PTR/TR Nov. 5-16, 2010 - Rav4 Road Trip: Canadian Style

[Littleprincess2010]

Intro (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38686294&postcount=1)
Driving Down to Anaheim (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38908196&postcount=38)
Day 1 @ Disneyland (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38996238&postcount=44)


To start off our Pre-Trip-Report here is a little about our cast;

Me = Elishia, crazy over-planner extraordinaire!!! I have been planning and budgeting for this trip for the past 8 months and with only 2 weeks to go I am so freakin' excited!!!

Robert is my not-so-crazy husband and is looking forward to the trip but leaving me to plan the details on my own (Thank god for you guys!!). He has worked lots of overtime to make this trip happen and Im hoping to do something special for him when we are down there. My mother has offered to take Anya 1 night so that we can go out on a date.... I can't belive I'm going on a date in Disneyland!!!

This is me and the hubby at a Canucks game last season.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/CanucksGametheWicket.jpg

My daughter is 6 and will be turning 7 during our trip, Birthday Trip!!! The one thing she is looking forward to most is Tinkerbell and how we get "shrunk" down to Tinks size to meet her!! I don't think she has quite grasped the magnitude of magic that is the Disneyland Resort, boy is she going to be impressed!!
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Website%20Uploads/th_IMG_4921.jpg (http://s926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Website%20Uploads/?action=view&current=IMG_4921.jpg)

And last but not least my Mom, who is really excited to go to Disney. She has mobility issues so we will be taking advantage of the Guest Assistance Card/ECV to help make this trip much more enjoyable for her.
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/th_IMG_5324crop.jpg (http://s926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/?action=view&current=IMG_5324crop.jpg)

We are from Canada, in a city on the south coast on BC. My husband is from South Africa and moved here 4 years ago, we met the day he landed and a close friendship blossomed into the happiest day of my life (Our wedding, but that may change the day we go to disneyland, lol). He's travelled to England, Australia, Israel, and lots of Africa but has never been to WDW or DLR. This is also the first trip for my mom and my daughter. I went Disneyland once in 1999 with my brother, it was magical and I remember being so happy there. From stalking everyone's trip reports I can see that so much has changed since 1999. I remember walking through those gates and the feeling of happiness that washed over me. I had a 35mm camera and took some photos that I am posting below.


The 2 trips will be polar opposites, in 1999 we flew down, there were no fast pass, it was in the middle of August, hot as hell and so busy I missed half the stuff. This trip will be in November, we are driving down and we'll be spending more time in the parks. I'm really looking forward to not standing in line for 2 hours to ride Space Mountain :) I'm also really excited to take in the love and hard work that went into building this park, something I didn't know much about when I was 15.

Our plan is to leave home on November 5th and drive down to Anaheim. I am a huge fan of road trips and love to drive so I know this will be fun....... I think......... :eek: We will be driving 11 hours a day and making one overnight stop in Medford. We'll have 6 day park hoppers and will be staying 7 nights at the Howard Johnson (HoJo) in 2 Deluxe rooms. Nov. 10th is my daughters 7th birthday and we'll be doing some fun stuff for her :)

[Littleprincess2010]

Here are my Old school photos from 1999, can't believe it's been 11 years since I visted the Land and technology has come so far since then. I now have a DLSR that takes wicked shots, no more 35mm "hoping you got an ok picture" pictures ;)



http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disney%201999/ToonTownSign.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disney%201999/ElishiaandGoofy.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disney%201999/OldSchoolSpaceMountain.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disney%201999/DLGoofy-1.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disney%201999/ChessureCat-1.jpg

[Littleprincess2010]

So onto the scheduling we go!!

Our game plan:

Friday Nov. 5th -
Leave at 7am.
Drive 11 hours to Medford, OR and stay the night.


Saturday Nov. 6 -
Up at 5:30am and driving by 6:30am.
Drive for 11 hours to Anaheim and get to the HOJO around 8pm.
Hubby will run and pick up the tickets
Head outside to watch the fireworks from outside DLR
Get settled and clothes out for the morning.


Sunday Nov. 7 -
7am - Magic Morning
9am - Princess Fantasy Faire
11am - High School Musical 3
1pm-4pm - Break for lunch and grocery shopping
6:20pm - Aladdin (with PS tickets, thank you 3tinksandandEeyore)
9:30pm - Fireworks


Monday Nov. 8 -
10am - Parks open
11am - Pick up WOC Fastpass Picnics
2-4pm - Lunch Break
4pm - Back in parks
8:15pm - WOC


Tuesday Nov. 9th -
10-12 at the parks
12-1 - Lunch
1-3 - Disney Warehouse Outlet
3-7 - Griffith Observatory
8pm - GLEEEEEEE!!! (Can someone in Anaheim pipe in with what Channel this will be on??


Wednesday Nov. 10th -
Anya's Birthday!!! *Princess for a Day*
7:30-9am - Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen
10-11am - MTTMM for me and Anya (still hoping for 2 tickets for the rest of our group, but if not they are going to get fastpasses and do rides while we're at MTTMM)
11:20am - BBB for Anya!!
The rest of the day is hers to do as she wishes.


Thursday Nov. 11 (Veteran's Day) -
DLR open at 8am - Ride lots of rides :)
Hit up California Adventure at some point.
Just a laid back day at the parks, I might try to get some photography shots done this day.
9pm - Fantasmic


Friday Nov. 12 -
Holiday's Begin at Disneyland!!!
DLR opens at 8am - We'll be there!!
8-12 Santa, Reindeer, and other Holiday stuff
12-2:30 - Break at Hotel
3-6 Holiday Tour & Parade
8:40pm - Holiday Fireworks


Saturday Nov. 13 -
Pack up and take the 1/101 to San Fransisco.
We'll be stopping in Pismo beach to check out the awesome food at the Splash Cafe. (Reccommended by another DISer)


Sunday Nov. 14 -
Drive to the water and park close to the Alcatraz pier.
Take the Alcatraz Tour, See the Golden Gate Bridge and check out Pier 39.
Leave SanFran around 5 and drive to Redding, CA to stay for the night.


Monday Nov. 15 -
Drive up to Olympia and stay the night.


Tuesday Nov. 16th -
Drive to Burlington to go shopping at all the outlet malls.
Then over the border, onto to the Ferry, and home.

Keep posted as I will be putting up pictures of our trip as we go :)

[reyasmommy]

Your plans look great! It's funny that you have time set aside for Glee! LOL! I'm a big fan too, I can understand. All I can say is thank goodness for dvr's.

Hope you have a great time and an wonderful date night with your hubby.

I'm hoping for a date night with mine as well, when we go on our trip.

We'll be there for our 10th anniversary, so I'm sure I can get someone to babysit. :confused3

[samsmainla]

I love road trips too, one of these days we will drive down. Plans look awesome!

[Littleprincess2010]

Your plans look great! It's funny that you have time set aside for Glee! LOL! I'm a big fan too, I can understand. All I can say is thank goodness for dvr's.

Hope you have a great time and an wonderful date night with your hubby.

I'm hoping for a date night with mine as well, when we go on our trip.

We'll be there for our 10th anniversary, so I'm sure I can get someone to babysit. :confused3

Glee is one of those shows that just sucks you in, and I know Lorealle is a huge fan so if I can't figure out what channel I can always ask her :thumbsup2

Happy Anniversary!! I know Lorealle (HOJO) has a couple of babysitting services that she recommends, if you search on here there should be a thread for them. Before we invited my mother to come with us I had been looking into them. The rates weren't too bad and they would come right to your hotel room!! It would be great if you could get a night away, it sounds like Disneyland can be quite the romantic place :lovestruc


I love road trips too, one of these days we will drive down. Plans look awesome!

Thanks! I've spent so much time pouring over Hydro Guys tips, other peoples trip reports and the entertainment schedule for the time we are there. Hopefully the weather will be good to us and things will go as planned :goodvibes

[Belle Ella]

I'm totally sub'ing, but I had to mention that it looks like I'll be in SF the same day you are ;) That weekend I'll be hanging around SF (I think the plan right now was WDFM on Saturday and Pier 39 on Sunday).

[Littleprincess2010]

I'm totally sub'ing, but I had to mention that it looks like I'll be in SF the same day you are ;) That weekend I'll be hanging around SF (I think the plan right now was WDFM on Saturday and Pier 39 on Sunday).

Wow, what a coincidence!! If your not too busy maybe we can get together for a coffee on peir 39 :) or even a drink on the Saturday night? My mom offered to watch our DD and let hubby and I go out to check out SanFran :cool1:

[smiley_face2]

Our trip plan is very close to yours, only 3 weeks later! we have driven down many times now, and with taking the 6:20 ferry over from the Sunshine Coast, hit the border at about 8 ish then depending on delays there cross in anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and half. We used to stop in Medford, or Yreka CA. but now make it down to Redding on the first night. We get there about 9-10pm and go straight to sleep. We also get up early and hit the road again, but arrive @ Hojo's before dinner time. We like to get as much road covered as we can on the first day when we're fresh, then the second stretch goes a lot quicker. In 08 hubby and I alone did a second honeymoon type trip for almost 3 weeks, meandering back home all along the ocean stopping at Hearst Castle, San Francisco, Eureka, driving through the Redwoods etc. it was an awesome trip! and you are so right...Disneyland is a very romantic place :love: We are now going on a trip for our 30th anniversary! again driving, but unfortunately don't have quite the amount of time we would like! We are going to try to stop at San Fran for a couple of nights on the way back, for our actual anniversary, but we will see.....Our youngest daughter who is 21 and her best friend are also coming with us! Our kids have grown up with road trips to DL and just last year our oldest son took his family (wife and 3 princesses) on a road trip there! We look forward to even the drive there and back, spending lot's of time together talking about stuff, it seems there's never time at home to do that! I hope everything goes perfectly for you, and this is the first of many more roadtrips there to come! Hubby and I are only 15 years away from retirement now :scared1: but are already planning on buying a camper and truck to spend as much time down that way every winter as we can! the thought of having nothing to get back home for, no job calling, pension checks into the bank account every month...makes us long to be old!!! LOl..

[Littleprincess2010]

Hey Smiley_face2, thanks for subscribing!! We are not too far from eachother at all, and its so good to hear another BCer who's done the trek down.

Its inspiring to hear that you've made so many trips to DLR over the years. I hope to be able to do the same with my daughter (and hopefully another child one day :goodvibes ). You are so right about not finding time to just spend with eachother and talk, road trips are perfect for that! Even when she's a teenager and can't wait to get away from me she won't be able escape the road trips!! :rotfl:

I hope your days to retirement pass quickly and you can find your camper and a nice place in SoCal to park it. It will be lovely when you can spend months at a time down there!!

[smiley_face2]

Are you driving the I 5 all the way down? there are 2 tricky spots to be aware of.... the first is when you are just going through Portland, crossing over the big bridge with the city on your right, you have to really watch to be in the correct lane because it wants to bump you off onto the 405! We were warned by someone else who ran into the spot, and we warned our son and DIL when they drove down with their kids.... same thing. it's because you are coming sort of over a bit of a hill around a corner (yes on the bridge!) and chances are you are in the left lane because that's where you have needed to be, then you round this bend and have to be in the right lane!! it's sudden, so as long as you are really watching and not going too fast you will be ok!
second spot is the ghastly I5/10/ interchange when you are right into LA. it's the same kind of thing, all along you've had to be more to the right lane, then you come around a bend and you have to go to the left to stay on the I 5, otherwise you could do a tour of Compton! lol... even after several trips, we did this one time! it took us ages to make our way back to the I 5!
Not a crisis if it does happen, but it will slow you down by probably 1-2 hours while you figure out how to get back on the freeway! I kept thinking through the years, I should write letters to the cities of Portland, and LA telling them those 2 areas are NOT tourist friendly!
I've done a screen capture of the area in Los Angeles, you can see how the 5 veers off to the left, and it narrows down to just a couple of lanes in that spot too. I'm guessing it's because the 10 and I5 basically share the same lanes for a stretch...anyway, if you google the Los Angeles map, you can zoom right into this spot and see how twisted the lanes are. Just remember when you get to that spot and go "OMG which way?" go left! lol... it's like in Portland, it's around a corner up over a bit of a hill, so it catches you unaware.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/smiley_face2/LAmap.jpg

and here you can see in the closeup you have to veer right, but in the next picture it looks like you should go left!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/smiley_face2/Portlandmap1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/smiley_face2/portlandmap2.jpg

I hope this does not make it more confusing...just really be watching in those 2 spots, and don't be going too fast in case you need to change lanes :goodvibes
So cool, I just did the street view on these 2 spots and it's so cool to be able to look at them when you are not moving!! lol... I love street view! have you googled Hojo's address then done the street view? it's so cool to look around the area! lol...

[Belle Ella]

Wow, what a coincidence!! If your not too busy maybe we can get together for a coffee on peir 39 :) or even a drink on the Saturday night? My mom offered to watch our DD and let hubby and I go out to check out SanFran :cool1:

Saying hi on Sunday at Pier 39 would be awesome so long as there are no objections from Jason/klexen and before we leave since he wants to hit the road at about 4p so we'll probably be leaving between 3 and 3:30p. I know Saturday isn't really an option. Were doing the WDFM earlier in the morning/afternoon because I have to get home and take a nap before I start my overnight shift at 10p.

[RedRosePrincess]

Subbing. popcorn::

I'll be down they about the same time as you. It should be such a magical time with all the holiday decorations.

The Fox Channel in Anaheim is 11 so you don't have to miss Glee.

Also, have you considered doing the Happy Birthday party at the Plaza Inn for DD?

One word of advice for when you visit San Francisco. Dress warm. The ferry ride to Alcatraz is fun but can get really chilly outside.

[Littleprincess2010]

Only 4 days until we leave for our trip!!! :banana: Its pouring rain here :sad2: and looking at the forcast for anaheim is killing me, 32 degrees this week!! 32 DEGREES!!!! So far our trip is looking to be around the 20 degree mark, with 1 day of rain forcast. Its currently 11 degrees here so 20 is looking pretty. darn. good. :thumbsup2

We purchased our 6 day park hoppers off the DLR site, those e-tickets are so cute!!


Are you driving the I 5 all the way down? there are 2 tricky spots to be aware of.... the first is when you are just going through Portland, crossing over the big bridge with the city on your right, you have to really watch to be in the correct lane because it wants to bump you off onto the 405! We were warned by someone else who ran into the spot, and we warned our son and DIL when they drove down with their kids.... same thing. it's because you are coming sort of over a bit of a hill around a corner (yes on the bridge!) and chances are you are in the left lane because that's where you have needed to be, then you round this bend and have to be in the right lane!! it's sudden, so as long as you are really watching and not going too fast you will be ok!
second spot is the ghastly I5/10/ interchange when you are right into LA. it's the same kind of thing, all along you've had to be more to the right lane, then you come around a bend and you have to go to the left to stay on the I 5, otherwise you could do a tour of Compton! lol... even after several trips, we did this one time! it took us ages to make our way back to the I 5!
Not a crisis if it does happen, but it will slow you down by probably 1-2 hours while you figure out how to get back on the freeway! I kept thinking through the years, I should write letters to the cities of Portland, and LA telling them those 2 areas are NOT tourist friendly!
I've done a screen capture of the area in Los Angeles, you can see how the 5 veers off to the left, and it narrows down to just a couple of lanes in that spot too. I'm guessing it's because the 10 and I5 basically share the same lanes for a stretch...anyway, if you google the Los Angeles map, you can zoom right into this spot and see how twisted the lanes are. Just remember when you get to that spot and go "OMG which way?" go left! lol... it's like in Portland, it's around a corner up over a bit of a hill, so it catches you unaware.

I hope this does not make it more confusing...just really be watching in those 2 spots, and don't be going too fast in case you need to change lanes :goodvibes
So cool, I just did the street view on these 2 spots and it's so cool to be able to look at them when you are not moving!! lol... I love street view! have you googled Hojo's address then done the street view? it's so cool to look around the area! lol...

Thank you so, so, so much!! You have saved me buckets of grief on our drive down :hug: I had no idea those highways were so confusing and being an island girl I haven't had much in the way of practice on big city highways :eek: Your directions were not confusing at all, those screen shots were prefect. :goodvibes

My mom went on the HOJO site at her friends house (Her friend is a huge disney fan) and they were both totally impressed with the hotel. I will have to go do a quick run to google for some street views!!

Saying hi on Sunday at Pier 39 would be awesome so long as there are no objections from Jason/klexen and before we leave since he wants to hit the road at about 4p so we'll probably be leaving between 3 and 3:30p. I know Saturday isn't really an option. Were doing the WDFM earlier in the morning/afternoon because I have to get home and take a nap before I start my overnight shift at 10p.

Sunday afternoon sounds great! I will PM you when we are in DL so we can make some better plans :) My family thinks your are great, when I told them about our Aladdin priority seating and the 2 TTMM tickets we got they were super excited!!

Subbing. popcorn::

I'll be down they about the same time as you. It should be such a magical time with all the holiday decorations.

The Fox Channel in Anaheim is 11 so you don't have to miss Glee.

Also, have you considered doing the Happy Birthday party at the Plaza Inn for DD?

One word of advice for when you visit San Francisco. Dress warm. The ferry ride to Alcatraz is fun but can get really chilly outside.

Sweet!! Another November DISer :cheer2: Thank you so much for the GLEE channel :goodvibes I haven't heard of the Happy Birthday Party at the Plaza Inn, what is it? We're doing breakfast at Goofy's kitchen on her birthday, but we still have lunch and dinner to sort out.

And thank you for the tip on Alcatraz, I'm having to pack a ridiculous amount of stuff to accommodate the weather changes from BC to SoCal.

Ok, gotta run and go buy my alcatraz tickets, then print off some coupons for restaurants. Talk to you all later!!

[ardenandjacksmom]

Totally Subbing!! I love that you scheduled in your Glee-fix! :happytv:

Reading your dailies, it seems that you've really got a great mix of activity, yet enough time to play with (an ambitious itinerary, yet in a do-able way LOL) Love the road trip plan too--this May I took the kids down to San Fran and did the 101 route--our first time seeing the Redwoods, and it was AMAZING.

Hope your DD has the best birthday ever, can't think of a better place to celebrate it!:cake: Someone else who's been to DLR can jump in and confirm, but doesn't DLR have 'It's My Birthday' pins? (at WDW you can get them at Guest Services and they are guaranteed to get your DD extra attention from cast members, at meals, etc--I've known grown ups to wear them too) Anything that gets a birthday girl a little extra attention is good stuff in my book!;)

I second whoever said bring something warm for the ride over to Alcatraz and being pierside, especially if you are starting out early in the day. Being from BC, you know the story as well as we do in Seattle--damp cool mornings, sometimes fog burns off and it warms up, but sometimes not! You especially feel the chill on the boat ride over...but LOVE the city (and the Ghiradelli chocolates!:lovestruc)

Lastly, I was :scared1: when I first saw your weather report--32 degrees! 20 next week!! Then I remembered that our dear neighbors to the north use Celsius and not Fahrenheit...:rotfl:

[kaoden39]

It all looks so wonderful and it is so close until you go.

[Littleprincess2010]

Totally Subbing!! I love that you scheduled in your Glee-fix! :happytv:

Reading your dailies, it seems that you've really got a great mix of activity, yet enough time to play with (an ambitious itinerary, yet in a do-able way LOL) Love the road trip plan too--this May I took the kids down to San Fran and did the 101 route--our first time seeing the Redwoods, and it was AMAZING.

Hope your DD has the best birthday ever, can't think of a better place to celebrate it!:cake: Someone else who's been to DLR can jump in and confirm, but doesn't DLR have 'It's My Birthday' pins? (at WDW you can get them at Guest Services and they are guaranteed to get your DD extra attention from cast members, at meals, etc--I've known grown ups to wear them too) Anything that gets a birthday girl a little extra attention is good stuff in my book!;)

I second whoever said bring something warm for the ride over to Alcatraz and being pierside, especially if you are starting out early in the day. Being from BC, you know the story as well as we do in Seattle--damp cool mornings, sometimes fog burns off and it warms up, but sometimes not! You especially feel the chill on the boat ride over...but LOVE the city (and the Ghiradelli chocolates!:lovestruc)

Lastly, I was :scared1: when I first saw your weather report--32 degrees! 20 next week!! Then I remembered that our dear neighbors to the north use Celsius and not Fahrenheit...:rotfl:

Thanks ardenandjacksmom, I tried to fit in a lot of sitting activities on our longer days, my mom has mobility issues and we are really trying to accomodate her. She doesn't want to get an ECV unless she absolutley has to, she's very stubborn... hmmm..... maybe that's where I get it from :lmao:

I will have to grab a Birthday pin for DD, she'd love it!! She doesn't know about the breakfast at Goofy's kitchen, or the Studio 365 OR the Toon Town Morning Madness. I really hope she doesn't burn out from all the fun :banana:

Speaking of cold and foggy weather, its like soup out there today!! Seriously, if you have seen the movie "The Mist", its worse then that!! Looking at the weather in Anaheim it looks like our first day in the parks is going to be 76 (23c, lol)!!! Guess I'll be pulling the summer clothes back out :rotfl2: Im not complaining though, Summer here was much too short this year.

I love how confusing it is working with the different measurements. I always confuse people with how many km vs. miles its going to take to drive there too :laughing: Yep, its 2200km to get there!! 2200 what?!?!? :rotfl2: One day we will convert, but until then I guess I'll keep using my oven in Fahrenheit but read the weather in Cesuis :goodvibes

It all looks so wonderful and it is so close until you go.

:welcome:

It is so close! Last night I had trouble falling asleep. Kept thinking about all the fun stuff we're going to do!! The next 3 nights are going to be hell, if I get any sleep on Thursday I'd be amazed :yay:

[RedRosePrincess]

Sweet!! Another November DISer :cheer2: Thank you so much for the GLEE channel :goodvibes I haven't heard of the Happy Birthday Party at the Plaza Inn, what is it? We're doing breakfast at Goofy's kitchen on her birthday, but we still have lunch and dinner to sort out.


Here's the info for the birthday party at the Plaza Inn. I've seen a lot of pictures of it on here, so you can probably search to see reviews/pictures to determine if its worth it.


You can enjoy a 45 minute to 1 hour birthday party at the Plaza Inn, which is located at the end of Main Street U.S.A. Priority seating can be made at the Plaza Inn, City Hall, and any Guest Relations Information Kiosk. Or, simply call (714) 781-DINE up to 30 days in advance. Prices are $15.99 per guest. Children under the age of 2 are free (prices are subject to change). Price includes cake, punch, party hat, a special Happy Birthday cup and Mickey Mouse Plate. Park admission is required. Premium Annual Passholders get 10% discount

During the party, there will be a cake-decorating contest and each participant will receive a special sticker. Your party host will be Mr. Patrick Edward Cake (AKA Pat E Cake). Joining the party will be two Disney characters. While Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse usually attend, other characters may appear in their place.

[kaoden39]

I have heard mixed reviews on the party.

I am one of those that lays awake the night before. Even if I know I have to drive the next day I just cannot sleep.

[Littleprincess2010]

I have heard mixed reviews on the party.

I am one of those that lays awake the night before. Even if I know I have to drive the next day I just cannot sleep.

Sorry you go through the sleep troubles too, but glad to have a partner in excitement!!

I think we're going to pass on the party and spend the money on a special lunch at another "in america only" restaurant. We don't have an olive garden on the island so that's a a must do for us and we want to try Mama Coza's too. I think my DD would have a blast at IHOP too!!

[kaoden39]

Sorry you go through the sleep troubles too, but glad to have a partner in excitement!!

I think we're going to pass on the party and spend the money on a special lunch at another "in america only" restaurant. We don't have an olive garden on the island so that's a a must do for us and we want to try Mama Coza's too. I think my DD would have a blast at IHOP too!!

Oh there are definitely some fun foods to be had at IHOP. I can remember loving it as a kid and my kids love it too.

I am just okay with Olive Garden, it's good but not great. What about Mimi's? And I have no clue what Mama Coza's is.

[Littleprincess2010]

Oh there are definitely some fun foods to be had at IHOP. I can remember loving it as a kid and my kids love it too.

I am just okay with Olive Garden, it's good but not great. What about Mimi's? And I have no clue what Mama Coza's is.

Duh! Mimi's is on the list too, cant believe I forgot that one :eek:

Mama Coza's is a restaurant a couple of blocks (miles, lol) from DLR. It was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and they apparently make amazing food!!

[kaoden39]

Duh! Mimi's is on the list too, cant believe I forgot that one :eek:

Mama Coza's is a restaurant a couple of blocks (miles, lol) from DLR. It was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and they apparently make amazing food!!

Oh my. How did I miss that? It looks like there is some place else I need to go when I go next.

[Littleprincess2010]

Oh my. How did I miss that? It looks like there is some place else I need to go when I go next.

I'll post a review after we try it :)

[kaoden39]

I'll post a review after we try it :)

Sounds wonderful. I can hardly wait to read it. I do know that from what I just saw online that if you want to eat at Olive Garden before you go there because otherwise you will be disappointed.

[Littleprincess2010]

Sounds wonderful. I can hardly wait to read it. I do know that from what I just saw online that if you want to eat at Olive Garden before you go there because otherwise you will be disappointed.

:lmao: Good call!! I don't want to lose my love of Olive Garden :goodvibes

[kaoden39]

:lmao: Good call!! I don't want to lose my love of Olive Garden :goodvibes

Exactly my thought.:goodvibes

[RedRosePrincess]

If you go to Mimi's for breakfast you have to try their Pumpkin Pancakes with cinnamom apples. They are seriously one of my favorite foods every and they only have them around this time of the year. Yummy!

[IndayMichelle]

I think we're going to pass on the party and spend the money on a special lunch at another "in america only" restaurant.

That sounds like me! Every time I go to BC I always stock up on Lay's Ketchup Chips and Cabury Wunderbars! Candy bars just aren't the same in the states...

Also Little Princess I would stop at the Tulalip outlets on the way home instead of Burlington. Much more selection and better deals. And it's right on I-5 too!

[ardenandjacksmom]

I agree with IndayMichelle--the Tulalip Outlets rock (you'll see them from I-5, just North of Everett)

And I'm totally with you in the Olive Garden Fan Club--I get that it isn't haute cuisine--and among Italian chains in the USA I would say it's third behind Carabba's and Macaroni Grill. Still, I LOVE LOVE LOVE their salad dressing!!! When I was pregnant with DS, I craved it so bad that we were eating there at least once a week--I was thrilled when I found out that they'd sell me a bottle of the dressing. It helped satisfy the late night cravings, but still wasn't the same as a true Olive Garden fix LOL.

You must be packing by now...can't wait to read the (no longer 'pre') trip reports! Have an AMAZING time! :woohoo:

[smiley_face2]

That sounds like me! Every time I go to BC I always stock up ...... and Cabury Wunderbars! Candy bars just aren't the same in the states...


You and Ozzy Osbourne too!! :lmao: They had an episode of his show on once, he came up to Canada to stock up on chocolate bars...seriously had dresser drawer full of them!! it's true...Cadbury is the best in the world started in England at the turn of the century. I would just DIE seriously die if I could not have my Cadbury chocolate bars!! :rotfl: What's not good though, is that apparently they have been, or are about to be bought up by Nestle. Now Nestle is good...they do all the sweet stuff for Disneyland, and is my second favorite choice for sweets.... but I hope they allow Cadbury to keep their own recipes etc!!

[kaoden39]

You and Ozzy Osbourne too!! :lmao: They had an episode of his show on once, he came up to Canada to stock up on chocolate bars...seriously had dresser drawer full of them!! it's true...Cadbury is the best in the world started in England at the turn of the century. I would just DIE seriously die if I could not have my Cadbury chocolate bars!! :rotfl: What's not good though, is that apparently they have been, or are about to be bought up by Nestle. Now Nestle is good...they do all the sweet stuff for Disneyland, and is my second favorite choice for sweets.... but I hope they allow Cadbury to keep their own recipes etc!!

Not only does Cadbury taste good but they are good. (http://www.bicyclefactory.ca/Landing.aspx) This is a company that cares about their fellow person. I am sad to hear that Nestle is buying them.

[Littleprincess2010]

That sounds like me! Every time I go to BC I always stock up on Lay's Ketchup Chips and Cabury Wunderbars! Candy bars just aren't the same in the states...

Also Little Princess I would stop at the Tulalip outlets on the way home instead of Burlington. Much more selection and better deals. And it's right on I-5 too! Its so funny how we all love the things we can't have, lol. Thank you so much for the Tulalip tip, my Father-In-Law was trying to remember the name of the place he stopped at and this is it!! He said its the place that has the big casino and the outlet places, lol, and now I remember all the casino commercials I see on the american channels for this place :happytv:


I agree with IndayMichelle--the Tulalip Outlets rock (you'll see them from I-5, just North of Everett)

And I'm totally with you in the Olive Garden Fan Club--I get that it isn't haute cuisine--and among Italian chains in the USA I would say it's third behind Carabba's and Macaroni Grill. Still, I LOVE LOVE LOVE their salad dressing!!! When I was pregnant with DS, I craved it so bad that we were eating there at least once a week--I was thrilled when I found out that they'd sell me a bottle of the dressing. It helped satisfy the late night cravings, but still wasn't the same as a true Olive Garden fix LOL.

You must be packing by now...can't wait to read the (no longer 'pre') trip reports! Have an AMAZING time! :woohoo: I'm adding a memo in my phone right now to grab a bottle of this, and yep the bags are all packed and the car will be loaded up tonight. We get on the road at 5:30am :eek: tomorrow. I was suprised at how little I actually needed to bring, we're doing laundry at HOJO which has really helped keep the packing list down. Of course i had to make sure my wine opener was in ther, triple checked that one!! :lmao:

Not only does Cadbury taste good but they are good. (http://www.bicyclefactory.ca/Landing.aspx) This is a company that cares about their fellow person. I am sad to hear that Nestle is buying them. WOW!! :goodvibes Thats so cool.

[kaoden39]

Its so funny how we all love the things we can't have, lol. Thank you so much for the Tulalip tip, my Father-In-Law was trying to remember the name of the place he stopped at and this is it!! He said its the place that has the big casino and the outlet places, lol, and now I remember all the casino commercials I see on the american channels for this place :happytv:


I'm adding a memo in my phone right now to grab a bottle of this, and yep the bags are all packed and the car will be loaded up tonight. We get on the road at 5:30am :eek: tomorrow. I was suprised at how little I actually needed to bring, we're doing laundry at HOJO which has really helped keep the packing list down. Of course i had to make sure my wine opener was in ther, triple checked that one!! :lmao:

WOW!! :goodvibes Thats so cool.

It shows they are a company with a heart and it's in the right place.

[Belle Ella]

Sunday afternoon sounds great! I will PM you when we are in DL so we can make some better plans :) My family thinks your are great, when I told them about our Aladdin priority seating and the 2 TTMM tickets we got they were super excited!!

:thumbsup2

I didn't mean to fall so behind on your thread but things have been busy for me for some reason lately! I don't know when my life decided to get all interesting all of a sudden. But wowsers, time has flown! I hope you have a great time and definitely send me a PM about next weekend if you're still interested.

[smiley_face2]

We get on the road at 5:30am :eek: tomorrow.

:cool1: have an awesome holiday! and travel safely! can't wait to "hear" all about it when you get back! :goodvibes

[kaoden39]

Have a great trip. I can hardly wait to hear all about.

[Littleprincess2010]

We are here in the Land and we are exhausted!! The drive down was a long one, but we got here in the 2 days we had planned.

The ferry ride was a breeze, quicker than I remember and the drive to the border was painless. The border though was not a breeze or painless, what should have been a 5 minute drive took us over 30 minutes. They are doing construction on the Peace Arch crossing so its all rerouted and a mess. We did get thtough and were back on our way. Here is a pic of the sign as we entered into the US, Disney bound!!!
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/CrossingIntoUs.jpg

We stayed the night at the Ramada in Medford. It was good for the price we paid, only $85, and served us well for our 1 night stay.
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6774.jpg

The next day we took on Mt. Shasta in the morning, it was beautiful watching the sun rise over the mountain peaks.
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6807.jpg

We arrived @ HOJO's at 7pm and dragged all our stuff up to the hotel rooms then headed down to Mimi's for dinner. I was exhausted and didnt take any photos of Mimi's or the hotel room, sorry guys!! :goodvibes

Thats it for the drive down, next up; Our first day in the parks!!

[kaoden39]

I love Mt Shasta!! One of my favorite areas of our state. Welcome to California!:goodvibes

[ardenandjacksmom]

Just a (little) late, I meant to post this morning--hope your DD had a wonderful day :wizard:


:cake:Happy Birthday Anya!:cake:

[IndayMichelle]

Whoohoo! Did you get to watch Glee?

[smiley_face2]

Well the Ramada looks a lot nicer than the Super 8 we stayed in and about the same price!! did you book in advance, or just walk in that night? beautiful sunrise! only 9 days till we are on our way too!! :cool1:

[Littleprincess2010]

I love Mt Shasta!! One of my favorite areas of our state. Welcome to California!:goodvibes

Thank you, it was so beautiful to see and crossing the CA border made Disneyland that much closer!!

Just a (little) late, I meant to post this morning--hope your DD had a wonderful day :wizard:


:cake:Happy Birthday Anya!:cake:

Thank you, she had an awesome day and I can't wait to post some photos for you guys!!

Whoohoo! Did you get to watch Glee?

Its so sad but exhaustion took over and I completely forgot to watch it!!

Well the Ramada looks a lot nicer than the Super 8 we stayed in and about the same price!! did you book in advance, or just walk in that night? beautiful sunrise! only 9 days till we are on our way too!! :cool1:

I was impressed, it really was a clean place and the breakfast was a nice touch in the morning :)

Im uploading photos to Photobucket today and will get some more up here shortly, thanks for your patience everyone :)

[Littleprincess2010]

Our first day!!! We were all up at 5:30am (which, thanks to the time change, was only 6:30am) and out the door at 6am. Stopped at McD's for brekky and then went to the parks for magic morning at 7am. I took a photo of the Disneyland sign as we waited to cross Harbor, this is where I started to well up. A lot of emotions came back for me. When I was 14 my brother and I were moved into Foster care together because of issues between our parents. It was a really hard time in our lives, but thankfully we were placed with an amazing family who treated us as their own. When they took us to California it felt like all the crap that was going on around us was gone and I've always kept that feeling with me, hoping to be able to come back.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6901.jpg

We used e-tickets bought through the Disneyland website and they were so easy to use!! Here we are heading to Fantasy Land.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6907.jpg

Once we got inside the parks we started out on, you guessed it, Peter Pan.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6926_Brighten.jpg

It was great, but sadly this was the only time we got to ride it. Next time we go I plan on doing it more than once. And yep, you read that right, next time!! We plan on heading back, thinking we might wait until Ariel and Cars land are done.



After Peter Pan we headed over to Dumbo, that was a fun one! Even my mom loved it :)

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6937.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6951.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6940-1.jpg



After Dumbo we did Snow White, Alice, Mr. Toad and Pinnochio. Then it was onto the Teacups. These things make my tummy toss so I stuck to taking pictures from the side :)

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6981.jpg



We headed over to Finding Nemo and got on really quick, My mom went to the little room on the side but insisted on us going down in the submarine.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_6989.jpg



Now comes the fun part!! We got to be a part of the VooDoo Daddy Holiday taping crowd. We were right near the front on the left side and Anya got to stand in front of the adults so she could see everything, she was mesmerized!!

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7005_autocorrect.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7016_cropped.jpg

We spent about an hour watching them rehearse before they did the actual taping, it was lots of fun but my hands were sore from clapping after, lol.



After this we went over to see Tinkerbell. Terrance was with her and Silvermist was there too!!

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7043.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7039.jpg



Then we went to the Tiki Room and had an amazing Dole Whip Float, my goodness those things are good. I've made a decision to make pineapple icecream at home now too!! Sooooooo gooooooooood!!!

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7045.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7046.jpg



After this we headed back to the hotel to grab lunch and go shopping at Walmart for groceries. That took up a huge chunck of time but we made it back in time to do Aladdin and see the fireworks. Here are some photos from Aladdin, but I have no idea why I didn't take any of the Remember fireworks show, I think I might have been too caught up in it. It was awesome!!



Here we are at the 6:10pm showing of Aladdin

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7086.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/Littleprincess2010/Disneyland%202010/IMG_7099.jpg

Didn't want to post too many pictures as to ruin the fun for other Aladdin Virgins, lol. We loved it!!



After this we headed back to DLR for the fireworks. We got great seats right in front at the edge of the stage for the Christmas Taping earlier. The fireworks were awesome and it was the perfect end to our first night.



Next up: Day 2 in the parks and WOC!!!

[specialks]

Looks great so far! :) Glad you had safe travels. And I agree, Canada has the upper hand when it comes to candy bars and also POTATO CHIPS -- Old Dutch Creamy Dill, I LOVE you!! :)

I love the Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip -- we live about 15 minutes away from them!

[smiley_face2]

:goodvibes so glad all is going so well for you and you are making so many new wonderful memories for both yourself and your dear daughter! :)
Disneyland is like that...whether you have something to celebrate, or something to get over or through, it's the place to make everything good for at least a while, and give you memories to get you through bad times to come. I guess that's why so very many kids go there through the Make a Wish foundation. Every time I ride Peter Pan, I am a little girl again with my mum at my side :love: she's gone now, so it's very special to me too!

[smiley_face2]

thinking you must be back now? any update on your trip? :)

[Littleprincess2010]

thinking you must be back now? any update on your trip? :)

Eeek, I have been slacking! Well, more that I have been absolutely swamped since I got back but I promise to have another day up tomorrow!

[Littleprincess2010]

Tried to upload photos to photobucket today and it said it was down for maintenance!! ARG!! I had all my photos on my flash drive ready to upload but I'll have to try again tomorrow.