I bounded out of bed early the next morning and headed downstairs at 6:45 for my complimentary breakfast in the hotel's cramped dining nook, which was supervised by a female employee who took her duty very seriously, watching each move I made and each food item I selected (much-needed coffee, toast, yogurt, oatmeal, fruit and waffles) and cleaning the floor around me while I attempted to navigate the tight-quartered kitchen. I ate quickly (for more than one reason), checked Google Maps for directions, packed my backpack for the day, and headed down the street on foot. Unfortunately, it was in the wrong direction. I realized my error (fortunately) after walking several minutes in a misty rain. Once I turned around, I encountered a horde of fellow Disneygoers and followed them to the park entrance, about a 15-minute walk from my hotel.
I arrived at 8 am, had my bag searched by security, and exchanged my voucher for a two-day pass. I decided to start at California Adventure, Disneyland's newer park with several Pixar film-related rides (Cars, A Bug's Life, Toy Story, and Monsters, Inc.), and devote my second day (my birthday) to the original Disneyland (built and operated by Walt Disney) resort. Being the nerdy planner that I am, I came prepared with a typed and printed checklist of each park's must-do rides and attractions ( I might have even mapped out my meals...) and when and where to grab FastPasses (cards that give you a return time for a shorter line).
My first move was a beeline for the Hollywood Tower of Terror's FastPass. But to my surprise, the line had a 15-minute wait, so I made the ride (and its random rises and drops) my warmup. I grabbed a World of Color show FastPass and moved on to a series of essential rides: Soarin' Over California (my favorite: a simulated ride that flies riders over IMAX big-screen scenes of Yosemite, San Francisco, LA nightlife, Lake Tahoe, and Malibu), the California Screamin' roller coaster (my stomach needed a break after that one), Toy Story Midway Mania! (a carnival shooting game), and Radiator Springs Racers (where I benefited from the shorter single-rider line).
I was shut out of the Frozen live show (FastPass holders only), but I stayed from opening until closing (naturally, as planned), had an all-around amazing time, and did everything else I wanted to do at least once (Tower of Terror and Soarin' twice). The end-of-night World of Color show was spectacular with its colored water effects, but the crush of people around me invoked panic. I was happy to flee to my solitary hotel room at the end of the night, lulled into magical Disney dreams, with visions of one more Disney day ahead.
