You should! Says me, the complete & total enabler.
But I warn you, no matter how much you say it will be a once in a lifetime trip you most likely will become hooked & may have to go back repeatedly.
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Lol. I have to get DH through our World trip first. Heās a one and done kind of guy.
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thanks for the summary! have been following intermittently for the last few months glad you had a great trip!
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Thank you for sharing this trip with us! I donāt think Iāve commented on any of your other trip posts, but Iāve read them all (I think). Then today I was listening to old episodes of Behind the Magic (backside of magic? Not sure of the title) and heard about the ātip from profmatt.ā It was so exciting to know that I knew who you were and all about your trip.
Anyway, thanks.
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Iāve loved following along on your trip; it brought back many memories of my own trips. In about 17 months Iāll be following in your footsteps. I hope you stay around on the forum - like the daily thread - even if you donāt have a trip planned; youāve become a friend that I donāt want to lose - even if weāve never actually metā¦
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I will go and meet you up for Disneyland meeting!
Blue Bayoo, hardest ADR in DLR, can be booked like 2-3 weeks in advance. Everything else, a couple of days before. And we definitely have the best Buzz Lightyear. And best fried chicken. And donā Forget Napa Rose!
I did the VIP tour at Universal Hollywood with some girlfriends in January. Itās reasonably priced - I think it was $329, included park admission, valet parking, an express pass plus breakfast and an AMAZING lunch. You also get to go in areas on the backlot tour you donāt get to see on the normal tour and get off the trolley (we saw the soundstage for Superstore).
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Iāve been in the midst of packing and moving, and when I wake up each day itās like 11 pm EST so Iāve basically read your updates while youāve slept, and Iāve not been able to participate in āreal time.ā But I did want to say that Iāve enjoyed reading about your trip and hearing how it went! Iām glad you had a fantastic trip and hope you stick around!
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Glad you had such an amazing trip!
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I need to go back. Cold and wet for my February 2017 trip. I want to see sunny California.
It also has the Matterhorn Bobsleds. At least when I was 12, I loved that coaster.
What I like about Disneyland/DCA is that they seemed to have managed to take all the best elements of WDW and put them into two parks. And, as indicated here, in many cases the versions in California are better.
BUT, for us, WDW is a two day drive. California is a four day drive. We did try to plan a trip out to California a few years ago, stopping in to visit Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and of course, Disney! It was to be our longest trip ever (about 3 weeks). But it also ended up being the most expensive trip. No matter how much we cut out, we couldnāt make it affordable. And when we made it affordable, we ended up having nothing left to do! 
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Glad you had such a brilliant time, and itās been fun following along. So far youāve mainly done the more expensive stuff, how about a more budget conscious trip? and maybe a different time of year when itās not so hot? Our free dining offer for next year expires in a couple of days if you are thinking about changing dates.
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I do think thereās a little something to fate. We werenāt even supposed to be at the Dessert Party I met you at! We had to reschedule from our first day when one of us was sick. Iām not happy he was ill, but I am glad I got the chance to meet you in person during your incredible vacation. 
Thanks for taking us all along for the ride! I particularly enjoyed the planning dilemmas and learned a great deal just by you asking questions (and Iām so glad we switched to the After Dessert Party!). But Iām sure the puppy will be thrilled to have you back!
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I loved Matterhorn until I became an adult. I can only ride it once a day because the original tubular steel track is a rough ride. But itās so iconic that I canāt not like it, even though itās (rightfully) called Batterhorn on Lines chat.
I hear ya! We have the fortune of Disneyland being a 10 hour drive and that is the only reason we can make it back over & over. We didnāt drive to WDW the time we went but I imagine it would be at least a 4 day drive for us.
This makes me happy. These are such beautiful places & Iām glad you made the time to see them. One of these trips I need to make us stop at Bryce or Zions as they are not that far off our path. Iāve never made it to Yosemite but it was my favorite part of Soarin over California so one day I need to make it there in person.
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Well, actually, we didnāt. Ultimately, due to cost, the entire trip was cancelled. My wife had been to Zion and Bryce Canyons before, and so thatās why they were on the list. I had been to Grand Canyon before, but we werenāt sure if we would make it there. Iād been to Yosemite before, howeverā¦probably the most beautiful place Iāve ever been in my entire lifeā¦which is why we had that on the list as well.
Both of us wanted our kids to experience that kind of road trip out west that weād both experienced as kids. Sadly, that hasnāt happened, and most likely wonāt any time soon. ONE DAY, maybe. When the kids are all grown up and it is just the two of us again!
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Oh Iām sorry. I hope you do make it out west someday. Thereās so much Disney & non-Disney to see. Even if it is just the 2 of you. Or better yet, the kid take you out when they are grown.
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Iāve been out westā¦just not since I was a kid. We did Grand Canyon, Colorado, Yosemite, San Francisco, Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knottās Berry Farm, etc. My wife got as far west as the canyons, but never to California. It was just that when we were trying to plan a family trip a few years ago to hit all that, we ultimately found it was going to run way too expensive for us to pull off.
Iād love to head back out and experience the NEW Disney. When I was there last, there was no DCA, for example.
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Iām glad you had a good trip! Thanks for sharing it with usāyour pictures have really helped me get excited for ours.
We need to look for a hat like yours for my husband before we go, even though itāll be December.
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DCA is such a mish-mash anymore. I loved the idea of the original theming of a park all about California at the time Walt arrived to it in 1923. But when you have a local base who lives in California that idea is less exciting. And now theyāve all but gutted all the California out of it it makes me sad. But, that being said, even though I was kicking & sreaming when they changed out the California-based Tower of Terror, the new Guadians of the Galaxy theme on the ride is SO.MUCH.FUN.
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Iāve never managed to talk myself on TOT but the GOTG theme might be just the thing to get me to ride when Iām there in September. I donāt have a fear of heights so I have no idea why Iām wary of drop towers and I know it will be fine once Iām on it, I just canāt seem to make myself join the queue 
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