Solo day and family trip... two, two, two reports in ONE!

[bumbershoot]

(Trip Report starts at post #22 and pre-trip for family trip starts at #65)

Second trip report starts page 12.

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Why am I doing a pre-trip report for a one day trip? Well, because it's fun! And because I HAVE fun when alone, and I like to encourage others to go by themselves when no one else is willing or able to go with them.

I've got this trip to San Diego planned for early November. I agreed to this when I thought we were going to Vegas (though in retrospect I don't have much interest in Vegas until the hotels and casinos go non-smoking b/c I don't like coming home sick), but then my friend couldn't get tix to Madonna there, so she decided on the SD show instead.

I'm not really into the "adult" things the friends are planning, like blowing scads of money for some sailing thing (where you help sail, I tell you, why PAY for that?), and shopping and whatever. I want to go to seaworld (I still have a year pass from DS and my trip last December!), I want to go to the wild animal park, and by gum, I want to go to Disneyland/adventure!

So while the rest of the ladies are getting over their hangovers on the morning after Madonna before their flights back to WA, I'm calling a cab and hightailing it to the Amtrak station to catch the Surfliner.

Anyone have thoughts about the Surfliner's timeliness going north on the first or second train on a weekday morning?

I have enough Amtrak Guest Rewards, er, rewards to get that trip for free, which is cool.

Then cab it over, snag a big locker, and I'm there for a day of fun! I have a very late flight out that night from LAX and I'm going to book Disneyland Express to get there.

So basically, opening to *almost* closing by myself!

What to do, what to do....


To be honest, there's a chance for a day there before that. Turns out one of the many women going on this trip (organized by a friend who just turned 40 and decided Madonna was touring this year in honor of that b'day) is also a Disney fan, so I'm hoping she'll push for a day in Anaheim (so I don't have to). If that happens I'll just be so happy. Alas, at least one of the friends thinks it's all for kids, yawn, so maybe we'll have to leave her in San Diego to tour museums or something adult like that.

I've been working on this post since last night...I apologize, Dis server for that...so I might as well post it now.

 

[kaoden39]

I am all for solo trips. I love Disneyland. I haven't done it alone fpr years but some of my best trips I ever had were by myself. I think maybe this makes me awful but I don't know. Face it if you can't have fun alone you can't as part of a group either.

 

[Sherry E]

I think I would get a lot more done in some areas if I were by myself. I would have much more time to browse all the shops without feeling rushed. I could stop and take any photo of any bathroom sign that I wanted to - or of anything else I wanted to - without having to yell out for my companions to STOP and wait for me (they tend to tear off in one direction while I am trying to snap pictures!)! So a solo trip would be worth it for those reasons alone. I think I prefer riding things with friends, though. That is always fun. But, as we know, there is so much to do at DLR other than just ride things, so I would have more than plenty to do for a whole day alone!

 

[davidsprincess]

I say you and the other friend that likes Disney ditch everyone else as soon as Madonna sings the last note of the last song and head toward Anaheim.

DLR not "adult"? Someone thinks a lot of themselves

Keep posting!

We start our first day on November 5. Isn't that when you are there? Keep eyes open for LGMHs!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Sherry, I think you should do a solo trip! I'm surprised you haven't been alone, b/c it really seems your friends hold you back while there.

Davidsprincess, yep, the 5th! I just got a new purse to possibly replace my baggalini, and it's rather lime green. Sherpani is the brand, but I might have my pink Baggallini just for disney.

Yeah I don't know what's up with that friend. Ooh maybe she doesn't know DCA has alcohol. I should tell her that. I just won't tell her how much money they are!

kaoden39, I don't think it makes you awful if you like being solo. IF you're awful, then I'm a beast, b/c for me to take this trip my hubby has to take days off to STAY HOME with our son. Not that being with our son is bad; Robert's really looking forward to it! But I'm leaving a 4 year old at home to go play at DLR (oh, and be "adult" for 4 other days, LOL), which seems beastly to some.



I would look into leaving right after Madonna, but I don't think a train leaves that late (should look into it). What's sad is that I don't really even want to see the show, and the tix are EXPENSIVE! I do not know WHAT sort of tickets my friend bought, but the ones I see on ticketmaster in the cheap section are almost a quarter what I "get" to pay for this concert. I was a big fan, don't get me wrong, but I just never wanted to see her in concert. If only it were Duran Duran!

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, I think you should do a solo trip! I'm surprised you haven't been alone, b/c it really seems your friends hold you back while there.

I am surprised I haven't been there alone yet too! I have taken solo trips to other places like Catalina before, for a day, a weekend and even a whole week, and I have eaten in restaurants alone, gone to movies alone - the whole deal! I know it is definitely doable (and now with the AP, I will have more incentive in the next year), so I think I will have to try it out at one point....Because, as much as I DO love going to DLR with friends, I do end up missing out on quite a bit because they don't want to do certain things or we run out of time or whatever. I would like one whole day to just look in as many shops as I can. Not even necessarily to buy anything - in fact, I am hoping that if I look in enough shops, I will be so sick of DLR merchandise and never want to buy any cute stuff again for the rest of my life!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh you're too funny Sherry. The problem with marketing people is that they keep changing the cute stuff! So you never really get tired of it. Darn them and their knowledge of human brains!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

From the calendar...



Hours:
10:00 am - 8:00 pm

Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams
7:00pm

So I'll be missing that, most likely, unless I see it from the very beginning and have an escape route. Anyone know of an escape route?

Does the monorail run during the parade? If so, where can I watch it from at the beginning, but have a way to get over to the monorail as soon as the parade passes me by? I will be picking up Disneyland Express from DLH, so if I could get to the monorail I could get out to DTD and close to DLH faster than walking. I assume.


Billy Hill & the Hillbillies
11:15am 1:00pm 2:35pm 4:00pm 5:15pm

We got a Magical Moment for special seating for this show, and we didn't go. So I feel that I must see it to make up for that bad decision (though we were going to be late and probably wouldn't have been specially seated anyway, and getting the chance to watch the parade with hubby for his first holiday parade-time was nice).



Closed for Refurbishment:
Big Thunder Ranch
Fantasmic!
Harbour Galley
it's a small world

None of those things effect me, well except for IASW, but that's OK. I've had the whole year to deal with not having it available.


Disney's California Adventure® Park
Hours:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Pixar Play Parade
5:15pm

Yay I can see the parade!


Though can I see it, scoot over for the DL parade in a place like I thought of above, in time? One person makes it more possible than 3 people, but still...

I might have to give up the DL parade since I have seen it!



Closed for Refurbishment:
Burger Invasion
Hyperion Theater
Muppet Vision 3D
Sun Wheel

Oh the Hyperion won't be open yet? Well that's OK, it would be a big time-taker anyway. Muppet Vision, too, though we did indeed enjoy that show!


Does anyone know how much they spent on the normal fireworks each weekend day? Might be fun to pull out of thin air, if some of the friends want to go to DLR on, say, the 2nd, but if they then want to take off before the fireworks. Something like "but dudettes, Disney spends 18 million dollars on the pyrotechnics each minute, it's WORTH it!!!"

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh drat! If I have my big bag in a locker, I can't catch the monorail. I really think I'm just going to have to give up on that idea. Maybe be at DCA for its close, hang out as long as they'll let me (I love an emptying out DCA), go slowly to the locker, slowly to DLH, relax, have a coffee or something, catch DE.

Might be better than rush rush rush! (scratch that: I'm SURE it would be better!)


Now if the idea of heading up to Anaheim after Madonna finishes were doable, I could snag an AP rate (b/c although I didn't renew, I still have access to the availability calendar, and I'm going to get an AP for this trip too) at the DLH and when I checked out that morning I could just keep my bag with them....

Let's see...is the time saved worth $200+ for a room at DLH that I'd sleep in for only a few hours? Hmm....

 

[Hound 109]

Oh drat! If I have my big bag in a locker, I can't catch the monorail. I really think I'm just going to have to give up on that idea. Maybe be at DCA for its close, hang out as long as they'll let me (I love an emptying out DCA), go slowly to the locker, slowly to DLH, relax, have a coffee or something, catch DE.

Might be better than rush rush rush! (scratch that: I'm SURE it would be better!)


Now if the idea of heading up to Anaheim after Madonna finishes were doable, I could snag an AP rate (b/c although I didn't renew, I still have access to the availability calendar, and I'm going to get an AP for this trip too) at the DLH and when I checked out that morning I could just keep my bag with them....

Let's see...is the time saved worth $200+ for a room at DLH that I'd sleep in for only a few hours? Hmm....

Women & their bags & lockers & stuff.

Bumber....think like a hound.....if you can't fit it into your cargo pant pockets... then leave it behind.

Interesting on the Muppet "refurb".....they couldn't possibly be sprucing up that warhorse for another run?

I loved the Muppets the first 7 times i saw it....but it would be nice if they were doing something else. (How appropriate would a new & improved version of the Great Movie Ride be in that section of DCA??)

hound

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh Hound, if only I could. As it is, just a soft-sided bag that *could* be carried on, plus my carryon with computer and books and mp3 player is pretty darned good!

But I'll be spending 4 days in San Diego before, with 12 (augh) other women, and I just realized I'm the only unemployed one in the bunch, so they are going to be in their fanciness all dressed appropriately for Fall (even though it's San Diego) and I'm going to be in my cotton skirts and shirts from hanes.com and my running shoes and crocs....I'm dreading it already. As the song goes "all the girls walk by, dressed up for each other", right?

These people are talking about getting dressed up for the concert. The concert? Dressed up? I mean SURE I think the cost of the ticket should yield us a box seat with champagne and food and a visit by Madonna, but I am not sure Petco Stadium and Madonna have the same idea.

AND all but one of those women will be on a chartered private plane, which means NO baggage limits (other than weight)! I'm afraid of what they'll be bringing.


Though I guess I could send my "big" bag by UPS (have my brother ship it perhaps) thereby reducing my "luggage" to my computer and camera and such. That would open up space for souvenirs!

 

[bumbershoot]

I have to go sew a Luke Skywalker cloak now (you might be interested to note that doing this today is NOT actually last minute for me ). And maybe the black vest/belt like Luke wears in Jedi.

Thankfully we watched Jedi again the other night and hubby pointed out that it's a true cloak, without sleeves, which makes this infinitely easier. Thank Buddha he's not wanting to dress up as a fancier Jedi!

When I get back, I'll have to talk about the last couple days, which involved such large freakouts about this trip that I, gasp, almost cancelled my plans for the DLR trip, and almost canceled my plans to get an AP.

Yay for hubby, who talked me down from that.

OK, off to make a cloak!

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh man, I just broke my brand new sewing machine. Or rather I broke a needle, but it's stuck stuck stuck and I can't do anything, can't even get the needle up so I can switch it out.

I have to handsew *another* costume? Sigh.

**********


So I'm not really looking forward to this trip, but unless my friend wants to scalp the concert ticket it's probably too late for me to back out of paying for that. And it would not be cool to back out of a confirmed "yes I'm staying at the rented condo" without paying. And I have two nonrefundable airfares.

So to cancel would still involve a heavy outlay of cash and that doesn't feel like a good decision.

But all the $$ when I'm not looking forward to it has been stressing me out. And yesterday or the day before, when I should have been sewing, er, breaking the machine, I was worrying. And that worrying ended up in me thinking that I should just get a one day (maybe even one park!) ticket instead of the AP. Or even to not go even though I have airfare out of LAX and would have to get up there anyway.

I was being really serious about it, but hubby talked me out of it. Reminded me that overall it makes more sense to get the AP, and it would be a waste of money to get the one day now and the AP later. Getting my AP now would be better than getting all three for our next family trip. etc etc and so on and so forth.

[gosh I'm bummed about the sewing machine. I do not want to sew it by hand I do not I do not I do not)

So the solo day is back on, the Amtrak Surfliner ride is purchased with Guest Rewards points (which came from stays at Wyndham Hotels like travelodge and super8 on our last year September trip). I have a $50 Disney giftcard to cover some things during that day. And I'll be buying the AP voucher through the special link tomorrow.


I now can't wait to get there!!!!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

bumbershoot, have you considered staying in one of the hotels on Harbor the night before Disneyland? That should save you some money(and would certainly be cheaper than a DLR hotel, plus place you very close to the park for opening.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have, but it's that pesky "going to be seeing Madonna the night before" issue, and the fact that no trains leave late enough for me to get there. It's just not doable, but I wanted it to be!

 

[Canyon girl]

Bumbershoot, how about shipping your luggage from GCH that morning. The business center opens at 8am. They pack it for you (either UPS or FedEx). Then you could carry your computer in a backpack. Less luggage to contend with at LAX. BTW, my senior year of college was at a hospital in Orlando (ALL those MANY years ago!!!). I got an annual pass to WDW that year (a leap year no less). There is nothing like going to the parks alone. It is so relaxed!!!! No one tells you where you have to go. Enjoy!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Ooh, interesting idea.....I'll have to think about that, thanks!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Molly, I really enjoy your TRs and your pretrippies! I'm excited for you! Can't wait for more!

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm so frustrated b/c of the so cal wording on the $30 deal again. I was all set to buy the AP last night! Guess I'll have to try while down there.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm back and I'll be working on my TR. Thought I'd give a head's up!