2 guys, a mom and the mouse. NOW COMPLETED!!! PIC INTENSIVE TR.

[disneynerd420]

Greetings everyone...

After completing my last trip report I could not wait to start another one when I came back from my trip in September. For this reason, I have decided to start with a pre-trip report and hopefully share my excitement with my DISfriends.

SO let's get started with this thing already!


DISNEYNERD420 PROUDLY PRESENTS...

2 GUYS, A MOM AND THE MOUSE!
(SEPT 25TH THROUGH SEPT 30TH 2009)


FEATURING...

My mother... (Carol)




Chris (Chris420) Another DISmember and good friend




It wouldn't be my TR if i wasn't in it...

ME! (James)



This trip is particullary exciting for me since it will include my first stay at the DLH!



Since my first trip to Disneyland as a small child... I have wanted to stay at the DLH. However, growing up with a single parent prevented that. We just could not afford to do so. Well when the 5 for 3 offer started, I could not resist! I convinced my mother to come on vacation with me, since we may not have another chance.

Shortly after booking the reservations, DLR announced the halloween space mountain overlay. Upon hearing that... Chris joined the party. Which I could not be happier about. He is so much fun to hang out with at DLR.



As of today, I am thirty days away from my super fun awesome trip. I am so excited about the entire experiance. Throughout this pretrip report I will be posting my planning ideas and questions. Once I return I will share all of my fun with a trip report of pictures.

I will write more tommorow... It is just about time for bed. I need to go to work in the morning. I've got a training class all day.

[spacemermaid]

We're Haunted Mansion shirt twins!

I'm sure you'll have a fabulous stay at the Disneyland Hotel!

[PrincessSarah314]

Is your mom getting excited now? Did you follow through with getting other Fairy God Mailers for her?

[disneynerd420]

she' s getting a little more excited. She loved the postcard you sent!

[ballarinamom]

You will LOVE the DLH. We have stayed there several times. Just walking through the Scorcerer's hat each day was a treat! Plus walking through DTD is so much more magical than crossing Harbor. Make sure to take time to check out the hotel and grounds. There are some really cool pics of all of the famous people who have stayed there. Each time we have checked in, there were characteres in the Lobby on the break from GK. We are going in November and DH thinks we are staying at the BWPP to save money. But I am surprising him with the DLH upgrade since the new promo!

[disneynerd420]

I'm really excited about DLH. It was my mother that suggested it. I originally wanted HOJO. But after a close look at our finances, and lots of overtime, we decided we could do it.

I'm working 50 hours a week at very large bank in their home loans divison. It is very tiring and stressfull thing to have to tell people that we are not able to help them modify their payment or that we have no status on their short sale. BUT FOR DISNEYLAND I WOULD WORK EVEN MORE IF THEY WOULD LET ME.

So needless to say this vacation will be very much deserved when it comes around.

1 major flaw in this vacation is that my mother has a hard time getting around the idea of a DLR vacation. Her memories of DL are not good. She remembers the crowds, the high prices, and worst of all... me being a child and throwing tantrums.

I was never an easy child to go to DL with. I hated the fantasyland dark rides. I didn't like any thing fast. HM terrified me, and POTC was no walk in the park either.

How my mother ever dealt with a hyperactive child in DL is beyond me. Unfortunately, these are the last memories my mother has of DL. I can understand why she would be hesitant.

My goal for this trip is to show my mother how magical and amazing DLR can be. I'm determined to get her on her first roller coaster. It will be BTMRR. Matterhorn would kill her back and Space mountain would traumatize her. We will ride all the FL rides and Pirates and Haunted Mansion. She will get to ride all the rides that she loved that I prevented her from going on when I was small.

We will end each night with a nighttime show (F! or Halloween Screams), and enjoy warm sugary churros.

I am determined for her to see DLR through my eyes.

[Desert Dwellers]

I'm so excited for your mother! It will be such a different experience for her going with an adult son. I know from reading your last trip report, you really embrace the magic of DL, so your mother is going to have a fantastic time.

My prediction - on the way back to Arizona, she will be planning your next trip back to DL.

[Chris420]

Im stoked, this is my first trip in halloween season AND my first time staying onsite, and im gonna get naked

[disneynerd420]

Originally Posted by chris420

im stoked, this is my first trip in halloween season and my first time staying onsite, and im gonna naked

what? I'm confused

[ballarinamom]

Originally Posted by Desert Dwellers

I'm so excited for your mother! It will be such a different experience for her going with an adult son. I know from reading your last trip report, you really embrace the magic of DL, so your mother is going to have a fantastic time.

My prediction - on the way back to Arizona, she will be planning your next trip back to DL.

My DMIL has neve been to DL. DH went with his mom and steps ( a total of 4 teenagers who only wanted to ride the eticket rides) to WDW for one day in the 80's and it was a whirlwind. Her only request was that they ride IASW as a "family". She didn't get everyone on it as no one wanted to ride it. She rode it herself and said it was her favorite ride.
Fast forward 30 years and DH and I took her to DL for her birthday. She had the best time and was a real trouper. She and Dh did Walking and Walt's and it was the holiday over lay. Fireworks were awesome as was preferred seating for F!.I had the characters sign pillow cases for her and DD and then ironed on a photo of us infront of the castle. You would have thought I gave her the Hope Diamond. She got weepy and said it was the best trip of her life. This coming from a woman who has taken 23 cruises and has been to every country in Europe! Hope your mom has the same magical trip as mine!

[disneynerd420]

Originally Posted by ballarinamom

My DMIL has neve been to DL. DH went with his mom and steps ( a total of 4 teenagers who only wanted to ride the eticket rides) to WDW for one day in the 80's and it was a whirlwind. Her only request was that they ride IASW as a "family". She didn't get everyone on it as no one wanted to ride it. She rode it herself and said it was her favorite ride.
Fast forward 30 years and DH and I took her to DL for her birthday. She had the best time and was a real trouper. She and Dh did Walking and Walt's and it was the holiday over lay. Fireworks were awesome as was preferred seating for F!.I had the characters sign pillow cases for her and DD and then ironed on a photo of us infront of the castle. You would have thought I gave her the Hope Diamond. She got weepy and said it was the best trip of her life. This coming from a woman who has taken 23 cruises and has been to every country in Europe! Hope your mom has the same magical trip as mine!

That is beautiful... thank you for the encouraging words. I'm hoping that is exactly what will happen.



Sad news... Captain Eo will not return in time for halloween. But as of right now Disney is slating a Jan. overlay in order to increas post Christmas pre spring break attendance. I was really looking forward to that. Oh well, this is just more motivation for me to go for my birthday on Jan 30th.

I've been watching a lot of Disney videos lately. I had not seen the the adventures of ichabod and Mr toad in years. I forgot just how insane Toad was. It makes me really appreciate the ride so much more. I'm going try and sit down with my mother sometime soon to watch some Disney films. It has probably been a long time for her too.

[Chris420]

Is it the 25th yet

James Im thinkin were hitting that point where the disney movie marathons need to start

[disneynerd420]

I agree... we need to do a Disney Movie marathon.

[marcemc]

I'm so happy for you Disneynerd!!!!!

You will love the DLH, it rocks! What a great way to reward yourself after all the hard work.

And your mommy will have a great time! It will be the "Disney Redeemer Trip".

Can we count on a trip report? Please say yes!

[disneynerd420]

Originally Posted by marcemc

I'm so happy for you Disneynerd!!!!!

You will love the DLH, it rocks! What a great way to reward yourself after all the hard work.

And your mommy will have a great time! It will be the "Disney Redeemer Trip".

Can we count on a trip report? Please say yes!

Trip Report? Of course! Once we come back this PTR will be turned into a TR. I will come back with lot's of pictures. I'm thinking about buying an extra memory card just so I can take more. I also promise to bring back food porn.


I can't wait for the trip. Chris and I need to have a disney movie-thon soon. I'll need to hit the local video stores for disney rentals and such. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

I'm also going to make a point to go to home depot and get the green mickey heads. I would love to meet another DISer and there are several that are going to be there when we are.


The sad thing is I have not even gone on this trip and I am already planning my next one. It won't be for a while though. We will be arriving on Jan 29th and departing on Feb 1st. I was originally going because it is my birthday on the 30th , but now that Captain EO will be back in the magic eye in January, I have even more of incentive to go. This was also used in convincing Chris to go. I just booked a 2 Queen Standard for $59 a night at HOJO with the entertainment rate. Thanks to all of you who let me in on this secret.

I'm getting my mother more excited about the trip. It seems she was discussing it with her hair dresser today and he was telling her that she will have lot's of fun. He also told her that she needs to ride Soarin'. Personally, that ride scares me. I really enjoy it, but for some reason I get a little apprehensive when I ride it. She and I have been talking about a lot of the rides and I kind of think that she might ride Indy with us. That would make me so happy. She is very big into the visual aspect of the rides and Indy has so much to offer. If she could look beyond the fact that it is a "thrill ride" and see it for the work of art that it is, she would really appreciate it. I think she would feel the same way about TOT but that one is out of the question. She hates drops.

I feel like I need to try and recreate some DLR food. I love making the Monte Cristo. It is so easy. Too easy actually... it makes it hard not to eat those all the time and get even fatter than I am. Chris and I get very excited about the food. I'll post more about our dining plans later. Though some of you may have already read his post about wanting to finish the "Kitchen Sink" by himself.

Well I will write more later... TTFN