** LIVE ** Great Glad Tidings Tell -- we're headed to DL! **Dec 7-14, 2010 TR**

[specialks]

:santa: TR for our Dec 2010 DLR Visit :santa:
Dec 7-14, 2010


This will be our 3rd family visit to the DLR (my husband and I have both been to DL when we were young). Our previous visits were in Sept so this will be our first Disney Holiday-time visit.

Plans are still being made, but here is what I have planned so far...
We will fly Alaska Air from SEA into SNA and then rent a car (priceline hopefully). We will be staying at the Residence Inn Anaheim Resort Area in Garden Grove for our whole trip. We have a really great rate for a kid's suite with bunk beds which my girls will love! I am hoping that since it will be "off-season" and this hotel is only 1/2 on an ART route; hopefully ART will work for us. We have driven previously but I wanted to avoid that this time. I would love to stay in walking distance but I can't get myself to pay the same or more for a less nice hotel with little or no free breakfast and also no kitchen. One of the big ways we keep out trip costs down is by eating a big (& free) breakfast at the hotel and then packing sandwiches & snacks into the parks. This could possibly change if Disney comes out with a great deal for the DLR hotels during our visit. But since we travel with my mom a suite is much valued and appreciated by all involved. This will be my first PTR and TR so I hope I can do a good job and bring fun & enjoyment to all! :santa:

Me and my 2 princesses: ------- My husband and my mom with our 2 princesses:
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5536-1.jpg ---------- http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5478-1.jpg

Our preliminary itinerary:

Tues Dec 7: arrive in SNA, rent car, check into RI GG, enjoy the free reception meal and a glass of wine.

Wed Dec 8: DCA day - my oldest daughter is finally tall enough for CS and literally cried in 2008 (she was 4.5) when we told her she couldn't ride it. Her favorite ride that year was Space Mountain. She is our roller coaster enthusiast. However, she doesn't like ToT (she tried it in 08 & 09) and now my youngest (just turned 4) is convinced she is going to give ToT a try. Crazy girls! This will also be our WOC night and I have preordered the picnics meals. I am hoping for a blue FP and bridge viewing.

Thurs Dec 9: MM & DL day, 11:10 & 11:20 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointments. We will probably try to catch the parade and/or the fireworks on this day.

Fri Dec 10: Knotts

Sat Dec 11: DL and/or DCA; 830 pm reservations at Rainforest Cafe

Sun Dec 12: DL and F!

Mon Dec 13: our last day so we might park hop to finish out with our favorites!

Tues Dec 14: 6 pm flight home, we might head to a local beach just to see it and walk on it -- too cold to swim. (any advice on a good beach to drive to from DLR with our flight leaving out of SNA)??

[DizNee Luver]

Going for the holidays is a dream of mine!! Can't wait to see how this all goes for you!!!! popcorn::

PS: You have 2 cutie-pies!!!

[specialks]

Thanks DizNee Luver! I am a just a little head over heads in love with them! :)

So, the most recent excitement for me about our trip is that there is a possibility the DEP will be back at DCA for this Christmas! That would make this trip complete for my 2 girls. They love watching the DLR vacation planning DVD and always ask why they can't see the christmas light parade. Here's hopin' and prayin' it makes it there for our visit!

[DizNee Luver]

It's hands down, my favorite Disney parade & last spring when we went....it wasn't going.....totally bummed!!! This summer when we started the plans, we knew it would be up & running......UNTIL!!!!! they shipped it to WDW.....so once again.....no DEP!!! :headache:

I thought I read something about it coming back as well......so fingers crossed that you will be able to see it & have me in spirit as it rolls on by!!!! :woohoo:

[designhawk]

I hope they bring it back for December, too. We're going to be there the 18th-21st.

[specialks]

Well, here I am finally back again.

We have been so busy with family visitors that I haven't been on the boards for a while. We have had someone visiting in our home since July 21! Crazy, but I feel blessed to have such a great family!

As the new specials have come out for my dates it has me considering my hotel choice yet again. We have never stayed on-site because I can't bring myself to pay so much more per night and getting less space and less perks. We really love staying in suite hotels so we can have the kitchen and make our own lunches for the parks. Really saves time & money! However, since we are going during Christmas it makes me want to stay at one of the onsite hotels. I priced the GCH with the special and I would have to pay $245 more per night ($1715 total) to move to the GCH. I would lose the 2 BDRM/2 BTH, kitchenette, grocery shopping service, hot deluxe breakfast, and manager's reception dinner & drinks at the RI Resort and gain the atmosphere and close walk of the GCH. I also don't know how we would all handle staying in, what by all accounts is a tiny room, together for 7 nights. Hmmm, decisions, decisions...

Also, I noticed that I could save about $200 by booking my current hotel & tickets through GAT. Has anyone had a good/bad experience with them?

[michelleh1]

Also, I noticed that I could save about $200 by booking my current hotel & tickets through GAT. Has anyone had a good/bad experience with them?
I haven't used GAT, but they are a local company and a lot of people who live near me use them and are very happy with them. Remember you need to add in a shipping fee ($20) and consider the trip insurance ($30). I'm really interested in staying at the Residence Inn next time we go, so I'll be keeping an eye on your TR.

[specialks]

Well, the tickets have officially been purchased. We got a fabulous deal with Alaska Air for $169 RT! We paid $280 last year so this is a real treat!

My mother just made note that we are only 2 1/2 months out and our trip is coming up soon. It has me starting to think about the outfits I want to sew for the girls this year. I'm not sure what to do because I have read that December weather can be tricky and mercurial.

These are the outfits I did last year for the girls for our trip in September:

Minnie Outfits:
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5237-1.jpg http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5241.jpg

Snow White & Cinderella:
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5207-1.jpg http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5178-1.jpg

Tinkerbell:
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5243-1.jpg http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_5344-1.jpg


My girls can change their minds so fast that I try to wait as long as possible to find out what their favorites are. However, I can only wait so long!...
We also want to visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique again this year and so far my youngest wants to be Rapunzel and my oldest wants to be Alice. I am thinking maybe Daisy Duck outfits would be cute this year. Who knows what else???

[specialks]

So, got a fairly good deal on our car rental today. The quotes were outrageous -- $530 for the week so today I used hotwire and actually got our minivan rented for $280 total for the whole week. Still more than the last 2 years but far less than $530!

Still wondering about what outfits to sew...any ideas??

[specialks]

Weird double post error.

[disneylovingfamily:4]

OMG! Your girl's outfits are adorable! Did you make them or purchase them?

[where's_my_prince]

that minnie mouse photo is priceless :cutie:

[specialks]

OMG! Your girl's outfits are adorable! Did you make them or purchase them?

Thanks! I sewed them myself. I just used some purchased patterns and then added some things and tweaked them to fit what I wanted.

that minnie mouse photo is priceless :cutie:

It was so amazing. This was our MTTMM and there was no one around and we walked up that hill at the entrance and the next thing we know Minnie is running towards our girls. Our girls took off running for her and I'm calling out to my husband "get the camera, get the camera, GET THE CAMERA!!!". We missed the initial greeting and big hug but captured them walking back towards us. It was definitely one of those magical moments at DL (too bad we didn't have the tourist camera hooked around our neck!).

[specialks]

So, I have decided that as much as I want to do the Holiday Tour, we are going to skip it. I already had a little worry over how my barely 4 year old and high energy 6 year old would handle the tour. Now my husband is FIRMLY against spending $200 for our family to basically get hot cocoa, a gingerbread man, and seats for the parade (he doesn't care much about the history and getting "FPs" onto HMH and IASW don't seem worth the money to him). His argument is that we will be there for 5 days and have plenty of time to spend an extra 45 min to get good spots for the parade and purchase our own hot cocoas and treats. He is very frugal and I appreciate that but it is a little frustrating. He wants me to be happy but all of his arguments are very valid and I think of what else that money could get us (2 appointments at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for my daughters), and it seems less important to me. My mom was really looking forward to doing it but she is also pretty laid back and I know she could use the $51 for something else. So, this is a case of marriage where you have to compromise to make your spouse happy :). But really, I am kind of making myself happy also by not spending $200 on something that I know my husband will not enjoy. Ahh, the joys of marriage :)

[goldies 5]

I don't usually get over to this side often, but the lure of Funball and Skiingfast romance, drew me in.
Your girls are adorable, they will absolutely love the Christmas Season at DLR. We go every year at this time and it beats any other season hands down for us.
My husband has never wanted to spend the money on the Holiday Tour either. Although I think it would be fun, it hasn't been necessary for us. We always stake out a spot and get a great view. The snow, lights and castle are dazzling. You will have a wonderful time.
I know the DLR hotels can be pricey, but if you ever decide to do one of these, I doubt you would be dissapointed. There are many advantages, albeit pricey, to stay onsite. This is one splurge my DH cannot live without.

[specialks]

I don't usually get over to this side often, but the lure of Funball and Skiingfast romance, drew me in.
Your girls are adorable, they will absolutely love the Christmas Season at DLR. We go every year at this time and it beats any other season hands down for us.
My husband has never wanted to spend the money on the Holiday Tour either. Although I think it would be fun, it hasn't been necessary for us. We always stake out a spot and get a great view. The snow, lights and castle are dazzling. You will have a wonderful time.
I know the DLR hotels can be pricey, but if you ever decide to do one of these, I doubt you would be disappointed. There are many advantages, albeit pricey, to stay onsite. This is one splurge my DH cannot live without.

Thanks goldies 5! We really want to stay onsite and my husband is willing to pay a little more for the GCH pool and walk, however, my mother travels with us and we really need a suite with separate sleeping areas. That is just too much money for one of the DL hotels. I tried to rent points and get a 1 BR at the GCV but there wasn't availability for most of the dates of our trip. Perhaps if my mom doesn't go with us sometime we can stay onsite.

[reyasmommy]

Oh my goodness, you have some adorable kids. They remind me of my own daughter.

You're very talented, those dresses are amazing!

Love your PTR thus far... I'm looking forward to reading more.

[specialks]

Oh my goodness, you have some adorable kids. They remind me of my own daughter.

You're very talented, those dresses are amazing!

Love your PTR thus far... I'm looking forward to reading more.

Thanks reyasmommy!


So, I just happened to check our flight pricing and realized they went down even more in price. With Alaska Air's flight price guarantee I was able to get a credit for future travel for the difference. I originally booked the tickets at $199.40 each and now I have paid $141.40 each. Such a deal! Last year our tickets were $280 or so.

[specialks]

I have to say that this is the first trip where I haven't planned anything. I have our flights booked and the hotel booked but no clue about where and when we want to dine. My husband is pretty frugal and we don't eat out much but we have to have a few lunch or dinners. I think we might try Goofy's since we did Ariel's last year. I also might do a lunch at Ariels instead of dinner. Also, I have to make appointments for my daughters at the BBB. Uggg, it is only 1 month out so why haven't I made plans..???

I am debating buying dining vouchers from LMT or another place bc I don't know if it will really save us money. I saw on the Christmas thread that the prices for character meals will go up on the 10th so maybe I need to look into that. Wow, I really need to get with it.

One new note: my mother moved here (WA) from KS this year to be closer to me & my daughters. She is retired from banking but has been looking for a PT job. In this economy she has really had a tough time finding something. So, she decided to turn in an application at our local Disney Store and she was called back and offered a position as a seasonal employee!!! We are hoping that when the seasonal job ends (mid-Jan) that she will be offered a stay-on PT position! I am so excited for her. We are also looking forward to her discount on merchandise. We don't know yet if she will have any perks in the parks or on PH tickets but we are hoping! So exciting!

[specialks]

So, I have two outfits planned at least. I am going to make Alice dresses for both my girls and also some pants & shirts for them to dress up like Jessie. I think I might make a no-sew poncho for the cooler nights in a Christmas print or colors with maybe ears on a hood...still thinking this one out.

[specialks]

I posted this on the Christmas thread but thought I would ask it on my trip thread too:

- What time do the characters come out from IASW? On the hour? We have never seen them!

- We are going to have a 5 day PH and are staying Dec 8-Dec 13 (7th & 14th are travel days). One day we want to spend at Knotts. I would like some scheduling help. We want to see only 1 major "event" per night (not counting parades) and catch the fireworks, WOC (w/picnic & hopefully bridge standing), and F! (again down front with a blanket - we did this before and the girls liked the show so much it was worth the wait). Fireworks are shown every night, WOC is every night, F! is only show Sat & Sun. Would you guys have a recommendation on which day to watch these shows (Sat is SoCal & SoCal Select blocked; Sun is SoCal Select only blocked; there are no other AP block days) and also which day to head over to Knotts.

Thanks!

[specialks]

Okay so I think I have our basic itinerary planned:

Tues Dec 7: arrive in SNA, rent car, check into RI GG, enjoy the free reception meal and a glass of wine.

Wed Dec 8: DCA day - my oldest daughter is finally tall enough for CS and literally cried in 2008 (she was 4.5) when we told her she couldn't ride it. Her favorite ride that year was Space Mountain. She is our roller coaster enthusiast. However, she doesn't like ToT (she tried it in 08 & 09) and now my youngest (just turned 4) is convinced she is going to give ToT a try. Crazy girls! This will also be our WOC night and I have preordered the picnics meals. I am hoping for a blue FP and bridge viewing.

Thurs Dec 9: MM & DL day, we will probably try to catch the parade and/or the fireworks on this day.

Fri Dec 10: Knotts - I am so bummed because I pre-purchased my tickets and now they have the Toys for Tots deal. It could have saved us $57. Oh well, no biggie.

Sat Dec 11: DL or DCA depending on where the girls want to go

Sun Dec 12: DL and F!

Mon Dec 13: our last day so we might park hop to finish out with our favorites!

Tues Dec 14: 6 pm flight home, we might head to a local beach just to see it and walk on it -- too cold to swim. (any advice on a good beach to drive to from DLR with our flight leaving out of SNA)??

[DisneyMomma81]

Looks good but why don't you park hop each day? We always do ~ we start in DL, hop over DCA and then back to DL in the evening - even when we take a mid day break. You have a lovely family and I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit to DLR during the holidays!

[specialks]

Looks good but why don't you park hop each day? We always do ~ we start in DL, hop over DCA and then back to DL in the evening - even when we take a mid day break. You have a lovely family and I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit to DLR during the holidays!

We might parkhop on a couple of the days. We really don't plan a lot and move at the pace our kids set. Completely against my planning nature! But, we have found that the whole family has a better vacation when we walk along and go with our girls' whims. I know, completely against the Disneyland guidebook. :) That is also why we are spending 5 days in the parks this time around.

[specialks]

Just made a reservation to eat at Rainforest Cafe on Saturday Dec 11th. They were fully booked for dinner time so we ended up with an 8:30 pm reservation. Hopefully the girls won't be too tired to enjoy it.

[DizNee Luver]

Your plans are coming right along.....I kinda wish I had gotten back on here sooner.......I hope you aren't disappointed in your Knott's day......WE WERE!! A total waste of money (and there was 10 of us). Camp Snoopy is mostly toddler & very small kids & then you have all the thrill coasters with not a lot in between for families. We only stayed for 3 hours. The park was filthy, I stepped in wads of gum within the first 15 mins, the bathroom floors were totally covered in tp & paper towels....you couldn't even see the floor, there are a ton of "carnie" run games & the food prices are ridiculous!! It reminded us of being at the fair.......gross!! The best part of Knotts.......Mrs Knott's Chicken Dinner.....it's on the outside of the park and absolutely a fabulous meal!! I have pics from the dinner here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2376961&page=70 Post # 1046

Hopefully your experience will be better than ours.....I was really looking forward to going (had gone as a kid & right after getting married) but since then, it was sold to Cedar Parks & it's really gone downhill!!


L:love:VE the girls outfits....I wish I was talented in sewing.......my girls would always be "Disney-fied"......lol

[specialks]

Thanks DizNee Luver for the info & compliments. I am really worried because I am running out of time for all my sewing projects I want to do. I think I am going to be cutting back. I have started reading your TR and wow, you have some great pictures. We went to KBF last year and the girls had fun in Snoopy's and on some of the rides. My husband liked some of the more extreme rides and we all enjoyed the lack of crowds. However, it definitely is not as nice as DLR.

We have a reservation now booked at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for the girls on Thursday Dec 9 at 11:10 & 11:20. They are really looking forward to this!

We are still trying to figure out what the discount for CMs on Parkhoppers are. My mom wants to buy us our tickets with her new CM discount but no one seems to know what the discount is. She even called Guest Services and they told her the discount was only on single day tickets which isn't what her store manager told her. Uggg, I am starting to get worried. Does anyone here know what the CM discount on a 5 day PH would be??

[Feistygirl916]

Your plans are coming right along.....I kinda wish I had gotten back on here sooner.......I hope you aren't disappointed in your Knott's day......WE WERE!! A total waste of money (and there was 10 of us). Camp Snoopy is mostly toddler & very small kids & then you have all the thrill coasters with not a lot in between for families. We only stayed for 3 hours. The park was filthy, I stepped in wads of gum within the first 15 mins, the bathroom floors were totally covered in tp & paper towels....you couldn't even see the floor, there are a ton of "carnie" run games & the food prices are ridiculous!! It reminded us of being at the fair.......gross!!


We had the EXACT same experience here! It was a couple years ago, but it sounds like nothing has changed. We were on one of those shuttle tours, and had booked a bus ride to/from KBF, which included the tickets. We were there for less than 3 hours and did not want to wait 6 more hours :scared1: to catch the bus back to our hotel, so we got a cab. I had heard of the Disney character warehouse over in Fullerton, so that's where we went! :goodvibes I had to buy two duffle bags at Target (across the street) to haul all of our goodies back to the hotel! We took the city bus back, which was so crazy... 2 big duffle bags of Disney goodies, and my (at the time) 4 year old and me... :rotfl2:

I think the bus driver thought I was a little nutty! :rotfl2:

We will NOT be going back to KBF anytime soon.

[specialks]

Oh dear! Well, it will certainly be an experience at KBF. I look forward to covering our day there in my TR so you can all share in our experience. :)

[mvf-m11c]

Looks like you got your trip all setup and hope you and your family enjoy the Holiday season in just less than two weeks away. :santa:

[specialks]

I'm getting really excited now! We leave one week from today. Because of work & the holidays I haven't had anytime to sew outfits. I am really bummed but realize I just can't make it work. I think I might try to do a couple of iron-on tshirts and call it good! :)

[becstr]

Wow! Less than a week to go!:yay:

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!!

[specialks]

Tickets have been purchased. This is my first time ever using LMT so we will see how it works out. We bought our 5 day PHs through LMT ($190 adult, $162.73 child) and we are buying my mom her ticket through AAA so we can get the free parking on it. That way if we have a dreadful experience with the ART shuttle we can go back to parking in the M&F lot without paying the $15/day parking charge.

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS!!!

[specialks]

We are here! Headed out to watch Tangled then I plan to add some photos & info about our hotel tonight.

[mvf-m11c]

Have a great time at DL during the Holiday season and looking forward to your pics during your TR.

[skiingfast]

We are here! Headed out to watch Tangled then I plan to add some photos & info about our hotel tonight.

Sounds like a great night. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

[specialks]

So we checked into the Residence Inn Anaheim Resort in Garden Grove. I had requested a disney view room on a high floor. I was informed that they could only get us to floor 5 (of 8) but we are facing disney. Of course, upon arriving all we are facing is a bunch of other hotels. They will move us tomorrow if we want, but we decided to stay so we don't have to pack back up. The desk person was very friendly and helped explain why my request couldn't be fulfilled (big convention in town) and what they could do to try to help me. I appreciated his willingness to help and his explanation of the situation.

I had also requested some groceries to be purchased for us. They had the groceries ready and brought them up to my room as soon as I entered the room. The ham & cheese I had asked for were kept refrigerated and were still cold. Very pleased with this service.

The room has a very strong cleaning chemical smell. Almost like they recently cleaned the carpets. You do adjust but it is quite noticeable upon entering. I am very sensitive to smells and my mom & husband smell it but don't think it warrants moving rooms. The room is what I expected with some minor wear and outdated furniture. There is some minor warping on a seam on the kitchen formica. Perhaps the worst thing is the sofa bed. I had read previous reviews so I was prepared for it to be a little tough, but ours is actually falling apart. When we opened it up a spring was actually laying on the bed (it was supposed to be holding that fabric bottom to the frame). My mom is going to sleep on it and she is pretty easy going, but if you have someone who is a light/sensitive bed sleeper, this would not work for them. The sofa beds are in BAD need of replacement.

We took advantage of the free manager's reception meal before we went to see our movie. They served rice with teriyaki meatballs and some steamed veggies. The food was pretty mediocre cafeteria food, but after a full day of travel we were just happy to have a meal provided that we didn't have to plan, cook, or pay for!

I know this all sounds dreadful but all in all it isn't that bad. We are hoping we can just make it work and enjoy our time here in our little home away from home!

Tomorrow we are headed to CA. We had originally planned to take the ART but after discussing the ART with 2 different front desk people, we have decided to take our car. It sounds like the ART just isn't reliable so you have no way of know a time schedule of when to expect the next shuttle. We also have WOC tomorrow night and the ART only has limited service between 830-930 for the WOC (815 pm) showing. So, my mom has her AAA ticket so we are just going to drive & park at M&F which we have done before. I wanted to avoid that at all costs but we can't see paying more money for ART when it sounds like it is not an ideal transportation option.

Below are the photos of our room and the manager's meal.

View from door entry

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0002.jpg

View from Living Room towards kitchen & entry door

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0003.jpg

View from the Living Room window

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0009.jpg

Main Bedroom Sink & Vanity

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0005.jpg

Main Bath

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0006.jpg

Main Bed - King Bed - Viewed from Bathroom Vanity area

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0007.jpg

2nd Bedroom - Bunk Beds

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0010.jpg

2nd Bathroom

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0011.jpg

Manager's Meal area

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0013.jpg

Serving Dishes

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0012.jpg

Food

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0014.jpg

Hopefully I will check in with you all tomorrow after our day at CA with picnic WOC meals. I might be too tired, but I will give it a shot!

[specialks]

So we headed to CA today. We got a late start which isn't really uncommon for our family. We did actually arrange to change rooms because the sofa bed was terrible for my mom and the smell was starting to really bother me. They told us they would move us and we just had to leave everything packed up in the room. So, we arrived back just after 9 pm and had a new room that is very similar but the beds are better and there is no weird smell. All our stuff had been neatly delivered and there was even a plate of cookies waiting for us. They really were very helpful and I am glad we went ahead and changed.

We started off at Soarin' then headed to GRR. No photos of those (I guess we were all just lost in our first moments at DLR!) Then we checked in about the picnics stating that we wanted to get blue fp and when we should pick them up. We were told that they were only giving out blue that day (no yellow) so we could get our meals anytime we wanted. We chose to wait. Our photos will show that we had a pretty slow day and just worked our way around Paradise Pier then to Bugs Land, then to the Pixar Parade, then to Tower of Terror, then finally to our Picnic meals and waiting for WOC.

Here are some photos from our fun today!

Green Army Men with my 2 little girls

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0018.jpg

Woody & Green Army Man!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0025.jpg

Mickey's Wheel of Death. My youngest loves the swinging gondolas but I can't stand them. I feel like I am going to throw up or die or throw up then die. But, I endure for my darling daughter!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0037.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0040.jpg

First time ever on the Silly Symphony Swings. They loved it!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0049.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0050.jpg

Christmas time Mickey!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0054.jpg

Silly Pluto, using his nose for a table!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0056.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0058.jpg

Donald

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0064.jpg

Bug's Land Christmas Ornaments

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0059.jpg

The only male ladybug I know. No wonder he's so mad...

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0066.jpg

And the finale... World of Color

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0082.jpg

[roxy72]

Your daughters are SO CUTE!!! They are beautiful with that blonde hair and pretty eyes. :D

I'm glad you got to switch rooms, so your mother can sleep more comfortably and you can get away from the stinky old room. I wonder why it smelled so bad- maybe the previous person made a big mess and they had to bring in strong chemicals to clean up?

[specialks]

Day 2 - Disneyland Park

To start I want to share a timeline of our trip to the park in case anyone has ever thought about staying offsite. We finally pulled out of the hotel parking lot at 9:59 am to start our day. We had paid and were entering the base of the M&F parking garage at 10:06. We were parked at 10:10 and waiting for the trams at 10:15 (the line was average in depth maybe even slightly below). We got off the trams at 10:29 and headed towards the security checkpoints. I just wanted to give everyone a run down of what our drive to the parks was like in case they were wondering.

We had a very slow easy day yet again. I think we are all just really using this trip as a relaxing vacation and not a plan & run crazy for the most rides type of trip. We had appts at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for both the girls and had to head pretty much straight there. We took some photos and did the castle walk-through then headed into the BBB. After that we did the Teacups (my mom & I sat out since we both can't do spinny rides), Storybook Land Canal Boats, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Alice in Wonderland, It's A Small World, Princess Fantasy Faire, Toontown for the Gadget's Go Coaster, then we sat & waited for the parade. After the parade we used our FPs to go on SpcM then headed to Red Robin for dinner and back to the hotel. The parks felt fairly crowded and the parade route was front line full at 4:25 (for a 5:30) parade. FPs were all gone for SpcM and it was a 45 min wait when we went after the parade. A CM even commented that it seemed unusually busy for a Thursday and that the weekends have been really busy. I thought I had picked a good time to visit for low crowds but it looks like there really wasn't a low crowd time this holiday season!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0094.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0088.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0099.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0101.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0102.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0104.jpg

Thought it was so neat to see flowers on the floors in the BBB. According to the FGMIT (Fairy Godmother in Training) they were planted by Rosetta and the Fairy Godmother waved her wand to protect the flowers from being picked.

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0108.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0112.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0118.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0129.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0131.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0133.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0135.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0144.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0148.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0149.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0151.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0152.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0159.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0163.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0167.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0175.jpg

continued...

[specialks]

Teacups!

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0187.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0190.jpg

Storybook Land Canal Boats

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0197.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0199.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0200.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0201.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0202.jpg

It's A Small World

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0213.jpg

Princess Fantasy Faire

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0222.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0225.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0226.jpg

Pluto in Toontown

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0230.jpg

Parade

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/IMG_0233.jpg

Tomorrow we are headed to Knotts Berry Farm. I hope it isn't dreadfully busy and that we can have a good time there. I will post again tomorrow night!

[specialks]

Your daughters are SO CUTE!!! They are beautiful with that blonde hair and pretty eyes. :D

I'm glad you got to switch rooms, so your mother can sleep more comfortably and you can get away from the stinky old room. I wonder why it smelled so bad- maybe the previous person made a big mess and they had to bring in strong chemicals to clean up?

Thanks! Yeah, my mom is much happier now. It actually smelled like carpet cleaning soap and the carpet did look clean. Perhaps the person didn't dilute it enough?? Our room is really serving us well and we have used the grocery shopping service twice now. Very handy!

[specialks]

Today we went to Knotts Berry Farm. It was definitely busier than when we went last year in September. I have to admit that the park is not near the "production attraction" that DLR is. There was garbage on the ground and things looked worn down. The bathrooms were all fairly gross and not clean - although they were all well stocked. That being said, there were some really great roller coasters for those over 48" that DLR doesn't have. One day (1045 am - 545 pm) was plenty of time for us to finish everything (many multiple rides) on our list. We did skip the plays because I find it stressful to navigate the crowds at Knotts when those shows get out. I was very impressed with the nighttime Christmas lights (started at 5) and the Christmas music which was playing all over the park. They really did a nice job decorating for Christmas. If you are a craft shopper, then it is a good time of year to go because they open up Ghost Town to crafters and people can shop for lots of handmade items. Another note about Knotts is the food did seem very expensive. We were going to get a funnel cake then we saw that a funnel cake was $7.75 -- we decided on a $4 churro instead. They have a family body dryer set up outside the Bigfoot Rapids (similar to GRR but no hills) which we thought was really cool, until we saw it cost $5. They are running some promos which can let people get in the park for free or $15 which is a real deal. Even with those promos many of the rides had little to no wait with our longest wait being 20 minutes. Camp Snoopy was suprisingly busy and the wait times were kind of long for 30 second kiddie rides. I think they offer free or low admission prices and then hike the prices on food & stuff up to try and recoup the expense. They have a no food or drink (except for water or sports drinks) policy and check your bags upon entry. I think they do this to force people to spend money in the parks.

So, with all that being said, we still had a fun day. I don't have many pictures to share. Many of the rides that my husband and oldest daughters went on were major roller coasters and too hard to see them on. And the other rides I was enjoying and not photographing. :)

Funny thing - there were chickens & a rooster in the parking lot when we arrived. We wondered if they would be served for dinner that night??...

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0249-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0252-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0260-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0269-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0271-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0272-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0284-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0285-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0274-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0264-Copy.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0288-Copy.jpg

Tomorrow we will head back to the DLR and we have reservations at the Rainforest Cafe at 830 pm.

[skiingfast]

Smiling girls is a great sign!
But DD6 makes me wonder when mine is going to start loosing teeth.


Where did you park for Disney?
Where did you watch WoC from I'm wondering about the branches that hang down?

[specialks]

Smiling girls is a great sign!
But DD6 makes me wonder when mine is going to start loosing teeth.


Where did you park for Disney?
Where did you watch WoC from I'm wondering about the branches that hang down?

My DD6 teethed early and had lost 6 of her teeth just before turning 6. There are a few kids in her class that have also lost their front teeth but definitely not the majority.

We park in the M & F Garage. On level 2 (Daisy) the first day (Wed) and on level 3 (Mickey) on the second day (Thurs). We come in a back entrance that I think is not the main entrance people get routed to.

We watched WOC at the very bottom of the bridge. I was so wishing for a pair of gardening shears when we got those spots. We waited at 645 pm for those spots and it was a complete madhouse crush of people. I can tell you that the bridge is no longer a secret. Everyone around us was talking about the bridge and going to the bridge. That is where everyone ran, hence we ended up at the very bottom. It was actually a pretty good viewing spot and we had a couple of images blocked by the large light poles but everything else seemed to be wonderfully centered for us. We did have to crouch down to view under the branches but for our girls it was great.

[skiingfast]

So when you say from the bottom of the bridge do you mean near Ariel's Grotto?

Yeah recent WoC reports talk about every other blue ticket either going to the water of to bridge.

[specialks]

No the other bottom - near the tiered standing area. Kind of across from the coffee cart and little lighthouse.

[BlueJade]

Thanks for posting the photos. We're going in January and it makes me happy to see how happy your family looks.

[specialks]

Hi everyone. So we headed to the parks yesterday and ended up with 2 sick kiddos. Our oldest woke up not feeling well and once we got to the parks she had a bad fever and spent most the day in our stroller sleeping. Our youngest ended up with the bum runs during the day and into the night. We left the parks early and headed back to the hotel so they could get to bed (had to cancel our Rainforest Cafe dinner reservations :( ). Now our DD6 is feeling a little better today but our youngest has now thrown up her breakfast. Uggg, this is the first time ever that they have become sick during a vacation. We decided to cancel our day at the parks today (and skip our F! plans for tonight :( )so they can heal and we can try to make sure they don't pass the bug on to other kids or people. I hope it is a 24 hour thing and they will be better soon. We had not planned on going to the parks on Tuesday (day of return flight) but our flight doesn't leave SNA until 6pm so we are going to try to get up and head to the parks early on Tuesday to get in our final batch of rides.
Here are some photos from yesterday. The parks were packed but we were able to make use of FPs and get on the major ones until the kids both bowed out (they both LOVE SpcM but they both didn't want to do it). We arrived just after 11 and I went straight to SpcM for FPs which had a return time between 530pm-630pm. They ran out of FPs in the late afternoon. We still haven't done very many meet & greets because there just isn't lots of time with as packed as the parks are. My DD4 really wants to go to Pixie Hallow and meet Rapunzel from Tangled. We waited at PFF on Thurs and I was really disappointed with the interaction my DDs were given. The princesses all seemed to just grab the book, sign, pose for a picture then look to the next group. They didn't chat with my DDs at all. When we went in 2008 they would sit with the girls and chat with them about their outfits and such. Both the girls had just been to BBB but no mention was made about their dresses or calling them Princess or anything. A total waste of time in my opinion. I hope if we wait at Pixie Hallow and Tangled we have a better experience!

Haunted Mansion:

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0290.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0291.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0296.jpg

Pooh Corner area:

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0304.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0305.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0306.jpg

Castle at night with the parade packing the streets:

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0310.jpg

[specialks]

So, it looks like our girls are on the mend. They both just went swimming and seem to have perked up. I thought I would take some photos around the hotel to share here. The main pool heater broke this morning but they just called us and told us it was fixed and the pool would be heated in 3 hours. They told us they would arrange for us to go to another nearby pool if we wanted (I had asked about the pool and mentioned that we had planned to skip the parks and have a swimming day). I thought this was excellent customer service. I also wanted to share that we went to Buca de Beppo last night for dinner and it was really nice. It is served family style so the small portion serves 3 people and is around $17-$20 and the large portion serves 5-6 people and is around $25-$30. We had some cheesy garlic bread and the stuffed shells. Yummy!

Swimming area at the hotel:

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0318.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0317.jpg

The RI-AR-GG hotel is right next to the Hyatt

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0320.jpg

General eating area:

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0321.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0322.jpg

Kid's eating area (a big movie screen is dropped down for movies during breakfast and family movies on the weekends)

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0323.jpg

Lobby decorated for Christmas

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0325.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0324.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0331.jpg

View from our living room (7th floor - Disney facing) We were able to watch the fireworks on Friday night from our living room - bottom was a little blocked but we saw everything else.

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0331.jpg

Looking right

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0329.jpg

Looking left

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0330.jpg

Photo taken of us on our "date night" while DM stayed in the room with our sick kiddos. We walked to Buca from our hotel.

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0332.jpg

We are headed out now for a drive down to Huntington Beach and up Hwy 1 for a little tourist drive. Then hopefully we will come back and go for another swim.

[specialks]

Here are some pics from our beach visit. First we went to a La Salsa restaurant for lunch. Then we drove down to Newport Beach then up Hwy 1 to Seal Beach then back to our hotel. The whole outing took us around 3 - 3.5 hours. It was a nice break since the girls were a little under the weather still and the crowds are so large. We are hoping that Mon & Tues this week will be a little better, but who knows.

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0335.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0336.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0337.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0341.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0342.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0344.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0346.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0349.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0350.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0351.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0354.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0355.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0356.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0358.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0361.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0363.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0367.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0375.jpg

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/kimst22/DLR%20Dec%202010/IMG_0340.jpg

Back to DLR tomorrow! DD6 is getting a little down again. Hopefully one more good night's sleep will zap this bug!

[specialks]

Monday at the parks. We had quite a list to accomplish today because we had missed 1.5 days with the girls being sick. I am happy to say we accomplished all the things on our DL list. Tomorrow we will head to CA to get our final rides in before we head to the airport. The crowds were definitely a factor we hadn't really considered on this trip. From everything I had read it appeared that our dates were great times to go to experience the Holiday decorations. I think everyone read that same thing because the parks were very busy and crowded. The rides were do-able but the walkways were all packed. It was impossible to move anywhere without people all around you. The line for Pirates and Jungle Cruise poured out into the walkways making it especially hard to navigate around those rides or to get in line for them. This trip has definitely taken its toll on our love of Disney and we have no plans to return anytime soon. It was all just too much. Did I mention it took us 35 minutes to exit the parking garage tonight from Daisy level? Yeah, fun times. Our girls still seemed to enjoy what they got to do.

I am uploading the photos to photobucket but I'm too tired to wait to put them on my thread right now. I will instead post the final 2 days of photos after I get home.

Thanks for following along! I hope that you enjoyed seeing our little trip to the Disneyland Resort! --Kim