On November 28, 2019 we started driving towards Disneyland for my first ever visit to the park. My girlfriend Melissa, who lives in California, invited me along to their annual visit to the park. I was informed that this would be an all expenses paid trip for me. Something I was not expecting, but was very much appreciated, as the experience I had was truly magical.
We had left earlier than intended by one day, because weather in the pass (the Grapevine) was horrible due to a storm coming in off the Pacific Ocean. This resulted in the pass being closed, and it was decided to take the coastal route south from the Bay Area. The drive was LONG, but eventually we arrived at a Motel 6 to spend the night before heading on to the resort the next day.
We tried to find a place to have a thanksgiving dinner, but because of the time of night, most places had closed early because it was thanksgiving. After a few disappointments, we wound up at an IHOP, and had a serviceable dinner of turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes.
The food would get a lot better by the time the trip was done.
The first day in the park was a brief exposure of what to expect. We checked in to the Disney Grand Californian. A 2 bedroom (king size beds), 2 bathroom suite with a view of the inner courtyard where the pools were. The showers had a rain head, and a handheld head. It was quite nice.
We didn’t have a lot of things planned for the first day, because originally it was a travel day. We started with Soarin’ around the World. And then we stood in line for the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout for 2 hours, and also did Mater’s Jingle Jamboree. Then finished at The Void: Avengers: Damage Control.
I grew up not liking rides. Kind of sad given that I live near an amusement park as it is. Soarin’ around the World was a bit of a shock to my system, the feeling of flying over the world is quite real, but eventually I got used to it. The Mission Breakout was a whole different thing. It was a ride that featured random big drops, fast vertical gain, loud noises, and mostly in the dark. And I absolutely LOVED it. I feel like I’ve let myself down for all these years by not giving rides a chance. But then, my life pre-transition is a rife with examples of this.
Mater’s Jingle Jamboree was just a spinning type ride, nothing extreme. More for younger people, but we didn’t have a lot of time, and wait times were long that night, plus we had to get to the VR place in time.
The Void VR experience is worth it if you ever get a chance to do it. We did the Marvel one as opposed to the Star Wars one (which the rest of the party had already done). The gist of the game is you have a mix of Stark and Wakanda technology in a new suit, and you have to fight off an attack by Ultron. I did alright considering it was my first time. My accuracy was around 45%, and I think I had the highest score in our group.
Dinner was at the Jazz Kitchen, and I had blackened chicken Mac and Cheese. Which was pretty good, but not as spicy as I thought it would be. Also had a very strong Irish coffee, and the chocolate bread pudding dessert.
The bed at the hotel was quite comfortable to sleep on. I was worried that it may have been too soft, but no, it was great.
Breakfast was the storyteller character breakfast in the resort. And then we got the best day for rides ever. At a cost. My group had booked a VIP tour. This is not a cheap endeavour, but if you have the money, it makes doing the rides so much better. I think the most we waiting at any ride was 10 minutes.
We did 16 rides (14 unique ones) in 7 hours that day.
- Star Tours x 2
- Hyperspace Mountain (a favourite) x 2
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- It’s a Small World
- Alice in Wonderland
- Peter Pan
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Finding Nemo
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Matterhorn
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Haunted Mansion
- Jungle Cruise
- Smuggler’s Run (Millennium Falcon)
Our tour guide was a cute, and somewhat dorky (in a good way) guy named Alex. He is allowed to go on rides with the groups, and he did go on most of them with us. Plus, he pointed out a few hidden Mickeys and a couple other things that my group hadn’t noticed before.
Dinner that night and the next, was at the Blue Bayou. We went to Fantasmic the first of those nights. Which was really good, but also a bit cold, and uncomfortable. They force you to sit (when you are in the very front reserved areas like we were), and no longer give out cushions to sit on.
The dinners were good, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was really cool. The 2nd night we sat right on the water’s edge, and could see the boats for the Pirates ride, going by as we ate.
The next dinner was at the Wine Country Trattoria, followed by reserved seating at World of Colour. Dinner was really good, but nothing overly fancy. Just spaghetti and meatballs. World of Colour was pretty great. It was the Christmas theme, so not the same as the rest of the year.
The days were spent going on a few more rides, and we had 1 afternoon at Galaxy’s Edge. That was the most immersive time in the park. You really feel a part of the Star Wars universe there. There are many cast members going around in character, and it just seems “more” than the other parts of Disney. Kylo Ren, stormtroopers, imperial officers, Wookiees, rebel spies, etc… are all seen. I was interrogated by a stormtrooper, which was very cool. There are interactive elements of the land that work with a Disney App on your mobile device. Which make waits in lines more bearable. Although, we found that the line sometimes moves TOO fast for the game. Lol.
We got to build custom lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop, which was, again, very immersive. The cast members stay in character the entire visit, and they really seem to enjoy what they are doing, and are very engaged. The atmosphere is very much Star Wars. Right down to having Master Yoda make a bit of an appearance (not in physical form, just voice).
I made a purple, peace and justice lightsaber. So, a cross between Mace Windu‘s and Luke Skywalker’s. I also bought 2 more kyber crystals to change the colour of my saber (gold and green). The weight of the lightsaber is impressive. I think $200 USD for the experience and the souvenir is worth it. We didn’t do the droid factory, but will probably do that next year.
The final dinner was, quite simply, the best meal I’ve ever had. And also, the most expensive. I have never done a 5 course meal where the chef just makes up the menu for you after asking you some questions about preference and allergies, etc…
3 of us went for dinner that night at Napa Rose. We all got the wine pairing with the food. And we all were very impressed with the meal. My 5 course meal started with an amuse bouche, but I unfortunately don’t remember what all was in it. It was fruity, with pomegranate, blood orange, persimmon, and I think it had a light cheese mousse as well.
Next was a fish starter. Ono fish (also known as Wahoo) with a steamed mussel, and some tiny squash pieces. Before this meal, sablefish was my favourite fish. That has now changed. Ono is remarkably tasty. If you ever get a chance to try it, please do.
Next was the salad course, and I got a beet salad with rocket greens, which was light and refreshing. Needed because the next couple courses were heavier.
Following the salad was a Wagyu beef stew. I have never had Wagyu beef before. It literally melted in my mouth. If beef could ever be described as buttery, it would be this type of beef. I should point out that the wine pairings had been white and rose up to this point, this was paired with a beautiful red that matched so perfectly.
The main course for my meal was a medium-rare bison filet, with some brussel sprouts and puréed potatoes.
Finally dessert was a chocolate cake with blood orange pieces and sorbet, paired with a port.
I can’t emphasize enough just how good the pairings were, and how well everything went together. My mouth starts watering just thinking about it.
In closing, I have 100% thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to Disneyland. I have 2 favourite rides – Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission breakout, and Hysperspace Mountain. I do want to do the Incredicoaster again, I did it once, and don’t feel I enjoyed it as much as I would on subsequent times. The fact it has a full loop in it had me a bit worried, and when I actually did the loop, the G forces kept my head pointed down, so I didn’t really see anything during the loop. I will fix that next time. 🙂