TRIP REPORT: Disneyland Resort - January 28-30, 2020

I went to the Disneyland Resort at the end of January for a very busy few days. The first thing I did was try to get on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy's Edge. I had such anxiety in the days before about whether I would be able to obtain one of the much coveted boarding passes for the attraction. Thankfully, my cousin was able to get boarding group 13!

So, what was the secret to our success?

1) Make sure you have the Disneyland App downloaded onto your phone before you enter the park!

2) We arrived at the park early and got into the park about 30 minutes early. Keep in mind crowds trying to get into the park to factor in when you will get to the park, but you want to try to get into the park 25-30 minutes so you can get yourself situated and ready to roll. You might even have enough time to get some Starbucks.

3) Find a place with good Internet connection. You don't need to crowd into the hub near the castle. We actually found a table at the Flower Market on Main Street where we enjoyed our Starbucks while waiting.

4) 10 minutes before park opening, we restarted our phones and did not open any Apps after that. You want to make sure the Disneyland App is closed completely.

5) One minute before park opening, open the Disneyland app and wait patiently. It is the quietest minute you'll ever experience in the park. LOL.

6) At exactly park opening, we clicked on the "Find Out More" button at the top of the page. And then, you click "Join Boarding Group."

Hopefully, at that point, you will have received a boarding pass!

Before we boarded, I was able to get my spork from Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy's Edge!

And, we got to see R2-D2

We were able to get on to Rise of the Resistance within the first two hours of opening and...wow!...what an attraction! People keep asking me what it's like and it's really hard to explain because it's like nothing we've ever seen at the parks. It really is an amazing achievement and I can't wait to go on it again.

Below are some of my pictures from the attraction. If you want to be totally surprised, pass this next group of pictures.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

While I was there, Lunar New Year was being celebrated at Disney California Adventure. It's always one of my favorite times of the year.

I, of course, went around to meet all the character.

And, as always, I went to see Mulan's Lunar New Year procession.

And, I tried a sampling of several of the food being offered for Lunar New Year.

What is a trip to Disneyland without visiting some of the characters around the park.

In the evening of January 29, it was Disneyland After Dark: 80s Nite! These nights are always so fun!

At the registration, they had a whole exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives celebrating TRON!

We, of course, met many of the characters out during the night.

They also had some fun photo opportunities, including being able to take a picture with Captain REX from the original Star Tours!

We also checked out the Totally Minnie Dance Party.

It was a great night overall!

My last day, I went to visit the Marvel characters at Disney California Adventure.

I love the new signage up at the Spider-Man meet and greet. The tribute to Stan Lee was an especially nice touch.

And, that was it for trip! I can't wait to go back again.