Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 6

January 28, 2024
C minus 108 Days
Called Awesome Happy Connie. PhotoPass is included with Genie Plus. After several back and forths I got clarification that it costs $30 per person per day. $450! not doing that for a service we don’t use just to include what will likely be far less pictures, based on what I learned. She said the names on the registration were right but seemed confused about the icons, saying you choose them separately for California. I tried the menu and it was the same Buzz Lightyear one but mine stayed a Mickey outline on the reservation.
 
Connie was excited we were coming and gave more details on the way to get to California Adventure. We were to cross Disneyland Drive towards Downtown Disney. There’s a little cage door by a light post that says for Paradise Pier Guests Only that goes straight to California Adventure.
[Later edit, it was remarkably easy to find, once we knew it was next to an even larger entrance for the Grand Californian.]
 
She also recommended the restaurant in our hotel “Great Maple.” It serves Breakfast all day.  She LOOOOOOOVES the chilaquiles (ooh spelled it right first time) and recommended the glazed donut with bacon bits on it.
[Later Edit- What she did not tell us, is Freakin’ California doesn’t have wide open, reservationless, cafeteria style food in their hotels for when you stagger in from the Park or flight starving to death. Alas, we never tried these.]
 
She told me about the Pixar change over, and that they can’t call the hotel Pixar Pier until it’s official. Her husband also likes Buzz Lightyear. Cinderella has always been her favorite because they’re the same age. She thought it was really cute about our “The Beast” and “I’m with the Beast” Shirts, and that our daughter’s name is AnaBELLE.
 
Still confused, I called Awesome Happy Disney IT Shawn. He said we’ve done everything we can for the reservation. We’ll get an email four days before with the park tickets and then be able to link those. (FOUR DAYS! FREAKIN’ CALIFORNA!) From him, it sounded like the icon images will always just be the Mickey outlines for Disneyland. I asked him about PhotoPass. You CAN use MagicBands for that, but they only have Magic Band Plus. There’s no discounts for them and it doesn’t open doors or do room charges. It didn’t sound like room key cards work for PhotoPass either, but the App does, so we wave our phones at the Photographers, or scan their code or something.
[Later Edit- This was much less complicated than the Relaxed and Groovy crowd made it sound.] 

There’s a “pay afterwards” thing for $78 that lets you download the whole week of PhotoPass, which is way cheaper than the Genie Plus thing.
[Later Edit- And also much simpler than the Relaxed and Groovy crowd made it seem.]
 
To link accounts so I could give Rosa and Anabelle permission for phone door opening and room charges, they had to enter the name, confirmation number, and arrival date on the App on their phone.
[Later Edit- Or… y’know, just log into the family account like they did in Disney World. Freakin’ California.]
 
 
January 30, 2024
C minus 104 Days
Our reservation on the App and website now says “Pixar Place” hotel. YAAY!
The little Instagram intro for the place looks extremely cool, except maybe the meet and greet of Bing Bong, who looks horrifying.
Joe from Soul playing piano in the lobby is pretty darn cool though.
[Later Edit- Any schedule for them would have been helpful. We didn’t realize how “lucky” we were to stumble on Bing Bong when we checked in.]
 
 

February 5, 2024
C minus 98 Days
Disneyland Parks close early today due to dangerous, above McGinley EPCOT downpour levels of rain…
IN A DESERT!
As soon as we look at a place, weird weather happens.
It’s almost as if the climate is broken, no?
 
 
February 6, 2024
C minus 96 Days
Got our reminder from the newly named Pixar Place hotel that were coming. They also reminded us dining reservation day is March 13… which is already on our calendars. Nice to know we can still count.
 
Food update- Blue Bayou (restaurant that overlooks the Pirate ride) is crazy hard to get. Not only that but reservations don’t always open up 60 days before… sometimes it’s later. (Freakin’ California) I’m hoping there’s the same kind of considerations for hotel guests as Disney World has for dining or we may need to find a backup plan.  Alas.
[Later Edit- There was that consideration! YAY! We cancelled the reservation anyway. Alas.]
 
 
February 12, 2024
C minus 90 Days
Another “Hey Don’t forget you’re going to Disneyland” email arrived today.
Freakin’ California, am I right?
There must be something truly magical (or maybe organically stimulating…
Freakin’ California, am I right?)
In those maple bacon donuts for everyone to hype them so much.
 
 
February 19, 2024
C minus 83 Days
The last “people are paying extra to stay late making the park close early” Star Wars Night is May 9^th, three days before we go! YAAAAAAY!
 
 
February 26, 2024
C minus 76 Days
I saw a thing that said-Soarin’ Over California returned. For how long? I have no clue. The Relaxed and Groovy vibe will make this trip very interesting indeed.
The thing said it was coming March 1^st, but now I’ve seen another thing saying it’s leaving Disney World and California Adventure this week. I have even less of an idea.

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