Disneyland Hotel Guests Lost Their Biggest Perk… Now What?

00:00:04Welcome to this happy place. Welcome. Hey guys, it's Tim. And welcome to episode 128 of the Dreaming of Disney Podcasts. And I'm with my beautiful wife. Beautiful wife Adrianne. Hello, Calm down, calm down. Hello. Hello. Let me just get a little bit closer to the mic here. That's better. OK. Thank you for doing that. You're welcome. How's everybody doing? How's it, how's it, how's it doing? How's it doing on the on the podcast streets out there? Whether you're listening on your way to work or maybe you're falling asleep to this voice

00:00:56couldn't use his sleep as you listen about Disney parks and dreaming of Disney. OK weirdo. Hello. Friends. We're back, we're back. It's been a few weeks. Just it was what, 2 weeks? Two weeks. I can't remember what happened last night. Oh, you were sick? I was sick, I was sick, Had bronchitis, had the bronchi. Yes, they, as they call it as those in the medical field, like they call it the bronchi. And yeah, it was pretty rough there for for a hot minute, but but doing better, yes, doing better coughing here and there. So I apologize if that happens, but we'll try to cut that out.

00:01:42So but but yeah. I'm distracted. Hang on. You are distracted. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm back. OK. I'm back. Yeah. So we will also. I will not also, though. That doesn't make any sense. We won't have one next week, but that is for a good reason. Really. What? Why? What is it? What is it? I don't know. We going somewhere? We we might be in a Disney park. Oh really? Which one?

00:02:19I don't, I'm not going to say, OK, cool, Maybe we're going to be in Disney World. Maybe we're going to be in Shanghai Disney surprise, we're going to Hong Kong. Just kidding, We're not. We're not going to Hong Kong. No, we're going to be in Disneyland. Very excited. This is typically our like the time of the year where it's like our, our like. It's our big yearly trip. Big like family trip, you know, like summer is usually just a quick one. So I'm excited to I know we're going to Hong Kong Disneyland. It would be. Funny or Tokyo, it would. Be funny if I, if that's where we were going, if we were going

00:03:09to 1 like OK, wait, hang on. So the three we need to go to that we've never been to would it would be Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo, Tokyo. Tokyo is the one that I'm like, I want to do Tokyo. Don't forget Abu Dhabi. That's not there yet. I know, but. It's coming. We're not there yet. It's coming. But anyways, my mind just went blank. So yes, I'm excited just because it's a trip where we're able to take a little more time and, you know, just like have fun with the with the kids. And so I'm, I'm excited again. I always have to do this though, because I'm, I'm, you know, life is busy and they're all in

00:03:56school and things. And it's like, especially now that our oldest is in high school and has a totally different schedule, it's like, especially when we were homeschooling, like we don't do as many things all together. And so I'm like excited just for time, but I have to like set my expectations because you know, they're still going to be fighting. Like the kids are still going to fight with each other and I'm still going to be like irritated with all of them. So I'm also trying to be not get my hopes up too much because you guys, so you and two of the boys were sick. The others, three of us, me and the other two kids, have not been, except now our daughter is

00:04:36sick. I'm pretty sure our youngest son. I hope so. I hope he is now. He seemed a little off today and when I when he was going to bed he he just some coughing, some sniffling so. And I know that sounds bad like I want him to be sick but this poor kid gets sick every time we go somewhere like not like. So we have a a friend on TikTok, 37 year old brother, 36 and 30, and we still fight and yeah, they still fight and make their parents mad. Yeah, I'm sure it'll it, you know. So I just have to be like, OK, it's still going to be us. It's not like our boys are all going to be hugging each other.

00:05:20But but, but I hope he's sick now because poor kid, like especially last a year ago now we were in Disney World and he was sick and I got sick too. But I got over it. And our other, our second oldest got sick too. But we didn't get it that bad. We had a day where we didn't go anywhere. We stayed at the resort and both of us were kind of like and then we were OK, like just a little sniffily like not bad. He had like a stomach thing and just like had to stay in the room and like poor thing. Well, it was like the the night that we got there, he. Oh my gosh, I forgot about that. His like fever dream. Remember when he woke up and he was dreaming and he started like

00:06:06panicking. It was so sad. He thought we were in a plane. We, he thought we were still in the plane and that it was crashing. So he was like crying and hysterical. And it's like, why are we going down? Or like I'd have to listen to that podcast episode 'cause I know we talked about. It it was, yeah, because we got there and he started on the on the bus, on the, on the shuttle from the airport to the resort. He was like, I'm really cold. I'm like, gosh darn it. And I knew exactly what that was. Well. Because our daughter had been sick a week before we left and

00:06:42we were like, great, we're going to. When we surprised them, they thought we were just going to Disneyland, which we just drive. We were flying to Florida and going to Disney World and our daughter got sick. But then she was better by the time we left. But, you know, with four kids, you know if one has it, it's just a matter of time. Yeah. And then, you know, the next morning, yeah, they had that fever dream in the middle of the night. And the next morning, he was just, you know, just, you know, Yeah, just the, the fever and, you know, just just out of it. It was awful. Curtis.

00:07:15For those of you listening on the podcast, we are doing this live on TikTok. So if you hear me saying hi to people and you're like, what is happening, that is that? Is or you get distracted. Or I get distracted. I'm sorry. So yeah, for those of you on TikTok, we do live in California. Disneyland is our Home Park, the one we go to more often. But we have been to Disney World. We have been three times since 2022, twice with our kids, once alone. So there you go. But this time we are going to Disneyland. We are going to Disneyland hoping that the two youngest,

00:07:57well, the youngest, is sick. Hoping that the youngest boy is sick now as well. Because then that means by the time we leave, he will be better and I will be the last one standing. I typically don't get it. Everybody else does. The last time I was sick, I believe, was when we were in Disney World last year. Was that really the last time you were sick? It's been a year. Constantly I'm fighting it. Every time they're sick I feel like I'm fighting it. But I don't remember the last time I was like, I'm sick, I need to stay in bed. I pray for it. That's also because you're a mom and.

00:08:37I'm like, please, can I just be really sick so that there is no way I can get out of bed? Like it is like, yeah, you have to stay in bed. No, I'm just going to be in a constant state of fighting it to where I just feel just bad enough to, like, want to stay in bed, but not bad enough to where I get to. Yeah, that's my life now. So yeah, but we're excited. We are staying on property and we do have to figure out what in the world we're going to do because early entry is gone. What is our new strategy? You know, like I've complained about it. Grinds in my gears, you know, it's grants grants those gears that. OK, no worry.

00:09:36I mean, I've, I've gone off on this so much, but it's like once again, so the first time we went to Disney World, I know I'm like a broken record, but first time we went to Disney World, they hadn't brought back the booking your lightning lanes a week out. Like if you don't know if you go to Disney World and you're staying on property, which they have like over 30 on property hotels, so good chance you can stay on property. You can book your lightning lanes a week out off property three days out from your first day. So either way, even if you're off property, you can book ahead of time. Disneyland you cannot. You can purchase lightning lane as a way like if you're

00:10:18purchasing a package you can get lightning lane multi pass before you go. But like for us we get it once we're in the park but you can't even if you get even if you have it beforehand. You cannot book your first lightning lane until you are physically in the park until you scan in. The only thing that you can purchase ahead of time is the premier pass which is the the all access lightning lane 7 days out you can do that one. But like, honestly, like who's going to do that? So we're trying to figure out because we are staying on property. Honestly it makes me mad because we're giving in to what they want.

00:11:04Yeah, like what's the point of staying on property if? But we're doing it idiots. We're idiots. I know, I know. Because what they, OK, so back to my story, when the first time we went in 2022 to Disney World, they hadn't brought back all of those things yet from during the pandemic, they like they hadn't brought back the meal plan and all that yet. So at that time you could purchase Lightning Lane or at that Genie Plus at midnight for the next day. And then at 7:00 AM you could book your first Lightning Lane. This would make sense at Disneyland. Like for them to do that for on property because it's like, OK, we can't go in early, so let's

00:11:54sleep in a little bit. Like let's just get to the park instead of rushing in the morning with four kids. Let's just, you know, take our time and get in. But if we do that, if we get in at 9:00 and then we get Lightning Lane, people, if it's busy, people have already been purchasing. And so if you start your Lightning Lane and your first selection isn't until like later in the afternoon, you're just behind, you're behind. And then we have done that before. Like last summer, it was busy. It was very busy, but we were driving in, we were closer than we are now, like than where we live. We were staying somewhere and so

00:12:34we were driving down that morning from where we were staying and we got into the park. It was probably 9:30 or 10. It was busy. We got Lightning lane. We were behind like because it was a busy day all day. And like that day it was like why did we even purchase this? Like we got to go on like use like 2 lightning lanes. So like that's what I'm thinking with this. It's like if we get in a little later, it could be like why even purchase it? But then if we don't purchase it and it's a busy day like so if we could book our first one as 7 and say we get it for 9/9/30 10:00, but then the park opens at 8:00 at 10:00 we could book

00:13:25another one because it'd be two hours after opening. Like it just makes sense. What are they giving us? They are giving US1 lightning lane per person per stay. You could be staying four or five days and you get 1 per person for your entire stay. That is most likely you're already purchasing Lightning Lane. So like, OK, yeah, you get one right. But like it's just it's not an even trade at all for that half an hour of rides. It's not an even trade and it's not a big enough perk for the prices. Now if they if like say Pixar Place was a value price like the value resorts in Disney World and you had like different

00:14:07tiered perks, you stay at a deluxe, you get you stay at a deluxe and you get the booking at 7:00 AM You get you stay at a value, you get 1 lightning lane like that could be a little complicated, but like I just don't get it. I don't get it. They they they can't on like I. I think it's it's just, I think what's going to happen is that early entrance can become a a paid, it's going to be a paid perk. So but it's. Not in Disney World. Well, I think it's going to they can't because there's so many different. Well, maybe they could, but I, I think it's going to be like for, for Disneyland if you stay at end because there's only three

00:14:54resorts, but if you stay at a, a deluxe view room and up, you get early entry. See, but the only thing I, the only reason I'm thinking that they might not do that is because it did seem like it was a staffing issue because they went from an hour, which they got rid of that a long time ago and it was just half an hour. But it was not like in Disney World, I believe. I could be wrong, but I think like the whole park is open. Maybe not every ride is running at 7:30, but I think the whole park is open at Disneyland. It went down to only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, not like Toontown isn't, it's just Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Which worked out for us because we would typically get Star

00:15:43Tours, Space Mountain and then I would take our daughter and do like a bunch of Fantasyland rides while we did a rider swap for Space Mountain. So it worked for us. But yeah, I mean that that was their, that was Disney's excuse was that not enough people were making use of the perk, So that's why they discontinued it. I don't think it was that, I think it was staff. Well, it that kind of goes hand in hand, it's it not enough people were using it so that it doesn't make sense to have that staff there to to have them there early. So they were wasting money and forcing people to work early when people weren't using it, which I disagree. I think I always saw lots of

00:16:26people using it. Yeah, well, when I was there on my solo trip in November, I used it because I was staying on property and there was a line like to get into California Adventure because I went in, I used it for California Adventure and actually a longer line than I had ever seen at that entrance. So I think that was, I don't think that was really the reason. I just like whatever you're getting rid of it, but give us. I'm just surprised because you would think that they would want people staying at their hotels. They don't have value pricing. They just took away the biggest perk and there's plenty of options. It's not like they have a

00:17:11monopoly on hotels there. Like there are plenty of options for good neighbor hotels. And then there's even nicer ones like the Westin that like if you don't want to stay at like the Tropicana Inn, but you want something nicer, you can. Curtis, you're having a lot you're having fun with. So yeah, it's but we, I don't know what I know one day, like, OK, this is my segue. Rather spend more days there than pay property prices, right. So if you stay at, you know, where did we say the Alamo? Yeah, you could stay at the Alamo Inn, like say, because for us it's like, OK, well we have 4 kids. You could stay at the Alamo Inn, get 2 rooms. I don't know if they have

00:18:04connecting rooms so don't like quote me on that or anything, but somewhere like that that has connecting rooms get 2 rooms for probably less than one room at a Disney. Hotel. Mystic. I felt like that was poison. I felt. Like getting getting dark over here. But yeah, absolutely. So it's just, it's interesting, this move, it's just interesting. And I'm curious to see what happens in down the road to see if like, oh, that's why they did it because so far no one is saying that like everyone's like. What? Why?

00:18:46It's really, It's really strange. Like I've said a billion times again in Disney World, so all on property hotels get early entry at Disney World and there are value, moderate and deluxe pricing. So you would think that if they were going to make any change that like I could see them doing it in Disney World. And like even though Disney World Deluxe resorts has the after hours, I could see them saying, OK, value resorts don't have it anymore. Value resorts don't get early entry anymore like you had. So to try to get people to book those nicer hotels, you know where like here, Yeah, it just doesn't make sense. So segwaying into our other

00:19:37exciting, well, it's not our news, but like the exciting news we want to talk about is. Kind of it's kind of like that. Hang on, you guys, check that out. Check that out. That's that's not a, it's not a filter, guys. That's the real deal. This was our son's OW. This was our son's. Our oldest. Like it? And he was so sticking cute in this. It's not like ridiculously cute. I don't even know why this is down here. Yeah. Why is that? Why is? This I think our daughter found it and.

00:20:17Was playing with it. And playing with it, It doesn't fit her, but all the boys wore it. I don't think she ever wore it. But anyways. OK, so we've had this trip planned for a few months the other day. Oh, that's so cute. Cute. I love the Penguin. The other day Disney announced the 25th anniversary of California Adventure. It opened February 8th, 2001 and we are going to be there on the 25th anniversary. Now they're not doing a big old thing. It's like seems like it's a week long pretty much. Well here's the weird thing. You know when they announce like

00:21:03any big event or a big anniversary, it's always months in advance. Like months, sometimes like 6 plus months in advance. They announced this, the 25th anniversary celebration of Disney's California Adventure, a week before. Well, here, because I was asking our Walt Disney World friends on TikTok and I said, have they made a big deal about anniversaries in Epcot or Hollywood Studios? And a few people said no, like they don't, they don't. They'll say like, oh, it's the 25th anniversary of Animal Kingdom or whatever, but but but not like Magic Kingdom or Disneyland. Yeah. So I'm like, OK, because, and

00:21:58but I got really excited because I love California Adventure. Like it has grown on me. Like I went for the first time and I didn't realize this. Like the first time I went was in April or May of 2001. So it had only been open, but I didn't, I knew it was a new park, but I didn't realize how new at the time. We were only there for half a day. It was with choir and me and my best friend weren't really crazy about it. Like we were like, it just feels like you're at Santa Cruz Beach boardwalk. Like it doesn't feel Disney. And that's how it felt for several years. Like you and I would have said, like we would do Disneyland all

00:22:32day and then our second day would be the morning would be California Adventure and then we'd end in Disneyland. And we did that for years. It wasn't until they like updated things in 2014 maybe. Around then. Because by the time we took our second on his first trip, which would have been actually 2013, 2013 they had they had done like Buena Vista St. and all that. So it has just grown on me more and more than Cars Land, Avengers Campus. Like I love all of the like, you know, Hollywood in the 20s when Walt Disney came, like it's just, I love it. I love it. So I was just so excited that we're going to be there that day.

00:23:20So they released some of the things. And you guys, I'm not a big popcorn bucket person. Like I don't like whatever. Like so OK, hang on. We have a question on Tiktok. How long is it going for? I'm having a hard time finding that exact information. All I can find on their blog is that they are bringing back Soren over California for this. That's coming back on the 6th and goes until July 1st. I believe after that it will be the soaring over America that they're doing. Yeah, July 2nd starts the new soaring across America. OK, so that is going till July 1st. Everything else that I found like the popcorn bucket is

00:24:00saying the 6th through the 15th. So a little over a week, two weeks. What is that a little over? Yeah, about two weeks. About two weeks, but you have several Star Wars popcorn buckets. The only popcorn bucket I have ever seen that I was like, oh, I want that was when Disneyland was closed. I think it was in the world was a Cinderella anniversary 1 and it was like pink and it lit up. It was like the carriage. It was so pretty. But I want the I'm getting this. This is it is the Pixar Paleron Ferris wheel. It lights up. Well, it it interacts with different lands in the parks, so you take it around.

00:24:41Oh my gosh. And then it'll do like different different lighting effects depending on where you are. I'm so excited, I'm so excited and they have a shirt 25 year 25th anniversary for California Adventure. When for those that are there on that date, which our reservation is for California Adventure on that day, they will have a commemorative opening day map of the park for however, you know, the 1st while supplies last, which they did for the 70th and Disneyland, which would have been really cool to get because it would have been the original like map for Disneyland. But I'm excited about this one because I like remember like I, I was, I've been to the park when it was brand new.

00:25:28So this is the day we have to rope drop early because I want that map. They have a cake shake. A cake shake. That's a schmoozy's. It's a. Confetti shake with a strawberry icing, sprinkles with topping and a slice of cake. Like a full slice of cake. The popcorn bucket looks. Oh my gosh. I'm so excited. Yeah, that's. They have a shirt. They have a sweater and a hat. And pins. And pins. Commemorative pins. I also need to look for it was a bluey pin was spotted in Disney World and so I got to see if they have in Disneyland and

00:26:09Mickey and Minnie are in special outfits. Which is kind of like the the color schemes like the original California. Adventurous and very vibrant. Lots of oranges and yellows. I'm hoping, I'm hoping they have a a mini plush in the in that because they usually have a plush they have, you know, usually a plush of Mickey and Minnie in the whatever anniversary costumes, you know, So I kind of want to go one of those. I also have to get my 70th years. Oh, that's right, yeah. Gotten years for the 70th and this. Well we might go one more time for the 70th but there's a few different ones.

00:26:53I don't know which ones I want, so I need to figure that out. And they're also doing and a special D-23 panel. Oh, that's right. Oh, that's. Right, which I'm going to on on one of the days there D 23 they're doing a special 25th anniversary panel of the with imagineers with about California adventure and it's going to be at the Disneyland hotel. So I'll be there, reporting live are. You going to go live? No, I can't go live. I can't go live. No, I'm just I will figure out a way to where I can take notes and report back. Yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do. I guess just take the kids into

00:27:39the park. Yeah. What time is? That it's like 3:30 in the afternoon. OK. It's on our Disneyland day. On our Disneyland day. OK, so I got to figure that out. What am I going to do with four kids by myself in Disneyland? That should be fun. I really thought about that too much. That's all right. The two oldest ones are fine. I can send them I don't want. To do whatever they want. No, no, they have to stay with me. We did. Our last trip, it was like we finally let like our oldest. Well, it was when we were at

00:28:15Disney World, we let him go do a few things. And then our last trip, we even let him like I think we were at the hotel, weren't we? And we let him go back in. To the party. I don't. I know. I don't think so. No, we let him do something on his own. I don't remember. We did. We let him do something. But I mean, he is 15 1/2. And it's like you think about it, I went on a field trip as a freshman and we were walking around without an adult. But it just still feels weird as a parent to be like, sure, it's just weird. But but yeah, so I'm really

00:28:53excited. I'm excited about Sauron over California. I think we might get our daughter on it, she said. She told me maybe. Oh. She's Oh, really? We were on someone's live and they were. It was over the world in Epcot. But she was like, I might do that. Because. That would be fun. Because flip out once we walk, walk in there and then one of us are going to have to be like, OK, we're not going to go on it and one of us is going to be upset, no. And irritated I won't be upset because I already. Know because you're going to

00:29:23make me be the one that's. Six. No, No, because I've been on this a billion gazillion times. And I know we could ask the person, we could ask the cast member, like, well, she'll freak out right there. So it's not like we're going to be all the way through. And then we didn't get a rider swap. She'll start panicking right when we get in line if she's going to panic. So we can say, hey, can we get a rider swap? Yeah. And then I'll I'll go on it and one of the. I'm sure the the the cast members too at the at the end of line they can do it. I think they did that for US.

00:30:00One time she she got scared when we were like up to a ride and they said, oh, you can just wait on the other side or something and then I could get back on or something. I think they let me. I don't remember, but we'll see. It would be fun. I she already saw that it doesn't go fast. Yeah, you know, she saw that I was like, it doesn't go fast, so we'll see. It would be fun because then we could we could all go together. We all go together, which we have yet to be able to. No, we did. We did Big Thunder and she didn't. That's right. She went on it and she made it all the way through.

00:30:34We. Needed to. We needed to do cars. She didn't do cars all. She will not like cars. I know it's too loud. It's too loud I. Maybe Star Tours? She won't like that either. She won't like that either. Well, you know, maybe we just need to force her. No, we do you remember how we forced our oldest and then for years? Our *. Wars obsessed son would not go on Star Tours for years. Maybe she'll go on Rise. Well, Rise is close. Maybe she'll go on Guardians Mission breakout. You know, she is tall enough. Yeah, she is tall enough.

00:31:08No, we do have one of our boys who is. So one of the three boys has been on Sauron. I mean, Sauron in credit Coaster loves it. Our nine year old wants to go on it. He's like, I'm doing it. So I think he's going to love it. Our 15 1/2 year old is undecided about it because he doesn't like he gets dizzy really easily but we went. On he. Doesn't like this, but we went on a roller coaster in SeaWorld and I was with him and I kept being like, are you OK? Are you OK? Because he has a tendency to pass out. He hasn't done it in years.

00:31:51I think he's grown out. Of it, I think he's grown out of it, but it's like stuck in his head and I'm like, well, we got to test it out at some point, buddy. Like I, I think you've grown out of it. You haven't passed out in a really long time. But he's super sensitive to like spinning. Like we would play Marco Polo when he was younger in a pool and whoever was it would have to like close their eyes and like, you know, turn around in circles. He couldn't do it. So he was the only one who was allowed to not turn in circles while counting because he'd get too dizzy. But I'm like, I think you can do

00:32:21it if you did this other one in SeaWorld, He he liked it. He'll be fine. Like, I think so he might do it. They do. The other two boys do not at all want to do mission breakout. Like they're like, no, we're our nine year old. It's one of his favorite rides. But the other two are like, the older ones are like, no, our almost 13 year old. He hates the feeling of butterflies. Yeah, but he loves in credit. Coaster, but like, he hates the feeling of butterflies. So I'm like, well, yeah, that's like all that's all butterflies. Our friend Rich Rod on Tiktok says only roller coaster all go on is Chippendale. Gadget Coaster.

00:33:11So yeah, so we'll see. I'm excited about that. I'm I'm we used to have this rule as the boys were getting older, like they had to try a new ride each time we went. But now the only one that's left, except for Incredi Coaster for two of the boys. The only one that's left for the boys anyway, is Mission. Breakout and I was just pretty intense. I would never force them to do that because. It took me till I was 22. Well, it was your first time there, so it's not like you didn't go on. It was your first time going to Disneyland. Well, kind of. But California adventure. California adventure.

00:33:48But well, and also it's like, even like space or Star Tours, like you think, oh, it's not that bad. But the first time I went on it, so it would have been the, the our youngest boys first time on it. You don't realize how intense it is for like a little person until you're with them and, and seeing it through their eyes and they're like, oh, wow, this is moving more than I thought. And this is a little more intense than I thought, 'cause he was like, I remember having to like, hold him back, 'cause he was moving a whole lot more than I was and be like, oh, OK, You know, you think it's like, not that big of a deal, but Star Tours is scary, makes you dizzy. I could see that I.

00:34:33Could see people get OnStar tours. The older I get the more the easier I get. Like motion sick with 3D and stuff which really stinks. I this is not Disneyland but I forgot to tell you this. Someone told me a while back that they went they were in Epcot and they did the Remy's 2D 'cause now it's 2D and they said it was way better. They thought the experience. Oh you mean like the ride is better? The ride was way better AS2D that they look like you could see better and that it was way better. Also, the Remy fountain froze today did. You. I saw that, yeah.

00:35:10It's super cold in Florida right now. Also a froze. A froze. A pipe froze for The Lion King show in animal Kingdom and it burst and water went everywhere. Oh man, for a festival of Lion King. That's crazy. Also another Disney World. Lando's just not used to getting that cold I. Know Orlando doesn't know what to do. Another Disney World thing. Today was the last day of Dinosaur. That's right, yeah. And so Dinoland is closing. Dinosaur is no more. Turned into an Indiana Jones ride. And our friend Kid Fun Florida

00:35:57was there today and he saw the line get up to 265 minutes. I saw someone post about that, that's crazy. That's over 4 hours for dinosaur. Which is not great of AI. Was saying this the other day on TikTok that I'm like I don't like dinosaur and people are like so you don't like Indiana Jones and I'm like no I love Indiana. Jones, it's not. Like Indiana Jones, it's the same car and the same track, but it's nothing like Indiana. Jones not as immersive and like when you go on Indiana Jones, it's like you go into this cave and it's well. And you can see the. Pyrotechnics and everything. And it's just like, so like, Oh

00:36:37my gosh, look at all this in dinosaur. You're like going through these like I couldn't. I know I'm old but it was like too dark and then ride photo I'm like. They do get you a good they do get a good jump scare at the. I have been on Dinosaur once. I will only go on it once because it is closed now. So that was my true honest reaction. I knew nothing about the ride. It's a great ride photo. It's one of our best. But yeah, I I'm like, but I guess it's nostalgic. Like so I was talking about last day for Splash Mountain and how would I have waited 4 hours if we didn't have Lightning Lane? I would have for Splash

00:37:20Mountain. I would have gotten a snack or several, probably several. Well, I think didn't get up. Oh, it got up definitely on the last day, Yeah. That's why I was saying we rope dropped it and then we had our lightning lane for later in the day and then the we didn't try to go on it again and we thought maybe we would, but then we were like, no, let's just go do other stuff. But yeah, I'm excited for the things they're getting over there. I'm excited about Monstropolis. Yeah, that's going to be so awesome. I really hope we find out do. You know they're making Hairy Hausens the restaurant. Nice, nice.

00:37:53I really hope we find out what the opening day is for that, even though it's going to be insane because we want to go the summer of 27th and it's saying that they're going to open sometime around that in 27. But it's like if we plan a trip for like June and then they're like, we opened in August, but I don't think we could even do it in August. They're going to open at a time when they're not going to open at like a downtime where everybody's, it's going to be a school. They're going to want to open when it's going to be true more people are available to go. So true because. We want to go before our oldest starts his senior year and it's not like we can.

00:38:35Which is next year. Your mouth. 27. Shut your mouth, fall, fall. We've got a year and a half. Late summer 20. 20 I don't want to talk about it right now, please, I don't want to talk about it. He already is getting doing driver's training and I don't want to talk about that anyways. So that's what's coming to Disney's California Adventure. I'm really excited. I know it's fun. Not even that much, but it's just, I don't know, I'm just for some reason, whatever reason, I don't care why, I'm just excited. It's nice to be excited. Nice. To be excited about something, it's just.

00:39:07Nice for something to make me happy. Yeah. So we'll report back about what we do without early entry. I know everyone's just wondering and so worried about us, like what are we going to do? Yeah, everybody, it's going to be like free for all for everyone. Like what should we rope drop? I think, I think our. Strategy Rope Drop I. Think our strategy, I think our strategy should be get a Lightning lane, but I think we should what no. No. Well, yeah, you said it like. Well, I wasn't finished. Oh, sorry. Get Lightning Lane. But don't churn.

00:39:56I think we should. We should. We should stack for the afternoon so crowds are naturally lighter in the morning. OK. So we buy Lightning Lane in the morning, we get our first selection, but we don't use it that morning. Wait, I'm sorry, we get. We get lightning light, we get get our first selection. So we say we get there at 8:00, we get our first selection, but we pick, say, say we get Space Mountain. But we get it for her in the afternoon. Well, obviously it's going to be early because if it opens at 8:00, it's probably going to be like at 8:30.

00:40:35You can't choose your time. You can't choose your time, So what you do is you. You. What's the word not re book but you adjust you adjust it so you. Oh, so you keep like modifying it you. Keep modifying it till later, later, you know, a little bit and then you wait another two hours and then you get your another one. You keep modifying them later into the afternoon because if you're just using that, if you're just churning in the morning, really you're kind of wasting it. So because because in the morning crowds are lighter in the morning, you can do much more in the morning than you can in the afternoon, or you focus

00:41:19on doing rides that don't have Lightning Lane. So, so, so say we get Space Mountain. It's at 8:30, but we keep modifying it, you know, every so often into the afternoon. And so we do like, you know, fantasy land the rides. So we start with fantasy. We start with fantasy land. Which is what I used to do. Which we do all those because those don't have Lightning Lane and they're usually less crowded in the morning Fantasyland as opposed to later in the afternoon when everybody shows up. So then what do we? OK, wait real quick. Though, and so every every two hours you pick your next lightning lane, you keep

00:41:57modifying it to the afternoon. So that way when you get to the late afternoon, 3/4, 5:00, then you have a nice stack of lightning lanes that you can do in the evening. But I know what you're getting at. Then you we have parades and you have fireworks and that other stuff that you don't want to get in the way. No, that's not what I was. OK, I was thinking a couple things. OK, we have a few things, Steph says. There's a chance it'll be sold out. That doesn't happen as much in Disneyland as Disney World. There's a chance of what sold out. Your lightning lane.

00:42:30What if you? If you keep modifying, there's a chance it sells out by the afternoon. That doesn't happen as much. Not as much as Disneyland. In Disneyland, as it does in Disney World, I really like Mr. Bluff saying I challenge you to let the kids lead. I promise you will not be disappointed. That would be a fun thing to do, which we do definitely like. We'll ask. Them well, it's kind of hard when you have 4 kids and they all want to do 4 different things. That's true too, but here's what I'm thinking. I could do that when you're at the panel. Oh yeah, yeah.

00:43:02So that, but that's what I'm thinking our first full day, you're not going to be with us in the. Afternoon, No. Then maybe we have to turn that. Day, that strategy won't work on Saturday because you are going to the panel. So we could try to two different strategies and report back. So we could try the churning in the morning and then in the afternoon. When I'm there with the kids, I can let them lead, although I'll let them take turns. Each gets split up two and two. Mr. Blev has four kids too. So because obviously our daughter who is 4 1/2 is not going to want to do the same things as the 15 1/2 year old, but I let them take turns.

00:43:48OK, now you choose what we get to do within reason. Because if they're like, let's go wait on rise and it's a 2 hour, oh, it's close, it's closed. Good. Good I. Think I will do that though. I think I'll do that. But Saturday I do want to get a good spot because I was going to live stream. I'm not going to go live a lot, but I was going to live stream the parade and the fireworks. So I wanted to get a good spot for the parade that is easy than to move up a bit for the fireworks because it's Wondrous Journeys. A lot of our Disney World friends that come into the lives have not seen Wondrous Journeys.

00:44:25Well, maybe they have on YT or something. But your youngest is 10. Yeah. So I'd I'd have to, you know, I mean, they'll do it like the older boys will do the small rides with her. Like they're not like no. But as they get older, we have seen that where like especially the two oldest that are teenagers, it's like they want to go do just the bigger rides. But I will preface this with we all get a turn and we're doing it as a family and we're going to have fun. I think another thing we should do is also we need to do the galaxy's edge fireworks. Right, which we won't do. I don't want to do that Saturday.

00:45:09I really want to see. Murderous journeys because we do that seen. It in a while. Monday we're not saying dates, sorry I. Did though, because you said the panel. Oh yeah. But anyways, because there's there's two things. I mean, the, I think the boy, they've seen this, they haven't seen the newer Star Wars. We did it once, but they didn't have projections. Now they have projections. So they haven't seen that version, no. I. Think we definitely, definitely do that and there's also the the the projection show. So there's two different shows

00:45:44that galaxies that shares the fireworks with projections. And then there's also the the the projection show. It's like the Skywalker saga something. It's like the. Is that Lady or is it after the fireworks? Or it's before and after. Oh, OK, I say. They're just the fireworks. But it's cool. OK. Don't roll your eyes at me, no. No, no, no. I think we should do that one of the days, but I want to get Winter's Journeys because you know how at first we didn't like Winter's Journeys. We were like, it's not as good as Disneyland's 60th to us, in our opinion, or Disneyland

00:46:25forever. But then it really grew on us. And I think it was last week I was in somebody's live where they were in Disneyland, and it was wondrous journeys. And I was like, I miss this because I've been in Mr. Sprinkles Live so much, or Main St. Voyager, like watching happily ever after, which I love happily ever after, but I was like, I forgot Wondrous Journeys is really good. Like it's really good. So I'm excited to see that. And of course, paint the night because it is our favorite parade. So I'm excited for that. And then for the good California adventure stuff, I feel like I'm going to be stressed out getting

00:47:07the new merch. There's also the Starbucks merch. Oh man. There's the Starbucks merch, the latte, good days and lattes or whatever. Park days, park days and lattes. There is a tote that I want. Oh goodness, so much money. It's so much money. It's so much money. Man, man. Anyways. And then we have our character breakfast our last day. That's right. Which I'm excited about because we've never done a character breakfast in Disneyland, only in Disney World. Storytellers Cafe. Storytellers Cafe, which we hear is the the.

00:47:48Best. The best, yes. The cups are really cute as well for the park days and lattes, Yes, I want them all. I want them all. It's going to be a rough. It's going to be a rough merchandise choice for me this go around it. I mean, most of the time it is. Sometimes it's not as hard, like sometimes I'm like, but Tim needs three jobs. Just just for those totes. I know those doonies. Hey, I'm working here too. I'm not getting up at 5:00 AM every day for the. Fun of you earn those doonies. It is fun, but I mean like, really, would I be getting up at 5:00 AM if I wasn't trying to? Anyways, I'm excited about

00:48:38Storytellers Cafe. Yeah, Yeah, all of us seem to be healthy for that because if we're going to be spending that type of cash for, you know, character buffet breakfast, I want to. Because. Because oh, I Mr. Bluff, I found the 70th. So the ones that match this bag, the ears that match that bag, I'm not going to be able to say it M what is it called? Hang on Mer, It's like a resale. You know it's. A resale site. Like Posh? OK. Where I got the other one MERCARI for a very good price. It was like more than 50%. Did I buy them? No, but I want to anyways.

00:49:39Where's our friend Dan Pova Meyer? He hasn't been in a while. I know. Maybe he's watching from the FYP. Hey, Dan. Hey, Dan. Yeah, he hasn't been in in a while, but he's busy. There's a new season that just came out or new episodes that just came out of Phineas and Ferb. So he's busy. But Dan, if you see us from the FYP, we miss you. Or you listen to the podcasts. Or if you listen to the podcast, we'd. Love to have you as a guest, you know, talk. Phineas and Ferb appreciate you coming in and talking.

00:50:14We love Phineas and Ferb, but yeah, so the the buffet because when we were in Disney World last year getting over being sick and we had Woody's roundup or a roundup rodeo. Which was? Really good and they were not hungry. And then Cape May, which was really good and the kids were not hungry. It was also at the end of our trip and so like I was stuffed and. Not Roundup. Roundup Rodeo was the first day. Yeah, so. They were like. I was like, I because I was looking forward to it, but I was like full. I was like, I was like bloated and like I want to be more.

00:50:50I and I was getting over a cold, but I have to be like on my deathbed to not eat a bunch of breakfast food. Like I don't know what could stop me. Like I was like give it all and I had zip lock bags and I took Mickey waffles with me and I made the kids eat them as snacks. I made the kids eat them for the rest of the day. I'm fine. Mr. Bluff, thanks for hanging out. They had like this cinnamon bread thing that you pour the IT. Was like this Maple? It was so good and no one was eating it. And I was like, you guys, I can't, you know, I was trying to

00:51:21eat for all six of us. Like I was like, come on. Oh man, just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. It's all right. The money is gone. It's been gone for a year. It's been gone for a while. We're OK, we're OK, but I'm really excited about the Storytellers Cafe. So some fun things doing a little different. You're doing the the panel, which will be cool. We've got that breakfast and then we're not going into the park. We are just heading home, no park. Breakfast and home. Home, which now it turned out we have to because we have things we have to get to at home.

00:51:50So there's like no like, oh, maybe just for a little bit we can't like we have to get home. So that's kind of good for my mental state. Well, we hope you enjoyed this episode and we won't have an episode next week. And but you know, you can follow us on our socials. We're on Tiktok, we're on IG, you can follow us there. And you can, if you're watching us here on Tiktok, you can follow find us on all streaming platforms for wherever you listen to podcasts. We're there. And if you like what you hear at leave a review, we appreciate good reviews. We appreciate the good ones. We want you to be truthful. Be honest, don't lie.

00:52:36But if you don't like us, don't leave a review. Don't leave a review. Just don't listen. Like it's fine. You don't have to listen to this, but you also don't have to take time out of your busy life to say that I'm awkward to listen to. She's still holding that. She's still holding that there, just little, you know, dangling it. Just. Just because I don't know the terms to everything when they change names of things every two seconds. Like from genie plus to lightning lane to lightning lane multiplass to preview pass to. Preview Pass was never a thing. Premiere.

00:53:11So you're making things up. Premiere pass Lightning Lane Lightning Lane Multi pass Lightning Lane Individual pass Genie Plus No more Genie Plus Disney Plus. Come on. That's right, five stars only. So all we accept. Just just don't be mean. Just go. What about your life? Just go on. You don't have to listen. It's fine. We appreciate you guys, all of you, every single last one of you. Every single one. Hey Germany, are you still listening to us? If you are, you are a rock star. Yeah, we got our, we got our fan over in Germany.

00:53:47You are a rock star. I don't know if they are but but if you are, appreciate you. It's been years, friend, It's been years. But but yeah, thank you for listening and until next time, we'll talk to you later. Bye.