The TCD Gang Goes to Disneyland!

[dvccamper 32]

If there's valium in the water then it's not surprising they need a CM to walk in front of the horse wagon to tell people to get out of the way.  It's a wonder those Californians can function at all.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

The proximity of your hotel to the parks is amazing!  

 

I'm wondering if the Plaza's chicken is as good as GAG.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

For your next visit to Disneyland, you should get "nice tiny castle" T-shirts made.

 

I wouldn't dare.   California people are VERY sensitive about their little castle.  It is important to not mention it. 

 

 

You've had an impressive morning already.

I don't think The Plaza at the World has fried chicken. It does have steak fries, however.

 

If the Plaza at the MK had fried chicken, I assure you that I would have eaten there many times.

 

I know they still have steak fries, and those are near and dear to me too.  But not as near and dear as fried chicken.

 

2 minutes?! Holy Guacamole!

 

Yes, 2 minutes.

 

The park is literally right outside the door of the hotel.

 

I wish my daughter had gotten a picture of me following the purple crayon path TCD drew for me as I made my way from the Contemporary boat dock to the gates of MK for EMH.  The best part was the people all following me because I had a map and must know where I was going!  LOL

 

I think I am getting credit for someone else's work. I remember that Carol drew a nice purple crayon work showing that route in this thread: http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/13734-boat-to-magic-kingdom/?p=392447

 

I suspect that may be the drawing you used.

If there's valium in the water then it's not surprising they need a CM to walk in front of the horse wagon to tell people to get out of the way. It's a wonder those Californians can function at all.

LOL. Good point. These people are so laid back, they don't know how to rush around and pack in a full day of fun like we do at WDW. Who wants to relax when they're on vacation?

 

The proximity of your hotel to the parks is amazing!  

 

I'm wondering if the Plaza's chicken is as good as GAG.

 

Yes, the proximity is amazing.  But so is the price.

 

I wondered the same thing about the Plaza's fried chicken.  I'll give you my answer in the next update.

 

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Great update but I'm waiting for the candy cane.

Disneyland been there done that. Lol

Fried chicken is almost as good as BACON! Tell me more about the chicken!

If you ever come to oklahoma I'll take you to Eischen's Bar. It's the oldest bar in Oklahoma and they have the fried chicken period.

[Beckers 1,136]

Well, pooey. Double cliff hanger, candy canes and fried chicken!

[Heidi-meetsTCD@TSM 5]

I am back from our Disney trip and trying to get caught up! Haven't yet, but figured that I would make a couple comments, then go back to reading!

 

We REALLY liked the World of Color show! We saw it in August 2012 and I cant remember what section we were in now. I ended up buying the meals and getting the "priority" viewing location. I felt like we had a good view and could see everything. If we didn't, I guess we are just easy to please as we loved it!! LOL!!!

 

It was funny to hear you talk about the "early" sunsets, because what you described is the normal sunset here in NH during December!  I know I turn on our outdoor Christmas lights between 4:00-4:30 and it is pitch black between 4:30-4:45. I know when we are at Disney in the winter, we marvel at how "late" the sun sets in Florida!!! Its all in what you are used to I guess!!

 

Very cool about eating breakfast with Beau Bridges!!!

 

Loved seeing your photos of where you parked and the outside entrance to the Grand California. Since both of our DL visits were on the longer side, we had time to investigate and see everything.......but I never did see the outside entrance to the Grand Californian, only the DL entrance and the Downtown Disney entrance. I wondered where people parked who stayed there, and now I will have to wonder no more!!!

 

Heidi

[Heidi-meetsTCD@TSM 5]

I am back from our Disney trip and trying to get caught up! Haven't yet, but figured that I would make a couple comments, then go back to reading!

 

We REALLY liked the World of Color show! We saw it in August 2012 and I cant remember what section we were in now. I ended up buying the meals and getting the "priority" viewing location. I felt like we had a good view and could see everything. If we didn't, I guess we are just easy to please as we loved it!! LOL!!!

 

It was funny to hear you talk about the "early" sunsets, because what you described is the normal sunset here in NH during December!  I know I turn on our outdoor Christmas lights between 4:00-4:30 and it is pitch black between 4:30-4:45. I know when we are at Disney in the winter, we marvel at how "late" the sun sets in Florida!!! Its all in what you are used to I guess!!

 

Very cool about eating breakfast with Beau Bridges!!!

 

Loved seeing your photos of where you parked and the outside entrance to the Grand California. Since both of our DL visits were on the longer side, we had time to investigate and see everything.......but I never did see the outside entrance to the Grand Californian, only the DL entrance and the Downtown Disney entrance. I wondered where people parked who stayed there, and now I will have to wonder no more!!!

 

Heidi

[LONE-STAR 370]

So where best fried chicken? East coast or West?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

So where best fried chicken? East coast or West?

You live in Texas right?

Then you know the answer. Neither. Fried chicken is a southern thing.

Have you ever been to Babe's in Dallas. They've got some awesome chicken.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great update but I'm waiting for the candy cane.

Disneyland been there done that. Lol

Fried chicken is almost as good as BACON! Tell me more about the chicken!

If you ever come to oklahoma I'll take you to Eischen's Bar. It's the oldest bar in Oklahoma and they have the fried chicken period.

 

We will be getting to the fried chicken and candy cane soon.  The fried chicken will be covered in today's update.  The candy cane later this week.

 

The oldest bar in Oklahoma?  I need to go there!

 

Well, pooey. Double cliff hanger, candy canes and fried chicken!

 

Yeah, sorry about that.  But, we will get to them both soon.

 

I am back from our Disney trip and trying to get caught up! Haven't yet, but figured that I would make a couple comments, then go back to reading!

 

We REALLY liked the World of Color show! We saw it in August 2012 and I cant remember what section we were in now. I ended up buying the meals and getting the "priority" viewing location. I felt like we had a good view and could see everything. If we didn't, I guess we are just easy to please as we loved it!! LOL!!!

 

It was funny to hear you talk about the "early" sunsets, because what you described is the normal sunset here in NH during December!  I know I turn on our outdoor Christmas lights between 4:00-4:30 and it is pitch black between 4:30-4:45. I know when we are at Disney in the winter, we marvel at how "late" the sun sets in Florida!!! Its all in what you are used to I guess!!

 

Very cool about eating breakfast with Beau Bridges!!!

 

Loved seeing your photos of where you parked and the outside entrance to the Grand California. Since both of our DL visits were on the longer side, we had time to investigate and see everything.......but I never did see the outside entrance to the Grand Californian, only the DL entrance and the Downtown Disney entrance. I wondered where people parked who stayed there, and now I will have to wonder no more!!!

 

Heidi

 

Glad that you made it back from Disney!  I hope you had fun.

 

It sounds like the special Dining package tickets are the way to go for the World of Color show.  Also, we were there on a busy weekend, which I'm sure contributed to the mob in front of us.  I'm sure we would have enjoyed the show much more if we had an unobstructed view of it.

 

Speaking of sunset times, I meant to look at a map and see if I could figure out why the sun seemed to set so early in Anaheim.  It's interesting to see what a few degrees of latitude and longitude can do:

 

 

Today, the sun will set in Boston at 4:44 pm.

 

It will set in Anaheim at 5:11 pm.

 

But, where I live, halfway down the west coast of Florida, it won't set until 6:02 pm.

 

Being toward the east of a time zone means you're going to have an earlier sunset than those closer to the western boundary of a time zone.  And, the further south you go in the US, the more hours of daylight you get in a day.

  

 

So where best fried chicken? East coast or West?

 

That's a good question.

 

But my west coast fried chicken experience is limited to what the serve at the Plaza Inn at Disneyland.

 

So, I don't know.

 

You live in Texas right?

Then you know the answer. Neither. Fried chicken is a southern thing.

Have you ever been to Babe's in Dallas. They've got some awesome chicken.

Babes in Dallas?

That doesn't sound like a fried chicken place to me.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Now, let's get to that fried chicken.

 

The horse stopped right in front of the tiny little castle, and they let us out:

 

 

I headed over to the Plaza Inn, and found that we were there for lunch rope drop.  They have a character breakfast in there in the mornings, so they don't open for lunch until noon on the dot.  We were a couple of minutes early.

 

My whole trip to the hotel and back had only taken about an hour.  I asked the girls how their visit to Innoventions went. They said it went great.  They got to meet Thor and Captain America.  I still haven't seen the Thor photos, but here's one of Captain America and Twin #1:

 

 

No offense, but with all of the out of work actors available in the greater Los Angeles area, that's the best they could do?

 

The twins thought it was great that guests can meet Marvel characters at Disneyland.  For legal reasons, they can't appear at WDW.  Apparently, the Thor meet and greet is kind of a show, with special effects and such.  And they liked it.  Even so, I wasn't too upset that I missed meeting some out of work actors in tights.

 

Being a couple of minutes early gave me time to study the menu:

 

 

I like how the Matterhorn even managed to find its way into that photo.

 

But, let's take a closer look at our choices for lunch:

 

 

So, the fried chicken we had heard about is their specialty here.  That's good.  What's not good is there are no prices posted. That means they don't want us to see them.  The prices are online, though:

 

 

It looks like the price is the same whether you visit for lunch or dinner:  https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/plaza-inn/menus/lunch/

 

$15.99 for fried chicken?

 

I can get a whole bucket of chicken and two side orders and cornbread at the Fort for $25.

 

It had better be good.

 

Luckily for us, the twins' CM discount was good here.  They don't honor the discount at the quick serve locations in the WDW theme parks.

 

Right at noon, they threw open the doors and in we went.

 

This place was set up like an old fashioned cafeteria.  You grab your tray, and go to the counter for what you want.  We headed for the chicken sign:

 

 

It ended up that we were behind a pro.  He asked for all white meat, and got two breasts instead of a breast, leg and thigh.  We copied him.  I think it ended up being a dollar more for that, but I think it was worth it.

 

I apologize for this very blurry photo, but it's the only one I have from lunch.  I took the photo quick, and then dug in:

 

 

We all thought the chicken was excellent.

 

I liked it better than GAG chicken. The twins disagreed.

 

But, either way, it's really good fried chicken, and I definitely will make a point to come back for it the next time I'm in Disneyland.

 

I loved the atmosphere of the Plaza Inn.  Although it's a quick serve, they serve the food on real plates, and you use real forks and knives.  It turns out I'm in good company.  Look what it says on this website:

 

The Plaza Inn, originally called the Red Wagon Inn, has been feeding hungry Guests since opening day in 1955, and was one of Walt Disney's favorite dining spots. The restaurant is decorated with authentic 19th-century furnishings, including the jewel-like Victorian stained glass and ornate woodwork salvaged from a grand old home in Los Angeles.

 

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/au/disneyland/plaza-inn/

 

Imagine that.

 

This was one of Walt's favorite dining spots.

 

You can't say that about anyplace in Disney World.

 

The Disneyland Starbucks was right next to the Plaza.  It was no busier in there at 12:47 pm than it is in the Disney World ones in the afternoon:

 

 

We needed to do some souvenir shopping, so while we were here on Main Street, we checked out some of the shops.  We made it all the way down to the Emporium.  While in there, we heard music playing outside in the area of the Fire Station, and popped out to see a band of firemen along with Chip and Dale putting on a show:

 

 

 

These guys were good:

 

 

It's amazing how much live entertainment there is in Disneyland compared to what we have at WDW.  Over at Epcot this year, they fired a bunch of the talented musicians and brought in lumberjacks and flag twirlers instead.  Just one of the acts we saw wandering around Disneyland would be a huge hit in talent starved Epcot.

 

After our little shopping stop, it was time for our Indiana Jones FP's.  It was just before 1 pm when we entered the FP queue. There was no one else heading in with us, and as we headed in, the CM who was supposed to take our FP's was heading out for some reason.  He told us to hold on to the FP's, so we did. No one ever took them from us, and we walked all the way through the long queue without stopping.  Well, that's not entirely true.  We did stop for some photos:

 

 

The standby line was really short too, so this popular ride was basically a walk on at 1 pm.  This was our third time riding it, and this time everything worked flawlessly, like it had on our first ride.  This ended up being my favorite attraction in Disneyland and California Adventure combined,  Yes, even better than Radiator Springs Racers. The twins disagreed with me on this point too- they liked RSR better. But, we all agreed that Indy is so much better a use for these ride vehicles than Dinosaur at AK.

 

After Indy, it was time for one of the remaining must do's that we had yet to do.

 

We headed over to Tomorrowland, and had a great view of the magnificent Matterhorn as we waited for our next attraction:

 

 

It took until the very end of our trip, but we're finally going to ride the monorail!

 

We got a good view of things from the loading platform as we waited for the next train:

 

 

 

 

The platform also gave us a good view of the subs:

 

 

There go some guests descending that really tight spiral staircase:

 

 

I wondered about the holes in the Matterhorn.  I have since found out that the skyride used to pass through there.  That must have been cool:

 

 

I don't know much about the Disneyland monorail system, but I do remember old videos of it that showed much different looking cars, and the Nixon family riding them.   They've been around for a long time:

 

 

This says there was a rededication in 2004.  California Adventure opened in 2001.  I wonder what happened in 2004?

 

The old People Mover track parallels the monorail beam here:

 

 

Then our train arrived and we loaded in. This is when we found out that the Disneyland monorail cars are not air conditioned.  It was a little warm and stuffy in our car, even with the windows open.  It would not be pleasant on a hot summer day.

 

It must have driven Walt nuts that his monorail showed guests so much of the outside world.  Soon after we took off from Tomorrowland, we traveled along the road where the Park Vue Inn is located.  Look, there's the IHOP:

 

 

Then we turned in to California Adventure, and passed the Grand Californian:

 

 

It's odd to me that they have the monorail pass through the Grand Californian, but there is no stop for it there.   Instead, we kept on going and traveled through Downtown Disney.  You can see the Lego store below:

 

 

This is the road that borders the other side of Disneyland.  The Disneyland parking garages are up that way:

 

 

We made our one and only stop at Downtown Disney.  Not far from the Disneyland Hotel.  Guests with park tickets can board here, and travel directly to Tomorrowland, which is kind of cool.  This also means that you have to have a park ticket to ride the monorail.  No free rides like everyone can do at WDW.

 

Then we made our way back toward Tomorrowland, passing over the esplanade- you can see the California Adventure entrance here, and even some of the Cars Land rocks off in the distance:

 

 

When we got back to the Tomorrowland station, there was no one waiting to board our car.  I suggested we take a second lap, and the twins didn't object, so we did.

 

Here's the bus loading area for the outside buses and shuttles- we walked through this on our first three mornings when we came in from the Park Vue Inn:

 

 

There's the IHOP and Park Vue Inn again:

 

 

I hate to stop in the middle of our second lap, but that makes 30 photos for this update.

 

In the next one, we will finish our monorail ride, and then move on to some more things in Disneyland, and then pop over to California Adventure for a last ride on Radiator Springs Racers.  Also, we needed to claim our candy canes by 4 pm, or else.

 

TCD

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

That chicken lunch looks good.  Especially the green beans.

 

Glad you got to ride the monorail.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Those prices are expensive for counter service. It looks like all the food has been on the expensive side. 

 

Glad you finally got on the monorail. I know Lou is proud. 

 

I'm guessing the candy canes are a flop. 

[rm0530 5]

We had 3 days at DL/DCA back over Labor Day weekend. We thought the quick service food quality was way above FL's standards. We didn't mind paying a little more when everything seemed better. We wondered if the close proximity of the outside locations has encouraged DL to step up their game or risk losing food business to the walkable restaurants outside the gates.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

That chicken lunch looks good.  Especially the green beans.

 

Glad you got to ride the monorail.

 

That was a great lunch.  The mashed potatoes and green beans were excellent.

 

I'm glad that we got to ride the monorail too.  To be honest, it wasn't that much fun and seemed like a waste of time, but I would have hated not to see for myself.

 

Those prices are expensive for counter service. It looks like all the food has been on the expensive side. 

 

Glad you finally got on the monorail. I know Lou is proud. 

 

I'm guessing the candy canes are a flop. 

 

Yes, the prices are expensive for counter service, but the food quality was on par with any full service location at WDW.

 

For the sake of comparison, let's look at the Disneyland lunch menu again:

 

 

Here's the Disney World Plaza lunch menu:

 

 

That $15.99 chicken meal doesn't look so overpriced compared to the cheeseburger at WDW.

 

True, at Disneyland, I had to carry my tray to the table.  But, I didn't have to tip someone 15 or 20%.   I'd be willing to bet that the food quality at Disneyland was better, even though it was counter service.  So to me, the prices weren't out of line at Disneyland.

 

No comment about the candy canes (for now).

 

 

We had 3 days at DL/DCA back over Labor Day weekend. We thought the quick service food quality was way above FL's standards. We didn't mind paying a little more when everything seemed better. We wondered if the close proximity of the outside locations has encouraged DL to step up their game or risk losing food business to the walkable restaurants outside the gates.

 

I agree with you.  I think the other driving force is that they don't have anything like the Disney Dining Plan we have at WDW there.  That allows the restaurants a lot more latitude as to what they put on the menu in terms of portion sizes and what is and is not included in a meal.  At Disney World, the quick serve location are forced to serve meals that have similar components and value throughout the entire property.  That means less choices at each location, and a lot of meals that look the same no matter where you go.  And you make a good point about the outside competition.  If Disneyland gets too aggressive with its pricing, guests can walk across the street to McDonalds, IHOP, or a bunch of other places.

 

TCD

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Does 1 GAG Meal Feed Your Entire Family?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Does 1 GAG Meal Feed Your Entire Family?

 

Yes, easily, and there will be leftovers.

 

A Giddyap and Go (GAG) chicken meal from Trail's End take out at Fort Wilderness includes 10 pieces of chicken, two large side orders (your choice of fries, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, cowboy beans or macaroni and cheese) plus five pieces of corn bread.  If you want all white meat, which means all breasts, there's an upcharge that puts the total cost, including tax at $29 and change.  There is no better deal on Disney property anywhere.

 

TCD

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

We can get 3-4 meals from a GAG with the addition of a couple more sides.  There's no better value on WDW property!

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

What Sides Do You Recomend?

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

What Sides Do You Recomend?

 

I like the cowboy beans because they have shredded pork in them. 

[LONE-STAR 370]

You live in Texas right?

Then you know the answer. Neither. Fried chicken is a southern thing.

Have you ever been to Babe's in Dallas. They've got some awesome chicken.

No never had there chicken. It's been 20 years since I was in Dallas. We always seem to end up in Florida.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

What Sides Do You Recomend?

 

Being a low carber, he only side I eat is the coleslaw.  David likes the potatoes and gravy.  I don't think he's ever tried the beans.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We can get 3-4 meals from a GAG with the addition of a couple more sides.  There's no better value on WDW property!

 

Agreed.

 

What Sides Do You Recomend?

 

I depends on what you like.  We always seem to end up with fries and mac and cheese.  I'm the only one in my family who likes the cowboy beans.  The coleslaw is good, but it's just basic coleslaw.  The mashed potatoes and gravy are very good, but it never seems like a good idea to have fries and mashed potatoes in the same sitting.  I've tried all of the sides, and they're all good.

 

I like the cowboy beans because they have shredded pork in them. 

 

Me too.  My girls do not like them for that reason.  They prefer the brown sugar, sweet, meatless variety.  Cowboy beans are different.

 

No never had there chicken. It's been 20 years since I was in Dallas. We always seem to end up in Florida.

 

20 years?  Wow.  I'd think everyone in Texas goes to Dallas.

 

Being a low carber, he only side I eat is the coleslaw.  David likes the potatoes and gravy.  I don't think he's ever tried the beans.

 

The GAG sides definitely were not chosen with low carbers in mind.

 

TCD

[Memphis 105]

And the breast are huge and have always been completely done.  No further comments please. (It's just to easy).

 

I'm not a fan of the beans either.  The meat is a nice touch but I would much rather they be baked beans. 

 

Tip: If you get fries ask them to double fry them.  They will be much crisper and not end up so soggy as long as you let the bag breathe a little and eat right away. 

[Seals 111]

Does 1 GAG Meal Feed Your Entire Family?

 

 

Yes, easily, and there will be leftovers.

 

A Giddyap and Go (GAG) chicken meal from Trail's End take out at Fort Wilderness includes 10 pieces of chicken, two large side orders (your choice of fries, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, cowboy beans or macaroni and cheese) plus five pieces of corn bread.  If you want all white meat, which means all breasts, there's an upcharge that puts the total cost, including tax at $29 and change.  There is no better deal on Disney property anywhere.

 

TCD

 

 

We can get 3-4 meals from a GAG with the addition of a couple more sides.  There's no better value on WDW property!

 

I guess this really depends on your family. The first time we got a GAG it fed our family of 5 one good meal. The next time, two years later, my 3 boys were teenagers and looking for snacks immediately after we finished the GAG.  At first I thought the portions must have been smaller. Then I realized the appetites were a lot bigger!  Still the best deal on Disney property, though. Although we probably actually got our money's worth out of the Trails End buffet on that trip also.