoon. I also called the limo service to make sure they had my cell phone number and checked in for our flight home.
When we headed back to Disneyland there were huge lines to get back in. California Adventure closed early for a cast member event. It was getting colder and windier.
To save time and energy we took the Jitney up Main Street, then walked to New Orleans Square to the Blue Bayou. This was my favorite restaurant. They sat us next to the water where the Pirates of the Caribbean boats go by.
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I had a Hurricane along with a delicious Fig and Prosciutto Salad with winter greens, Manchego cheese and candied pistachios with herbed vinaigrette and the Market Fish, which was Striped Bass with pigeon peas & wilted greens rice, peanut habanero, herb salad and coconut lime Beurre Blanc. Kelli had the Rosemary & Sea Salt Brioche - butter and berry jam and was allowed to order off the kids menu and did the “create your own” meal. She chose prime rib, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Mark had the Pistachio Lemon Basil Pasta with leeks, spinach and cherry tomatoes in pistachio-basil pesto. Our waitress talked us into sharing a Key Lime Pie.
Mark wanted to explore the Adventureland Tree house. Kelli and I were too tired to climb all those stairs so happily waited for him. When he came out, he invited us back into the ground floor where we met Jane, an animatronic Ostrich.
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The park was packed, and the weather was cold and windy. We had lighting lanes for Big Thunder Mountain but all three agreed to call it a night. I am glad we did, I was cold walking back to the hotel
We finished packing. I helped Mark pack his popcorn by using my backpack as he had run out of room.
Friday, March 14, 2025 - Homeward bound
The limo driver from Karmel Connect was there before 7:30 and we had no traffic to LAX. That really surprised me. Our plane “A Mints Summer Night’s Dream” and our seats were the same as we flew out. Jet Blue flight B6724 took off at 11:05 AM and landed just before 7 PM. Our flight was just less than 5 hours! Rich, our brother-in-law picked us up and had no issues getting us home.
It was great to finally get to Disneyland after 30 trips to Walt Disney World. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other. Both have their pluses and minuses. Best to say they are just a different experience. Some rides were better or longer, some people like that everything is next to each other with less walking, but I did feel that California Adventure looked and felt like an amusement park, much like the old Dinoland in Animal Kingdom. Cars Land was so well done, it did give me that escape from reality fun.
We never got to Star Wars Galaxy Edge, but it seems very similar to the one in Hollywood Studios..
As for lighting lanes, Disneyland needs to upgrade to the same system as DisneyWorld, where a group can make group LL’s and not have issues when done individually.
Thanks for reading.
Michael and Kelli
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