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Disneyland Star Tours Review

June 15, 2011 By Alison 1 Comment

The long wait is over and Star Tours The Adventure Continues is now open in Disneyland. This weekend my family and I braved the considerable crowds but were fortunate enough to have Fast Passes for the brand new version of this classic Disney ride. Star Tours is now back on my list of Top 5 favorite Disney rides. I decided to leave the actual review to someone who knows way more about Star Wars than I. My husband Richard! So here is what he thought of the new ride:

I finally got to try out the new Star Tours – the Adventures Continue – at Disneyland this weekend. It’s advertised as all-new, with brand new 3D sequences and 54 different versions of the ride. I went on the ride twice, quite a feat considering the wait times, but was dismayed to find I was sitting through exactly the same story! What are the chances of that? (OK, smart people might say 1 in 54, but I’m guessing it’s even less than that. Read on for why…)

First things first. Spoiler alert coming. I should say now that this post includes details of one of the 54 new stories, plus observations from the brand new waiting line, so if you don’t want to know, stop reading now.

OK, I was exaggerating slightly, since there was a slight difference between the two rides. In the first story, Yoda delivers information about a spy who has hidden on board the ship. In the second, this is done by a holographic projection of Princess Leia. Very impressive, since for the show they re-used the message hidden inside R2-D2 by the Princess shortly before the Tantive IV was captured in A New Hope. There may have been lip-syncing going on, but it was hard to see. The script was definitely adjusted to make use of the original, especially ‘you are our only hope’. The spy turned out to be one of our fellow passengers, and a photo of them was shown on a video screen at the side of the main screen.

I absolutely loved the ride, particularly the use of C3PO as the rookie pilot caught in the auto-launch sequence. My son told me there must be five C3POs in the ride in total (one in the line and one on each of the four shuttle ships. Not bad for a five year old).

As you attempt to take off from the space port, Darth Vader, flanked by a battalion of storm troopers (some with jet packs) attempts to intercept you. He uses his dark force powers to throw the ship around in new ways. This must have stretched the simulator’s capabilities far more than originally expected.

You are then pursued by a group of 3D TIE fighters as you try to head into hyperspace.

The jump to lightspeed felt a lot more realistic in the new simulator. Of course I haven’t really got anything to compare this against (the California speed limit forces me to keep my car under 65 mph at all times).

On exiting lightspeed, you end up joining the Battle of Hoth where several AT-ATs either step on you or collapse on you after a snowspeeder succeeds in lassoing their legs.

After the next lightspeed jump you arrive in the rings around the planet Geonosis, where Jango Fett is waiting to give chase in Slave I through the asteroids that make up the rings. You weave through the asteroid field with some great effects, courtesy of the Star Tours the simulator. Actually since this story is supposed to be set around Episodes II and III I wonder if this is actually a grown-up Boba? Also, since he appears to fall foul of one of his own seismic charges, is this consistent with the story? Sorry, maybe I’m taking this too seriously now…

The final exciting sequence takes you into the Death Star, which is under construction. You enter through an open hole in the side and speed through tight corridors, just like those in Return of the Jedi, before plummeting down a huge shaft filled with ships. One of these ships is the Millenium Falcon, but it speeds past in an instant and is hard to spot (my son saw it too).

A new and entertaining wait line slightly makes up for the wait time (120 minutes yesterday for anyone without a Fastpass). The line shows the weather on various destination planets including Mustafar (ash cloud approaching, of course). I didn’t spot Hoth on there but guessed it was going to be cold.

I also loved the silhouetted shadows passing by the window in the line and spotted a number of familiar shapes: Chancellor Palpatine (again since this is set around Episodes 2 and 3 I assume he hasn’t made emperor yet), several Jedi, plus an R2 droid. R2 gets zapped by a bunch of pesky jawas, falls over and is carried off, Episode IV-style.

I was left wondering how they will rotate the different endings. Maybe they are truly random, in which case the probability of my seeing the same show twice was indeed 1 in 54. Or maybe they limit the variation a bit. If it was my ride, I’d hold back some special endings for really special occasions.

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The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

June 13, 2011 By Alison 1 Comment

The latest attraction at Disney’s Californian Adventure park tells the story of everyone’s favorite Little Mermaid. Ariel’s Undersea Adventure debuted on 2nd June 2011 and has already proved to be very popular with park guests.

Ariel and her friends are to be found in the Paradise Pier area of the park where the Golden Dreams attraction used to be. The line is in the shade and moves pretty quickly – which is fortunate as there is not much to entertain you whilst waiting. Although one very welcome feature of the line is the soundtrack which was created using the original songs from the movie but creating a whole new orchestral medley.

As you approach the ride boarding area you will see the beautiful 86 foot long hand painted mural designed by Larry Nikolai with scenes from the Little Mermaid movie.

Each guest boards a brightly colored clam shell and takes a 5 1/2 minute journey under the sea with Ariel. There are almost 200 audio animatronic figures included in the ride. Each new attraction has it’s own particular challenges and Ariels ride was no exception. Working out how Ariels hair should move was a particular problem. Another challenge was the fact Ariel, King Triton and Ursula have so much skin exposed a new skin technology needed to be introduced for them.

Your clam shell moves through different scenes which all tell the Little Mermaid story. The most spectacular of these is the Under The Sea scene which features 120 animatronic figures. Look out and see what you think of Ariel’s hair in this scene – it certainly seems to have a strange life of it’s own!

Most of the ride follows the storyline of the movie but the ending scene was created just for The Little Mermaid attraction.

Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a welcome addition to Disney’s California Adventure but I have to confess being slightly disappointed. Everything is very well done but it just didn’t seem to take anything to a new level. We expect so much from Disney and usually they over perform. The other new attraction Star Tours The Adventure Continues is amazing and takes the experience to a whole new level. With Star Tours you are part of the experience. In Ariel you just never seem to really be very involved. With the exception of the Under The Sea scene there just isn’t quite enough to immerse you in the whole underwater journey. Perhaps we just want too much these days, but Ariel’s Undersea Adventure somehow left me wanting more.

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Darth Vader Goes To Disneyland

June 10, 2011 By Alison Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a Sith Lord visited Disneyland? Well now you can see as Darth Vader visited Disneyland this week.

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Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel

April 6, 2011 By Alison 3 Comments

If you are looking for the most luxurious place to stay for your vacation then Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel is the perfect choice. The Grand Californian is Disneyland resort’s premier hotel and was designed by Peter Dominick in the Arts and Crafts style of the 1900′s. You truly do feel as though you have stepped into a bygone age when you enter the lobby of the hotel. Aside from the outstanding design and comfort of the hotel another major advantage is that it is located within Disney California Adventure Park – you even get your own private entrance to the park! You really cannot be more conveniently located than in Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel. It gives very easy access not only to the California Adventure Park but also Disneyland and Downtown Disney.

Image by ExpressMonorail

The atmosphere of the hotel evokes images and feelings of a National Park Lodge such as the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. Whilst the hotel has 745 rooms the lobby feels cosy with it’s spectacular six story high atrium with a huge welcoming fireplace with comfy chairs – the perfect place to take a break from the parks.

Lobby of the Grand Californian

The hotel was built in 2001 and the new Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel Villas have recently been added to give even more choice for those wanting larger, more flexible accommodation.

Disney Grand Californian Hotel Rooms

The original building has 745 hotel rooms and suites. Each standard room is 353 square feet so certainly larger than most hotel rooms in the Anaheim area but not exactly huge either. Rooms have either a King size bed and sleeper sofa, 2 Queens (some with an additional daybed). The most popular rooms are the Queen sized bed with a bunk bed set and a trundle bed. These bunk bed rooms are the perfect solution for a family of 5. Room types can be requested but are not guaranteed.

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The rooms have a split bathroom so that the sink and vanity is located outside of the bathroom. This is an added convenience when traveling with a family.

One and two bedroom suites are also available at the Grand Californian Hotel. These will give you plenty of additional room as they range from 694 to 1990 square feet.

If you are looking for a ‘Disney’ feel to the rooms then this may be a disappointment. The design really is the Arts and Crafts theme and for the kids (and of course) some adults the rooms may lack those special Disney touches that you are looking for. Some guests feel that the rooms are rather small for the price and somewhat dark. I have stayed in this hotel many times and do agree that for a family of 5 the rooms do seem a little small. But for me the location wins every time if the price is right compared to the other hotels of Disneyland resort. You do pay a price for convenience but sometimes I wish they rooms lived up to the expectation of the lobby architecture a little more!

Concierge Rooms are also available at the Grand Californian Hotel. These are all located on the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel. The Craftsman’s Club concierge lounge is located on the sixth floor and has snacks available from 6.30am to 10pm. A particularly nice feature is that you can see the fireworks from the patio. Is the concierge service worth the extra money? The standard rooms are the same as on the non concierge floors and of course you do pay quite a large premium for access to the lounge, priority check in and concierge services. Only you can make the choice as to whether it is worth it but if you really have to think about whether it is worth the splurge then perhaps it really isn’t worth it. Many feel that the benefits offered are not that great.

There are various views on offer at the hotel. The best and of course the most expensive are the theme park/pool views. These are particularly spectacular at night. Downtown Disney views are also available. These can be interesting for people watching but some, particularly on the lower floors, can be a little noisy. Standard views look out over the entrance or the interior courtyard.

View from Grand Californian Hotel

One great feature of the Grand Californian Hotel is that it has it’s own private entrance to California Adventure Park. So you are literally steps away from the park. This entrance can be used by any Disneyland Resort Hotel guest. Early in the morning the security people do check your room key ID but later in the day this seems to be overlooked. It is also useful to be able to exit the park in this way. If you are a non Disney resort guest and want to use the restaurant or other facilities at the hotel then you can leave the park by this exit. Rarely is ID ever checked on the exit and it can prove to be a nice short cut.

Disneyland Grand Californian Vacation Villas

The recently added Grand Californian Villas are the only Disney Vacation Club rooms available at Disneyland. There are open to everyone, not only Disney Vacation Club Members. There are studios, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom villas available.

The Studio Villa is 379 square feet and sleeps up to 4 guests. Each has a Queen bed and Queen sleeper sofa. There is a kitchenette with a microwave, refrigerator and toaster. The room also has a small dining table with 2 chairs. Each room includes a television and DVD player. Also all the villas has either a patio or a balcony.

The One Bedroom Villa has a very generous 865 square feet of space. This is a great option for a family of up to 5 guests as is includes a King bed, a Queen sofa bed and a pull down bunk bed. Another great feature is that the villa has 2 bathrooms one of which has a whirlpool tub. This villa has a full kitchen with full size appliances. Having a kitchen is a great time and money saver. You can prepare and eat a quick breakfast and hit the parks earlier in the morning!

The Two Bedroom villas are a One Bed and a Studio connected together. They offer 1,257 square feet of space with 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. These villas will sleep up to 9 people very comfortably.

If you are looking for the very best then then you can choose from one of just two available Three Bedroom Villas at the Grand Californian Hotel. They are two storeys high and at 2,426 square feet are the size of the average house in the US. The first bedroom has a King bed and the other two bedrooms each have a Queen. The villas will sleep up to 12 guests plus a child under 3 in a crib. All 3 bedrooms are masters with the first bedroom having a master bath with a whirlpool. The total number of bathrooms is 4. There is a full kitchen and even a washer and a dryer. So if you are looking for the largest, most comfortable option in Disneyland, and of course money is no object, then this has to be your best choice!

The Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel Villas are part of the Disney Vacation Club. Although they can be booked by non DVC members they are the only Vacation Club rooms in Anaheim so they are not always available as they are often already booked.

Parking for both the Hotel and the Villas is charged at $15 per day for self parking or $17 for valet. The self parking facility is located across the street – not a great feature as this is a busy road to cross.

All of the hotels of Disneyland Resort now charge a resort fee. This fee does not include parking. It is $15 per day and covers newspaper delivery, local calls, internet access. I am not a big fan of parking charges and resort fees. I wish that hotels would just be honest and have a room price reflect the rate they actually want to charge you!

Grand Californian Hotel Restaurants

Turkish Baklava from Grand Californian Chef Gracie Cordero

There is a good choice of places to eat at the resort ranging from Quick Service to the finest restaurant in Disneyland, Napa Rose.

If you are looking for a fine dining experience then be sure to make reservations for the ever popular Napa Rose which is located inside the Grand Californian Resort. The menu is distinctively Californian cuisine and the decor is just beautiful Arts and Crafts style. The menu is seasonal and the 4-course prix-fixe tasting menu changes every week. The award winning Napa Rose is thought by many to be the finest in Orange County. Even if you are not visiting the Mouse then this restaurant is well worth a visit. Perfection comes at a price though so expect to pay around $40 for an entree. The 4 course prix fixe menu is $85 without wine pairings. The wine flight is an additional $45 with no alcoholic pairings available for $15. There is also a children’s menu available.

Storyteller’s Cafe offers a character breakfast with Chip and Dale as well as lunch and dinner. The lunch menu offers favorites such as pizzas and burgers. Dinner is either from the menu or the buffet table. I have to be honest about Storyteller’s Cafe as I have eaten there on many occasions. Usually because I am tired after a long day at the parks and I just happen to be in the right place! The food is OK and they do offer good gluten free options which is great because my family has food allergy issues. The restaurant is styled wonderfully and should be a really pleasant place to be. However over the past couple of years the service has just been bad. Really bad on occasion. The wait staff just don’t seem very helpful or well trained. More than one could be described as grumpy to say the least! The wait for tables is often very much longer than you are told and then service is very slow. The food seems to be kept under the warmer for way too long. Getting the idea that I have had numerous bad experiences here? For me Storyteller’s Cafe misses a big opportunity as it really should be very good indeed. The decor is fabulous, the menu is fine. Just the service is terrible.

If you just want to pick up a quick bite to eat then head on over to White Water Snacks which is located next to the pool. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner this is a counter service eatery which serves the usual cereal, breakfast items, pizza, sandwiches, ice-cream and snacks.

Recreation at Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel

Grand Californian 2

There are 3 swimming pools side by side at the Grand Californian. The Redwood Pool has a slide, the Fountain pool is next to this with a small children’s pool shaped in the classic Mickey Mouse head design.

The Mandara Spa offers the usual spa services and also a special YSPA Teen Program. If you need a rest from the stresses of the theme parks then this is a great place to relax for a while. There is also a small fitness facility which offers aerobic and weights machines.

Is Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel Really Worth It?

Stained glass doors at the entrance of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel

Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel Review

This is the most expensive of the Disneyland resort hotels and whilst sometimes you may see a discount you will usually pay at least $300 for a standard room per night. Demand tends to exceed supply in the Disneyland hotels so bargains are rare. Sometimes seasonal or Disneyland Annual Passholder discounts are available.

Is is worth it? The location and pure luxury feeling of this hotel are simply not available anywhere else in Anaheim. It is just stunning. Peaceful and relaxing. The rooms are nice – they could be better but they are of a very good standard. The location is unbeatable and this can mean a lot when you are visiting the Disneyland parks. You do get a lot more out of your visit if you can spend some of your time relaxing. And you simply get more time in the parks as you are not spending any time traveling to them! So if yu can then the Disneyland Grand Californian really should be experience at least once in a lifetime. And then you will want to return!

Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel address

1600 South Disneyland Drive
Anaheim
CA 92803

Telephone 714 635 2300

If you are thinking about staying in a Disneyland Hotel then you may also want to look at this guide to Disney Paradise Pier

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Disney World Star Wars Weekends 2011

February 9, 2011 By Alison 1 Comment

If you are a Star Wars fan you need to make a note of a very important date. May 20th 2011. Not only will the new Star Tours Experience open at both Walt Disney World Florida and Disneyland in California but it will mark the start of the Star Wars Weekends in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

Disney has just announced that the annual Star Wars weekends will be take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 20th to June 12th 2011. These extremely popular weekends feature character appearances, exclusive merchandise, special parade appearance and presentations.

Star Wars fans will be particularly excited to learn that Anthony Daniels who is well known for his portrayal of C3PO in all 6 movies will be attending on May 20th to May 22nd and the following weekend May 27th to 29th. Ashley Eckstein who is the voice of Ahsoka in The Clone Wars will be appearing on each weekend.

Everyone is of course looking forward to the launch of the new Star Tours Experience. George Lucas went to Disneyland California to take a ride on the Starspeeder 100 last weekend. He and Star Wars producer Rick McCallum pronounced the ride to be making great progress. Expect this to be the most popular ride in Magic Kingdom and Disneyland for a long time to come after launch.

Just one wish. Wouldn’t it be great if they brought the Star Wars Weekends to Disneyland California too?

Photo by JoshMcConnell

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Disneyland Resort Fourth Night Free Offer

December 19, 2010 By Alison Leave a Comment

Daily Disney - Disneyland (Explored)

Here is another great Disneyland Resort offer for 2011. Receive a fourth night free when you book a 3-night, 4-day Disneyland Resort vacation package. This package features a 4-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper souvenir ticket. This is 4 full days of fun at both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Park.

As an added bonus guests will receive one $20 ESPN Zone Game Card per Disneyland Resort Vacation Package to use in Downtown Disney.

You must book between 23rd November 2010 and February 19th 2011. The offer is valid on arrivals at Disneyland Resort between January 4th and April 11th 2011. Your must complete your stay by April 15th 2011.

This is a great opportunity to stay in one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. Of course we can help you at EverythingMouse Travel. I have personally stayed in all of the Disneyland Resort hotels many times and can help you decide which one is the best for you. Just fill out the Contact Form or leave me a message in the comment box below.

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Disney Paradise Pier

September 10, 2010 By Alison 2 Comments

Disney Paradise Pier is an excellent choice for your Disneyland vacation. It is one of 3 Disneyland resort hotels and in many ways it is my favorite as it offers a high standard of accommodation and excellent value. The theme is very much fun at the sea side. The first thing you notice at Paradise Pier are the bright colors. A statue of Goofy with a surf board greets you in the lobby. This is just a really fun place to be.

The location is great as you can easily walk to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The rooms at the Paradise Pier are very nicely decorated and are a good size. The recreation facilities are a little limited, but since the upgrade of the swimming pool area to include a water slide, there is plenty to keep the kids happy.

So is Disney’s Paradise Pier a good choice for your Disneyland trip?

Photo by lorenjavier

Rooms at Disney Paradise Pier

There are 481 rooms at the Paradise Pier Hotel. The standard rooms are a fairly generous 364 square feet. There is a choice of a King bed or 2 Queens – you need to specify which you would prefer at the time of booking. Although requests are not guaranteed it is always best to ask when you book. Some rooms also have a day bed and will comfortably sleep 5 guests. The bathrooms are small but adequate and have nice touches so that you have no doubt that you are in a Disney hotel!

There views are either of the park, the parking lot or the pool.

There are 29 suites at Paradise Pier which will sleep up to 6 guests. These range in size from 792 to 1245 square feet.

There is a resort fee of $12 per room per night at the Paradise Pier. This covers use of the recreation facilities, parking and give you free use of the internet in your room.

Disney Paradise Pier View

Photo by ethomson

The best views at Paradise Pier are of course the theme park views. These give a great view of Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The views are particularly interesting at night as it is so nice looking out of the window at all of the beautiful lights in the park. Early morning is good too – it is not often you get a view of a totally empty Disney theme park!

Concierge Rooms at Disney Paradise Pier

A concierge room at Disney’s Paradise Pier is always my first choice when we stay at Disneyland as I think that this offers one of the best values on the resort. The rooms are standard rooms with either park views or a pool side location. The concierge lounge is a great feature. Open from 6.30am to 8.00pm each day the comfortable concierge lounge offers a continental breakfast and an evening cheese and wine reception. You also have priority check in and the service of a concierge through out your stay. Unfortunately the concierge lounge does not have a view – but the children are happy with the supply of Disney movies in the lounge. Concierge guests also have free use of a DVD player and a choice of Disney movies for their room.

Getting to the Disney Parks from Paradise Pier Hotel

The location of the Paradise Pier couldn’t get much better. You can easily walk to both Disney parks. The best way to get to Disney’s California Adventure Park is to walk to the Grand Californian Hotel and use the private entrance there which is open to all Disney resort guests. If you are going to Disneyland then you can either walk to the main entrance which will take you around 7 minutes or catch the monorail to Tomorrowland. The Disneyland monorail stop is located in Downtown Disney and is a shorter distance from the Paradise Pier Hotel than the main entrance. The monorail does get crowded at busy times though so sometimes it is just quicker to walk. It just depends upon which part of Disneyland you want to get to!

Recreation at Paradise Pier

Photo by jasonpratt

The hotel has one swimming pool which is located on the third floor. Children will love the California Screamin’ water slide. Other than that the pool is nice but not particularly themed but it is a nice place to spend some time relaxing away from the parks.

One relaxing spot for the children is just off the lobby. Paradise Theater is furnished with cute white beach chairs for the kids who are kept entertained with Disney movies.

The hotel also has a workout room and a video games arcade.

Disney Paradise Pier Restaurants

Photo by coconut wireless

The Surfside Lounge is located in the lobby area close to the reception desk and opposite the gift shop. This serves alcohol and non alcoholic beverages, coffee snacks, salads, sandwiches and cookies. There is also a poolside counter service bar Slurpin’ USA

Disney’s PCH Grill can be a popular spot for breakfast. Join Mickey Mouse for his Surf’s Up Breakfast with Mickey. The meal is buffet style and costs $29.99 for adults and $15.99 for children aged 3 to 9. In the evening the restaurant is often pretty quiet. It serves sandwiches, salads and burgers.

If you are planning a stay at Disneyland always check out the pricing for a room at Disney’s Paradise Pier as you may be surprised at the great value it offers.

You may also be interested in our guide to Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel.

Of course if you want us to help you with your visit then just contact us here
at EverythingMouse Travel and we will find the best deal for you!

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