Disneyland Resort 9/6-9/8 - It's Hot Up Here

Went to visit Disneyland for the first time last week, and had a great time! First of all, yes, this was during the heat wave, and yes, it was miserable. I thought living in Alabama for 30 years would have prepared me, but Chicago has ruined me for heat. It was fairly busy, but with Genie+ I was able to ride everything I wanted each day and then take a 2 hour break for cooling and a nap during the worst of it. Still had to change clothes three times each day and got a little woozy a couple of times - 100 degrees is no joke!

Didn't do much in Fantasyland, as none of those rides have Genie+ and the lines were at 30+ minutes the whole week. No biggie, I've ridden the FL counterparts over the years. Got pretty much all the other big ticket attractions without drastic waits, which was nice. Genie+ kept my waits for Mansion, Guardians, Splash, and Soarin to less that 15 minutes - absolutely worth the $20. I don't mind lines, generally, but in this heat it would have been torture. My sweat soaked shirt didn't keep people from crowding me while in every line, though, which, gross.

The Halloween decor and ride overlays were great - so much Coco everywhere! Nightmare Before Christmas was wonderful, as was Radiator Springs whole retheme for spooky season. And using Hellfire in the nightly projection show music was a bold choice, considering the plot of the song, but I loved it.

Genie+ in DL and DCA was a breeze, no problems using it at any time. I did miss a couple of windows for the halloween Mission Breakout, but was eventually able to get a pass and avoid the 90+ minute line. I only paid extra for Rise, as it was one of my top must do's and was up and down the whole trip. Totally worth it! I was spoiled to the plot and general ride, but it didn't dampen the impact whatsoever. Without a doubt the best park attraction anywhere.

My only issue with using Genie+ was the other guests who, all day, every day, would wander up to the lightning lane without having the passes pulled up and then spend 5 minutes fumbling through the phone to find them for their entire 6 person group, blocking the scanners while they did so. I get that it's new and can be confusing to use throughout the day. But surely after the first one, it's clear that you need to have the pass out to scan, right?

I also didn't love that standby for Rise closed at 9pm all three nights, when the park was open until 11. If there had been a 2 hour wait at 9, I get that, but the queues were empty except for the LL buyers - who were sold tickets up until 10:30. Kinda sucks that the premiere attraction has such limited operating hours. Between that, no fireworks, no electrical parade, and no Fantasmic, there wasn't a ton to do after about 9:30 each night.

Other than those annoyances, the trip was a delight. In spite of my apathy for Cars, Radiator Springs Racers was one of my favorites. And of course, my sentimental favorite Enchanted Tiki Room was just the best. On my final night I thought I'd swing by and grab a show on my way out, but there was an estimated 3 show wait - 45 minutes - around 9pm... for the Tiki Room! I love the show but even I have limits :)

This trip was MUCH less hassle and planning dependent than my WDW trips have been. I enjoyed the laid back vibe in CA as opposed to the FL guests who often act like they are in a contest to "win" Disney? Or Something? I hope to make this a semi-regular trip, just gotta avoid the heat waves in the future!

I am absolutely someone who tries to "win" Disney, but I do appreciate how much easier G+ is at DLR.

I’m sorry that you passed on Fantasyland. The dark rides there are far and away better than those at MK- they’ve been updated over the years but still seem so quaint and original. Toad is my favorite. Wait… Alice is my favorite… wait…

Haven’t been to Disneyland since 2015, but I’ve always found it very pleasurable compared to DLR Florida. Still crowded, but not quite as much as a rat race.

I did get rides on Alice In Wonderland, Canal Boats, and Pinocchio, but the rest were always at 30 minutes or more. Peter Pan was between 45 and 60 most of the week, which boggles my mind. I enjoy it, but not for that long a wait.