Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland. Mickey's NOT so Fun Wheel!!!

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

Originally Posted by jedijill

I'm in...I'll post a cake recipe this weekend.

Jill in CO

Whoo Hoo! CAKE!!!!!!!

ok...can you tell it's Friday afternoon?

[Thumper_Man]

This should finish up the first chapter.

You would think since Lady H and I live so much closer to DL, we would go at least once a year. Or at least more often. If Nebo and Smidgy can drive to WDW a gazillion times a year, surely Lady H and I could drive to DL at least once a year. Right? When you compare it would only take us a little over 12 hours to drive there, compared to Nebo’s & Smidgy’s 20 hours; and both Lady H and I can see where we’re going, surely we could do it.

Ok. I’m poking fun at poor Nebo and he’s not even around to defend himself. Sure hope he’s doing ok.

Anyways, Lady H and I prefer to fly and just rent a car. You waste valuable park time by driving. Plus I need the airline points. Flights to WDW are expensive and we use our points to fly to/from Orlando.

Of course you don’t want to read about Nebo & Smidgy driving on this TR. If you wanted to read about that, you would just go to their TR. You want to know about Disneyland. We want to know about DL myself. We still have a little over 2 weeks before we go. We’ll all have to wait a little longer. What shall we do until then? I could re-write a song. I usually save that skill (if you want to call it a skill) for other people’s TR’s. I guess I can tell you how we came about deciding to take 2 Disney vacations this year. Sounds weird don’t it, 2 Disney vacations; especially since when we talk about a Disney vacation, we are actually referring to a WDW vacation. Of course maybe not as weird as taking a Hawaiian vacation, sneaking in a day trip to Aulani and calling that a Disney vacation.

Oh Ponzi, come back. Didn’t mean to chase you away already. It was a great TR.

Almost every year since we’ve been together (a little over 9 ½ years now), Lady H and I have taken a trip to Las Vegas, NV. Our very first trip together was to Vegas. Ever since then, we’ve made it a yearly tradition to go at least once. There is only one year I can recall we didn’t go, and that was the first time we went to Orlando back in ’06. Orlando would be our only trip that year because the following year, we decided to get married. And to answer this question ahead of time, no we didn’t run off to Vegas and elope. Although I propositioned it one time we where there. We valued our lives though and finally decided it was best to make sure to include our parents.

Where was I? Oh yeah; slot machines, card games, craps (the table game) and why we go to Vegas each year. Some years, we’ve even gone twice in a year. So this will be the first year since 2006 that we decided to skip Vegas. We thought about going this year until I got the bright idea we could probably go to DL instead. Hmmm, I wonder if we could keep the tradition alive. Vegas isn’t too far from DL.

Sorry. My mind keeps drifting off.

Last year while we were in San Diego was when we first thought about going to DL. After all, it was only an hour drive from where we were staying and it was my birthday. IF we would’ve had enough money, we would’ve gone; but since we didn’t we said maybe next year. Fast forward to next year and we start talking about our annual Vegas vacation and possibly going for my birthday. Which reminds me, our first trip together to Vegas was for my birthday. April is really a good month to go to Vegas. Not too hot and not too cold. Completely forgot about going to DL. By this time we’ve already decided to go back to WDW. The truth be told, we had decided to go back to WDW while we were still at WDW. I’m sure most of you know how that goes.

Since we’re not going to WDW until December of this year, where could we go for a mini vacation until then? Since Vegas is our go to place, we decided might as well go to there. April is always a good time, so maybe we could go for my birthday again. I know we were just there in October, but we have flight credit to use before it expires and we know it’s the one place we enjoy going to.

Does anyone else have Rapid Rewards through Southwest Airlines? Anyone sign up for email alerts and travel deals for them? If you do, then you know how it was magically there one day. I received an email alert about traveling to DL. I had totally forgotten we said last year that we could probably go to DL next year, which is now this year. The hamsters start turning the wheel in my head and I think, I wonder if we could afford to go to DL instead of Vegas. Now Lady H will tell you I’m the king of the spreadsheets. So naturally, I put one together to compare the costs.

(Use your best Michael Buffer voice when reading this)
Fighting out of the blue corner, this city has been chosen 10 times and is the current reigning vacation destination of the Thumpers. Ladies and gentlemen, the sin city capitol of the world. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.
And fighting out of the red corner, this city lost out last year due to financial situations. He is 0-1 when it comes to city choices but hoping to pull off an upset victory here tonight. He holds the land that Walt built. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA.

I tell Lady H my thought and remind her how we said we could probably go to DL this year. So I start crunching the numbers, if you can crunch numbers. Let me rephrase that then, I started doing the math and the research on what each trip would cost. I would put all the figures onto my newly created spreadsheet and see which destination comes out on top.

I started thinking, what do we normally spend on hotel, flights, rental car, food and gambling when we go to Vegas? With the gambling money, we can apply that to the theme park tickets. Still have flight vouchers to use from our bad flight to Vegas last year, plus I have enough points for a free flight. Just need to pay for Lady H’s flights. If we stay in the timeshare, then we can eat breakfast in the room and cut down on meal costs and hotel costs. We can push the vacation back to August and go for our wedding anniversary instead. This will also give us time to save up a little more money. This just might work I think (as I pat myself on the back). I present my findings to Lady H and we have a winner.

I’ll give you one guess on which trip came out on top. If you need more than that, then obviously you have no clue why I’m writing this TR; or why you’re even here.

Ah, I get it now. You’re hoping to gather cake and pie recipes.

Needless to say, planning 2 Disney vacations has been fun (well not really that fun) and a lot of work. I’m sure in the end, it will all be worth it.

I’ll try to get another chapter up in the next couple of days. No I’m not trying to get through this TR as quickly as I can. Just trying to keep the conversation going until such time we actually do go to DL; and to Sea World and Universal Studios as well.

Sea World and Universal too you ask? Stay tuned and we’ll tell you all about it.

[mmeb144]

Waiting......

[Backstage_Gal]

T-Man and Lady H. I am reporting in to join in the fun.

Great start!

[shan23877]

I was going to vote for pie recipes because I have an awesome one for frozen lemonade pie, but I can dig up some cake recipes too!

I've made fancy cakes and wedding cakes for a while, so I just don't bake them for fun anymore.

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

Originally Posted by shan23877

I was going to vote for pie recipes because I have an awesome one for frozen lemonade pie, but I can dig up some cake recipes too!

I've made fancy cakes and wedding cakes for a while, so I just don't bake them for fun anymore.

Pie is good. I'm not picky. Hence the reason I mentioned cake OR pie. Frozen lemonade pie sounds yummy.

Don't blame you on the cakes. I wouldn't want to be the cause of any traumatic stress for you, so please post what you would make.

[DisneytheKid]

Joining! I'm enjoying reading along

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by DisneytheKid

Joining! I'm enjoying reading along

Welcome DtK.

Thanks for joining. We'll try to keep you entertained until we actually take the trip.

[pkondz]

I'm gonna tackle this one at a time... otherwise it ain't gonna happen.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

My first trip report and I already don’t know where to start.

The end. Well that was quick. What? Still going?

Okay, then...

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

I guess I can start by saying thanks to a certain TR writer

Oh, no. It's perfectly all right. You don't have to thank me. Really, it was my...

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

(I won't mention Nebo's name quite yet *coughs*)

Oh.

Nevermind.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

I just hope I can write this TR as could as he can, and hold everyone’s attention.

I'm sorry, what? Drifted off there for a bit. What were you saying?

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Of course I will have lots of help from DW. She's the true writer between the 2 of us.

Don't worry. You're doing just fine.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Patience Nebo, patience. I'll give you credit at the end of this TR.

You're going to give him a swelled head, you know. Then we'll never hear the end of it.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

So who are the rookies you ask? Well I guess that would be me (Mike), T-Man as I’m known by Nebo and all his sidekicks. Although I’ve also been called thumpy, thumper dude and wascally wabbit.

Bunny-boy works too.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Can you guess which one is me? I’m the cute cuddly one.

Got it. Who's the dude standing beside you?

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Meet Lady H. She is also the cute cuddly one. (She wanted me to post a warning so you don't get scared to death. So I guess WARNING: Cute lady in picture.)

Thanks for the warning. Cute one beside the rabbit.

Check.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

We haven't gone, yet. "Hey Ponzi, quit pushing us out the door. Not time for us to go yet."

Oh, all right. I just thought some helpful nudging was in order.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Why am I calling us rookies? This will be our first trip to DL together.

Hang on... let me check the book.

umm...

Okay, here it is! Yup. That qualifies as a reason to be called rookies.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

All I remember was I was young, dumb and full of................................................ .................................RUM of course. What were you thinking I was full of?

crumb?
gum?
plum?
scum?

Nope. I have no idea what you might be alluding to. :

Family board! Family board!

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

I had just turned 21 that year. I was legal now. And I went with family, so I had to be some what good.

And you hung out with them? What were you thinking?

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

How we could we be rookies since we’ve each been there in the past?

Yeah! Wait a minute! Gimme back that rookie card!

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Well so much has been added and changed since we’ve last been there. The only parts of Disney that existed back then was DL and the Disneyland Hotel. Since then, DCA been added; as well as 2 more hotels and Downtown Disney. Now that there is more to do and see, and it's taken us FOREVER to go back, we feel like this will be our very first time going to DL.

Welll...... all right, you can keep the rookie card.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

I (yes, yours truly) am in the process of planning 2 Disney vacations for us. Lady H just comes along for the ride. She leaves me to do all the planning.

Wow, does that sound familiar!

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? I know all the women here like to take control and plan their Disney vacations. Or at least most do.

Not in your household.
Not in my household.

That's two for two.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

Our first Disney vacation will be to DLR. Which is why most of you are probably here.

Wrong. I can read about DLR in a book. But I can't get your personal insight anywhere else.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

You probably want to know how DLR will compare to WDW. If this is your true objective, then I will disappoint you right now; we will not compare DLR to WDW. Or at least we will try not to. If we do, it may be inadvertently.

I'm okay with that. I'm sure you'll mention anything that strikes you as really worthwhile. Otherwise, I'll just enjoy the ride.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

And the occasional, we'll never do that again and this is why.

Those are the good ones.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

I believe everyone who goes to each place should enjoy each place for what they have to offer. This is our intention and exactly what we plan to do.

Sounds good to me.

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

I hope Lady H and I can take you on a magical journey. So grab your glass of wine (you know who you are), beer, fuzzy cup or whatever it is you like to drink; sit back relax and have a good time with us. Hope to have Part 2 up by tonight.

Great start, T-man. I'll be back later for the next bit.

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by pkondz

I'm gonna tackle this one at a time... otherwise it ain't gonna happen.

Football is just getting started again and you already want to tackle something. Now that's a true fan.

The end. Well that was quick. What? Still going?

Okay, then...

Short, sweet and to the point. And yes I'm still going. I spent a lot of money on this vacation already.

Oh, no. It's perfectly all right. You don't have to thank me. Really, it was my...

Yes, Ponzi. I have to thank you to. You and Nebo have both given us inspiration to try and write.

(Psst. Think Ponzi bought that.)

Oh.

Nevermind.

Fine, I take that back then.

I'm sorry, what? Drifted off there for a bit. What were you saying?

Already putting people to sleep. Man I better find a way to up my game.

Don't worry. You're doing just fine.

As he's laughing while typing that. "Man this Thumpy dude thinks he can write. He should just stick to re-wording songs."

I guess thanks in order. We'll see how it goes when I get down to the actual trip reporting itself.


You're going to give him a swelled head, you know. Then we'll never hear the end of it.

His head is already swollen. Every time he falls down, falls on his head and gets swollen. Heck I don't think the swelling even has time to go down before he hurts himself again.

Bunny-boy works too.

Look Lady H, I have another nickname. Soon I'm going to have as many as you.

Got it. Who's the dude standing beside you?

Some guy that thinks he can write TR's as good as you and Nebo.

Thanks for the warning. Cute one beside the rabbit.

Check.

Isn't she though.

Oh, all right. I just thought some helpful nudging was in order.

We'll get there eventually. Man this waiting business is brutal. Maybe I should go start packing to kill some time.


Hang on... let me check the book.

umm...

Okay, here it is! Yup. That qualifies as a reason to be called rookies.



crumb?
gum?
plum?
scum?

Nope. I have no idea what you might be alluding to. :

Family board! Family board!




And you hung out with them? What were you thinking?

Her actually. Just me and my aunt. Our main purpose of going to CA was to watch a tennis tournament. There was a day break before the final, so we spent the day at DL.

Yeah! Wait a minute! Gimme back that rookie card!



Welll...... all right, you can keep the rookie card.




Wow, does that sound familiar!

Not in your household.
Not in my household.

That's two for two.

Lady H might tell you I have OCD and don't let her plan. Don't believe her.

Wrong. I can read about DLR in a book. But I can't get your personal insight anywhere else.

And what makes you think you'll get it here? Oh right, I'm the one writing this TR.


I'm okay with that. I'm sure you'll mention anything that strikes you as really worthwhile. Otherwise, I'll just enjoy the ride.

You need to buy a park ticket in order to enjoy the ride. For that matter; you need to plan a trip to the park, to buy a ticket, to enjoy the ride. Just don't take my word for it.

Those are the good ones.

Usually. What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander.

Sounds good to me.

Glad we finally agree on something.

Great start, T-man. I'll be back later for the next bit.

Great, there he goes again.

Thanks Ponzi. I'll make sure and keep taking the credit for Lady H's writing.

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by mmeb144

Waiting......

Me to.

Oh right, my TR. I forget. I'm used to someone else doing the writing. Plus I gave you two chapters already. Well really it was only one, but in 2 parts. Not even Nebo and Ponzi gave them to you that quickly.

Working on it. Want to have at least 2 more pre-trip chapters up before we go.

[queenbetsey]

I'm in! can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.
Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
1 Large box of cookies and cream instant pudding
2 cups fat free milk
tub fat free whipped topping
Mix pudding and milk let set up for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping
Pour into crust of choice (i make a ghrahm cracker crust using I can't believe it's not butter half a stick melted and crushed crackers bake 15 minutes)
Chill for 2 holurs

ok so it's not zebra domes with real butter and eggs and... sorry just miss my heart clogger desserts.

Does that get the in on the fun??
I hope you enjoy our corner of Disney. I hear Carsland is amazing.
we are regulars out here so if ya need anything pm me.

[cp'ersmom]

I'm in! Boy you guys like putting this pastry chef to work! As it happens I used to work in a Pie Bakery so I will share some of our best selling recipes...later

As for comparing DL (can't get used to calling it DLR) to WDW, you almost can't help it. As we were walking around, the thoughts kept popping in my head. Some of it was, this is better this is worse and some of it was this is different, this is interesting. The biggest thing is the castle.

Can't help but mention that if you drove you could have kind of combined Vegas and Disney as there are several casinos along the way.

Oh and seriously get a fastpass for the Carsland ride which means being at the gate for rope drop and bee lining right to the fast pass area. Also get a fast pass for world of color, ou have to do that early too!

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by queenbetsey

I'm in! can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.
Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
1 Large box of cookies and cream instant pudding
2 cups fat free milk
tub fat free whipped topping
Mix pudding and milk let set up for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping
Pour into crust of choice (i make a ghrahm cracker crust using I can't believe it's not butter half a stick melted and crushed crackers bake 15 minutes)
Chill for 2 holurs

ok so it's not zebra domes with real butter and eggs and... sorry just miss my heart clogger desserts.

Does that get the in on the fun??
I hope you enjoy our corner of Disney. I hear Carsland is amazing.
we are regulars out here so if ya need anything pm me.

Hi QB.

Thanks for posting the recipe. I added the link to my reserved post (Post #2). No recipe necessary to join in the fun. Well at least I'm not requiring it. Lady H on the other hand, she's the one asking for them so you may have to pay her admission fee. Glad you could join us.

I've been spending a lot of time on the DL boards. So I think I have found most of the answers I am looking for. At least for now. If I come up with anything though, I'll be sure to ask. TIA.

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by cp'ersmom

I'm in! Boy you guys like putting this pastry chef to work! As it happens I used to work in a Pie Bakery so I will share some of our best selling recipes...later

As for comparing DL (can't get used to calling it DLR) to WDW, you almost can't help it. As we were walking around, the thoughts kept popping in my head. Some of it was, this is better this is worse and some of it was this is different, this is interesting. The biggest thing is the castle.

Can't help but mention that if you drove you could have kind of combined Vegas and Disney as there are several casinos along the way.

Oh and seriously get a fastpass for the Carsland ride which means being at the gate for rope drop and bee lining right to the fast pass area. Also get a fast pass for world of color, ou have to do that early too!

Hi CP.

I'm sure it will be a natural instinct to compare. Just hope we're not comparing so much that we don't enjoy it. So that's why we're going with an open mind.

If we didn't have the flight credit to use before it expired, we probably would've drove and stopped at Vegas on the way. With the credit we had, it was good for a one way ticket for each of us. Plenty of casinos where we live as well. Pass one each day to/from work. If we go again next year, the plan might be to drive. I really don't feel like planning a 3rd vacation at the moment, so we'll get through this one first before Lady H starts, oops, I meant until I start planning the next one.

Thanks for the FP tips. We'll keep them in mind.