I hadn't been to Disneyland in 9 years. My friend Heather had been talking about wanting to go. This summer, we decided to do it.
Part 1: Welcome Back To The Happiest Place On Earth!
Nooo. Not creepy at all.
So before the trip I read the entirety of The Unofficial Guide To Disneyland, 2019, which had the misfortune of knowing virtually nothing about Star Wars Land, but it did give some good tips about ride popularity and all the best foods. Heather and I also made lists of rides we wanted to go on, ones we were ambivalent about, and ones we were adamantly against. Heather spent some time on Pinterest, gathering info. about the delicious goodies that could be found around the park.
We set off on August 27, taking an early flight....
After arriving at the John Wayne Airport, we took an Uber to the park, and stowed our stuff in a locker in the area between the two parks. We managed to cram all our stuff in the biggest of the two lockers in that section. (Later, I realized there were even larger lockers just next door, in the picnic area. Good to know for next time.)
Finally, unburdened by any luggage, we headed for the gates of Disneyland...
We'd been in the park about fifteen seconds when I dragged Heather onto one of those main street vehicles... a bus, I think. Oh, I do love me an exciting ride!
The bus let us off at the Disneyland hub. From there, we moved onward to Adventureland...
We procured Dole Whip, one of Disneyland's finest culinary delights.
We proceeded to Critter Country, where we rode Splash Mountain...
... and I decided that I'm not riding that thing again until they add seatbelts.
We went on the Winnie The Pooh ride...
Then hit up a gift shop...
I got pins!
We rode Pirates Of The Caribbean...
The ride came to a 10-minute halt right at the part where a pirate was shooting at us. It was an unfortunate place to stop.
After escaping from the pirates, we headed for the new land, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge...
We joined the single rider queue for the land's (currently) one ride: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run.
It's basically a simulation ride in which the six riders have various jobs. My job was to push a lot of buttons.
In order to push the correct buttons, I had to regularly take my eyes off the screen.
So I really had no idea what was going on.
Next, we headed to Oga's Cantina...
We had a reservation, so we got space in one of the booths. It was very crowded.
We got some crazy drinks.
Afterward, Heather wanted to try the blue and green milks.
After trying them both, she let me finish off the green one...
Next we visited Tom Sawyer's Island...
We spent half our time looking for Disneyland cats, but saw none, only ducks...
We kept encountering this band of pirates...
By now it was mid-afternoon. Heather remained in the park while I went to check in to our hotel. Getting there proved to be a bit of a challenge, but eventually I made it. (We stayed at the Travelodge Inns & Suites on Ball Rd., north of the park. The rooms were nice and so was the price; the location was just a little too far for my taste.)
On the way to the hotel I passed the some of the "scenery" of Galaxy's Edge.
That evening, I returned to the park. I cut my hotel-to-park journey time in half by taking the Mickey & Friends tram partway...
Back at the park...
Heather and I met up again and rode the Indiana Jones ride...
Why, I always dress specifically for the ride I'm planning to ride!
Next we hopped on the Disneyland Railroad at New Orleans Square and rode it over to Fantasyland, where we got to experience It's A Small World at night...
Does the nighttime atmosphere make the ride even creepier? You decide...
Up next: The Main Street Electrical Parade, which was a limited event this summer. Of course, I'd seen the show many years ago -- and I remember when they supposedly took all the floats apart, because they said they were selling the mini bulbs from it, and I bought one. Uh huh. SURE you dismantled the floats!
Oh well. The parade is still a fun nostalgic trip!
Next we rode the Storyland Canal Boats, which aren't particularly impressive in the dark...
There are a few extra light effects, but besides that you can't see much.
Back on Main Street, we got a late meal. This tomato basil soup and cheese sandwich from the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe were delicious!
So our first day at Disneyland was a success. I liked using the Disneyland app for the first time. It allowed us to order food and have it waiting when we were ready. We used it to see what the wait times were on the rides. And we also purchased the MaxPass, which allowed us to make FastPass reservations via the app and also get free access to any photos taken by Disney photographers throughout the parks, including photos taken on rides such as Splash Mountain.
All in all, a great first day.
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