Well, this was a LOOOONG but very enjoyable day.
In order to get to Disneyland before the gates opened (more on that in a moment), we left the hotel at 6:30a for a one hour trip. It actually worked out okay, since it was too early for most of the traffic (Mindy was nice enough to drive).
We arrived to find a MASSIVE parking deck, which I assume you can see from space. We parked in the “Pixel Pals” deck, then took an escalator to a tram to the gates. We managed to get through security and inside the park just in time at 8a to activate our “boarding pass”.
A Panorama shot just inside the front gates, from later in the day.
What is this, you ask? Well, there’s a brand new ride called Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and getting a boarding pass via your Disney app (which you can only do once you’re in the park) is the only way to get on that ride. You literally have a few minutes from gates opening in the park to getting that pass before they run out for the day. We and everyone else were frantically tapping on our phones, followed by screams as people got their passes. Amazingly, we got a pass too. We had to wait until 5p or so , but we got in.
Speaking of crowds—the Disneyland Crowd Calendar considered today to be “hey it’s alright”, one level from “ghost town”, but it seemed pretty busy to me. What Coronavirus?
Meanwhile, we saw Mary Poppins (who had her Julie Andrews impression down)…
Went to the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room (Mindy’s favorite)…
Went on Pirates of the Caribbean (which has now been fully Depp-ized)…
Saw Galaxy’s Edge…
Bought hats…
Went on a Submarine Voyage (now taken over by Finding Nemo, so just watch the movie at home through an aquarium for the same effect)…
Met my favorite Star Wars character…
(Timmy the Trash Can)
and a bunch of other rides, all while eating ourselves silly.
The Rise of the Resistance was by far our favorite. Without giving too much away, there are multiple sections and rides within it, and you really feel like you’re in the movie.
Well, that’s plenty—we’re exhausted, getting back to the hotel 15 hours later. Check FB and IG for videos, or you can just wait for an upcoming FTPCB episode. Tomorrow—studio tour(s?)!
#beautifuldowntownburbank