High Season DL Adventures--Aug 09 TR--Complete! [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

Hawleys

06-01-2009, 08:54 PM

I have been lurking on these boards for about 10 months while planning our August 8-11 Disneyland trip. All the folks who have posted such fantastic trip reports have inspired me to start my own! :thumbsup2

Cast of Characters:
Hawleys: I'm 31 and live in Berkeley CA. I have been to Disneyland just once, for one day and I am really looking forward to having several days to explore. I am a ride fanatic.
DJBelou: 30, DW, grew up in Washington state and has been to Disney as a kid and on our one day adult trip.
Baedyn: Our 9 year old nephew, loves Star Wars and manga. Easy going and tons of fun.

Here we are in DL in 2007 with our friend Ross (I'm on the right, DW is on the left)
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Tigger_2007.jpg

Here is a picture of DW and DN from 2007.
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/SC_and_BB.jpg

Now, I know that some folks will say we are crazy to go to Disneyland in August so let me tell you how we ended up with these dates.

About 10 months ago, my DSIL asked us if we would babysit my wife's nephew while she attended a conference in San Francisco. DW has been promising to take DN to Disneyland for years and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. We have a long-haired cat and since DN is very allergic there was no way he could spend 4 days in our house.

I travel quite a bit for work and we had enough miles to get all three of us to LA and back. We were going to Disneyland!

Next up: Where to stay?

maryr1oz

06-01-2009, 09:17 PM

Yay - how exciting!

We will be leaving Disney on August 8th and you will be arriving... can't wait to see how your plans progress...

:banana::banana::banana:

Hawleys

06-01-2009, 10:32 PM

Yay - how exciting!

We will be leaving Disney on August 8th and you will be arriving... can't wait to see how your plans progress...

:banana::banana::banana:

Whoo hoo! My first reply ever! You are coming much farther than we are...are you staying in CA for a long time?

Hawleys

06-01-2009, 11:13 PM

I read Hydro guys tips on how to get the most out the parks during peak season. I tend to be a "go-go-go" type and I sometimes wear out the DW (and myself) when we are on vacation. So his idea of staying within walking distance of the park so that we could plan an afternoon nap/pool break was appealing. DW totally agreed! :goodvibes

After looking at the pictures of the water area at the Hojo, I was hooked. I found a 15% discount from another Disneyland community site and made my reservation...8 months in advance.

Can folks who have stayed at the Hojo tell me about their convenience store? We plan to have early breakfast in our room most mornings and I was going to buy milk and cereal. Will it be super expensive?

How do I get one of the fancy countdowns for my signature? They are so :cool1:

maryr1oz

06-02-2009, 12:14 AM

You can get a countdown timer by visiting: http://www.********************/timers/

They will give you a HTML code for the timer you create and you can copy and paste it into your 'signature' of your Disboards profile!

We are coming to the States for 4 weeks total, visiting LA, Vegas, San Francisco and New York.

While i haven't stayed at the HoJo before, there is a 7/11 that would be about 10 mins walk from you away...

basketballmom

06-02-2009, 02:32 PM

Desert Dwellers

06-02-2009, 07:25 PM

Hawleys

06-02-2009, 08:55 PM

Thanks for the tip on the countdown Maryr1oz. Turns out I can’t put it in my signature until I have made 10 posts. Inspiration to keep working on my PTR right there. :)

Hawleys

06-02-2009, 09:07 PM

We tend to snack more on vacation then eat big sit down meals so I hadn’t planned on making any dining reservations inside the park. Then I found out that DW is just wild to eat at the Blue Bayou. Was she able to convince me? Of course! I am hoping to get a lunch reservation. The Disney website says that you can make dining reservations 60 days in advance. Do they mean two months (June 9th for August 9th) or exactly 60 days? Any recommendations for meals at the Blue Bayou?

Hawleys

06-02-2009, 09:12 PM

I lurked here for a long time too before ever posting. The sense of community on this board was a deciding factor to finally post. We're going in July, so I am also wary about the crowds, but I think it's doable with all the great tips and good planning.

Your nephew has a pretty cool aunt and uncle!

Yes, people are very friendly on these boards and all the good advice has made me feel like we will be able to have a great time, even if the park is busy. And we will get to see all the parades and shows.

Just FYI, we are aunt and aunt, not uncle and aunt. We are still really really cool though!! I had planned to include a picture in my initial post but have to wait until I have more posts. :sad2:

Hawleys

06-02-2009, 09:14 PM

A few months ago, DSIL was telling me that our nephew (who is coming to DL with us) was disappointed because he wasn’t able to have his birthday party at Medieval Times. Hmmm…maybe his really really cool aunts will take him as part of his DL trip!

Medieval Times is a very pricey event, even with the free child with paying adult coupon that I found online. I am trying to justify the expense by reminding myself that besides the Blue Bayou we won’t be doing any other expensive meals. Transportation is maybe a problem as well. We are not planning on renting a car. We don’t own a car and neither of us thought that driving in LA sounded like fun. Has anyone taken the public bus to Medieval Times? I’ve read some posts saying that it is easy. We take public transport all the time in the Bay Area so we just may give it a try!

Hawleys

06-03-2009, 09:27 AM

I just had to reply and say.......YAY August!!! We are going too! August 8-13.

Our last 3 trips were the last week of July, 2005, first week of August, 2006, and the weekend after Labor day, 2007. I will say that we LOVED being there in the summer! We are get to the parks at opening kind of people, and also the go-go-go type! Yeah, it is busy, but everything is open, the park hours are longer.....and you can take a 3-4 hour afternoon break and still get tons done!! Also, breaking up walking and riding with a show is a good way to cool down and rest your feet! Aladdin, Billy Hill, Turtle Talk with Crush....and others....good way to take a break!

We stayed at the HOJO in 2006. I don't remember the convenience store being super shocking expensive....I do remember it was nice and had lots of stuff! Milk, fruit, snacks, drinks....I think we even needed something random like nail clippers and they had them. The walk to the park was nice too.

So what are we down to?? 67 days??:rotfl:

Yea for the the Hojo! Yea for August! I think we are at 66 days now. Time to start my packing list.

A big yes to taking breaks to cool off. I have a made a promise to myself that I will not push too much on this trip, even if that means we don't see EVERYTHING. If we miss some things, well, that means we will have to go back.

One cooling off activity I am excited about is the Animation studio in DCA. Our nephew draws nonstop and I just know he will love learning to draw a Disney character.

Hawleys

06-03-2009, 09:35 AM

Shuttle Pickup: Crack of dawn

Depart SFO: 8am

Arrive LAX: 9:24am—I am just crossing my fingers that we will be able to catch the Disneyland Express at 9:30am so we don’t have to wait a whole hour for the next bus. I don’t know if I will be able to stand being so close to DL and having to wait some more! Does anyone know if the bus usually runs on time?

Arrive Hojo by 11:30am and try to check in. Probably we will just have to leave our bags and come back later.

Quick bite to eat somewhere along Harbor (Mimi’s?) or in DTD. If we have time, I would love to take the nephew to the giant Lego store. I’m sure that his Mom and Grandma will be gifting him some souvenir money. :thumbsup2

I bought our park tickets from Ares travel so we also need to stop at the ticket booth and trade our vouchers for park tickets. Crossing fingers for short lines.

Bus to Medieval Times: 2:00pm or so

Medieval Times: 3:30pm show and then bus back to DL around 6:30pm.

In my ideal vacation, we would go to the park for rest of the evening, check out a few rides and see Fantasmic. Reality check is that we may all be exhausted from traveling and ready to head back to the hotel.

Are we crazy to spend almost a whole day in Anaheim and potentially skip going to DL? I keep telling myself that Saturday will be crowded and that we’re better off going to Medieval times. Originally, I had planned to buy a 3-day park hopper so skipping DL on Saturday made sense. Then Disney came out with the 5 for 3 hopper. :goodvibes

Hawleys

06-03-2009, 10:38 AM

It was hard work but I have updated this PTR enough to have a timer in my signature. Whoo hoo :woohoo:

Believe me, I will be checking everyday. :)

Hawleys

06-04-2009, 09:38 AM

Itinerary: Day 2 (Sunday)

Wake up at the crack of dawn (wait, I’m sensing a pattern here…isn’t this supposed to be a vacation? :) )

Early Entry at 7am (whoo hoo!) First up is Peter Pan (thanks to the Hound for this tip). Then both sides of the Matterhorn as this is DN’s favorite ride from his trip to DL at age 6. After that, I’m hoping to drag him on some of the Fantasyland rides that I have never been on (Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio). He will be almost 10 in August so we’ll see if he can be convinced. He may think he is too big. :rotfl: Then some of the other rides that are open during EE (Buzz, Space?).

After EE is over, we plan to ride a whole bunch of rides and collect a whole bunch of Fastpasses (I said I was a ride fanatic, right :thumbsup2). I am looking forward to Space Mountain and DW has told me that we are going to ride Splash Mountain everyday, no ifs ands or buts. Fine with me!

Fingers are crossed that we can get an 11:30am reservation at the Blue Bayou and spend some time relaxing over lunch. DW is really excited about this meal. I hope we will be able to get a waterside table. Any meal recommendations?

Post-lunch we may use a Fastpass or two and then head to the hotel for a nap or a swim.

After rest time and an light dinner we will head back to DL to ride more rides of course! We will finish the night with Fantasmic or the fireworks. Would love to stay in the park until midnight but I know that I will be tired from getting up at the crack of dawn for two days in a row.

Hawleys

06-04-2009, 03:58 PM

Hawleys

06-05-2009, 02:30 PM

I could go on rides all day and I work as a statistician so when I read about Ridemax I knew there was no way I was going to DL without it. Ridemax has caused a bit of tension with DW as she is more laid back in the planning department.

On our honeymoon, she instituted the “planned, unplanned time” rule which required that some part of each day of our honeymoon remain as free time. This compromise worked really well and we had an awesome trip.

DW is desperately afraid that Ridemax is going to plan every moment of our vacation. I think that the compromise will be to strictly follow Ridemax plans in the mornings so that we can collect many Fastpasses. Afternoons and evenings will be more freeform, using our Fastpasses and also using Ridemax to tell us which rides will have reasonable waits in the evenings.

Desert Dwellers

06-05-2009, 03:24 PM

Hawleys

06-07-2009, 09:20 PM

Algorithms are cool! I love RideMax, esp. in summer. We pay so much to visit Disneyland, I want to make sure we are efficient in our touring. But I want to have fun, as well.

Just plug in those attractions that are absolutely must do. It will increase your enjoyment because your wait times are minimized. Schedule in large breaks during the day to allow for free time and exploration. RideMax can work, even with different vacation personalities.

Like you said, I think we can make Ridemax work with our different vacation personalities. I was showing DW how many rides we are going to get on using Ridemax and she was starting to get into it. Splash Mountain twice a day? We can do that!

I wrote to Disney Guest Communications a few days ago and they sent me a paper map of the parks. We had such a good time looking at the map and DW was asking about a bunch of rides that I didn't think she was interested in at all.

She is so pumped to go on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train! :goodvibes Now, I know this is a "kids" ride but have been dying to go on it and now DW has put it on the "must do" list as well. Such a good match. :love:

Next up: PS at Blue Bayou...tomorrow is the first day we can try to get them. I will keep you all posted.

Hawleys

06-10-2009, 10:55 AM

I called on Monday for a Blue Bayou reservation for August 9th. No dice until Tuesday. Tuesday was an all day event at work. I would be away from the house from 7am until 11pm. :sad2: As I got on the train, I was thinking all kinds of anxious thoughts. What if I didn't get a chance to sneak away for a few minutes and make a call? What if by the time I called there were no reservations left?

I called at 10:25am and was put on hold...couldn't wait, too busy at work. Biting nails until lunch time when I can make another call. Finally get a CM who asks for name (Hawleys), date (Aug 9), lunch or dinner (lunch), time (11:30am), party size (3), adults (2), children(1), highchair (no) and boom...I've got a PS! :banana::banana::banana:

I told the DW this morning and she is very excited as this it the one restaurant that she really wanted to visit.

I think that all our reserved activities are set up. Now it is time to start my TO DO lists. Getting so excited.

Hawleys

06-12-2009, 01:50 PM

Since I am a ride fanatic my first list will be must do rides. :cool1:

Twice a day rides
Splash Mountain
Matterhorn

Once a day rides
Buzz Lightyear
Space Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain
Pirates
Haunted Mansion
Teacups (yes, Teacups!)

Once a visit rides
Jungle Cruise
Winnie the Pooh
IASWAA
Mr. Toad
Star Tours
Indy (I confess that I have only been on Indy once but I just didn't get it. Too much jerking and too many weird lights...I felt like I could never tell what was happening. But I will go on it again in August and maybe I will enjoy it more.)

New rides this visit
Roger Rabbit
Tiki Room
Peter Pan
Tom Sawyer's island (does this qualify as a ride?)
Disneyland Train

What other favorites am I missing?

Hawleys

06-12-2009, 05:32 PM

Jedi Training Academy
Our nephew is a huge Star Wars fan. We will be making a sign and going back until he makes it onstage. :yay:

Animation Building at DCA
Did I mention the nephew is a bit of a geek (in a good way :))? He loves to draw monsters and reads manga like mad. I hope he enjoys learning how to draw a Disney character.

Alladin
Being a geek in a good ways means acting in all the school plays and taking theater classes all summer so there is no way we are missing this show.

Matterhorn
Baedyn LOVED the Matterhorn on his last Disney visit at 6 years old. We will be riding it several times.

Hawleys

06-15-2009, 11:53 PM

There is only one date posted in August for the Entertainment Book Rate at the Hojo and it just happens to be one of our nights. :cool1: I got on the phone today and changed my reservation.

I think this is a sign that it's going to be a fantastic trip!

Hawleys

06-17-2009, 02:46 PM

I've decided to sent my nephew a package with a few things to get him excited about one week before we leave. Nothing fancy, just little things to keep him entertained on his plane rides.

Baedyn will be in Seattle with his Gramma for 2 weeks before our trip and then she will fly down to San Francisco with him. They will spend a day visiting Gramma's side of the family and then we will take him on the plane to LA.

Here's what I'm thinking so far:

Gum
Skittles
Yes and Know Invisible Ink book
Spiderman Comic books
Disney stickers

It would be nice to have something Disney besides the stickers to put in. I was thinking about mouse ears but DW thought it would be fun to let Baedyn pick out his own ears and I agree.

Any suggestions on a small Disney-themed gift for an almost 10 year old boy?

Hawleys

06-22-2009, 08:54 PM

I've been thinking about what I will need to take into the park with me and what size bag to carry it in.

Very small water bottle
Very small bottle of sunscreen
Allergy meds for the nephew
Emergency snacks
bandaids
sunglasses
minimal wallet (credit card, hotel key, id, cash)
chapstick
park hoppers and fastpasses
cell phone

Here's a photo of my new Disneyland bag! It's a Sherpani over the shoulder bag that I got at REI this weekend.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Disneyland_bag_image.jpg

Hawleys

06-24-2009, 12:04 AM

I forgot the most important thing on my list...
PLANS!

Hawleys

06-27-2009, 05:09 PM

:sad2::sad2::sad2:

I had been talking to DW about upgrading to an AP pass while we were at DLR in August. It doesn't look like that is going to happen.

We just found out that DW will be getting an 8% pay cut. Thank you State of California. It was going to cost us about $600 to do a budget trip in October, including the cost of APs, flights and some super cheap accommodations. With the pay cut and our already scheduled relatively expensive trip in August there is just no way we can do it.

I'm so bummed. On the bright side, DW says that if our August trip goes well, she will do a three day weekend for Gay Days 2010. That's 16 months away...I can plan that. :banana:

Hawleys

06-29-2009, 04:44 PM

Has my thread been orphaned? Are you out there reading? If you are, delurk and come on in. :goodvibes I'm friendly and I need some help from all the DIS mamas. My nephew is 9 almost 10 and I would love to send him a small Disney themed gift as part of his pre-trip care package. Any ideas?

Docter419

06-29-2009, 05:03 PM

Don't worry about waking up early on your vacation. Its a must for Disneyland!

Desert Dwellers

06-29-2009, 08:58 PM

Hawleys

06-30-2009, 12:09 AM

Don't worry about waking up early on your vacation. Its a must for Disneyland!

Thanks for the encouragement Doctor419. I think I can wake up early...we'll see about DW and DN. I'm more worried that I won't be able to sleep because I'm so excited. :)

I enjoyed your honeymoon TR. ESPN Zone is one of my favorite places, too.

Hawleys

06-30-2009, 12:12 AM

I've been off the boards for a little pre-vacation vacation trip. Living large at a resort pool for a few days. Our Target has Disney themed Pez dispensers. And the Dollar Spot at Target had all sorts of Disney items just last week. My 12 year old son suggests Pirates stuff.

I will head over to Target and look for the Disney themed Pez dispensers. That sounds just perfect.

A pre-vacation trip sounds great! Can you share your location (besides poolside, of course :cool1:)?

Desert Dwellers

06-30-2009, 12:18 PM

Hawleys

07-01-2009, 12:12 AM

We skipped down to Tucson for a few days and stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon. The kids and I were poolside, while Mr. Dwellers played golf. Tucson is still plenty warm, but it's a good 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix. I checked weather for Anaheim this week - it's supposed to be 81 degrees!!!

Wow, I looked at the this resort online and it is beautiful. Hopefully, you will be rested and relaxed for your next travels. :) Have an incredible trip to Disneyland TOMORROW! Can't wait to read about it.

yupikgal

07-01-2009, 12:38 PM

Basketballmom, we are going to be there the exact dates that you are! Are you staying at Ho Jo's again? The last time we were in California was 1999, our kids were 7 and 4, now they are 17 and 14!! What a big change..I'm still not exactly sure where we are staying, I am thinking the Fairfield Inn or the Homewood Suites, we need somewhere where we can have 3 separate beds (1 for me and DH, 1 each for the kids, since they are too big to sleep together now) I'm glad to say that you like the summer, because we've never been there then, and I was kind of scared :scared: but it sounds like it will work out as long as we take long breaks in between visits!

Can't wait!! :banana::cool1::yay::woohoo::cheer2:

Kelly from the 49th state

I just had to reply and say.......YAY August!!! We are going too! August 8-13.

Our last 3 trips were the last week of July, 2005, first week of August, 2006, and the weekend after Labor day, 2007. I will say that we LOVED being there in the summer! We are get to the parks at opening kind of people, and also the go-go-go type! Yeah, it is busy, but everything is open, the park hours are longer.....and you can take a 3-4 hour afternoon break and still get tons done!! Also, breaking up walking and riding with a show is a good way to cool down and rest your feet! Aladdin, Billy Hill, Turtle Talk with Crush....and others....good way to take a break!

We stayed at the HOJO in 2006. I don't remember the convenience store being super shocking expensive....I do remember it was nice and had lots of stuff! Milk, fruit, snacks, drinks....I think we even needed something random like nail clippers and they had them. The walk to the park was nice too.

So what are we down to?? 67 days??:rotfl:

yupikgal

07-01-2009, 01:04 PM

I went to the website, and I'm sure that we will be purchasing this, especially seeing as we have never been to DL in the summer...what a great idea! Thanks everyone!!

Algorithms are cool! I love RideMax, esp. in summer. We pay so much to visit Disneyland, I want to make sure we are efficient in our touring. But I want to have fun, as well.

Just plug in those attractions that are absolutely must do. It will increase your enjoyment because your wait times are minimized. Schedule in large breaks during the day to allow for free time and exploration. RideMax can work, even with different vacation personalities.

Hawleys

07-01-2009, 01:42 PM

I went to the website, and I'm sure that we will be purchasing this, especially seeing as we have never been to DL in the summer...what a great idea! Thanks everyone!!

I have been playing around with Ridemax for the last couple weeks and it is just awesome. Even if we don't follow the plans exactly it gives a really good idea of the best time of day to visit different attractions and how to use FastPass to your advantage.

They are also going to make a version for the iPhone, if you are lucky enough to have one.

Hawleys

07-08-2009, 12:47 PM

Yea! :banana::banana::banana:

The August Ridemax data are available and I have been spending way too much time making itineraries and backup itineraries. Planning is half the fun, right?

In other really exciting news, it looks like we will be buying AP passes while we are at DLR after all. :cool1:

Our friend KS was visiting us a few weeks ago and I was telling her about our trip in August. She is a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz and decided that she should really visit Disneyland before she gets her degree and heads off to who knows where. Of course I invited her to come with us. Everyone loves Disneyland, right? The more the merrier right? Well...not according to DW.

DW has been wanting to take this trip with our nephew for many years and has been looking forward to spending some quality time with him. He lives in Indiana and we only see him about once a year. She let me know that she would like our trip to be just the three of us so that the focus in on Baedyn. Isn't she an awesome aunt?!? :goodvibes

So...I had to call KS and explain the situation. She is a lovely person and she was really understanding. Since August wasn't going to work, we talked about going sometime in the fall, maybe in October for Gay Days. And since we are going again, it just makes financial sense to buy the AP. While I am so excited to be able to plan a second trip, I am a bit worried about the finances. The main reason we decided not to get APs was because DW is taking an 8% pay cut this year. On the bright side, she is keeping her job. :yay: We are going to have do some serious penny pinching to save the money for this trip.

Desert Dwellers

07-08-2009, 02:13 PM

Hawleys

07-21-2009, 05:12 PM

Hawleys, I am back home now. I'm surrounded by piles of laundry. Yesterday I downloaded pictures from the two cameras onto the computer, so this afternoon I hope to post my trip report with some of the better pics.

But the crowds were fine. I really was expecting the worst, but it was great. New Orleans Square gets crazy right before Fantasmic, so most nights we stayed away.

Ridemax worked great! The first day we were ahead a half hour to an hour. We had to make adjustments along the way because rides would close down for a while.

But after a while, you get the flow of the fast passes, and I could work a system of always having a current fast pass, so the last day, we didn't even use the Ridemax. I know a lot of people just collect fast passes during the morning and use them in the evening after they've expired. I don't know if it's my OCD, but I was unable to do that. I was compelled to use them during the window of time printed on the ticket. Oy.

You know, I'm jealous that you haven't taken your August trip yet, and you're already planning the second trip!:thumbsup2

Hi DesertDwellers. Thanks for the info on Ridemax and crowds and especially the tip about avoiding New Orleans square if we are not going to Fantasmic. I'm prepared to use Fastpass after the expiration window but I understand the OCD tendencies. I've loaded Ridemax onto my laptop so that I can do last minute reworking while we are at DLR. :)

The pictures you posted in your trip report were great! Hopefully, by now you have plowed through the post-trip laundry. :laundy: (love this icon)

Things are shaping up nicely for the October trip. I haven't purchased flights yet but there are some great deals (~$160 RT). I did book the Desert Inn and Suites because there didn't seem to be many hotels available (Hojo's and Fairfield Inn are completely booked!!). The big thing between now and October will be saving money. :scared1:

Hawleys

07-21-2009, 05:29 PM

A quick refresher...we arrive at LAX around 9:30am on August 8th and we are taking the Disneyland Express to the Hojo. I'm hoping that we will get to the hotel by 11 or 11:30am to drop off our bags. Or maybe check in but it will be so early that I'm not really holding my breath on that one. The old plan was to drop off the bags, grab a bite to eat, get our park tickets (we have vouchers from Ares travel so we have to wait in line) and then jump on the bus to head off to Buena Park for to surprise the nephew with a 3:30 show at Medieval Times.

I got a call from Medieval Times a few days ago to let me know that the 3:30pm show had been canceled. We have been rescheduled for the 6:30pm show. At first I was kind of bummed but then I realized that this will leave us several hours on Saturday afternoon to go to the parks.:yay:

So here's the big decision--should we go to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure? What says the wisdom of the Dis?

Disneyland is, well, DISNEYLAND! :banana::banana: But it could be wicked crowded on a Saturday afternoon and we will have no fastpasses.

DCA will be less crowded and fastpasses will still be available. Do you think we could have a good time spending 3 or 4 hours at DCA? I was thinking about going to see Alladin. It might be nice to relax in some AC after being up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight.

Desert Dwellers

07-22-2009, 12:52 AM

On our last visit we stayed away from the parks on Saturday, it was July 4, so I can't say how bad a Saturday could be. But I didn't think the crowds were bad on Sunday.

My family really liked DCA. Along with Aladdin, Disney Animation is a great place to relax out of the sun. We really enjoyed the Animation Academy. The Muppet 4-D show is pretty fun as well. I think you could find a lot to do at DCA to fill four hours.

Hawleys

07-22-2009, 06:24 PM

My family really liked DCA. Along with Aladdin, Disney Animation is a great place to relax out of the sun. We really enjoyed the Animation Academy. The Muppet 4-D show is pretty fun as well. I think you could find a lot to do at DCA to fill four hours.

Disney Animation is a great idea!

yupikgal

07-25-2009, 01:23 AM

Disneygal27

07-25-2009, 10:57 AM

Hawleys

07-26-2009, 01:54 PM

Hawleys, we will be getting there on the 8th also, same time, 930a, but to the John Wayne airport, which (hopefully) should get us to our hotel by 1030? I'm just guessing. I haven't planned as far ahead as you have, I don't even know how we are getting to our hotel yet (Fairfield) maybe the Supershuttle? We haven't been to DL for 10 years, looking forward to it!!! We will probably also do DCA Saturday, since we've never been and the last time we were there it was just in the process of being built! Probably eat lunch there, I assume, since it will probably be that time of day by the time we get in. Any suggestions for places you've researched? I still have to buy our park passes! I'm waaaayyyy behind! I did buy our baseball (Angels) game tickets for an evening game for Monday the 10th! Yippeee!!

Hi yupikgal! Yay for the Hojo! :cool1: I'm kind of obsessed with planning so don't worry, you are not behind at all. :goodvibes The Disneyland Express runs a big coach bus from John Wayne to Disneyland area hotels including the Fairfield Inn (http://graylineanaheim.com/airport_info.shtml) but Supershuttle may be cheaper depending on how many people you have.

I think we are also going to go to DCA on Saturday afternoon. I have never eaten at DCA but lots of people here like Whitewater snacks for counter service and Wine Country Trattoria for sit down. Here is a link to an article about Whitewater snacks that has directions since it is located in the Grand Californian. http://www.passporter.com/articles/whitewatersnacks.asp

Going to an Angels game sounds great!

Hawleys

07-26-2009, 02:12 PM

I just read your trip report, and it has me super excited for my first DLR trip (Aug 9-14 :yay: ) I think you'd have a great time at DCA for a few hours, even if you can't get on tons of headliner attractions, it seems like they have lots of little attractions to enjoy, plus just the fact that you're at the park..... :)

also, what did you end up getting your nephew for the pre-trip surprise? if he likes to draw, perhaps some sort of disney drawing kit would be an idea (not only for pre-trip excitement, but to keep him entertained on the plane, or during midday breaks). can't wait to hear how things turn out for you!

Hi Disneygal27. I am also WAY excited for our trip. I'm playing with Ridemax right now. :rotfl2: We're thinking about hitting either Alladin or Animation building on Saturday afternoon and hopefully a couple big rides too. Maybe California Screamin' and Grizzly River Rapids.

Will you make it to the parks at all on August 9th or is that a travel day for you? What is the first thing you are going to do?

Here's what we have for DN's pre-trip surprise package.

Gum
Skittles
Yes and Know Invisible Ink book
Spiderman Comic books
Disney stickers

I went to Target in hopes of finding Disney-themed Pez but our Target didn't have it. I also looked at the Dollar Spot at Target but almost everything was princess themed. So...we got a big drawing book of manga (anime) characters, a drawing pad and a tracing pad.

We also ordered a puzzle of the Disneyland map and sent it to Grandma. DN is staying with his Grandma for the week before he comes down to visit and she loves puzzles so they are going to make it together. We're sending a paper map, too.

yupikgal

07-27-2009, 12:10 PM

Hawleys

07-29-2009, 10:06 AM

hi Hawleys, and thanks for your reply! I just made reservations with Supershuttle for the morning that we get in, so that's done! yay! I got $2 off with a coupon from the OC Travel Guide that I had received a while back, the discount code is: M3DNL if anyone is interested. $2 is a drink in the parks, right? ; ) I paid $38 for all for of us, one way since we will be flying out of San Diego when we leave.

The White Water snack place sounds great, thanks! I will continue to update as I add more to my schedule! Two more weeks!! Wow...it seems like it was so far off, and now it's almost here!

Sounds like you got a great price for transportation. Your plans are coming together. Every $2 counts. :)

Almost here! I can't believe it. :banana::banana::banana: I have been dreaming about Disneyland every night. :cloud9:

We are putting the finishing touches on the package for our nephew. DW made a really cute card last night with the Matterhorn poster on the front (it is his favorite ride). She put some stickers of Mickey on it that look like he is climbing the Matterhorn and riding the ride.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/matterhorn.jpg

On the other side she printed up a "Disneyland Mission". (Sorry for the huge photo I wanted you to be able to read the text.) All credit to DW who made this.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/DLR_mission2.jpg

Hound 109

07-30-2009, 01:21 PM

I just came across this report. :banana:

Not only an excellent report:thumbsup2.....but a shout out to an opinionated canine Dis'er. :lmao:

Early Entry at 7am (whoo hoo!) First up is Peter Pan (thanks to the Hound for this tip). Then both sides of the Matterhorn as this is DN’s favorite ride from his trip to DL at age 6. After that, I’m hoping to drag him on some of the Fantasyland rides that I have never been on (Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio). He will be almost 10 in August so we’ll see if he can be convinced. He may think he is too big. Then some of the other rides that are open during EE (Buzz, Space?).

If you're gonna do Dumbo (fwiw...i couldn't get DS 10 to ride it last time), you should consider it immediately after Peter Pan. It's a crazy slow loader (but a fast ride). THEN do both sides Matterhorn. (then Alice, then Toady & Pinocchio last....or save the wooden head for later).

If you slam thru PP, Dumbo, Matterhorn, Alice & Toady, you should have enough time for Buzz (maybe twice)...then maybe SM (but most importantly get a FP for SM at 8:00...whether you ride SM standby at 7:52 or 8:03).

& if Matterhorn was his fave 3-4 years ago, be prepared for BTMRR (or even SM) to be his fave now. (look at my report below in my link for a creative way to ride BTMRR many, many times :).

A quick refresher...we arrive at LAX around 9:30am on August 8th and we are taking the Disneyland Express to the Hojo. I'm hoping that we will get to the hotel by 11 or 11:30am to drop off our bags. Or maybe check in but it will be so early that I'm not really holding my breath on that one. The old plan was to drop off the bags, grab a bite to eat, get our park tickets (we have vouchers from Ares travel so we have to wait in line) and then jump on the bus to head off to Buena Park for to surprise the nephew with a 3:30 show at Medieval Times.

I got a call from Medieval Times a few days ago to let me know that the 3:30pm show had been canceled. We have been rescheduled for the 6:30pm show. At first I was kind of bummed but then I realized that this will leave us several hours on Saturday afternoon to go to the parks.:yay:

So here's the big decision--should we go to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure? What says the wisdom of the Dis?

Disneyland is, well, DISNEYLAND! :banana::banana: But it could be wicked crowded on a Saturday afternoon and we will have no fastpasses.

DCA will be less crowded and fastpasses will still be available. Do you think we could have a good time spending 3 or 4 hours at DCA? I was thinking about going to see Alladin. It might be nice to relax in some AC after being up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight.

I believe in options.....& in walking thru Walt's Tunnel first. So....if even for a quick 30 min. in & out, I'd go into DL first:

- Walk down Main St.
- Take some pics.
- Soak it in.......but........only after one of you runs over to Buzz or BTMRR to pick up FPs for later. (Which would be available)
- Maybe have a Dole Whip....or Ride Pirates or the Jungle Cruise?

- If crowded, hop the 100 yards back over to DCA. Then return to DL later in the evening to ride a couple of rides & watch the Fireworks (or not). :thumbsup2

Looking forward to reading the travels of the Hawley clan....especially since she's a mega planner like others i know. :rolleyes1

:rotfl:

Desert Dwellers

07-30-2009, 06:07 PM

Wow, just over a week to go.:woohoo:

Loved your mission card, I'm sure your nephew will, too. Make sure to save it for the scrapbook.

Hawleys

07-31-2009, 11:02 AM

Wow, just over a week to go.:woohoo:

Loved your mission card, I'm sure your nephew will, too. Make sure to save it for the scrapbook.

Thanks Desert Dwellers! I hadn't though about doing a scrapbook but that would be an awesome post-trip gift. We already sent the card off to him. I'll have to see if he is willing to part with it for scrapbook purposes. :goodvibes

I have been doing the single digit dance. :cool1: But at home where no one can see what a dork I am.:rotfl:

I get some interesting reactions when I tell people that I am taking a vacation to Disneyland with my nephew. Seems to be pretty split down the middle.
Excitement: Oh, that sounds fun! What a lucky nephew! :banana::banana:
Shock and Horror: Four days in Disneyland with a child?!? :scared1: I would rather take a one week intensive remedial statistics class!

It's nice to know that the folks reading this trip report are genuinely excited and understand how much fun the planning part of the trip can be too.

Hawleys

07-31-2009, 11:39 AM

I just came across this report. :banana:

Not only an excellent report:thumbsup2.....but a shout out to an opinionated canine Dis'er. :lmao:

If you slam thru PP, Dumbo, Matterhorn, Alice & Toady, you should have enough time for Buzz (maybe twice)...then maybe SM (but most importantly get a FP for SM at 8:00...whether you ride SM standby at 7:52 or 8:03).

& if Matterhorn was his fave 3-4 years ago, be prepared for BTMRR (or even SM) to be his fave now. (look at my report below in my link for a creative way to ride BTMRR many, many times :).

Looking forward to reading the travels of the Hawley clan....especially since she's a mega planner like others i know. :rolleyes1

:rotfl:

Welcome Hound 109! I have read your one-day commando trip report...in fact, I've read it multiple times AND showed it to my wife to explain the concept of commando Disney touring. For the record, she prefers the term "informed spontaneity".:lmao:

After much discussion with DW about what Baedyn will want to ride and looking at posts from other folks with boys the same age, our EE/MM plans are shaping up like this.
Peter Pan first
Matterhorn both sides
Teacups and/or Toad
Other FL rides if B. is interested and depending on the time
Buzz
Space

We will be grabbing a Space FP at 8am :) and then heading over to ride BTMRR. Probably twice in a row. Then off for a Splash FP, WTP and making our way to Pirates and HM. After that, plans get a bit looser, as we have an 11:30 PS at Blue Bayou. I want to get another Splash FP and we may go to Tom Sawyers Island or take another ride on BTMRR. After lunch, we will probably ride Splash with a FP and then take the train to Toontown to grab a Roger Rabbit FP and poke around. Then take the train to NOS and exit via IJ for one more FP.

I don't think we can go quite as commando as you and your son because Baedyn doesn't know the park as well. But I'm going to give it a good try!!!

Yea for mega planners!

Hawleys

07-31-2009, 11:53 AM

Yesterday, my MIL received the Disneyland map puzzle that we had sent for her to put together with Baedyn.

Today, we got a rather irate email asking us what were we thinking sending her a 1000 piece puzzle with pieces that are all 1/2 inch big. And the kicker is that the puzzle does not have straight edges, it is curved to match the shape of Disneyland. :rotfl2:

I sheepishly wrote back that we had of course ordered the puzzle from the internet and had no idea it would be so hard. Caveat emptor!

(Very small voice) I also asked for a picture when it was done.:rolleyes1

Desert Dwellers

07-31-2009, 12:14 PM

Hound 109

07-31-2009, 12:59 PM

I like "informed spontaneity"! :thumbsup2 In fact, I'm going to use it....i bet ol' HydroGuy will get a kick out of it as well.

Welcome Hound 109! I have read your one-day commando trip report...in fact, I've read it multiple times AND showed it to my wife to explain the concept of commando Disney touring. For the record, she prefers the term "informed spontaneity".:lmao:

After much discussion with DW about what Baedyn will want to ride and looking at posts from other folks with boys the same age, our EE/MM plans are shaping up like this.
Peter Pan first
Matterhorn both sides
Teacups and/or Toad
Other FL rides if B. is interested and depending on the time
Buzz
Space

Excellent plan! (especially if you skip Dumbo).

We will be grabbing a Space FP at 8am :) and then heading over to ride BTMRR. Probably twice in a row. Then off for a Splash FP, WTP and making our way to Pirates and HM. After that, plans get a bit looser, as we have an 11:30 PS at Blue Bayou. I want to get another Splash FP and we may go to Tom Sawyers Island or take another ride on BTMRR.

If time permits, consider a canoe ride. I think they open up at 11am (but check). The launch is right next to the Hungry Bear. The kid would love it & you can work up an appetite for BB. (or do it after lunch)

After lunch, we will probably ride Splash with a FP and then take the train to Toontown to grab a Roger Rabbit FP and poke around. Then take the train to NOS and exit via IJ for one more FP.

If you haven't penciled in Storybookland, (& if the line isn't too long) give it a try when you're over there near toontown. It's a great (& relaxing) ride. Then just walk over to Indy (& jungle cruise....& have a dole whip afterward. :)

I don't think we can go quite as commando as you and your son because Baedyn doesn't know the park as well. But I'm going to give it a good try!!!

Yea for mega planners!

Nah....don't wear them out. The trick is guideing them gently w/o them realizing they're being guided. ;)

Hawleys

07-31-2009, 01:34 PM

Nah....don't wear them out. The trick is guideing them gently w/o them realizing they're being guided. ;)

DW has taken to responding to things I say about Disneyland with "Sir, yes sir!" and a salute. :rotfl:

Her other favorite is "Ok Bert".

I'll do my best to be gentle.:goodvibes

Hawleys

07-31-2009, 06:42 PM

Last night my son informed me on our next trip to DL, we will be eating at the Blue Bayou. So I'm thinking Blue Bayou should be a hit with your nephew.

I certainly hope he likes it! I will report back. :)

Hawleys

08-04-2009, 09:05 PM

Just to put the nail in the puzzle coffin, we got this email from my MIL today.

"Attached are photos of the 1000 piece puzzle map of Disneyland,
the Magic Kingdom, partially solved by Agent Bebop and Agent Coolcat
with the assistance of agents in training B and B. It is
important to note this mission took approximately twenty hours of time.
Agents did receive a 1000 piece puzzle as promised, but two pieces were
identical, and only one of the identical pieces fit and played nicely
with the others. Imagine the disappointment in discovering the piece
needed to completely solve the puzzle was not included - but the agents
assumed it wasn't good marketing to put 1001 pieces in a 1000 piece box.

Perhaps Agent Cupcake and Agent Fizgig could seek out the disposition of
the piece needed to solve the puzzle - and request the missing piece be
sent to Agent Coolcat."
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Disneyland_puzzle_small.jpg

My observant readers will have of course noticed that there is a single PIECE missing from the completed puzzle. :rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

To further document her failed mission, my MIL included this photo of the duplicate pieces.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Disneyland_pieces.jpg:lmao::lmao::lmao:

Hawleys

08-04-2009, 09:11 PM

We are just four days away from our trip! I laid awake for over an hour last night around 3:30am just thinking about Disneyland. :goodvibes

Starting to think about all the silly things we need to do before we leave
like cleaning and laundry and giving the key to catsitter and packing. Yikes!

We did all the laundry this weekend so we'll probably get by with just doing a small load before we leave. Ditto giant housecleaning this weekend leaves us with some small tidying to do before taking off.

I've written my packing list and DW has prepped her iPod with music that DN likes, including his favorite music for going to the sleep...the Little Mermaid soundtrack. :cool1::cool1::cool1: She promised to go over all the camera stuff tonight while I am at dance class.

Oh and my sister sent me Disney dollars as a late birthday present. :yay:

Desert Dwellers

08-05-2009, 07:51 PM

Three Days!!! How exciting. Your nephew reminds me of my own DesertBoy who has been falling asleep to the Tarzan soundtrack since he was five. I'm surprised the CD doesn't have grooves etched into it.

And I am seriously impressed with your MIL. Props on her mad puzzle skillz!

Hawleys

08-07-2009, 12:04 AM

yupikgal

08-07-2009, 12:39 AM

We are leaving tomorrow night (well, it's really Saturday, but we check in tomorrow at 10:30p, we leave at 12:30) :banana: :cool1: :yay: :woohoo:

So by Saturday morning at 930a, we will be touching down at John Wayne airport! I'm wearing capris and bringing a thin blanket~(the jets can be chilly), but packing my shorts/short sleeve shirt in my carry on so I can change into it when we get there! My sister just gave me 2 pairs of her chako sandals, they are great and they can get wet too...

Well off to pack some more and finish up laundry! We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, our daughter is completing her summer program in Anchorage so I pick her up (45 minutes each way) drive her home, and then we drive in again to attend a banquet and award ceremony from 5-8p! It's gonna be a loonnnnngggg day/night!! :scared1:

Have fun Hawleys!!

Hawleys

08-07-2009, 11:26 AM

mickeymad

08-09-2009, 04:46 PM

Hi Hawleys... by the time you read this, you are already on your way to what sounds like a fabulous trip!! I was hoping you were posting while there but,.. that was too much to ask for.

We head to Disney next Sunday, one week from today! I hope your trip is turning out to be a good as planned. Thanks for your great advice! I hope to be as planned and organized as you.

We are "she says with excitement" staying at the Grand Californian. We have never stayed and always drooled at the private entrance to DCA and... we finally get to do it thanks to our Vacation Club purchase. We bought a trip planning book but have not gone on Ridemax.... that is my next stop.

In case you are reading this... you MUST put Soarin' Over California on your top priority list for DCA. It is my favorite adn, if I remember correctly, it starts flying over the Golden Gate bridge... your stomping grounds. It makes you feel proud to be from CA.

We too have BB ressies. We went there for oue second anniv. and this is only other time to get to go! Another place I drool as I sit on POTC and watch the lucky people.

A note about annual passes... we live in San Diego and purchasing passes decades ago changed our Disney life. To luxriously wander through DL without an agenda knowing we can some back at any time made us love it all the more. In fact, some days we just spent time looking for hidden mickeys, riding only obscure rides and eating novelty foods... such a blast!

I grew up in Canada and visited DW at age six and visited DW or DL every year thereafter for my entire life... until three years ago. I haven't gone this long my entire life without visiting. I feel like a crack addict who finally gets to go!!!! I CANNOT WAIT!!!:banana:

I hope to read your trip report soon! Hae a great time!!!

Hawleys

08-12-2009, 10:58 AM

We are "she says with excitement" staying at the Grand Californian. We have never stayed and always drooled at the private entrance to DCA and... we finally get to do it thanks to our Vacation Club purchase. We bought a trip planning book but have not gone on Ridemax.... that is my next stop.

Welcome mickeymad! Thanks for sharing your excitement. Staying at the Grand Californian sounds AMAZING. You are going to have the trip of a lifetime, especially after three years of anticipation. :banana::banana:

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to post from the parks but we were so busy during the day and by evening I was just ready to collapse in bed and sleep. (Too bad my body was way too wired to let me sleep...more on this later). I didn't even find time to write my postcards until we were waiting for the Disneyland Express to take us back to LAX. :rotfl2:

Hawleys

08-12-2009, 12:10 PM

We're worn out and dreading going back to work but it was totally worth it as our nephew had a fantastic time with lots of wonderful memories. He was lobbying for a return trip as we walked out the gates for the last time yesterday. :goodvibes

Thanks to everyone for all your advice in planning this trip. I couldn't have done it without the Dis. At some point during the trip my wife told me that when I plan a trip it's like giving her a present as she always knows that we are going to have a great time. :love:

I work from home and I need to start going through my email so I'll give a few highlights and start a real trip report tomorrow. I will do my best to document with pictures but we found out that we are not the picture taking types. Leaving the camera in the hotel two days out of four makes it tough. :lmao: We did take some crappy pictures on our phones so I will post some of those.

Sadly, I also won't be able to give a minute by minute report of the type that I enjoy so much. I just didn't get my act together to write notes everyday. My massive bout of insomnia :eek: also contributed. Some days I remember really well but some are a total blur. Bear with me and I'll do my best.

Highlights for us were the Electrical Parade and Fantasmic!, neither of which I had seen before. The creativity and production value were incredible. I was mesmerized. Our nephew was so into the Electrical Parade and waving to the characters. He enjoyed Fantasmic! as well but we went to the late show on our last night in the park and he was fading fast by the time 10:30 rolled around.

Another highlight was Baedyn himself. He was so into understanding how everything in the park worked and focused on the details in the rides. Here are two highlights. "I think the Yeti on the Matterhorn could use some updated animatronics." "Wouldn't it be awesome if for Halloween they replaced the goat chewing the stick of dynamite on BTMRR with a blackened skeleton of a goat?!"

He was well behaved and just the right age to enjoy almost everything the park has to offer. He loved the thrill rides (BTMRR=7 rides!) but he is still young enough to be captivated by the magic of Small World and Storybook Land Canal Boats. He was a trooper about all the walking and did an excellent job of staying hydrated.

We stayed at the Hojo in a seventh floor room in building one. The skylights were beautiful and the room felt spacious. However, it was just too far of a walk for Baedyn after being at the parks all day. He repeatedly asked me to carry him but after walking all day at the parks there was no way I could give a 70 pound kid a piggyback. We didn't make it to the pool because Baedyn had a major wipeout on a scooter the day before we left (not on our watch). He is missing a two inch chunk over his right hip and was not allowed to get wet at all. The staff at the Hojo were so friendly and very helpful. I highly recommend this hotel and just wish it were a bit closer.

Ok, I said I wasn't going to write much and I've gone on and on. Time to stop.
More tomorrow. :)

mickeymad

08-12-2009, 07:05 PM

It sounds like the beginning of a great trip. I can't wait to hear more!

Hawleys

08-13-2009, 01:29 PM

DW had the day off from work. I work from home. She spent much of the day puttering around making sure we had everything for the camera and music loaded on the ipod. I worked to finish up my last project items. Our nephew, Baedyn, was expected to arrive around 7:30pm so I thought I would have plenty of time to finish up work and pack. Around 4:00pm we got a call from my MIL to let us know Baedyn would be arriving early, closer to 5:30pm. Yikes! We threw the packing into high gear.

Around 6pm we finished up the packing frenzy and realized that Baedyn still hadn't arrived. We called MIL to find out that they were on the way and that she would "give us instructions" when they arrived. Hmmm....something strange going on.

It turns out that Baedyn had a massive scooter wipeout while playing with his cousins. He showed up with a bandaged head and a huge chunk missing from his hip. There would be no swimming on this trip. He seemed to be in good spirits though and we made a fuss over how brave he was. :)

We had a relaxing evening together, browsing at the comic shop, making grilled cheese, planning our trip and playing UNO. You can see the big bandage on B's head and another one on his elbow.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/planning.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/more_planning.jpg

Put B to bed around 9:50pm for a 5:30am wakeup call. DW and I stayed up a bit later to do some last minute cramming. We had bootstrapped wait times from our Ridemax subscription and wanted to transfer the spreadsheets to the iPhone so we didn't have to carry paper copies. Turns out we hardly used these at all but we sure had a fun time making them.

I would like to say that my night ended with 7 hours of sleep to get our vacation started off right but sadly I had my first bout of trip related insomnia. :eek: Does this happen to anyone else? I slept fine until about 3am then tossed and turned until 4:30am or so when I finally gave up and went to take a shower.

Hawleys

08-14-2009, 10:01 AM

After a somewhat sleepless night for me, we got up at the crack of dawn to shower, throw the last few things in the suitcases, toast bagels for breaky and jump in our airport ride. Played games on the iPhone for the ride to SFO and checked in without any problems.

Going through security was a bit of an adventure. Trying to manage our stuff and B's too made for a lot of stuff! I don't know how people with several kids do it. :worship:

Our plane was on time and before we knew it we were on our way to DISNEYLAND. :banana::banana::banana: We gave B thirty Disney dollars on the plane and he was feeling flush as his Grammy and Great Aunt had also given him some cash to spend. Let's see how long this feeling lasts at Disneyland. :rotfl2:

Our flight was quick and we arrived early. Unbelievable. Our early arrival meant that we didn't have to hurry to catch the Disneyland Express. The bus came on time and the ride to the Hojo was uneventful. The staff at the front desk was really nice and they happily stored our bags because our room wasn't ready. No problem there, it was around 10:30am so we didn't expect anything.

Next up: Disney California Adventure!

Desert Dwellers

08-14-2009, 03:41 PM

Hawleys

08-16-2009, 10:31 AM

Wow, quite a wipeout B had. Well, if you ain't scabbed, you ain't tryin'.

Other than the injury and insomnia, sounds like you had a nice start to your trip. Great that the flight and getting to the hotel were uneventful. No one needs extra stress on vacation.

Can't wait to hear about DCA.

Hi Desert Dwellers! :wave2: I'm so glad you are reading. Transportation was smooth throughout the trip. DCA is coming today. Review of the Blue Bayou is coming on Sunday. :goodvibes

Hawleys

08-16-2009, 11:13 AM

After leaving our baggage at the Hojo, we made the trek down Harbor for the first time. We waited in line at the ticket booths for a few minutes to exchange our vouchers from Ares Travel and then we were on our way into DCA around 11am!!

Somewhere between the hotel and the parks, we realized that the camera was still in our luggage. Shoot. We took some pictures with DWs phone and I will try to add these.

Entering the park, we still weren't sure what Baedyn was going to be most interested in doing while we were at DLR. But in the first 10 minutes in Hollywood we walked by at least 3 characters, none of which Baedyn was interested in visiting (we did ask!). As a ride person, I was pumped that we weren't going to be standing in line alot for characters. In retrospect, I'm really glad I didn't make a reservation for a character breakfast.

Originally, I had planned to grab a Grizzly River Run FP as soon as we entered the park. But since B needed to keep his scooter wound dry, he had requested Tower of Terror as our first ride. We were saving Grizzly River Run for another day.

The standby line at Tower of Terror was short so we skipped the fastpasses. We all enjoyed the details in the lobby waiting area, especially the creepy doll sitting on the couch. I have to admit that I am terrified of drops so I was pretty anxious for this ride.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/IMG_0041.jpg
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/IMG_0042.jpg
Roller coasters get me amped up but drops leave me weak in the knees. Baedyn seemed pretty excited so I enlisted him to keep from being too scared. :) The ride was better than DW expected because you go up and down multiple times not just one big drop. I found it tolerable because you are inside so you can't tell how high you are. In fact, I would even go again. :cool1:

After the ride, B wanted to look in the gift shop. Get used to reading this sentence because I am going to be writing it again and again. My nephew LOVES to shop. We convinced him that he shouldn't buy anything until he had a chance to look at the selection of junk (sorry, IMHO) available. And believe me, there is a gift shop after every ride at DLR so he took full advantage of this suggestion. As the trip went on, I really looked forward to BTMRR because it doesn't dump you in a gift shop.

We worked up an appetite on ToT and the churro stand was calling us. B owed DW a churro from our high stakes UNO game on Friday night so we stopped and shared one. Aladdin was just starting but B didn't want to go in so we made our way to Mosters Inc. What an adorable ride! We all enjoyed it. And I found $10 by the water fountain. :goodvibes Then on to Muppets 3D where we couldn't find the entrance. This show was funny and pretty cute but not something I would go out of my way to do again.

Next up: The LONG walk to California Screamin'!

Hawleys

08-18-2009, 11:02 AM

All right, after exiting Muppets 3D and checking that my hearing still worked we ambled off to get fastpasses for California Screamin'. Also on the agenda was finding some snacks as it was getting toward lunchtime and we were getting hungry. B vetoed the hot dog stand outside Muppets so we set off though Sunshine Plaza. There was a fruit stand along the way where we bought a banana (for me) and Doritos (for B). DW is on a medical diet and couldn't eat anything from the stand.

It was a long, long walk to California Screamin' even with a banana and Doritos. I do love the view of the Mickey/Sun Wheel and California Screamin' as you come over the bridge. We grabbed fastpasses even though the standby wait time was short (maybe 15 or 20 minutes) because DW needed some food. We found a stand that sold roasted corn for DW. She said it was ok but not fantastic. I had hoped that we would go on Toy Story Mania while we waited for our FP time but B really didn't want to wait in line for 35 minutes so we meandered around Paradise Pier and finally decided to head to the Animation Studio. So much for efficient touring!

Although not efficient, going back to the Animation Studio was a good idea. This building is an air conditioned gem. First, we spent about 5 minutes looking at the zeotrope. So cool! Then we drew our own cartoons in the Sorceror's Workshop. Only DW was successful at this. Her balloon inflating and then exploding is sure to be a classic. Wish I had a video. :lmao:

Then on to the Beast's library to find our Disney characters. Any guesses?

B: Shere Khan (grrrr)
DW: Dart
Me: Cinderella

Finally, we spent a few minutes doing voiceovers in Ursula's Caverns. We all got a good laugh out of these. Then it was time to draw Minnie Mouse at the Animation Academy. They started the session by showing us the trailer for the new Disney animated film, the Princess and the Frog. This activity was engaging as the animator leading the session gave simple, clear instructions.

Our FP time for Screamin' was up so we skipped Turtle Talk and made the long, hot walk to Paradise Pier. Screamin' was awesome! We all got a big rush and decided to go on again as the standby wait time was only 10 minutes. :cool1:

B told us that his stomach was a bit loopy after the second ride so we skipped a third and headed off toward the giant hamburger to find some food as we all needed lunch by this point. Giant hamburger is closed. Drat, I should know this from reading the Dis. DW cannot eat anything at Pizza Oom whatever bc of her medical diet. We continue around Paradise Pier, getting hotter, hungrier and grumpier but remembering to grab fastpasses for Mulholland Madness. We finally end up at the Taste Pilot's grill where we rest and share two kids meals of chicken nuggets, fries, apple slices and drink alot of water. Heat, hunger and the grumps recede. :thumbsup2 The chicken nuggets are ok and we decide that Taste Pilot's is an ok place to eat. This decision would come back to haunt us later.

Our Mulholland Madness fastpasses were up so we walked back to Paradise Pier (grrr) and jump on the ride. Yikes! Not a scary ride but the track is so high and it seems like there is nothing to keep you from catipulting over the edge. That upped the fear factor right there. DW and I spent most of the ride making noises like "Ouch!", "Ooph!", "Uggh!" as we were jerked around. Should an adult venture on this ride, be prepared for a rough ride. If you are taking a nine year old, well, B really enjoyed it. :lmao:

At this point, we had walked way too much and gotten up way too early so we headed out of the park, stopping to get fastpasses for Soarin' and play in the mister. Back to the Hojo for a 20-30 minute rest before leaving for...

Medieval Times!!!

Desert Dwellers

08-18-2009, 12:59 PM

I'm glad you enjoyed the Animation Studio. In my three previous visits, I never made it there, now it's a favorite destination.

I agree with B. I can ride California Screamin' two times in a row, but I need a break afterward. I think three times would give me a headache.

I'm looking forward to your take on Blue Bayou. And intrigued with the Taste Pilot's Grill tease. I've eaten there once, and it was just okay.

Hawleys

08-19-2009, 03:21 PM

Yes, the Animation Studio is just great. DW says that when we go back in October (and maybe Jan!!), she want to look at the schedule of characters and draw 3 or 4 of her favorites. :cool1:

More updates soon...

Hawleys

08-19-2009, 10:18 PM

After we returned from the parks, we stopped at the front desk of the Hojo and asked for a cab to Medieval Times. I had planned to take the bus but DW has a chronic illness that was acting up and we needed some time to rest before leaving.

I have only great things to say about the staff at the Hojo. They got a cab for us on pretty short notice and they were always friendly. Once I got to the room, I realized that our box of food (for DWs medical diet) hadn't shown up. I called down to the desk again and they immediately confirmed that it had arrived and would be waiting for us when we came back from Medieval Times.

DW took a bath and B and I chilled for about 25 minutes. The front desk called and let us know the cab was ready. The cab turned out to be a town car which was a nice surprise. The cost was $25 each way.

Medieval Times was campy and schlocky and very loud and lots of fun. The MC (Lord Chancellor) was a total riot. His looks and delivery were so Bruce Campbell. The food was not gourmet but that was as expected. There was plenty to eat and we all enjoyed it after walking all over DCA. The knight "battles" were fun to watch with sparks jumping out when weapons clashed. DW had fun predicting who was going to win based on their weapons. (Here's a hint--should you be involved in knight battle, don't choose the axe.) Our towncar was waiting for us when we left the venue and took us back to the Entrance Plaza.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/medieval_times.jpg

We had FPs for Soarin' from earlier in the day so we made our way over and got in line. Wait time was short. This was a brand new ride for DW and I and it lived up to expectations. A must see!

After Soarin', we were ready to watch the Electrical Parade. Poor B had been hoping for cotton candy but by 8:30pm, all the stands selling it had closed! He was a bit disappointed. The EP however, did not disappoint and we remembered the camera. Even though it was close to parade time, we were able to find a spot on the ground close to A Bug's Land. B sat behind one or two other kids and had a great view. :cool1:

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/electric_mushroom.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/post-parade_1.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/post-parade_2.jpg

dawnrose

08-20-2009, 12:03 AM

Enjoying your report...looks like a great time so far...

Hawleys

08-20-2009, 08:36 PM

Enjoying your report...looks like a great time so far...

So glad you are enjoying it! We had a fantastic time thanks to all of you here on the Dis.

Hawleys

08-20-2009, 08:49 PM

After dozing on and off for a few hours, I truly woke up in the wee hours on Sunday morning. Trip related insomnia strikes again! :scared1: 3:30am found me reading National Geographic in the bathtub in a desperate attempt to relax enough to go sleep. I did fall asleep eventually but I was not rested on Sunday. So please forgive me if there are some very foggy patches in today's report.

I left the Hojo around 6:15am and was second in line at security and first in line an the entrance. DW and B joined me around 6:45am and we shared some granola bars and looked at the park map to pass the time until opening. We were all jazzed up to go in and had fun counting down. :cheer2: Then we booked it through the left side of the tunnel and off to Peter Pan. The we in the previous sentence is DW and I. After about 40 seconds of walking we realized that we had already way out paced our nephew. Poor nephew is not the type who enjoys getting up early or "walking with purpose" so there was some coaxing involved to get him up to a reasonable speed. At one point, I even offered to be Chewbacca to his C-3PO (i.e. piggyback) but the offer was declined. It felt like forever but we finally got to Peter Pan. I believe we were the second family to get on the ride. DN loved it which made me feel like less of a bad auntie for dragging him out of bed and making him walk so fast!

After PP we were off to the Matterhorn. First we rode the right side, then the left both with about a 3 minute wait. Group consensus named the left hand side as faster and more exciting. The plan had been to ride the Teacups next but there was no one in line and DW thought it would be more fun to ride with a group so we went on Alice (no line) instead. Then came out and rode the Teacups (no line but there were a few other people).

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/B_teacups.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/S_S_teacups.jpg

Staggered off the Teacups and immediately hopped onto Mr. Toad.

By this time it was close to 7:40am so we decided to head over to Buzz. Went the wrong way and wasted valuable time exploring Pixie Hollow (dead end:lmao:). Rode Buzz and got creamed by DW despite cheating on the internet to find the hidden high value targets. Then over to Space at 7:57 where we waited until the FP machine turned on to grab a FP and then walked on the ride.

It was an awesome start to our day.

Hawleys

08-22-2009, 12:03 AM

After riding Space Mountain, we headed over to Star Tours which was a walk on. Fun ride but starting to seem a bit dated. I hope all the rumors about an updated film are true. Just for comparison, over the course of our 4 day trip, we went on Space Mountain six times. We only went on Star Tours once and B never requested another ride.

After Star Tours, we hurried B through the giftshop and booked it over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. BTMRR was B's favorite ride and our most ridden ride by the end of the trip with a grand total of seven rides. :cool1: :cool1:

After BTMRR, B was hungry so he and DW headed to New Orleans square for grub and I hustled over to Splash Mountain for fastpasses. I met up with the crew at Pieces of Eight. B told me that he and DW had "shared" a churro (breakfast of champions). Since B had really eaten the whole churro, we went and got two more to "share". One for me and one for DW. :lmao:

Then on to the Haunted Mansion where we all sat in one Doom Buggy. I love the graveyard scene where the busts are singing. Does anyone know if the music was composed just for the attraction?

Post HM, B wanted to shop more so DW convinced him that we should check out the Pooh Corner. We bought a poncho for B to wear when we rode on Splash Mountain so that his road rash from the scooter accident would not get wet. B and DW shopped some more and I went to get another set of Splash fastpasses. I was denied by the FP machine and had to wait a few minutes until we were eligible. Back to Pooh Corner to find B and DW and take them to ride Pooh with me. I find this ride to just be so adorable, especially the part where Pooh dreams about the Heffalumps (sp?). B and DW were meh about the ride but B enjoyed posing with the honeypots.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/honeypot.jpg

Energy was starting to flag a bit by this time so we made our way to Pirates which is a nice long, sitting down and resting ride. :goodvibes We scored front of the boat seats for an awesome view and stuffed B in his poncho just in case. I'm sure the people behind us were not so happy with our last minute decision to put on the poncho. B has a giant head and we have no kids which meant there were arms in the head hole and a head the in arm holes and a kid complaining that we were suffocating him. While floating through the bayou, we pointed out the Blue Bayou dining room to B and told him that's where we were going to lunch.

Feeling refreshed after our pirate adventures, we caught a raft to Tom Sawyers Pirate Island for some scrambling around. I had never been before and we had a great time exploring all the caves. I had forgotten what I read on the Dis about the effects of touching things in Dead Man's Grotto (Bumbershoot warned me!) and we all got scared. :scared1: We spent a good 45 minutes or more wandering around and losing each other in the caves and finding each other in the caves and sneaking up behind each other in the caves. Good times for all. :)

The Bone Cage
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/bone_cage.jpg

Pirate Treasure
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/treasure.jpg

Did you know that there is a map to the whole island in the treehouse? B had us take a picture with the iPhone and then we went to every place that was listed. :laughing:

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/pirate_map.jpg

By this time, it was getting close to our 11:30am PS at the Blue Bayou. While we were waiting at the dock for the rafts, the Davy Crocket canoes went by. I pointed them out to DW as they had been recommended as a fun activity. She told me I was crazy and that there was NO WAY she was working while on vacation.

We made it to the restaurant around 11:20am and we were seated almost immediately at a waterside table. Score!

Next up: Blue Bayou review for DesertDwellers :goodvibes

QueenDoOver

08-22-2009, 09:51 AM

Great report. Love all the details. It looks like a fabulous trip.

Hawleys

08-23-2009, 12:03 AM

Great report. Love all the details. It looks like a fabulous trip.

Hey QueenDoOver! So glad you are reading along. I'll try to keep the details coming.

Desert Dwellers

08-23-2009, 01:43 AM

Having so much fun reading your trip report. I agree with your wife - the canoes hold no interest for me. It's funny, BTMRR was probably our most frequented ride.

B looks like he was having a great time. What terrific memories you all made.

Looking forward to the Blue Bayou review. Thanks for looking out for me.:)

Hawleys

08-25-2009, 11:50 PM

Overall, our experience at the Blue Bayou was very positive. As many, many, many people have said, you can't beat the ambience. And for the record, we received excellent service. Polite, attentive (refilled drinks without asking), etc. The cost was exorbitant for the quality and presentation of the food. Was it worth it? Totally! Would we do it again? Maybe for dessert only but not for a whole meal.

The good stuff: We checked in at 11:20am for an 11:30am PS. I asked if we would have to wait for a waterside table and the hostess told us she would check and get back to us. We had barely gotten settled on a cushy bench and our name was called. We were seated at a waterside table. Sweet! The table was directly to the right of the server's station as you faced the water. In another nod to the good service, it was not a problem at all to be next to the server's station.

More good stuff: We were hungry and thirsty! Our drink order was taken right away and drinks and bread appeared in short order. We took turns going to the bathroom to wash our hands. The bathrooms were clean. I'm going to quote my DW here as she describes the bathrooms "They were clean and like, more accented than a regular bathroom." :rotfl:

Even more good stuff: The salad course was delicious. It was a chopped salad with greens, red peppers, cherry tomatoes (the pear shaped ones), cheese, sausage, thinly sliced onions and vinagrette. There was probably more stuff in the salad that I don't remember. Dressing was a bit heave so maybe request on the side. B's kid's meal came with crudite and dip. He ate the carrots but not the celery and declined an offer to share my salad. :)

The mediocre stuff: Our main courses were mediocre across the board. I had the crab cakes and they just didn't wow me. They didn't quite taste fresh enough; too much filling to really taste the crab. DW had the Monte Cristo and she enjoyed it but to quote her again "I realized I liked the concept of the Monte Cristo more than the actual Monte Cristo. It was a lot of fried on a lot of grease. You CAN have too much of a good thing". I also tried the Monte Cristo and it was yummy but very heavy with too much breading for my taste. Both Stephanie and I thought the potatoes that came as a side dish were delicious. I've never had potatoes prepared in quite this way. They were sort of scalloped but drier than I would expect for scalloped. But not dry in a dried out way, just not with sauce. But they had some kind of cheese that was so tasty. Anyway, B ordered the salmon and I think he has been spoiled by the salmon that his grandmother cooks for him in Seattle. After a couple bites he told us that salmon shouldn't be crunchy. :rotfl2:

The fun stuff: Both B and I got a kick out of waving to people in the boats as they came by. We also saw some cast members walking about inside the bayou. Maybe repairing something? I love the lanterns that are strung up over the dining area. Where can I get these for my backyard?

The stuffed stuff: I had been hoping to try dessert but we were all too full to even think about it. :goodvibes

Next up: Battling the effects of insomnia...and losing

cap'njack.

08-26-2009, 09:59 AM

A great TR! Looking forward to your further installments.

Desert Dwellers

08-26-2009, 06:34 PM

Hawleys

08-27-2009, 08:42 AM

(I tried posting from my iPod, but DIS booted me out when I hit submit reply. I'll try again.)

Sigh, I'm wanting very badly to go back to DL during our Fall or Winter break, but it's just not feasible. Reading your trip report only increases my DL jonesing. So I'll occupy myself until next summer making my "absolutely, must-do, no excuses" list. My son already had Blue Bayou on his list, now I'm certain next trip I will be sitting waterside. I don't even care about the food, I just want to wave at the boats.

Too bad about the insomnia. I can never sleep well in hotels, either. It's getting better now that the kids are older. When they were little, every time they stirred, I'd bolt awake, worried they would fall out of the big hotel bed. (It's happened.) My daughter also grinds her teeth. I can't hear her at home, but in the same room? Yikes.

The food wasn't bad, it was just really expensive. But it was so cool to actually be IN the ride. If I'm in the boats when you are there, I will wave back. :) You and your son are going to enjoy it.

The insomnia kills me. Part of what makes it frustrating is that I KNOW that I should be sleeping and that I will enjoy my vacation more if I am sleeping. I totally agree with you about having trouble sleeping in hotels. The worst is staying with my Dad. He snores so loudly. :rotfl:

disneynerd420

08-28-2009, 04:52 PM

I'm really enjoying your TR.

Hawleys

08-31-2009, 12:23 AM

I'm really enjoying your TR.

Thanks disneynerd420! I wish that I had as many great pictures as you do. Next trip I will be more vigilant with the camera.

I need to get cracking on some new installments. Work has been busy and our tenant is moving out which means we have been spending time showing our rental unit and doing credit checks. Boring but necessary. Updates coming soon!

Hawleys

09-03-2009, 11:18 PM

We exited the Blue Bayou satisfied and tired. So tired that I felt like I was sleep walking. B wanted to ride Pirates again to see where we had just eaten. Sounded good to us. :cool1: I jetted over to Indiana Jones to grab a fastpass and we made our way into the Pirates line. The line was a bit longer than the morning but not a bad wait at all. After the first big drop, our whole row was singing "Yo ho Yo ho". Sweet.

Next up was Indiana Jones. Fastpasses got us all the way to the room with the big TV with no wait. Jumped in our troop transport vehicle thingies and prepared to be thrown around. I had read on the Dis that you got jostled less if you kept your body looser instead of trying to brace yourself. This technique worked for me and I enjoyed the ride more. I even noticed some of the details instead of feeling like I was being tossed around in a room full of strobe lights. Oh, and I was on the side of the ride with the giant snake. I actually screamed out loud. DW will tell you that I scream on all the rides. :rotfl2: The burning question about IJ is did B like it?

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/B_likes_IJ.jpg

At this point, I was done. Auntie Dictator declared nap time and we trundled off to the hotel. It was hot and we were so tired. B was complaining and walking so slowly. Auntie Dictator might have told him to suck it up and walk faster. It was rough trip.

Once we got back to the hotel, I apologized to B for snapping at him. DW and I laid down to sleep and B watched the Disney Channel. DW was out like a light but I was still too wound up. And who knew the Disney Channel is so darn loud!

After a while, B and DW headed to Downtown Disney to explore the Lego Store. I stayed in the hotel a bit longer to try and pull it together. Here's a few pics. B is a huge Lego fan.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/B_legos1.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/B_legos2.jpg

DW and I connected on the cell phone and arranged to meet at the security gates to Downtown Disney. We all went into the park together. First order of business=cotton candy! Am I bribing my nephew because I was snarky earlier? Yes. Does that make me a bad auntie? I hope not. The cotton candy certainly made for a happy nephew. :goodvibes

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/B_cotton_candy.jpg

Second order of business=Autopia FP. Then we trooped over to Space Mountain for the third order of business, using our FP from the morning. The cast member collecting FPs looked at ours and asked where we had been all day. (We had picked up our FP at 8:00am exactly so the return time was 8:40am!). This was the only time that a CM commented about our late FP use. Awesome ride and at the top we all counted down the launch with the soundtrack. This would become our Space Mountain ritual.

Next up: Shoppin' 'til we droppin'

Hawleys

09-15-2009, 12:41 AM

Sorry for the long delay between posts. I've been on the East Coast for a week visiting my family and generally avoiding the internet, email and my phone for the whole time. It was a nice break but now I'm BACK and ready to post. :)

===============================================
After Space Mountain we headed over to the gift shop where we shopped and shopped and then shopped some more. B put together his own lightsaber which was a challenge. It's like putting together Ikea but with no (for me) preconception of how the pieces should fit. Thank goodness a CM saw us struggling and walked us through it. B was pumped about the new lightsaber. His auntie, not so much. Here's why...in a bid for authenticity the lightsaber is about 5 ft tall when extended. For the safety of everyone in the park we immediately made a rule that the lightsaber had to be closed while we were walking through the park.

By the time we finished lightsaber construction it was time to use our Autopia FPs. Sweet! B was excited because he is finally tall enough to drive his own car. The line for this ride moved slowly, even with FP, but the lightsaber kept us all entertained.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Sabertaintment.jpg

DW got her own car and I hopped in with B. B may have been tall enough for this ride but he still had a hard time reaching the gas pedal and it was difficult to push. I ended up operating the gas for our whole trip. B concentrated on driving us back and forth along the preset track so that we slammed from side to side. :cool1:

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Autopia.jpg
Love this photo that DW took.
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Autopia_view.jpg

We still had two sets of Splash FPs from the morning so we decided to take the train to New Orleans Square. The train was just arriving as we exited Autopia so we hustled over to catch it. Turns out there were mechanical difficulties and we ended up waiting about ten minutes before leaving the station. No problem waiting though...we had a lightsaber to keep us entertained.

Hey, a Jedi uses the force for defense, never for attack!

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Saber_violence_2.jpg

At this point, I lose the thread of my narrative. I can tell you which rides we went on but I have only a vague idea of the order. Here's my best guess about what we did.

Enjoyed a relaxing train ride to New Orleans Square.
Headed to Indiana Jones for a fastpass.
Rode the Jungle Cruise--B loved the jokes!
Used one set of our Slash Mountain fastpasses.

A little detail about Splash Mountain. This ride is DW's absolute favorite and unfortunately, B was reluctant to ride because of his scooter injury. He was really anxious about getting it wet and as a sensitive kid, he was kind of embarrassed to be wearing a poncho. Fortunately, there were several other people in line wearing ponchos and we ended up in a boat with some a guy who not only wore a poncho but tied a plastic shopping bag around his head! See pictorial evidence below.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Splash.jpg

Can you find B in the picture? Probably not. He is in front of the guy with the shopping bag but hunched over and hidden because he was terrified of getting wet. We decided not to use our second set of fastpasses so we sauntered off toward Indiana Jones. Before getting on IJ, we give away our second set of fastpasses for Splash. DW is sad but hopefully the guys we gave them to enjoyed it.

Indiana Jones is awesome yet again although B and I are bummed to discover that even though we go through a different door in the temple, the track of the ride is the same. We have some fun trying on Indy gear in, you guessed it, the gift shop!

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Indy_Steph.jpg

B desperately wanted to buy a real Indiana Jones whip ($45!). We told him he had to call and ask his Mom before buying any weapons. Needless to say, he opted not to make the call. :rotfl2:

DW and B take off for the Mad Hatter to shop for ears and I head over to BTMRR to grab one more set of fastpasses. Ears are selected and the CM checking us out upgrades to the fancy ($7) lettering for free because the color and print on B's ears makes it hard to read the regular writing. Once again, fantastic customer service from DL.

Blue steel with ears.
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/B_ears.jpg

At this point we are pretty much dead on our feet. B requests a ride on the Storybook Land Canal Boats which was something he wanted to do during Magic Morning but we nixed as taking too much time. Sitting down for a gentle boat ride sounded so perfect at that time so we hopped in line. The boats are big and the line moved quickly. To top it off, there was a big group in front of us that all wanted to travel together so the CM pulled us in front of about 20 people for the last three seats in an otherwise full boat. I didn't expect to enjoy this ride that much but it was kind of cute. I liked listening to the music from Aladdin.

We trudge around the back side of Frontierland for a ride on BTMRR. While we are on the train, the fireworks from Fantasmic go off. Cool!! After BTMRR, we all agree that it is time to get out of the parks and get some food. B is starving having eaten some cotton candy around 4:30pm and nothing else since lunch. DW volunteers to stop at McDonalds while B and I head back to the hotel. We watch the fireworks from our balcony until DW arrives with dinner. Then we watch the fireworks from our balcony while eating hamburgers. :goodvibes

We crawl into bed, exhausted, and even I manage to get some sleep tonight. It was an incredible day!

Next up: A vist from Cunkle Robert

Hawleys

09-21-2009, 11:29 PM

Monday morning found us getting up early again but not quite as early as the day before. After 7 hours of sleep I felt amazing! B however, was having a grumpy morning. DW had loaded the iPod up with some of his favorite music and rigged it to play through some travel speakers as his wake up call. Apparently, Green Day's 'American Idiot' is not that fun to wake up to, even if it is your favorite. :rotfl2:

I left DW to deal with getting B ready and headed off to secure a place in line at Disneyland. I was about 1 hour and 15 minutes later than the day before and there were way more people in line since it was not a Magic Morning. I ended up second in line. Before DW and B joined me, my cell phone rang. It was Cuncle Robert who had driven from LA to join us for the day! Cuncle Robert is DW's cousin which makes him B's first cousin once removed. This was way too complicated for B so we tried to explain that Robert was like his cousin and uncle combined...his cuncle! Here's a pic--you can tell they're related because they dress alike!

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Cuncle.jpg

The gates opened around 7:45am and DW and B were still en route. Since I had their park tickets, Cuncle Robert headed off to secure a spot at the rope. There was some debate via cellphone about what to do first. We considered making a dash for Nemo but Cuncle Robert was not interested at all. Since he only had one day at DLR, we decided to head to Space. Once DW and B arrived we entered the park and used a trick I had read about on the Dis to make our way toward the rope. We snuck into the shops on the right hand side of Main Street and threaded our way toward the rope. We arrived right by the corn dog stand just as the rope dropped and this turned out to be a great place to make the dash for Space Mountain. We grabbed fastpasses and then rode. Cuncle Robert introduced us to the art of waiting for a particular seat on Space Mountain. I have to agree with him that the experience is better from the very front row. :goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Space_small.jpg

After Space, we were sort of undecided about what to do next (this would be a theme for the day as I had purposefully not made an itinerary because Cuncle Robert would be with us and I didn't want to boss him around on his only day at the park. Besides, I didn't know ahead of time what rides he liked/disliked). After some discussion, we made our way to B's favorite--Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! There was a bit of a line but not too long. This ride rocks.:cool1::cool1: Cuncle Robert had us wait for the end car this time and I have to agree with him again that the ride is faster in the very back.

After BTMRR, it was time for more fastpasses. Cuncle Robert let us know IJ is one of his favorites so we trundled over to Adventureland. Then off for a satisfying ride on Pirates. This ride never gets old. :) Next, since we were in the area, we made our way to the Haunted Mansion. Since Cuncle Robert was with us, DW and I got to ride in our own Doom Buggy. :love2: Cuncle Robert said we were the scariest part of the ride. :lmao:

Hawleys

09-22-2009, 07:10 PM

With all the grumpiness of waking up, we hadn't had much in way of breakfast. By the time we exited the Haunted Mansion we were hungry, hungry hippos. On my only previous trip to Disneyland, we had giant cinnamon rolls at the Blue Ribbon Bakery and I was hankering for another one. As an added bonus, cinnamon rolls are included on DW's medical diet so this was a treat everyone could enjoy. DW and I jumped in line and sent B and CR (Cuncle Robert) to the penny arcade. We split two cinnamon rolls between 3 adults and 1 child and there was plenty of food. They are as big as your head. :)

Next up was Space Mountain, again! We had fastpasses but we noticed that already the lines were longer than they had been on Sunday. Weird. Leaving Space, DW mentioned that she wanted to try her hand at Buzz again. The line was 30 minutes and we got in. Can you believe it? One day without my itinerary and we're waiting in 30 minute lines. :scared1: Turns out the time in line went super quick because CR has an almost inexhaustible supply of PG jokes. He told B jokes the ENTIRE time we were in line. I was so impressed. B would give CR a topic and he would have a joke. Amazing. The worst part is that I cannot remember even ONE of the jokes he told.

Buzz was fun as always but the ride stopped recording hits about halfway through so none of us given scores. :sad2:

CR suggested that we head to DCA and grab fastpasses for Soarin' as this is his favorite ride in the whole resort. He also said that he needed some real food and suggested Taste Pilot's Grill. We had some decent food at Taste Pilot's on Saturday so everyone happily agreed to this plan. We obtained fastpasses, got spritzed under the giant mister by the Soarin' entrance and settled down in line at TPG to study the menu. B went for chicken nuggets again, DW ordered for the chicken sandwich and CR and I decided on a hamburger. I saw people leaving the counter with some good looking ribs but they were so messy I didn't order them. Big mistake. The hamburger tasted and smelled like meat from a school cafeteria. It didn't even look like meat. In Disney's defense, this was the only truly horrible meal I had. There were some mediocre things but this was the only item that I wasn't sure I could eat. Blech.

Around here, I lose the thread of my narrative again (next time I will take better notes, I promise!). I know the things we did but I have only a vague idea of the order. So I'll list what we did and give a brief review.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: Awesome, awesome, awesome! Great fun to run up and down the big cargo nets and squeeze down the tiny slides. B was the only one small enough to go on the ziplines and he didn't want to go alone so we skipped it. Both B and CR made it across the climbing wall. I couldn't go bc I had open-toed shoes. :sad1: The best part was the totem cave. DW's totm was a beaver! CR and I totally cracked up. :lmao::lmao::lmao:

Toy Story Mania: We waited in line for about 35 minutes and it was totally worth it! This ride is so much fun! Plus, DW always creams me at Buzz and I kicked her butt. Double fun!

Turtle Talk With Crush: Also a ton of fun and air-conditioned and you sit down! :thumbsup2 B was bummed because he wasn't picked to ask a question. They really only have time for a few kids to ask questions so don't expect your kid to definitely be picked.

Waiting for the show to start
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Turtle_time.jpg

Soarin' Over California: This is CR's favorite ride. He is a struggling movie score composer and I think he knows every note of the soundtrack for this ride. It made me listen to the music more closely and it really enhanced the ride for me. Usually, the music is just background to me.

Once we finished all these attractions, it was late afternoon and getting hot so we headed back to the hotel for siesta. But not without stopping so that B could buy the most ridiculous hat on the planet. In defense of the hat, it made it very hard for B to get lost...just look for the small kid with the GIANT hat.

Time lapse hat photography
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/hat1.jpg
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/hat2.jpg
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/hat3.jpg
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/hat4.jpg

I'll leave you with a pic we took on the walk back to the hotel--the mousehawk!

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Mousehawk.jpg

And one more thing...delurk and come on in...I like company.

cali_crafter

09-23-2009, 10:01 AM

I'll de-lurk, I am loving your trip report, you are the best aunts!

prncesaurora21

09-23-2009, 06:50 PM

*delurks*

:wave2: i am enjoying your trip! makes me wish mine was coming up sooner! B is a lucky guy to have aunties like you both!

Hawleys

09-23-2009, 07:11 PM

I'll de-lurk, I am loving your trip report, you are the best aunts!

Thanks for letting me know you're out there cali_crafter! It's more fun to write for readers. :goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes

*delurks*

:wave2: i am enjoying your trip! makes me wish mine was coming up sooner! B is a lucky guy to have aunties like you both!

I am enjoying my trip again by writing about it. Seriously, I get a big grin every time I work on this TR. prncesaurora21, I see you have a kitty. We have a kitty, too, Miss Dion. I will post a picture of her even though she can never go to Disneyland.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Dion_in_the_garden.jpg

firefox2

09-26-2009, 12:36 AM

Great TR, it sounds like loads of fun. Loving the pictures too.

Hawleys

09-28-2009, 10:03 AM

Great TR, it sounds like loads of fun. Loving the pictures too.

Thanks firefox2! Props go to DW who took almost all of the pictures. :) Another update coming soon.

Hawleys

09-29-2009, 12:01 AM

Ok, I'm going to do a really bad thing and interrupt my TR with some news about my upcoming trip (we leave Friday!). I know I should finish my TR first but we finally decided what we are going to wear to the ToT party and I just had to share. Drumroll....

We are going as a bee (me) and a beekeeper (DW). I wanted to be Siegfried and Roy because it seemed so easy. Just wear white tiger stripped t-shirts and carry a stuffed tiger. DW nixed this idea. Then she saw this incredible bee keeper costume in a Martha Stewart magazine and she was hooked.

I found a child size bee costume at CVS that works for me. It's supposed to be short tank dress with bee colored stripes and then a ruffly skirt. It fits me perfectly as a cute bee top. Headband with antennae attacked is included. Add some black yoga pants and my costume is complete.

Just to rant for a minute though, who designed a Halloween costume that is a tank top?! I grew up in New England and part of choosing a Halloween costume was picking out something warm because if you were going out to trick or treat at night you would need layers.

We went to Home Depot tonight and DW bought a plain white coverall suit (the kind some people wear while painting) to serve as her bee suit. We found some really cute bee doo dads at JoAnns fabric store to attach to the suit. A friend is going to lend us her hat with mosquito netting and viola! Bee suit complete. Now we just need a cute honey bucket for DW to collect her candy.

Now back to our regularly scheduled TR. Peace. :lovestruc:lovestruc

Hawleys

09-29-2009, 11:09 PM

In another nod to how nice the Hojo is, CR was totally surprised when we opened the door to our hotel room and he saw the size of the room and the skylights. We all took a pretty long nap at the hotel and woke up hungry. Made it out the door around 6pm, I think. First we headed to Mimi's but the wait was 20 minutes and we were all more interested in heading to the parks. We thought it would save some time to just get McDonalds. Not sure if we saved any time as DW can only eat plain hamburgers and they of course screwed up and gave her one with ketchup. Seriously, we must have waited 20 minutes for our order because CR was finished eating by the time our food arrived.

On the way to the parks, CR expressed interested in riding Toy Story Mania again. It took some convincing to get B in the line but CR wore him down. ;) In the spirit of friendly competition, the two top scorers from our previous ride (CR and I) rode in the same car. I don't want to brag but CR was dominated by yours truly. :woohoo: I'm sure that in the grand scheme my score was not that high but it sure felt good. After riding TSM, we decided to head back to DL to use our Space, BTMRR and IJ fastpasses. On the way out of Paradise Pier, DW and I were looking longingly at the 15 minute wait time at California Screamin'. CR must have noticed because he asked if we wanted to ride. Of course we wanted to ride! The line moved quickly and CR took a dramamine so everyone was happy.
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Screamin_1.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/Screamin_2.jpg

By this time, it was getting dark and we all enjoyed the lights along Paradise Pier as we made our way out of the park.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/PP_at_night.jpg

Back in DL, we beelined for Space to use our Fastpasses. The plan was to catch a couple more rides and then be in position to swoop into New Orleans Square as the first showing of Fantasmic finished up. Turns out we really only had time to use our FPs for Big Thunder Mountain. Too bad, as CR never got to ride IJs. But we did have the awesome experience of riding BTMRR while the fireworks were going off. If you can time it right, do this! We caught glimpses of Tinkerbell through the trees while we were waiting in line. Very cool. We had six FPs for BTMRR left and I found a very sad looking family of 6 staring at the 50 minute standby wait time. Happy to say that I was able to provide them with some Disney magic! I hope they knew the FPs could be used after the return time printed on them.

We waited at the rope between New Orleans Square and Adventure land while folks from the first Fantasmic made their way out. Once we were let in, the first row seats along the water were already gone but we found some second row spots behind a short family. :goodvibes:goodvibes

For B and I, it was our first time to see Fantasmic and it did not disappoint. Truly incredible and such fun music (thanks again to CR for making me listen more closely). Truthfully, I think B could have done without the show. By the time 10:30 rolled around, he was SO ready to go to sleep.

We fought our way through the crowds to the entrance, hugged CR one more time, slogged back to the hotel and collapsed. Happy and tired.

JustAKid

10-01-2009, 12:37 AM

Hawleys

10-01-2009, 12:02 PM

So I started by just using the planning board and am slowly branching out to the other boards the DIS offers. So glad I did because your trip report is awesome! :goodvibes

It looks like your DN has a wonderful personality, I look forward to the pictures so that I can see how he's posing and with what. My favorite is the one of him and your DW with the light saber pointed directly at the camera lens. SO CUTE!

Also wanted to wish you a good time at Gay Days! I remember you saying that you'll be staying at the DI&S, I wouldn't mind you steering away from your TR again for a post to let us know what you thought about it when you're back!

Bee and bee keeper is totally cute, but no red! :guilty:

Welcome JustAKid. I'm so glad you are enjoying the trip report. B is a total character and such a ham for the camera. On our next day at DL, we spent time in Toontown so you'll get lots of great pictures. :)

I am so excited for Gay Days!! :banana: We leave tomorrow! :banana::banana: We will be wearing red on Saturday and Sunday. :banana::banana::banana:

We changed our reservation to the Tropicana because we were able to get a slightly better rate and it had better reviews on TripAdvisor. I was able to get a room at the Hojo again but not at the Entertainment rate. DW hasn't been feeling great so we decided to stay closer to the parks. I will definitely post a trip report. :goodvibes

My goal is to finish this trip report before we leave for our next trip so I may be burning the candle on both ends tonight.

You are going to be a Disneyland expert by the time your trip rolls around. There is so much information on these boards.

JustAKid

10-02-2009, 01:35 AM

Well, you didn't post any more of your trip report so I hope that doesn't mean you decided to panic about all the stuff you had to get done before leaving instead. :laughing: Hope you have/had a wonderful time! :goodvibes

Hawleys

10-02-2009, 01:08 PM

Sorry I wasn't able to write. I was given a last minute work assignment. :headache:

But I'm done now and we're on our way in just a few hours!! :cool1: :cool1:

disneynerd420

10-02-2009, 02:12 PM

Have a great time at Gay days. I wish I could be there right now, but I just got back a few days ago. I''m looking forward to seeing more pics and I really hope you bring some back from Gay Days.

radiatorsprings

10-05-2009, 02:32 PM

Hawleys

01-09-2010, 06:15 PM

I love your trip report. Your nephew is lucky to have such cool aunts. I love the stuff you sent for him to get him ready, especially the puzzle. Can I ask where you ordered it from? Too bad one of the pieces is missing though.

Sorry for the super late reply. I ordered from an internet retailer called TreasureKingdom.com

Good luck finding the puzzle!

Hawleys

01-09-2010, 06:39 PM

After a loooong hiatus, I'm back and ready to finish up my trip report. This last day won't be quite as detailed because it's been awhile. Sorry folks.

When I left you last, we had spent an awesome day in the parks with Cuncle Robert and stayed up for the late showing of Fantasmic. We slept in a bit this morning, packed up all our stuff, checked out, stowed our bags at the hotel desk and headed off to Disneyland! We didn't make it to the gates for park opening but that was ok as the plan for today was to take it easy, see some favorite attractions one last time and ride a few things that we had missed.

First up, Space Mountain fast passes. DW ran off to get FPs while B and I went to ride BTMRR. There was a bit of a wait at BTMRR so Stephanie went to the opening ceremonies at Toontown while we rode. She picked up FPs for Roger Rabbit and we walked to Toontown to meet her. We spent some time in Toontown, goofing off and taking lots of pictures. I guess I didn't realize what a ham B is, he LOVED posing with all the props. Here is a selection of his greatest photos. :)

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/car_crash.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/happy_driver.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/TNT.jpg

Hawleys

01-09-2010, 07:07 PM

After taking a bunch of pictures, we realized that there was no wait for Roger Rabbit so we jumped in line and tucked our FPs away for later. As many folks have said, the queue for this line was tricked out and fun to walk through. Don't hate but I think I prefer the queue for Monsters Inc...I'm sucker for the bad puns. The ride was just ok. I got an incredible arm workout spinning the wheel. B went in his own car and he hardly spun at all because it was so hard to turn. This was a new attraction for me.

Next we wandered over to It's a Small World, by special request from B who has really great memories of riding this with his Mom. There was minimal line and looking for the Disney characters was like having a little scavenger hunt while we were riding. Two big thumbs up for this other new attraction!

On the agenda for today was the Jedi Training Academy. I had hoped to go to the 10:30 show which was in about 25 minutes. DW convinced me that we could use our Space FPs first. We flew through the line, had a great ride, collected another set of FPs and made it to the Jedi Training Academy. Whew! Fortunately, this was the most rushing around we would do all day.

B was one of the first kids picked for the Jedi show. I had a sign which said "The Force Is Strong With This One" and he had on a Lego Star Wars t-shirt.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/young_padewan.jpg

I think B enjoyed the experience but it was hard for me to pay attention because I spent the first few minutes of the show laughing so hard. Here's why: At the beginning of the show, the Jedi Master gives a little spiel about the Jedi code, only for defense, never for attack and most definitely never hit the other Padewans or your instructors. Well, B must have missed that part because when the Jedi master starts to teach the kids the fighting routine, he turns to the girl next to him and starts hitting her with his lightsaber! :rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2: Not hard or even with much accuracy but definitely trying to follow instructions. Right shoulder, left shoulder... If you've seen the show, you'll know what I'm talking about. The girl he was hitting had this look on her face like "What is this crazy kid doing?!?". Fortunately, the Assistant Jedi Master intervened. DW was afraid they were going to kick him out but they let him stay and face Darth Vader. I hope he enjoyed it. I can admit that this was one of the activities where I was participating vicariously through my nephew. If only they let adults do this...sigh.

Hawleys

01-09-2010, 07:36 PM

We asked B what he wanted to do after the Jedi Academy. His response...go back to Toontown and take more pictures! Ok, kid, let's ham it up. Off to Toontown we went.

Here are my favorites:
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/chip_and_dale.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/Goofy2.jpg

That last photo documents our one and only character interaction. I have to admit I was a bit creeped out until I realized it was Goofy behind me on the cable car, not some big, strange, sweaty man.

We rode Roger Rabbit again using our FPs and I still found the ride to be just meh. I could take it or leave it. DW was dying for a corn dog lunch so we headed toward the Hub. On the way we ducked in to the castle walk through which I adored. B was kinda bored.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/castle_walkthrough.jpg

Food porn:
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/corn_porn_dog.jpg

The corn dogs were delicious! B asked for two (!) corn dogs. DW only bought him one and when it came he said that this was the biggest corn dog he had ever seen, much bigger than the ones at school. :rotfl:

Hawleys

01-09-2010, 08:16 PM

Around here, I start to forget what we did for the rest of the day. I know we went to the Tiki room for some air conditioned relaxation time and maybe went for another ride on BTMRR. We did some shopping in Adventureland and B picked out gifts for my nephew (age 7) and niece (age 3). Having a kid who loves shopping came in handy! We also bought another poncho for B (his first had ripped when we pulled his giant head through on Pirates). Eventually, we headed over to DCA to ride Grizzly River Run. I loved this ride but would love it even more if it were twice as long. Oh and I forgot about the free lockers so we had to put all our stuff in a plastic bag and stuff it in the center of the float.

We had some ice cream (yum!) and rode on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. I am enthralled by this ride and all the silly things Heimlich says to you. "Is candy corn a vegetable?" (Please repeat this with vaguely German accent in your head for the full experience). I only wish that this ride were twice as long as well.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/I_am_a_beautiful_butterfly.jpg

When we first got to DL, B always wanted to ride with either DW or I but by the end of our trip he was asserting his independence and riding by himself, as you can see in this picture. We went back to DL for another ride on BTMRR (total of 7 rides in 3 days!) and he rode by himself and turned around to talk to us on the ride! :scared1: I was so scared that he was going to get tossed out of the car. Those seats are slippery!

At some point in DL, DW and I upgraded our hoppers to APS. :)

Our final ride of the day was Space Mountain. What a great way to finish a Disneyland vacation! :banana::banana:

B wanted to buy some action figures of Disney characters dressed as Star Wars characters (like Yoda Stitch) and had a bit of a snit when he realized he didn't have enough money to buy two. I have to say this was the only time he acted up on the whole trip and I know he was upset about vacation finishing up. We did get a kick out of following him around the store picking up things and looking to see if he could buy them with his remaining funds. At one point he turned to DW and said "This is all overpriced crap!". :rotfl::rotfl: I thought I was going to die laughing. Lesson learned kid.

Action figure purchased, we headed down Main Street to say our last goodbyes at the partner statue. We also stopped at the candy store and B bought some chocolate with the last of his cash. We were all pretty bummed to be leaving and B was especially sad. DW and I had upgraded our hoppers to APs so we knew we were coming back which softened the blow.

After collecting our bags at the Hojo, I wrote the fastest postcards ever, dashed in to the desk to have them mailed and made it back out before the DL express came. On the ride back to the airport we gave B his last secret agent package, this one for completing all his Disneyland missions. It had some comic books and other things for the long plane ride home.