Only The Cool Kids Start Their Pre-Trip Reports This Early! - September Trip 2012

[martinolichfamily]

Airfare to LA dropped drastically with the SouthWest Fall Sale. Looks like this might be the time to book. Now I don't know where to stay! I'll keep you informed!

We're staying at desert palms..includes free hot breakfast!

 

[monkey30]

yay you are officially going now!

 

[BeckWhy]

We're staying at desert palms..includes free hot breakfast!

What's a hot breakfast?

Haha I'm so airheaded sometimes! I've only stayed at two hotels in my life that offered breakfasts. A Quality Inn near WDW and the breakfast had everything you could possibly imagine. And a Hampton Inn which was for one night and they served pastries, fruit, yogurt, plus egg mcmuffin things.

Anyways, my dates are September 26, 2012 - October 2, 2012.

 

[kaoden39]

Airfare to LA dropped drastically with the SouthWest Fall Sale. Looks like this might be the time to book. Now I don't know where to stay! I'll keep you informed!

Oh that is great!! There is thread that has pictures of several of the local hotels. You might want to go look at that. It will give you an idea.

 

[BeckWhy]

I'm thinking I might hold out to see if I can get The Disneyland Hotel for $1500. I should crunch some numbers when I'm at work to see if it's actually possible.

But if that fails, I think I'm going to go with Stovall's. I know it's a bit of a walk, but it's so much cheaper (so much cheaper that I could take a taxi at the end of the night back to the hotel), looks really nice, has a breakfast (though, I'm not sure what they serve there), and gets pretty good reviews.

As for my plane ticket, I think prior to the SouthWest sale it was $398 round trip (give or take a couple of bucks). I booked it at $292. So it was incredibly cheaper.

Since it will be just me on this trip, all the coupons I got for my mom's birthday won't matter. So I'll be going through the menus and figuring out where I'll be eating. The only place I know for sure is: Flo's V8 Cafe! HAHA

I'm also crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that there won't be major ride rehabs (I've seen rumors of BTMRR, Indiana Jones, and Alice going down). I would really like to be able to ride Indiana Jones and Alice since they don't have those in WDW, but I guess time will tell.

Come on August with park hours!!!

 

[monkey30]

I hope Indiana Jones isnt down, I love that ride! Plus it will be the first time the kids can ride with us! But I can not see them having 2 big rides down at the same time.

 

[BeckWhy]

I hope Indiana Jones isnt down, I love that ride! Plus it will be the first time the kids can ride with us! But I can not see them having 2 big rides down at the same time.

I hope you're right! But rumors are always rumors.

I remember when Indiana Jones opened (or around that time) and I was like "OMG! I want to ride that!" But it was always so expensive to go to Disneyland.

 

[kaoden39]

I'm thinking I might hold out to see if I can get The Disneyland Hotel for $1500. I should crunch some numbers when I'm at work to see if it's actually possible.

But if that fails, I think I'm going to go with Stovall's. I know it's a bit of a walk, but it's so much cheaper (so much cheaper that I could take a taxi at the end of the night back to the hotel), looks really nice, has a breakfast (though, I'm not sure what they serve there), and gets pretty good reviews.

As for my plane ticket, I think prior to the SouthWest sale it was $398 round trip (give or take a couple of bucks). I booked it at $292. So it was incredibly cheaper.

Since it will be just me on this trip, all the coupons I got for my mom's birthday won't matter. So I'll be going through the menus and figuring out where I'll be eating. The only place I know for sure is: Flo's V8 Cafe! HAHA

I'm also crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that there won't be major ride rehabs (I've seen rumors of BTMRR, Indiana Jones, and Alice going down). I would really like to be able to ride Indiana Jones and Alice since they don't have those in WDW, but I guess time will tell.

Come on August with park hours!!!

We stayed at Stovall's in 2010. Their breakfast is a continental breakfast. The breakfast is always busy. I was not a big fan of it but I know people that stay there frequently. It was just ok. I will see if I can find my pictures of the room to show you.

 

[BeckWhy]

We stayed at Stovall's in 2010. Their breakfast is a continental breakfast. The breakfast is always busy. I was not a big fan of it but I know people that stay there frequently. It was just ok. I will see if I can find my pictures of the room to show you.

I've seen a few pics, so don't worry about it. Unless you really want to.

Do you remember what they served? Was it just pastries and fruit?

I'm not too worried about the breakfast being busy. It'll be just me, and I'll either grab something on my way to the parks, or head there first thing when I wake up and bring it back to my room. That's what I do when I'm at WDW. I run over to the food court, get my tray of food then back to my room... pajamas and all. Seriously. Next time I'll take pictures. I figure it can't be as bad as Everything Pop during the breakfast rush.

As for the room itself, I won't spend much time there. Just sleeping and showering.

 

[BeckWhy]

If anyone has any restaurant suggestions, feel free to let me know! But I think I'm only eating at quick service restaurants.


Now I have to make a packing list! OMG! I am totally going to forget something! Thank God I'm traveling on SouthWest so I can check TWO bags for free, PLUS have a carryon and a personal item.

 

[kaoden39]

I've seen a few pics, so don't worry about it. Unless you really want to.

Do you remember what they served? Was it just pastries and fruit?

I'm not too worried about the breakfast being busy. It'll be just me, and I'll either grab something on my way to the parks, or head there first thing when I wake up and bring it back to my room. That's what I do when I'm at WDW. I run over to the food court, get my tray of food then back to my room... pajamas and all. Seriously. Next time I'll take pictures. I figure it can't be as bad as Everything Pop during the breakfast rush.

As for the room itself, I won't spend much time there. Just sleeping and showering.

It is a bit more than pastries and fruit. They had cereals, bagels, pastries, biscuits/gravy. That sort of fair. The main thing I didn't like was the outdoor hallways. I am strange that way. There is a small topiary garden that you might like there. The ART also starts right in front of Stovall's too so that is always an option too.


As far as food suggestions. Have you seen this website before? There are menus for all of the food places on here.



The AP rates are up for part of your dates. I don't know what is going on the week you are going but the prices go up right before you go to $293 a night for AP rates.

 

[BeckWhy]

So here's a list of restaurants I picked. If anyone has an opinion about any of the restaurants let me know!

Disneyland:
Redd Rocket's Pizza Port
Jolly Holiday Bakery
Plaza Inn
Rancho del Zocala
Troubadour Tavern
Hungry Bear Restaurant
Stage Door Cafe
Golden Horseshoe

Disney California Adventure:
Taste Pilots' Grill
Pacific Wharf
Flo's V8 Cafe
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
Corn Dog Castle

I will actually only have 10 meals in the parks, so I won't be eating at all these restaurants. It will probably come down to what I feel like having that day.

I still have to pick lunch and dinner for the day I arrive. I'm not sure if I'll do Downtown Disney or hit up Bubba Gump's or some other restaurant.

Breakfasts will more than likely be in the hotel.

 

[BeckWhy]

Well my departure out of Buffalo is earlier than I would have liked, so the 26th is going to be a long, tiring day for me.

My plane takes off at 7:05 am! Which means, I have to be at the airport no later than 6:00 am (if I wasn't flying Southwest, I'd probably be able to pull off 6:30 am since the airport is a ghost town that early). But I want to make sure I'm there early enough so I can be one of the first to board, so I can get a window seat.

So in order for me to be at the airport at 6, I have to leave my house no later than 4 am! Maybe 4:30 am, but just in case something happens. Which means I have to wake up at 3 am!

I am so glad I'm not driving! My poor mom though. It'll be too early for her to even go to Target. So I don't know if she's going to drive right home after. But maybe she'll bring Duke, since he loves riding in the car.

Usually we go to McDonald's right across the street from the airport, but I don't know if I want to leave another half hour earlier!

So my plane layovers at Midway. 7:45 am until 8:30 am. I think this is when I'll grab breakfast.

The next leg is 8:30 am Central Time to 10:50 am Pacific Time at LAX (which is 1:50 Eastern, not that y'all can't do math). I'll probably grab something at LAX, then head off to Super Shuttle to head off to whatever hotel I'm staying at.

Check in isn't until 3 or 4 pm, so I'll have to find something to do to keep me busy in the mean time. I won't rush at LAX, but I have Downtown Disney I can hit up or the Anaheim Garden Walk or whatever it's called.

Maybe I'll pick up dinner to go and bring it back to my room with me. Then just chill there. Or not. Who knows! Then I hope to be relaxed and in bed by 9 pm (which is midnight Eastern) so I can be rested for my first day, ever in Disneyland! Maybe 8 am... I don't know what time the parks open yet. LOL

Oy! I'll be awake 18 hours!

 

[monkey30]

Well we will have to keep in touch that day, because dh and 2 boys are going to a ball game that day, and my mom might be to tired from traveling to do much, so if the little one will hang with grandma, I may have the chance to get out a bit on my own!!

 

[BeckWhy]

Well we will have to keep in touch that day, because dh and 2 boys are going to a ball game that day, and my mom might be to tired from traveling to do much, so if the little one will hang with grandma, I may have the chance to get out a bit on my own!!

Definitely!

 

[BeckWhy]

It is a bit more than pastries and fruit. They had cereals, bagels, pastries, biscuits/gravy. That sort of fair. The main thing I didn't like was the outdoor hallways. I am strange that way. There is a small topiary garden that you might like there. The ART also starts right in front of Stovall's too so that is always an option too.


As far as food suggestions. Have you seen this website before? There are menus for all of the food places on here.



The AP rates are up for part of your dates. I don't know what is going on the week you are going but the prices go up right before you go to $293 a night for AP rates.

Michele: I didn't even see your post!

First of all, I want to say this - I checked out the website for the hotel you're staying at and it does look very lovely! I wish it was closer because I would totally stay there without thinking twice.

Thanks for the input about the breakfast and ART.

I'm not really sure how ART works. Not that there really is that much to figure out. But for this week, ART runs a half hour after the Disneyland closes. My concern with it is when I'm in WDW (and I know I can't really compare DL to WDW, but I don't have much else to go on) it's usually a half hour to an hour before I even get to the park exit. I don't know if exiting DL at park closing is like WDW (where everyone is exiting at one time and it's like a giant cluster) but when parks close at WDW I tend to grab a seat on a bench or hang out in a shop until the crowd thins out.

As for the menus, oh yes, I know that site! I've lived by it for like the past ten years. Thanks for throwing it out there for me, though, because it did take me years before I ever found it.

I honestly don't think The Disneyland Hotel will ever drop enough in price for me. It is such an amazing looking hotel, but when I can stay at a hotel a couple blocks away for $500 a week... it's hard to spend so much more. But one can hope!

 

[kaoden39]

Michele: I didn't even see your post!

First of all, I want to say this - I checked out the website for the hotel you're staying at and it does look very lovely! I wish it was closer because I would totally stay there without thinking twice.

Thanks for the input about the breakfast and ART.

I'm not really sure how ART works. Not that there really is that much to figure out. But for this week, ART runs a half hour after the Disneyland closes. My concern with it is when I'm in WDW (and I know I can't really compare DL to WDW, but I don't have much else to go on) it's usually a half hour to an hour before I even get to the park exit. I don't know if exiting DL at park closing is like WDW (where everyone is exiting at one time and it's like a giant cluster) but when parks close at WDW I tend to grab a seat on a bench or hang out in a shop until the crowd thins out.

As for the menus, oh yes, I know that site! I've lived by it for like the past ten years. Thanks for throwing it out there for me, though, because it did take me years before I ever found it.

I honestly don't think The Disneyland Hotel will ever drop enough in price for me. It is such an amazing looking hotel, but when I can stay at a hotel a couple blocks away for $500 a week... it's hard to spend so much more. But one can hope!

Oh you're welcome. I told Scotty that if we decided to stay in DTD or anywhere else in the resort too late that I wouldn't mind taking a taxi. Honestly it is still so much cheaper than staying onsite.


You're welcome. I love by that website, I get so many great ideas on where to eat and I like seeing the menu changes. I am normally a counter service restaurant person. As far as food the day you get in there is a place right next store to Stovall's it reminds me of like a Denny's or something along those lines. That way if you are too tired that is convenient for you.


I love the Ayres, it is a European Boutique style hotel and their customer service is wonderful!

 

[BeckWhy]

Oh you're welcome. I told Scotty that if we decided to stay in DTD or anywhere else in the resort too late that I wouldn't mind taking a taxi. Honestly it is still so much cheaper than staying onsite.


You're welcome. I love by that website, I get so many great ideas on where to eat and I like seeing the menu changes. I am normally a counter service restaurant person. As far as food the day you get in there is a place right next store to Stovall's it reminds me of like a Denny's or something along those lines. That way if you are too tired that is convenient for you.


I love the Ayres, it is a European Boutique style hotel and their customer service is wonderful!

The Ayres is very nice! And really the price isn't bad. If I was renting a car it would be up on the list, that's for sure.

I have never been to a Denny's in my life! HAHA I'm not joking! But thanks for pointing out the restaurant right there.

 

[kaoden39]

The Ayres is very nice! And really the price isn't bad. If I was renting a car it would be up on the list, that's for sure.

I have never been to a Denny's in my life! HAHA I'm not joking! But thanks for pointing out the restaurant right there.

When we went in February we didn't use our car the whole time we were there. I loved it!! When we stayed at Stovall's we drove everyday.

 

[BeckWhy]

When we went in February we didn't use our car the whole time we were there. I loved it!! When we stayed at Stovall's we drove everyday.

Did you take ART to Disneyland? Ayres is so far away!