Fly home day was fairly uneventful- we had prepaid for a Super Shuttle to take us to/from the airport, so it showed up on time to drive us the hour or so to LAX. We breezed through security, and then had quite a bit of time before our flight left. I had packed a slice of cheesecake from the night before so we found some seats and enjoyed that.
Our flight was direct from LAX to Edmonton, so a little over 3 hours.
After meeting Olaf, we were getting close to our lunch reservation, so we headed out of DCA and over to Disneyland. We stopped for a few Photopass pictures
We headed over to Cafe Orleans (for the second time on this trip!).
We decided to head over to Fantasyland, and got into line for something we’d never done before – Storybook Canal Boats. As soon as you enter a queue line you can tell which rides are from the 50’s – the queue lines are very narrow and tend to zig-zag in a small space.
This ride was ok, definitely worth going on at least once to see all the little models based on Disney films.
We walked over to Tomorrowland and grabbed a Fastpass for Star Tours for a bit later.
Then we headed to the front of the park – a meet and greet had caught our eye on the app. We had to wait a bit, and we weren’t exactly sure where the line would be (we just knew the door characters came out of to begin their shift, so we hung out close to there).
We waved goodbye to Goofy as he walked past us, then watched as Mickey ran into the villain we were waiting to meet – Cruella de Vil! We followed her over by the train station, where we had a hilarious meet and greet – redemption for earlier that day!
We decided to check out the Main Street Cinema, and we hung out in there for awhile.
Eventually, we headed out and decided to go watch the Storytelling at the Royal Theatre. The show we saw was Tangled, but they were alternating between that and Beauty and the Beast that day. We both really enjoy Tangled, so no complaints from us!
I grabbed a snack from Maurice’s Treats, the snack cart beside the theater. Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist, $4.79
Delicious! I love bread way too much haha.
The show was really cute, a condensed version of the story with more humour added in. We both agreed we would go back to see another show here at some point!
We decided to go for a walk through Toontown, but we didn’t feel like actually going on any of the rides there or waiting in line for any of the meet and greets, so we headed back to Tomorrowland.
We grabbed a Fastpass for Buzz Lightyear, and then jumped into the standby line for it. Once Luke beat me again and helped defeat Evil Emperor Zurg, we were in the window for the Star Tours Fastpass we had grabbed earlier. As soon as we returned from our flight with C-3PO, we were in the window for the Buzz Lightyear Fastpass we had just grabbed.
We decided to head back over to California Adventure, but we took our time exiting Disneyland, walking slowly down Main Street, checking out some of the shops.
Once we entered DCA, we realized we were hungry and could go for a drink, so we went to the Cove Bar
While we were sitting there, we could see the roller coaster going and we realized we’d never been on it in the dark. Once we finished up our snack and drinks, we went and jumped into the standby line and rode California Screamin’.
By this point it was finally time to use the Radiator Springs Fastpass we had grabbed that morning, so off we went. I love Cars Land at night, it’s so beautiful!
The standby line had a posted wait time of 120 minutes, but the park was only a few minutes from closing. The Fastpass line was actually really long, and it took us about 20-25 minutes before we were boarding a car. By the time our ride through Radiator Springs was over, the entire standby line was gone – so that posted 120 minutes was actually about 30 minutes. This was really the first time we’d noticed how much they inflate the wait times at the end of the night.
So, I had Photopass included with my Annual Pass, but somehow I forgot to download our on-ride photo from our last ride on Radiator Springs. They also only sent three people total in our car, which is a sign of how inflated the wait time was.
DCA was closed by this point, so we headed out and got to Garden Walk as quickly as possible. I wanted to buy my mom a birthday present from the Harley Davidson store there since January 30th is her actual birthday. We arrived there at 8:40, and the store was completely locked up, lights turned off and no one in sight – despite the large sign on the door saying they were open until 9pm. I was so upset, I really wanted to get Mom something from there, but we were flying out the next morning so there wasn’t much I could do at that point.
We ended our trip with a meal at the Cheesecake Factory. Cheesecake makes everything better!
For our last full day in California, we again decided to skip rope-drop and start our day in DCA a little later. We immediately headed over and joined the stand-by queue for California Screamin’, where we stood and waited. And waited. And waited some more. The sign had said 20 minutes, but after standing there for almost thirty they announced that the ride was broken. Sigh. As we walked around the pier, we could actually see one of the trains stuck on the track – so I’m glad we weren’t on it!
We thought about stopping for Toy Story Midway Mania, but the queue was over an hour, and this was shortly before they introduced Fastpass for it. So, we skipped that with plans to come back later – it didn’t happen. Luke was pretty sad we didn’t get on TSMM on either one of our Disney trips in January, but we made up for it on the two trips that followed 🙂
We decided to go check out the special character meet and greets for the Chinese New Year. We entered the queue which didn’t move for over 15 minutes. Finally, Chip and Dale came out looking adorable.
They met with guests for about 25 minutes, then when there were only 4 families in front of us, a cast member let us know that Chip and Dale were leaving, but Mulan and Mushu would be right out. This was exciting! Rare characters!
They came out, and in their 25 minute set they met three of the families in front of us. Three. And then they left. I understand wanting to spend time with each person, but the parents of one family in particular were ridiculous. Seriously, your children do not need to spend 15 minutes getting pictures from every angle/pose/showing Mulan every toy you have with you/etc. You could see the cast members trying to hurry them along, but nope. I know that Luke and I are two adults without children, but we would have taken about 90 seconds – say hello, give a hug, smile for a few pictures, done. Needless to say, Luke was fuming. We had spent over an hour in the line by this point, and we were being told it would be 20-30 minutes before the next character would be out (Minnie Mouse). We were not the only people in line a little upset by this point, and we were not the only ones who decided to leave the line. In a lot of ways, I prefer Disneyland but I have to give WDW the edge in character meets on this day (this comes up again later on this day).
We were both tired and cranky by this point – we had been in the park for almost two hours and had done nothing but stand in lines – for nothing. We decided we needed to go on a ride to get this day back on track , and since we were right there we grabbed a Fastpass for Goofy’s Sky School.
We didn’t have too long of a wait before we were in the window for the fastpass, but we bought a churro and found a spot to sit down and regroup. Once our FP window opened, we rode Goofy’s Sky School – which is just a crazy Mouse style coaster.
We checked the app and noticed there were still Fastpasses available for Radiator Springs for that evening, so we ran over and grabbed one of those.
Also while on the app, a character meet caught our attention- Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps! They were in Hollywood Land by Stage 17, so off we went! There was barely any line when we got over there, and before long we were meeting Zootopia’s finest!
After pictures with Nick and Judy, we realized Olaf was about to start meeting people just around the corner, so we joined that line. There were only two groups in front of us – a young couple and a mother with her son (who I’d guess was 3-4). Olaf came out, and the young couple had their picture taken, gave him a warm hug and moved along. Then, the mother and her son moved up to meet Olaf – and cue another meet-and-greet reminiscent of that morning. The little boy had zero interest in actually meeting Olaf and taking a picture with him. It was cute at first, but after over 10 minutes of him trying to pull down the backdrop behind Olaf, throwing his teddy bear at Olaf, running in circles around Olaf screaming all while the mother smiled at her sweet little offspring – it was a bit much. Even the Photopass photographer was getting annoyed, he would audilbly sigh, then repeat “ok, let’s smile for a picture so the other people in line can give Olaf a hug”. Huge shoutout to that photographer, he was very polite and kept his cool while still giving the mother very obvious hints that she should reign in her child. I don’t mind waiting my turn, but this was painful to watch. Yes, I understand I am at a theme park created for children, but come on.
We finally got to go up and give Olaf a warm hug and get a few pictures.
Next: Part Two
We had went to Trader Sams on our last trip to Disneyland on our first night there, it was Luke’s request for his birthday after enjoying our first experience at the Trader Sam’s in Florida a few weeks earlier. We knew we wanted to go at some point during this trip, so once we were both starting to feel hungry and a little cranky, we decided it was time for a drink.
Trader Sam’s is a small, heavily themed bar located by the Disneyland Hotel.
It is based off the Jungle Cruise ride, and has no shortage of things to look at on the walls.
I wasn’t feeling great by the time we got there, so I decided alcohol was not a good idea, so I tried one of the non-alcoholic drinks on the menu, the Schweitzer Falls – the AMAZING… the COLOSSAL… the STUPENDOUS…the eighth wonder of the world… Dr. Albert Falls’ favourite (over the rocks). Tropical juices and Sam’s Gorilla Grog topped with Sprite – $5.25
I enjoyed this (and not just because it had a glow cube – although that didn’t hurt haha). It was sweet, which I’m a fan of.
Luke wanted alcohol, and he wanted to try something he hadn’t tried before, so his choice was the Krakatoa Punch – there’s no escaping falling in lava with this exotic eruption of flavor! Reserve and Spiced rums, orgeat (almond) syrup, Sam’s Gorilla Grog and hibiscus grenadine. Served in a souvenir Tiki mug. $23.50 with a souvenir mug
I did try his drink – it was good, but very strong (like all drinks at Trader Sam’s). They also were not serving the drinks in souvenir mugs, but hey did have these ones in stock for us to bring home.
We also decided to split some food, and once again ordered the Pu-Pu Platter – sweet and spicy Asian wings, fried spring rolls, panko-crusted Chinese long beans, lettuce mix and sriracha aioli, $17
I always think I like spring rolls, but after my first bite I remember I’m not a huge fan haha. No worries though, Luke really liked these so he ate them both. The Asian wings were a little too spicy for my liking, so again, Luke had those. The beans though – yum! I loved these in January when we had them, and, despite me not feeling the greatest at this point, I was able to assist in putting a decent dent in that pile of beans. The Sriracha aioli was really good with the beans, I didn’t find it too spicy at all.
Luke had enjoyed it so much last time that he also decided to order the Angus 1/3 LB Hawaiian Cheeseburger – ground angus burger with teriyaki sauce, fresh caramelized pineapple, havarti cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun. Includes your choice of one of the following sides: sweet potato fries, classic french fries or island fruit – $13
I wasn’t interested in the burger, but Luke liked it a lot. I was excited when I saw shoestring fries, and I might have claimed quite a few of those for myself…
Basically, my entire meal here consisted of french fries and beans haha, but it was delicious and I wouldn’t change it – vacation mode!
We happened to overhear a server talking about the limited edition Haunted Mansion mugs that had been released a few weeks earlier – we had just assumed they were sold out, but turns out they weren’t! We excitedly asked for one of those to take home, and didn’t even care about the cost haha (it was $25 for the mug alone). It’s so amazing though!
Our total bill was $84.54 after saving 15% using my Annual Pass.
This was our third trip to Anaheim, and our second time at the Cheesecake Factory – I’m a fan. The food itself is fairly generic – but the menu is huge, there are so many options! My favourite part is the cheesecake display – look how beautiful it is haha.
I’ll apologize now – this restaurant is really dark, which makes it really difficult to get good pictures, especially with my phone (and I don’t want to be that person using my flash).
They started us off with some bread – pumpernickel I believe? I liked it, but I tend to like most things with carbs.
I decided to go for the Chicken Riesling – chicken breast, mushrooms, bacon, onions, and garlic in a white wine riesling cream sauce. Served with buttered parmesan pasta – $13.95
This was pretty decent! I’m a simpleton who loves nothing but butter on my noodles, so this was perfect for me. I also quite enjoyed the white wine sauce on the chicken – but again, I’m not a food connoisseur, so I’m not always the best one to take food advice from haha.
Luke wanted a cocktail, and ordered the Cucumber Mojito – Hendrick’s and St. Germain with cucumber, basil and fresh mint, $12.25
Luke said this was good, but a drink that costs almost as much as my entire meal?! Seems a little ridiculous.
Luke didn’t feel like a big meal, and ordered an appetizer sized Caesar Salad – the almost traditional recipe with croutons, parmesan cheese, and our special caesar dressing, with chicken added, $13.95.
This was a salad – nothing special, but it was exactly what Luke wanted and it hit the spot.
Of course we had to have cheesecake! Luke ordered the Key Lime Cheesecake – Key Lime Pie in a Cheesecake! Deliciously tart and creamy on a vanilla crumb crust – $7.95. I forgot to take a picture of this – it was our last night and I was tired!
I wasn’t hungry, so I ordered my cheesecake to go and ate it the next day at the airport. I went for the Adam’s Peanut Butter Fudge – creamy cheesecake swirled with caramel, peanut butter, Butterfingers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – $7.95
This is such an odd choice for me, considering I’m not a huge fan of peanut butter, but I love this cheesecake so much. I didn’t take the picture until the next day, so the whipped cream had seen better days haha. It was still delicious, and I would absolutely order this again.
Our total bill came to $60.39.
We had a lengthy layover at the Vancouver airport, so once we were through customs Luke and I immediately headed to Starbucks for some drinks – a Berry Hibiscus Refresher for me and a coffee for Luke. They asked for a name, and since my name gets butchered at places like that, we gave Luke’s… and naturally they wrote Lou on my drink. Seriously Starbucks?! I feel like they do that on purpose sometimes.
While we were in line for our drinks, Mom and Rhonda had wandered over towards our gate and found the Canucks Bar & Grill. Mom texted me to let me know that they had grabbed a table for four, so we headed over once we had drinks in hand. I personally hate the Canucks (it happens when you’re an Oilers fan), but when in Vancouver, amiright?
It was only about 8:30am at this point, so obviously they were only serving breakfast. The breakfast menu was fairly small, but it is just an airport restaurant.
Luke ordered his most common breakfast item- Eggs Benedict – poached farm fresh eggs, English muffin, Canadian back bacon, hollandaise sauce, $15
All he really said about this is that it was “good, especially for airport food”. He ate it all, so clearly he had no complaints.
I don’t typically eat eggs, but I ordered the Traditional Two Egg Breakfast – two eggs any style, choice of bacon, sausage or Canadian back bacon, breakfast potatoes, toast, $14.50.
This was decent. There was strawberry jam for my toast, the back bacon was tasty and the breakfast potatoes were cooked well. Breakfast is still my least favourite meal of the day, but this hit the spot since I was pretty hungry. I even ate a few bites of the scrambled eggs, and they were pretty good – I’m no expert but they seemed like good eggs – cage free or organic or something.
I didn’t take pictures, but Rhonda ordered the same thing I did, only with over-easy eggs and regular bacon. Mom had the Gameday Breakfast Scramble – egg, bacon, cartelized onion, BC mushrooms, cheddar, breakfast potatoes, $14.50.
The total for Luke and I came to $30.98 – a little pricey, but airport prices were just trying to prepare us for Disney pricing haha.
Since we were leaving for our two week wedding trip on December 30th, we were running a little low on groceries in our house by the 27th. We found a coupon for $10 off an order at Famoso, and it was a Wednesday night so one of my favourite things on the menu was on special, so we decided to head to the South Edmonton Common for supper.
We both ordered a drink – because vacation mode had already set in! Diablo Iced Tea – spiced rum, orange liqueur, lemon Italian soda, cola, apple juice, 1oz $6.95, Italian Greyhound – vodka, vermouth rosso, grapefruit Italian soda, lime ,fresh basil, 1oz $6.95
One of my favourite items on the menu at Famoso are the Prosciutto Wrapped Mozza Balls – Fior-di-latte wrapped with prosciutto, baked in Campania tomato sauce, fresh basil, Grana Padano. Served with garlic flatbread. The typical cost is $19.95 for 6 of these, but on Wednesday nights they are $2/each (so $12 for 6 of them).
You can’t really see them in this bowl, but I promise there are 6 mozza balls in here. These are so good – fresh fior-di-latte cheese wrapped in proscuitto with lots of tomato sauce. I don’t think I could eat many more than 3 of these, it’s a lot of cheese, but they are so good!
We decided to share a pizza, and switched it up from our typical orders and went for the Quattro Fromaggi – Fior-di-latte, smoked mozzarella, gorgonzola, Grana Padano, fresh basil, lemon wedge, $16.95
This was ok, but I’ve realized I’m not a huge fan of white pizzas – I’m a bit of a purist and prefer traditional red sauce. Squeezing the lemon over top of this was nice though. Luke liked this a lot more than I did.