The last place we visited was Disneyland Anaheim situated in Los Angeles. Since the park is divided into two parts, Disneyland park california, we decided to dedicate one day for each part.
Disneyland in California is in fact the third Disneyland that I have visited after Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Tokyo and I always enjoyed it. Disney has never been about the rides for me, but the fairy tale setting and the characters that I grew up with. Especially Disneyland in Japan was a great experience, with great attractions, headbands, and looking for weird popcorn tastes with our popcorn bucket 🙂
Because we had high expectations of getting the same thrill as before, we were let down, although we liked the park and got excited in the new Star Wars zone — the rides there were great! (more about them later)
However, our experience was not that smooth as many of the rides in the park malfunctioned and this was my first time to encounter such a situation in an amusement park. From the reviews that we read later, such incidences are not rare at all, or so it seems.
Although being evacuated from Space Mountain in the middle of the ride and receiving a behind-the-scenes view was initially exciting, the thrill dissipated when the same thing happened at the next attraction we visited, Star Wars: New Dawn. We were compensated for it by getting a fast pass though.
This was especially frustrating for those who had queued for two hours only to be told to go away with no consolation for the lost time. These were not single incidences of attraction breakdowns as we experienced three more attraction breakdowns while waiting in the line for them (no fast pass as we were not on the ride at the time the fast pass was issued to us), in addition to the ones that had broken down before we got to them, and had to change our position and actually missed some of them in the process.
However, each breakdown also reset the waiting times and if one was lucky, one could join a ride with a short waiting time once it had been diagnosed and repaired.
We also realized that a company could hire a Disneyland for a party. Yey… On the second day, when we left the park for lunch, we saw signs that stated that California Adventure Park would be closing two hours earlier than the app had stated because of a private party by a radio station. First, we thought that we would be able to walk around, take photos, have a snack, and buy some souvenirs even though we would not be able to ride the facilities.
Unfortunately, we were mistaken. As soon as the private party began, not only were we excluded from being able to go on the rides or observe the night show but we could not even walk through the park.
Some employees were closing different sections of the park and guiding those who did not wear the correct bracelet to the exit — this left a bitter aftertaste.
We had bought our tickets three months prior to the date at a full price and we felt like we were being thrown out. I later realized that the park would be closed to the public almost every other day for the next two months because of such events. We considered ourselves lucky that the park closed at 8 in the evening on that day, although on other days it could close at 6 in the evening.
Tips
Book tickets in advance (up to 4 months in advance). You are required to state the park and the day you wish to visit. Please remember that the tickets availability may be different.
Avoid weekends and holidays. Monday is usually crowded while Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are comparatively less crowded.
Download the app. First, it will inform you of the length of the lines and you will be able to tell when the ride has stopped and when it is operational again. It will enable you to identify other lines that are shorter.
You can also use Disney Genie + and Mobile Ordering with the help of the app. Arrive at the entrance before the opening time and go to the most important sites first.
Use single-rider lanes. The waiting times are crazy even if you get lucky enough to get a lightning pass (fast pass).
Do not wait until the last moment to take the rides you wish to take. Due to the fact that the rides often break down, there is a chance that you might not get a chance to ride them.
Visit children friendly places in the evening. Most kids are tired by then, and you will cut down the waiting time from 1–2 hours to 5–10 minutes.
Bring a battery pack.
You will frequently visit the app, especially if you got a Ginie+ (as explained later) or if you want to know when the ride is up and running again, and the line is not formed yet.
Disneyland Park
If you have only one day and can only visit one park without having a Park Hopper ticket, then it is recommended to go to Disneyland Park. While Paris and Japan have their resorts, Disneyland part is more for the younger generation with the rides, parades, and characters around, while Walt Disney Studios Park/ DisneySea is for the thrill seekers, Disneyland Park in Anaheim is a blend of both. Also, it includes some of the most outstanding attractions that one can find within the park.
So what is there to do? First of all, let me mention the new (2019) Star Wars section that we got hooked on and which took most of our time.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
As soon as we stepped into the land, we were instantly in a galaxy somewhere out of this world. The theming was fantastic, the sound effects, the buildings, the props, and the ships were all very well done. My boyfriend saw an actual size Millennium Falcon on one of the plazas and he became as excited as a 5-year-old kid.
We strolled around the place, took thousands of photos, and visited the bazaar with trinkets. There were many small and specialized stores and stalls, offering everything from droids to lightsabers, the best part of which was that they could be made to order.
The Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run Ride
Next to The Millennium Falcon, we found The Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run Ride. The ride is a smuggling run for the Resistance, and you can steer the Millennium Falcon with up to six people.
Two operate it, two shoot at the enemies with the help of blasting guns, and two repair it as soon as possible. It was a fun ride and I enjoyed the ability to be the captain of the famous starship. As far as the rest of our crew is concerned, we outlasted their previous teammates by a long shot!
Travel experiences encompass unforgettable adventures, cultural immersion
Oga’s Cantina
Since we got there around lunch time, we did not have a clear idea of where to eat, but we saw Oga’s Cantina and thought let’s try it out. As soon as we stepped in we were in a different world with low lightings, creatures that we cannot identify, and a lot of activities.
To get a table, one had to go to the reception and give your name to the staff member who would then tell you the estimated time you would be attended to. We were then placed in a virtual queue and free to explore the rest of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge until the notification appeared on the screen.
At the end of the visit, we went back to the staff and they guided us back to the interior of the Cantina. The inside was filled with futuristic technology and Star Wars motifs, and the food and beverages included such things as blue milk, which we, of course, ordered. Fortunately, we managed to get a table close to the DJ who continued the space theme with his music.
California Adventure Park
The second day was dedicated to the California Adventure Park which has several unique rides. But we discovered that most of the ‘cool’ rides were having a waiting time of more than two hours and there were not many other rides. Honestly, we got tired and wished we had bought the Park
Hopper tickets so that we could go back to Disneyland. We even decided to take a 1. 5 hour nap break at home. We were also disappointed to be chased out of the park early hence missing the night show that we had planned to watch later. As for California Adventure Park, it was quite all right, but we did not think it was worth the long hours of waiting for the attractions at the price that was charged.
If you ever find yourself in the area, there are still a couple of fun rides you might want to take.
The Benefits of traveling encompass broadening perspectives, fostering personal growth, promoting cultural understanding.
