MY RETIREMENT TRIP TO DISNEYLAND ...Again!

 

The Trip Plan

After I retired in 2015, we celebrated with a week-long trip to So. Cal. which included 5 nights at the Grand Californian. Things went awry as the missus and I got pretty sick and had to miss out on much of the festivities, and pretty much just "soldier through" the rest.  We wanted to have a do-over and planned this trip as our "re-do" of my 2015 retirement trip.  We had not been back to Disneyland since that trip, so after nearly 3 years, we were more than ready!

Operation: Disneyland Retirement Trip 2.0

The crew was my wife and I, Daughter, Son-in-Law, and our 2 Granddaughters. Same as the trip in 2015, only the girls were a little older, and we (hopefully) would not catch any traveling bugs this time!

We decided to fly into LAX, rent a vehicle, and stay 2 nights in Irvine, CA.  We would hit Knotts Berry Farm (which I consider Disneyland Resort's "3rd Gate"), and then head over to Anaheim for 5 nights at the Grand Cal with 5 "park days" to enjoy.

Knotts Berry Farm

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE Knotts! Since moving away from Southern California to New Mexico, I have always considered it as the 3rd park to visit on any Disneyland trip. Does the park really compare with the Disney parks? Probably not. But for pure nostalgia, there is something about Knotts that any So. Cal. native will feel deep in their heart. One thing that should not be missed is a dinner at Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner House.

The fried chicken is good, but the sides and biscuits are GREAT!

The girls are READY for Chicken Dinner!

The park itself has really changed over the years since I was a youngster.

The ol' Chuck Wagon remains at Ghost Town Grill!

Roller Coaster fever took over the park in the 1990s & 2000's and it has lost a bit of its original old west feeling, but thankfully, they have kept the "Ghost Town" section of the park pretty much intact, and that's the highlight of the place for this ol' sentimental park goer. The Calico Mine Train and Log Ride are classics of the park which remain. If you like roller coasters, they've got something for everyone from mild to wild, and camp snoopy will test the patience of parents, but delight the little ones!

Hard to believe: HER MOM used to ride this one! (Huf-n-Puff at Knotts)

Before you accuse me of heresy for calling Knotts my "3rd Disney Gate", just hear me out.  Walter Knott and Walt Disney were actually friends, and Walt spent much time at Knotts "scouting" for ideas that could be translated to Disneyland. I can't help but feel a slight connection between the two when I'm there.

On to Disneyland!
We had a great time checking out Orange County, doing Knotts, and even hitting our old Southern California favorite - In-n-Out Burgers!  We packed up and headed over to Disneyland for 5 nights at the Grand Californian Hotel.

Ready for 5 nights at "The Grand Cal"!

We set up camp with 2 DVC studio rooms, and hit Disneyland while we waited for our rooms to be ready for us. Our Daughter really stepped up and did most of the "trip planning" for us on this adventure. She did an awesome job, and this time, the trip really ran smooth. I can't think of anything that we missed, and it all really fell into place nicely. A memorable trip for sure!

Pixar Fest in full swing  

We didn't plan it that way, but without knowing it when we planned our return trip to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, we stumbled right into Pixar fest! It was nice having a special event going on while we stayed on property for those 5 nights. Pixar was everywhere! We LOVED it! Special treats were enjoyed and that little extra touch was so much fun.

DCA is changing (again)!

 Disney California Adventure park is going through some pretty big changes over in the old Paradise Pier section. The park's premiere Coaster ride - California Screamin' is changing over to the Incredicosaster themed off of the incredibles movies. Much of that section was walled off, but some great things are in store for future visits to DCA for sure! 

Guardians of the Galaxy was a massive HIT with our whole group!

This park has gone from the "ugly step-sister" to a premiere park to visit.  Cars Land was one of the most amazing additions to any park, The change from Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy: Breakout seems to be a big hit, and was FOR SURE with my oldest Grandaughter who probably rode it 6 times on this trip!

   Of course Radiator Springs Racers still seems to be the favorite ride in the park, after all, it is one of the most amazing rides ever created!

   The old favorites remain, but I hear that Bugs Land is on the "chopping block" so our girls got to enjoy at least one more visit to that simple-but-wonderful spot for little ones.

Paint the Night Parade

We didn't plan it out, but we stumbled on to a GREAT little spot to see the Paint the Night Parade at DCA. World of Color is down during the work on Pixar Pier, so Paint the Night is the big night-time event for the park, and it is SPECTACULAR!  Personally, I usually don't care either way if I see, or miss a parade, but I have to admit, after seeing this night time spectacular, it made the trip feel "complete".

      

A Special Lunch & Dinner

One of the hilights this time around was a return trip to Carthay Circle Restaurant at DCA. Last trip in 2015, My wife took me for lunch to Carthay. It was our first time there, and we were impressed, but... neither of us was feeling too well that trip, and it took much of the magic out of our lunch date.

The atmosphere in this place is unequaled in any Disney Park

This time, we were feeling well, and were able to enjoy a most amazing meal. Atmosphere, service, food, everything was A+ for us. We met a gentleman who seemed to be a huge Disney fan, so I gave him a copy of my book (Disney Tale of the Tape) and he had me sign it for him, as he gave me some tidbits about Carthay Circle and Disneyland. HE should write a Disney book!

   Then it was our Daughter and Son-in-Law's turn to go to Carthay Circle for their first time. They gave it rave reviews and seemed to put it at or near the top of their favorite Disney eateries.  It is easy to see why, the place is amazing, and if you are a fan of Walt Disney's life story, there is nothing like it!

A special dinner date for a wonderful couple

Trip 2.0 was a success!
I could go on-and-on about the wonderful time we had. The Rides, the meals, the sights, the fun. So many great memories to look back on. As Hanibal Smith used to say on the TV Show - The A-Team... "I love it when a plan comes together!"

A few pictures:

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