My Feet Are Gonna Pizza Flop-Off - 6 Days in 4 Parks! February 2024 TR **NEW** 4/10 x2

[khertz]

My Feet Are Gonna Pizza Flop-Off - 6 Days in 4 Parks!
February 2024 TR​

Welcome along to my 5th Disneyland TR with a little something extra this time! It’s been almost 7 years since we last visited Disneyland, so we were very excited to get back there and to add on two new things for us, a visit to Universal Hollywood and also a day at Knott’s Berry Farm! Before diving into the details, let’s get the introductions out of the way.

Here is our family!

2024-02-15 - Disneyland Park - Partners statue_7 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

I’ll be your narrator, since I do all of the note taking during our trips! My partner in life, and in TR writing, is my DH! We have been married for 16 years, and we are both big Disney lovers and have enjoyed making wonderful memories in the parks since back in 2007 when we took our honeymoon to WDW.

2024-02-15 - Disneyland Park - Partners statue_2 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Then, there are our kiddos, DS who is now 13, and DD who is 8. Both have been visiting WDW since they were babies! DS remembers bits and pieces of our last couple of trips to Disneyland, but he was 6 years old the last time we were there, so a lot has changed since then. DD was not even 2 yet when were last in Disneyland, so this was like a first trip for her!

This is how they looked the last time we were in Disneyland:

Disneyland06-039 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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And here they are now!

2024-02-15 - Disney California Adventure Park - Cars land by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

This trip came about because after visiting WDW last January, we were itching for another parks visit. We did a Disney Cruise in September and the kids missed a week of school for it, so we knew whatever we decided to do would have to be during a school break. The kids get a week off every year for Mardi Gras, and soooooo many people visit WDW that week, so while it was an option, we knew the parks would be very busy. We discussed taking a summer trip, but the more I thought about how much I hate the heat & humidity, the more I kept revisiting the idea of going somewhere the week of Mardi Gras. And suddenly, it hit me! We can still visit Disney and not have to miss school days if we go to DisneyLAND instead!! And so, the idea for this trip was born.

We settled on trip dates of Saturday February 10th-Saturday February 17th so that we would have Sunday to recover and get ready for a return to school and work on Monday. Now that the kids are older and tall enough for more rides, we decided also that we wanted to do more parks than just Disneyland & Disney California Adventure. Visiting Universal Hollywood was almost a no-brainer because we were all excited to visit Super Nintendo World! And after some research, we decided that Knott’s Berry Farm would also be a fun day for our family!

After lots of discussion of how we should schedule our week, this is the itinerary we decided on:

• Sunday February 11th - Knott’s Berry Farm with the Peanuts Bundle that included 1 day admission and the All Day Dining Plan.
• Monday February 12th - Universal Hollywood with one time use Express Pass and Early Entry into Super Nintendo World
• Tuesday February 13th - Disneyland park reservation with Early Entry & Genie+
• Wednesday February 14th - DCA park reservation with Early Entry & Genie+
• Thursday February 15th - DCA park reservation with Genie+
• Friday February 16th - Disneyland park reservation with Genie+

We had park hoppers for Disneyland & DCA so we had a loose plan for park hopping after choosing which park to start at.

We used our Wyndham points to book the entire week at the Worldmark Anaheim where we have stayed on previous trips. When our 7 month mark came along for DVC, we tried to get sometime at Villas at Grand Californian not expecting to get anything since there are so few units, but we managed to get 3 nights from the 12th-15th!

That’s probably enough of the logistics, let’s get into the fun!

 

[khertz]

Saturday February 10th - Arrival Day
Day 1: California, Here We Come

Sunday February 11th - Knott's Berry Farm
Day 2 Part 1: It's An Adventure, Charlie Brown
Day 2 Part 2: It's a Fiesta!
Day 2 Part 3: Another Kind of Mine Train

Monday February 12th - Universal Hollywood
Day 2 Part 1: Mamma Mia!
Day 2 Part 2: The Curse...It's Real!

Tuesday February 13th - Disneyland/DCA

Wednesday February 14th - Disneyland/DCA

Thursday February 15th - Disneyland/DCA

Friday February 16th - Disneyland/DCA

Saturday February 17th - Departure Day
​

 

[khertz]

Day 1: Saturday February 10th

Our long day of travel started pretty early. We were up at home at 5:45 am to pack our last minute belongings with a goal of being on the road for the airport at 6:30 am. We made it out of the house on time! Our flight was not until 11 am, but we had a 2 hour drive to the airport to start the morning with.

IMG_4436 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4437 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

With no problems on the road, we made it to the New Orleans airport at about 8:30. DH dropped the three of us off with the luggage so that he could take our vehicle to my grandmother’s house since she lives nearby and lets us leave our vehicle there for the week. While we waited for him to return via Uber, I got our bag checked and printed everyone’s boarding passes. TSA was moving briskly that morning, so we were through quickly & easily! We really have not had a long wait for security no matter what time of day we are going through the airport since they opened the new terminal.

The other best thing about the new terminal is the option for Chick Fil A before a flight, and it wasn’t Sunday! We got some chicken biscuits to enjoy at the gate while waiting for our plane to arrive.

IMG_4441 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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Back when we booked flights, we only had enough Southwest points to book 3 people at first, so DH booked himself and the kids. We had to wait for more points to cover my flight, so I was booked separately. When it was time to check in 24 hours beforehand, I got an earlier B boarding group number than the 3 of them, so I was getting on first and going to do my best to at least hold spots for the kids if I could.

IMG_4445 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
On opposite sides of the divider​

By going directly to the back of the plane, I was able to take my time “getting settled” with my stuff so no one even asked to get in the row with me, which meant when DH and the kids came on board, the kids were able to come in with me and DH sat further away in the very back row.

IMG_4447 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Our flight left at 11 am to Dallas, where we landed at 12:15. Our next flight wasn’t until 2:50, so we had plenty of time to get some lunch and hang out at our gate before boarding.

IMG_0569 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Our boarding numbers were closer together this time, and by going to the back of the plane, we had no trouble getting a row for myself and the kids with DH across the aisle. This was a longer flight, getting us to Long Beach around 4 (which felt like 6 pm to our bodies), but it was so beautiful! For a family from the flattest of flat lands of Louisiana, flying over mountains was so awesome!

IMG_4458 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

It took a bit for the luggage to come out which is the worst when you have been traveling all day and just want to relax in your accommodations, but finally we got our bag and were able to walk across the street to pick up our rental car that we would have for a couple of days.

IMG_4459 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IYKYK


IMG_4461 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4464 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

The excitement over seeing mountains did not diminish!

IMG_4465 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

It took about 25 minutes to drive to the Worldmark Anaheim, where we were bookending our trip. We have Wyndham points as well as DVC points, so when it came time to book this trip, we used our Wyndham points to book our week at the Worldmark Anaheim where we have stayed before when visiting Disneyland. However, when our 7 month mark came up for DVC, we decided to try our luck at booking something at The Villas at Grand Californian, and we were able to get a 1 bedroom for 3 nights in the middle of our trip! What a pleasant surprise, because all we have ever heard was how difficult it would be to get a DVC villa there because there are so few, but we made it happen!! We decided we’d keep our Worldmark room for the week and just move back
and forth to the Grand for our 3 nights.

As we were unloading everything from the back of the vehicle, DH grabbed his bag, and the insulated cup with the flip lid we were planning to use all trip to hold our ice water in the parks fell out of the bag, hit the ground, and the lid broke to where it would no longer close. He was so pissed, but DD immediately said, “Nice, Ron.”

If you haven’t seen this video, I highly implore you to watch. We laugh at it every time!

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We had to listen to the whole spiel from the front desk about why we should give them hours of our vacation time (even though it will ONLY be 1 hr…yeah right!) and turn him down repeatedly before we were finally given our parking pass and able to make our way up to our room on the 5th floor. The side of the tower we were in only had 1 elevator, which could be kind of annoying sometimes, but it never ended up being a big deal.

We had a 2 bedroom here, so the kids had their own bedroom with a twin bed each so they were very happy not to have to share or sleep on a pull out. DS has gotten so tall he barely fit.

IMG_0583 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful. We made a run to Target for water, snacks, and to buy a new cup to bring to the parks, and we got Raising Cane’s for dinner since it was right there in the parking lot. Then we had to unpack and organize the bags we were bringing to the park the next day. We finally got settled and had the kids in bed around 8:30 and we weren’t too far behind them. With the many hours of travel and the time change, we were TIRED!

 

[buteraa]

Following!

 

[missjackiemcg]

What an awesome plan to head to Disneyland! That's still on my list for some day. Sounds like a long travel day, but having a fun week to look ahead to makes it all worth it

 

[Gamedog]

Following along!

 

[cgersic1]

I'm here too!! The picture of the kids in Disneyland for your daughter's first trip is just adorable!! I have the same shirt your son is wearing. Following along!

 

[ambula603]

I am so excited for this trip report! Making all the Disneyland notes!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures! Sounds like a great plan! We are planning our first Disneyland trip for later this year!

 

[erinch]

Following! Want more. Now.

 

[khertz]

Following!

Welcome!

What an awesome plan to head to Disneyland! That's still on my list for some day. Sounds like a long travel day, but having a fun week to look ahead to makes it all worth it

Disneyland is always one of those places we love to visit, but we never really know when we are going to get the chance to go back, so it's always a treat when we do! I hope you get to plan your trip there someday!!

Following along!

Welcome!

I'm here too!! The picture of the kids in Disneyland for your daughter's first trip is just adorable!! I have the same shirt your son is wearing. Following along!

Aww, thank you!! It's hard to believe it was so long ago! It was fun to get to do it again this time with both of them older, it was like a totally different vacation from any we have taken to Disneyland ever before.

I am so excited for this trip report! Making all the Disneyland notes!

I am so excited to have you here!

Looking forward to reading about your adventures! Sounds like a great plan! We are planning our first Disneyland trip for later this year!

Awesome!!! I hope I can share some stuff that will help you with your planning, please feel free to ask me anything you think of!!

Following! Want more. Now.

Welcome!

 

[DLo]

Hopping over from your last TR. looking forward to reading more

 

[alohamom]

Excited to follow along!

 

[KenyaSierra]

DD is sharp! I’m dying over the Nice, Ron comment (I love that video)

 

[Mom2m&k]

Excited to read about a new trip! Your kids are beautiful and getting so big!

 

[khertz]

Hopping over from your last TR. looking forward to reading more

Welcome!!

Excited to follow along!

Thanks for being here!

DD is sharp! I’m dying over the Nice, Ron comment (I love that video)

She is definitely quick with her quips!! It was really hard for me to stifle my laughter because DH was seriously mad he had dropped the cup and broken it! That's one of our favorite videos, so dang funny.

Excited to read about a new trip! Your kids are beautiful and getting so big!

Thanks so much!! Time is going by way too fast

 

[khertz]

Day 2: Sunday February 11th

The next morning, we were up pretty early at 6:40 to get dressed and ready for Mass. This was such a struggle for us in planning. There were plenty of churches with many times to choose from, but there were so many masses offered in other languages that it was actually a little difficult to find one that the time and location worked for us AND was in English! We ended up at St. Pius V at their 7:45 am service. It was a very nice service, and was only made better when there was an announcement at the end that there would be donuts and coffee after mass.

IMG_4470 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We made a quick stop back at Target for a couple of items we had managed to forget the night before. Then we were headed to Knott’s Berry Farm for the very first time! We had chosen Sunday for this park specifically because it was closer to our hotel and didn’t open until 10 am, so that would give us time to get to mass and still make it to the park before opening.

After parking, we had to walk over to the entrance, which looked pretty busy. DH was a little concerned looking around because lots of people had red wristbands on, so he was thinking maybe we had missed a step. I asked the person waiting behind us who had one on what they were for, and she explained there were for admission to the theater for a big dancing performance awards ceremony. Turns out there were tons of school groups of performing arts kids there that day. I overheard one of them tell someone else, “I feel bad for the regular people coming here today.” Ugh, that’s us, the regular people!! Nothing we could do about it now, so we went over to turnstiles to wait for them to open.

Another funny little interaction was when I turned to the mom that ended up behind me at the turnstiles and asked if they came here a lot. She said no, she hadn't been since she was a kid. I was going to pick her brain a little if she came often. Her son piped up and said, "We came all the way from Sacramento." His eyes got pretty wide when I responded that we had come all the way from Louisiana!

IMG_0586 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We were visiting during the Peanuts Celebration, and it also happened to be Charlie Brown Day, so we each got a button on the way in as well.

IMG_4471 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We were let in a little before opening, and held at a rope. But after standing there for a few minutes, we realized that Ghostrider was right behind us, and people were already getting in line. This was one we definitely wanted to do, so we went over to get in also.

IMG_4472 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
DD showing off her Charlie Brown button


IMG_4473 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

DH and I are both huge fans of the show Ted Lasso (seriously, if you haven’t watched it, what are you even doing?!), and I had just gotten him this shirt for Christmas. It made me laugh being behind this all day.

IMG_4475 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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IMG_4481 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

This was such a fun ride to kick off our day at Knott’s! The kids had never been on a wooden roller coaster before, so it was a totally new experience for them. DD was a little unsure about it once it was over, but in the end they both did say they thought it was a lot of fun!

IMG_4484 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

The Ghost Town area was really fun to walk through and well themed! Kind of reminded me of Dollywood also.

IMG_4485 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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IMG_4495 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

There was a second roller coaster in Ghost Town called the Pony Express. We decided to stop and do that one now instead of going to another headliner because it looked like one of those really short rides that only runs one train at a time, so it can end up getting backed up very quickly. Turned out to be a good choice because even that early in the morning, it ended up taking about 30 minutes and only got busier as the day went on. Although it was a “tamer” coaster, it was interesting in that the seating was like you are sitting astride a horse, and it has a super fast launch.

IMG_6742 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_6743 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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Waiting in line for a bit gave us time to take some selfies.

IMG_4504 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4505 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4506 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Next we went over to the Boardwalk area, and saw one of the other big headliners Hangtime was a complete walk on!! We had to really convince DS to do this one, because the steep vertical drop was making him nervous, but I was very proud of him for trying it!

IMG_6750 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

This picture shows the steep incline you go up right when it starts, and then you go straight down the other side!

IMG_6753 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4510 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We were getting pretty hungry by then, so we decided to grab some lunch and activate our meal deal. Prop Shop Pizzeria was right there in the area and was part of our meal deal, so we decided to eat there. Each of us could get a slice of pizza with a breadstick or a side salad, or pasta. I thought the kids might want pasta, but we all ended up getting the pizza slice instead. We also each got a wristband for our meal deal purchase so when we wanted to get something later on in the day, they just had to scan our wristband.

We had not intended to purchase the all day dining, because it’s normally $33.99 per person and we didn’t think we’d eat enough to make it worth it. It includes an entree and side at several different locations throughout the park, and you can get another meal every 90 minutes. When it was time to purchase our tickets though, they were offering a Peanuts Bundle that included admission and the all day dining for a lower price than buying both separately. I think it was maybe only $10 or $15 more per person to purchase the bundle than it was to just buy the admission tickets. In addition to the regular meal deal inclusions, there were some special Peanuts themed food items at different locations and we could also get any of those with the wristbands.

IMG_4512 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4513 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

After lunch, we spotted all of the super cute Peanuts characters coming around to get in place for a dance party they were doing.

IMG_0590 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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IMG_0597 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

 

[missjackiemcg]

I don't know much about Knott's Berry Farm at all, so I really enjoyed this update so far!! Wooden coasters are so fun, what a great experience for your kids

Also, I love that you prioritized getting to Mass in your vacation plans. That is something my Mom always did when we were growing up and on vacation. I have some great memories of experiencing Mass in other churches, including Christmas Eve Mass on the Disney Dream! (And the donuts are an excellent bonus!)

 

[erinch]

I grew up in Redlands, SoCal, and birthdays meant you could choose either Disneyland or Knotts Berry farm. I often chose Knotts! I don’t remember any rides! Except the stagecoach robbery. There was a schoolhouse that had a working hand cranked Ferris wheel, and a house made of bottles pointed inward, and a mule drawn ride that went in a circle, and a farm with a chicken that pecked out Mary had a little lamb in the piano, when you put in a nickel to buy food that went on the keys, and very aggressive goats in the petting zoo that ate the bottom out of the paper cone that had popcorn. Across the street, there was an island to explore that had wooden hand-carved animals. When they put in the log flume, I believe it was one of the first of its kind.

 

[khertz]

I don't know much about Knott's Berry Farm at all, so I really enjoyed this update so far!! Wooden coasters are so fun, what a great experience for your kids

Also, I love that you prioritized getting to Mass in your vacation plans. That is something my Mom always did when we were growing up and on vacation. I have some great memories of experiencing Mass in other churches, including Christmas Eve Mass on the Disney Dream! (And the donuts are an excellent bonus!)

My husband LOVES wooden roller coasters, so he was excited to get on one again, and to have the kids try one!

Attending Mass on vacation is what I grew up doing also! I admit, we haven't always been the best about it when we first started traveling with the kids, but we have really tried to continue making it a priority! We have gotten to visit some really interesting churches in doing so, and we were lucky enough to experience a Mass on our first Disney cruise on the Fantasy back in 2019! That is really a one of a kind experience, isn't it?!

I grew up in Redlands, SoCal, and birthdays meant you could choose either Disneyland or Knotts Berry farm. I often chose Knotts! I don’t remember any rides! Except the stagecoach robbery. There was a schoolhouse that had a working hand cranked Ferris wheel, and a house made of bottles pointed inward, and a mule drawn ride that went in a circle, and a farm with a chicken that pecked out Mary had a little lamb in the piano, when you put in a nickel to buy food that went on the keys, and very aggressive goats in the petting zoo that ate the bottom out of the paper cone that had popcorn. Across the street, there was an island to explore that had wooden hand-carved animals. When they put in the log flume, I believe it was one of the first of its kind.

What a great choice to get for a birthday!! I thought to myself as we walked around that I could see us frequenting a park like Knott's if we lived locally.