Up, showered, cases packed, checked-out, cases left with Bell-Services, and on to Main Street by 9.15am.
The park felt much quieter today and our main aim was to enjoy some of the attractions we hadn’t experienced yet. One of which was to ride the Main Street Vehicles (something on the Walt Disney World bucket list). Perfectly timed for the vintage double decker bus, we boarded near the Disneyland Railroad station, and were dropped off close to the castle.
We headed straight to Space Mountain, stopping briefly to pick up a FastPass for Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. After Space Mountain, we rode the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, then wandered back to Main Street to grab a bite to eat, again at the Market House bakery. This time, the garlic bagel was left firmly on the shelf! The parfait we did order was delicious. We also enjoyed coffee, croissants, chocolate milk, and because it was his last chance to have one, Zachary was allowed a Mickey Cookie.
Our hungry stomachs meant we missed our Buzz Lightyear FastPass time slot, but we managed to use our FastPass for Star Tours before walking through the castle, enjoying the depiction of Sleeping Beauty. Storybook Land Canal Boats was next on the list, so we joined the queue, which looked deceptively short and pushed personal space to the limit with its twisting, narrow walkway.
On our way to Haunted Mansion, we pulled FastPasses for Indiana Jones Adventure, then, hungry again, we sought out a suitable lunch venue. Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland didn't disappoint. We’re big fans of Mexican food and really enjoyed our meal. The generous portions meant sharing 3 meals was more than sufficient, plus, they offer free soda refills, which are available for the duration of your meal, so you could order 1 or 2 and keep refilling.
The Tostada Salad with Chicken, the Burrito Sonora with Chicken and the Burrito Guadalajara were all extremely tasty.
After lunch we explored the Tarzan Tree House, then intended to use our FastPasses for Indiana Jones but, unfortunately, the ride had gone down. With no clue as to when it would be running again, we decided not to wait around as we wanted to get on the road to our next destination. So, after picking up a few souvenirs from the Main Street shops, we exited the park, handing our FastPasses to a couple who were just arriving. They were delighted to receive FastPasses which were valid immediately. I hope they enjoyed using them! I love passing over this little bit of Disney magic, and miss being able to do this with the new Magic Bands at Disney World, so it was nice to leave on a high.
A longer than planned stop at the Downtown Disney Alamo office, due to a debate over the price of the car hire increasing by $25 - which they eventually refunded, then we picked up the car, collected our cases from the hotel, and finally, we were on our way to La Jolla, San Diego.
We drove part of the way on the Pacific Coast Highway and other parts on the freeway. Some areas, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, looked lovely. They'll be on the list for next time.
Stopping to watch the surfers tackling the amazing waves at Cardiff-by-the-sea, as the sun was beginning to set, provided some more memorable moments.
We finally arrived in La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya) at 6.30pm and searched for our hotel, La Valencia. The colour made it very easy to find - it’s pink! This beautiful hotel celebrated its 90th anniversary this year, has a relaxing, welcoming vibe and is perfectly located being just a few steps from the seafront - most noticeably La Jolla Cove, famous for the many sea lions which come right up onto the beach.
On arrival, we were handed a map and the friendly gentleman at the front desk took the time to ask what our plans were, highlighting areas to visit and things to do around the town.
Allocated a Classic Queen room, we had: two queen beds, a large bathroom with a good selection of complimentary toiletries, plenty of hanging and storage space, bath robes, an honour bar, coffee machine, TV and a fabulous view!
Yappy Hour was taking place at Cafe La Rue (one of the restaurants), so the area was taken over by some very smartly dressed canine friends. It looked like great fun!
Note: Parking in central La Jolla is limited and expensive. Overnight on road parking would mean a very early start to move the car, as the areas surrounding the hotel had 1 and 2 hour parking time limits. There are other car parks which will apparently charge you each time you enter the car park, so if you are planning to use the car during your stay this can add up. We decided on the easiest option - although, at $30 per night, it certainly wasn’t the cheapest, we valet parked the car.
After wandering down some of the nearby streets, perusing menus, we settled on Karl Strauss Brewing Co. The menu had something to suit everyone (the Tabouli and Melon Salad was a personal favourite), the service was fantastic and we were given samples of the huge variety of beers to accompany our meals, which was a nice bonus and a lovely end to another busy day.
