Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Winter Holidays at Disneyland

It's been a while.  Since my last post, we've taken 2 more trips to Disneyland, one overnight right before Thanksgiving and one day-trip in mid-December.  Our passes expired and it will be nearly 2 more years before we get another.  In 2018, I've got a few major trips to Santa Cruz/Monterey, Legoland California, and a trip to New York City to see Harry Potter on Broadway without the kids.  In the meantime, here's my final report for the year:

In November, we took a 2-day trip to Disneyland to see the holiday decorations.  We stayed at the Homewood Suites across the street from the convention center.  It is literally right next door to the Toy Story lot and it's easy to walk to the lot then take a bus.  Disneyland is within walking distance, but it's a long walk and hard enough on adults, let alone children, after a full day of walking. 

Homewood Suites was a good value.  It was much cheaper than closer hotels with similar suite offerings.  I appreciated the bunk beds with trundle, king sized bed, and kitchen/living room in the family suite.  There was plenty of room for 5 of us and we could have easily fit 1 or 2 more people with us.  Breakfast was free as an added bonus, something you don't see much in the hotels closer to Disneyland.  My only complaint about the hotel was the beds.  They were squeaky and much firmer than I would have preferred.  The pillows on the beds likewise were too soft and provided very little support.  Otherwise, it's a great location.  There's a Denny's one block away, which was perfect for ordering food to go and taking it back to the hotel.







Our November and December trips were very similar, so I'll group all the pictures together.  My favorite holiday highlights were It's a Small World, the parade, and the Mickey garland, which is finally back up on Main Street.  (Word to the wise--if you want to visit for the holidays, consider coming before Christmas.  The days directly after Christmas hit capacity often).



















Saturday, October 7, 2017

October at Disneyland

We went to Disneyland on a day-trip today to experience the Halloween magic and to celebrate Gay Days with my mom.  Years ago, gay people had to hide for fear of public humiliation, beatings, and other atrocities.  Gay Days is such an amazing event because it gives people who don't fit the standard "straight" orientation.  It was great this year to see not only the community, but more families taking part in this special event.  Gay Days happens at Disneyland Resort the first weekend in October every year.  If you or a family member do not identify as "straight", it's a wonderful opportunity to come out and see thousands of your closest friends at the Happiest Place on Earth.  Disneyland does a wonderful job of making every guest feel welcomed and even has some special merchandise items.


Halloween/Fall at Disneyland is one of the best times to go...well, aside from the crowds of people who know just how fun it is.  This year, they've expanded to California Adventure as well and there's tons to see.
















I think my favorite part of the day though was going on the Disneyland Railroad for the first time since it re-opened this past summer.  I won't lie.  My mom and I spent a bit of time talking about how exciting the left turn is.  If you're not a super-Disney fan, just ignore, but it was really fun to experience a left on the railroad.  And it was so subtle I almost missed it!  The rock work and waterfall are beautiful and very well-done, even if some teenagers from England were saying it looked artificial.  Of course it looks artificial.  It's part of the charm.  I've included a few pictures from Big Thunder Trail and the future entrance to Star Wars:  Galaxy's Edge, too.