Our Adventures by Disney Southern California and Disneyland Trip Recap

Our recent Adventures by Disney trip to Southern California and Disneyland was a whirlwind of excitement, nostalgia, and unique experiences that left an indelible mark on our entire group.

From backstage tours to emotional visits to historic Disney locations, this journey was more than a vacation—it was a deep dive into the rich tapestry of Disney history and magic, made even more magical by experiencing it all with friends in the Me and the Magic community and our friends at MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel.

Each day had a theme, related to our destinations and activities planned for that day. We also received a Disney pin each day, relevant to the day’s theme.

We were all treated to luxury transportation from the airport to our first hotel, the Loews Hollywood Hotel. It felt very glamorous to go down the escalator at baggage claim at LAX, only to see my driver holding a card with my name on it! My driver helped me locate my luggage, and we were off to the hotel.

After checking in at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, we met our Adventure Guides, Dean and Jilliann. They were both fantastic! We felt cared for the entire trip, starting with that first meeting when they let us know the plan for that evening.

We also pre-ordered from 3 different entree options for lunch the next day, at the Tam O’Shanter.

Our Adventure Guides brought so many extra special touches to our trip. Their Disney knowledge and passion, combined with their experience as cast members added so much value to our trip.

They brought the joy each and every day, and they had such fun dressing up for the Oogie Boogie Bash!

I am an early bird, which is a good thing for this itinerary because each morning had a rather early start. It worked for me, but for some people who like to sleep in more, they may have an adjustment to that.

We enjoyed breakfast at 7:00 AM in the hotel restaurant with a nice buffet. Another perk was that we had our own room reserved at the restaurant.

After breakfast, we made the short walk to Hollywood Boulevard. Our first stop was the El Capitan Theatre, where I was so excited to see the purple carpet being rolled out, literally, for the Agatha All Along premiere that was held there later that night.

The tour was very thorough and included the opportunity to walk backstage (including on the actual stage!), the green room, and the Sherman Brothers dressing room.

Another early morning, with a great breakfast at the hotel before we checked out. Our Adventure Guides told us this was the most packed day, they called it our Amazing Race day, and they weren’t kidding!

We boarded our motor coach and headed to Burbank, home of the Walt Disney Studios!

It was so thrilling to be on that campus (that’s what it reminded me of), with all the sound stages, the Animation Building, the Ink & Paint building, the movie theatre, and even a fitness center.

We had our first “shopportunity”, as our Adventure Guides called it, at the Studio Store and the Employee Center. One tip, if you have the chance to visit the Walt Disney Studios and to shop there… don’t worry about buyer’s remorse, worry about remorse because you did not buy enough while you’re there!

We met that morning in the GCH lobby, then walked into DCA through the GCH entrance. Our group first stopped at the Walt and Mickey statue for a great photo op before walking to Avengers Campus, where we enjoyed breakfast at Pym’s Test Kitchen. We were allowed to order anything we wanted, and boy did we! Great food and fun times, for sure!

We then rode WebSlingers as a group. This was my second time riding it, and I enjoyed it more than the first time since I knew more how it worked and what to expect.

Then, we walked through San Fransokyo, an area that I hadn’t seen since it was renovated. We saw Baymax out, greeting people, as we headed backstage to Radiator Springs Racers. This was the first of two backstage experiences, which are always thrilling to see how the parks are operated.

We learned from the ride maintenance crew how the attraction is operated and maintained, including shutdown and start-up procedures.

Our Adventure Guides treated us all to a treat of our choice from a snack cart, and then we were on our own for the rest of the day. We were each given a $25 gift card for lunch or dinner, and we had 5 Lightning Lane passes to use.

Our group rode Radiator Springs Racers together, then split up to enjoy different activities. Angie and I explored Avengers Campus more and ran into Thor, Loki, and Black Panther (Shuri). I had previously made a dinner reservation at Carthay Circle Restaurant for that evening, so four of us enjoyed a really great meal there.

Our adventure came to an end on this final day. We met in the GCH lobby and then walked over to the Disneyland Hotel, where we enjoyed a farewell buffet breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen.

The characters were dressed up for Halloween, and the buffet had some Halloween-themed goodies. We said goodbye to our group and our Adventure Guides.

The trip included a 4-day park hopper with 1 Lighting Lane that day, so Angie and I took the monorail into Disneyland, where we met Mickey at his house in Toontown, visited the Enchanted Tiki Room, and grabbed a treat at the Jolly Holiday Bakery.

The entire trip was fantastic, beginning to end. I highly recommend experiencing this ABD itinerary, for Disney history fans especially. If you like to peek behind the curtain, this is also a great itinerary for you.