A Fistful of Fastpasses: Disneyland with the DIS and ABD! (Final Day post #205-10/4)

[skier_pete]

Sounds like fun! Reading this makes me realize how many things I didn't get to try out in Disneyland while we were there. I may need to go back to do some of the things I just didn't have time for some day.

That the perfect excuse, don't you think?? I was glad we got two trips in short succession. Really neither trip gave us time to see everything, but the two trips combined did. The only thing I didn't get onto that I wanted to was Tower of Terror, but there were mitigating circumstances there. (They only had one of three shafts running, so the wait was brutally long.)

Those seats really were in the perfect spot, weren't they? The fact that we were sitting on benches and not on a curb helped too.

Yeah, the fireworks spot was good but not great, but the parade seats were perfect. One only hopes that My Magic + works that well. (Unlikely, i know.)

You may not realize this, but you really lucked out here. A group of us who had dinner at The Plaza tried riding Space Mountain that evening, only to find that the line was not moving because of technical problems. We eventually gave up because we didn't want to miss fireworks; the ride, of course, reopened right as we were leaving. Excellent timing on your part though!

I did get to ride Space Mountain later on in the trip, and it is so much more fun than its Disney World counterpart. Why they didn't make more changes in Florida a few years ago when they closed it down for refurbishment is beyond me.

I didn't realize that. I guess that was the advantage of a fast lunch! I was determined to get DW on Space Mountain as she didn't get to try it last trip.

I was so impressed that the two of you lasted for as long as you did! This was a very fun day, but also a very long one.

Thanks! I'm telling you, you wouldn't beleive the power of a 20-minute nap mid-day. It's a bad habit to do all the time, but when you gotta burn the candle on both ends it really is powerful.

I told DW from the beginning that "Sleep is not an option". She did really well, as she has never had the tolerance for long hours that I have. We were both B-E-A-T by the end of the trip though, but I find that kind of exhaustion very....exhilirating isn't the word but I guess satisfying. My job involves a lot of thinking/analyzing/decision making and quite a bit of pressure but is not very physical, so being tired out physically but not mentally is a nice change of pace!

 

[Tinker326]

Ok, so I love the updates of this trip & I love this trip!!!

I TOTALLY sent an email to my mother yesterday begging her to take the Adults Only trip next October with me. DH is going fishing for a week in Canada and I figured this was a good 'due course' for me!!!

She totally shot me down and told me for that price she'd rather go to London! (which, I also love..but I REALLY want to do this trip!)

So now I'm calculating if I can get away with taking one of my DD's along and do a non-adult one. I don't thinK I can- I'll have another ticked off DD if I do!!! But I want to go SO BAD!!!! And your trip report is feeding the obsession!!

 

[skier_pete]

Ok, so I love the updates of this trip & I love this trip!!!

I TOTALLY sent an email to my mother yesterday begging her to take the Adults Only trip next October with me. DH is going fishing for a week in Canada and I figured this was a good 'due course' for me!!!

She totally shot me down and told me for that price she'd rather go to London! (which, I also love..but I REALLY want to do this trip!)

So now I'm calculating if I can get away with taking one of my DD's along and do a non-adult one. I don't thinK I can- I'll have another ticked off DD if I do!!! But I want to go SO BAD!!!! And your trip report is feeding the obsession!!

Do you want us to work on your DH in November? It really is a wonderful trip for a couple to take. I hate to call a trip this expensive a "bargain", but I couldn't help thinking the whole trip that it is TOTALLY worth the money. And I'm a cheap ******* too!

 

[Tinker326]

Do you want us to work on your DH in November? It really is a wonderful trip for a couple to take. I hate to call a trip this expensive a "bargain", but I couldn't help thinking the whole trip that it is TOTALLY worth the money. And I'm a cheap ******* too!

You can work on my mom!! I need DH home to watch the kids! I want to go soooooooooooooo bad!!!!

 

[ymxbfalcon]

You can work on my mom!! I need DH home to watch the kids! I want to go soooooooooooooo bad!!!!

I don't know if you've considered this, but this is a very easy trip to do by yourself because you're never really by yourself. I did this adventure solo (and I wasn't the only one), and the people in our group couldn't have been nicer to me. Once the adventure started, I always had people asking me if I wanted to join them for meals or during the "on your own" time. Just something to think about...

 

[PrincessInOz]

Another great update. I think you're definitely selling me on the idea of planning a ABD trip one of these years.

 

[Tinker326]

I don't know if you've considered this, but this is a very easy trip to do by yourself because you're never really by yourself. I did this adventure solo (and I wasn't the only one), and the people in our group couldn't have been nicer to me. Once the adventure started, I always had people asking me if I wanted to join them for meals or during the "on your own" time. Just something to think about...

I actually did think about this- taking it alone. But the thing is I'm horribly shy when it comes to large groups & have trouble just throwing myself in the mix... so I like the 'safety net' of someone I know..........just because I'm awkward...

I am still highly considering my eldest DD. Just trying to figure out how to sell it to all the right people. (DH & middle DD).

 

[skier_pete]

Another great update. I think you're definitely selling me on the idea of planning a ABD trip one of these years.

At least you are closer to the correct coast for it!

I actually did think about this- taking it alone. But the thing is I'm horribly shy when it comes to large groups & have trouble just throwing myself in the mix... so I like the 'safety net' of someone I know..........just because I'm awkward...

I am still highly considering my eldest DD. Just trying to figure out how to sell it to all the right people. (DH & middle DD).

ymbxfalcon can verify this, but I think if you were to take the trip with a DIS group, it wouldn't be a big problem. Many of us were "talking" for almost a year beforehand, and "chatting" for 3 months too. After a little initial apprehension, I think the comfort level was quite high with everyone compared to a bunch of strangers.

Not to discourage you with #1 DD, and I do believe its good to do things separately with each child, it a HUGE deal of a trip, and how would middle DD respond when DD#1 comes home raving about all the things she got to do? (I also can't imagine a child appreciating it nearly to the level of most adults, I keep thinking if we were ever to take our DD, she would have to be at least 16.)

 

[ymxbfalcon]

I actually did think about this- taking it alone. But the thing is I'm horribly shy when it comes to large groups & have trouble just throwing myself in the mix... so I like the 'safety net' of someone I know..........just because I'm awkward...

I'm definitely on the "quiet" side myself, so I totally understand what you're saying. My experience was that, without even trying, I always had someone to sit with or to do things with. The members of the group really looked out for each other.

ymbxfalcon can verify this, but I think if you were to take the trip with a DIS group, it wouldn't be a big problem. Many of us were "talking" for almost a year beforehand, and "chatting" for 3 months too. After a little initial apprehension, I think the comfort level was quite high with everyone compared to a bunch of strangers.

That certainly helped. I'd also say that the guides are very skilled at drawing people (even introverts like me ) into the conversation, which is especially nice during the first day or so when everyone is still getting comfortable with each other. Having read other ABD trip reports, I think that this "bonding" happens even with non-DIS exclusive groups, so if the dates of the DIS trips didn't work out for you, I'd still encourage you to go for it.

Not to discourage you with #1 DD, and I do believe its good to do things separately with each child, it a HUGE deal of a trip, and how would middle DD respond when DD#1 comes home raving about all the things she got to do? (I also can't imagine a child appreciating it nearly to the level of most adults, I keep thinking if we were ever to take our DD, she would have to be at least 16.)

It probably depends on your daughter's personality and interests. I teach middle school, and I can think of a number of "my" kids who would have been truly fascinated by this trip and others who probably would have spent the whole time playing games and texting their friends on their phones - at least until they got to Disneyland.

It's also very likely that you wouldn't mind doing this trip more than once, so you could always tell your younger daughter that you'll do something similar with her when she's older.

 

[Lee Disney]

I'd have to agree with Angie and Pete, I think most would feel comfortable traveling solo on this trip. After a year of getting to know each other on the boards and in chat, you feel like you're traveling with a group of friends.

 

[franandaj]

OK, I got REALLY far behind! I've just read about your trip to the Legends plaza, and part of your update on the way to DL. I'm not surprised it took you 90 minutes to get to DL from Burbank. That's pretty normal.

From someone who has had a couple D23 experiences at the studios and places, I would still LOVE to do this tour. The archives is such a neat place, and I totally geeked out over the multiplane camera in the foyer. I took a ton of pictures of it when we did our studio tour with the D23 group last year.

I would so love to go to Imagineering, and would love to hear about your write up. We got to do an Animation building tour last year and the same thing. They wouldn't let us take pictures, but I did post a write up of what we saw. Especially since the things that the showed us all had to do with Wreck-It-Ralph. I really wasn't spoiling anything with that. I would guess that each ABD tour varies from year to year and the Imagineers have something different to share at different times.

I'll have to catch up later, that Expo sure put me behind on reading folks TRs!

 

[YodasMom]

I actually did think about this- taking it alone. But the thing is I'm horribly shy when it comes to large groups & have trouble just throwing myself in the mix... so I like the 'safety net' of someone I know..........just because I'm awkward...

I am still highly considering my eldest DD. Just trying to figure out how to sell it to all the right people. (DH & middle DD).

I'm doing the adults only tour this October alone. I've done a lot of traveling alone but not much group traveling as a single. It's still something I've been wanting to do since they first started this tour so I'm up for it. I can let you know my experiences with doing it alone, as well, when I return in October. I wanted to do one of the DIS exclusive ones, but couldn't find a date that would work. Well, I also booked the July 2014 BSM DIS exclusive tour a couple of months ago, so I'm doing both.

A question for those who did this tour....Did any of you make dining reservations for meals at DL that are on your own during the week of the tour? The 60 day mark for me for the day the tour ends is this coming Monday, so I will be making reservations for the post-tour days then. I'm so used to needing to get online to make ADRs at WDW by 6 AM at the 180 mark, but know it's different for DL.

 

[skier_pete]

I would so love to go to Imagineering, and would love to hear about your write up. We got to do an Animation building tour last year and the same thing. They wouldn't let us take pictures, but I did post a write up of what we saw. Especially since the things that the showed us all had to do with Wreck-It-Ralph. I really wasn't spoiling anything with that. I would guess that each ABD tour varies from year to year and the Imagineers have something different to share at different times.

I'll have to catch up later, that Expo sure put me behind on reading folks TRs!

From what I here, Imagineering does change somewhat. There was at least one thing we did that Pete W. hadn't seen before - and was stunned by.

A question for those who did this tour....Did any of you make dining reservations for meals at DL that are on your own during the week of the tour? The 60 day mark for me for the day the tour ends is this coming Monday, so I will be making reservations for the post-tour days then. I'm so used to needing to get online to make ADRs at WDW by 6 AM at the 180 mark, but know it's different for DL.

Here's a dirty little secret, unless the restaurant is Blue Bayou, you really don't have to make ADRs in Disneyland. We did get a group together on the night after our trip at Catal. We were trying to get into Steakhouse 55, but they were having a private event. We didn't need to make the Catal one, it was pretty empty. Typically if you call a week in advance, you'll be more than fine.

 

[franandaj]

Here's a dirty little secret, unless the restaurant is Blue Bayou, you really don't have to make ADRs in Disneyland. We did get a group together on the night after our trip at Catal. We were trying to get into Steakhouse 55, but they were having a private event. We didn't need to make the Catal one, it was pretty empty. Typically if you call a week in advance, you'll be more than fine.

Though I'm not completely caught up, I just want to caution you on this. Right now the economy is still in the tanks. Back when it was booming, every restaurant had a two hour wait around meal times. Another little secret is to make an ADR either the day before or the morning of the day you want. But right now Pete is right you can walk up to most restaurants, save the Chef's Counter at Napa Rose and Club 33!

 

[HonestAbe]

can you actually buy any of the Club 33 merchandise on the ABD? I saw a couple of shirts I'm keen on having in my future.

 

[skier_pete]

can you actually buy any of the Club 33 merchandise on the ABD? I saw a couple of shirts I'm keen on having in my future.

Yes, I neglected to mention specifics, but you can buy the merchandise. They give you a form at your table when you enter. Then you place your order. It takes a little while, so it's best to do this before you eat. The picture that I show of everyone's bags is all the swag that everyone bought there at the Club 33. The nice thing is ABD arranges to have your bags sent to the front of the park, and you can pick the stuff up on your way out rather than carry it through the backstage tour.

 

[OKW Lover]

Yes, I neglected to mention specifics, but you can buy the merchandise. They give you a form at your table when you enter. Then you place your order. It takes a little while, so it's best to do this before you eat. The picture that I show of everyone's bags is all the swag that everyone bought there at the Club 33. The nice thing is ABD arranges to have your bags sent to the front of the park, and you can pick the stuff up on your way out rather than carry it through the backstage tour.

You can also get an extra "free" souvenir. When you sign the slip with the Club 33 pen they provide, comment on how nice a pen it is.

 

[HonestAbe]

You can also get an extra "free" souvenir. When you sign the slip with the Club 33 pen they provide, comment on how nice a pen it is.

That's cool. Otherwise that pen might have fallen into my pocket.

 

[HonestAbe]

Yes, I neglected to mention specifics, but you can buy the merchandise. They give you a form at your table when you enter. Then you place your order. It takes a little while, so it's best to do this before you eat. The picture that I show of everyone's bags is all the swag that everyone bought there at the Club 33. The nice thing is ABD arranges to have your bags sent to the front of the park, and you can pick the stuff up on your way out rather than carry it through the backstage tour.

I'm not a rich man, but I have some expensive tastes. Between C33 and Imagineering, I think Im going to have to convince DW to be proactive and take a second out on the house before we go for the shopping!

 

[skier_pete]

You can also get an extra "free" souvenir. When you sign the slip with the Club 33 pen they provide, comment on how nice a pen it is.

Actually, we each had a pen next to our form. I don't think there were any pens left behind. I know MINE wasn't! I then spent the rest of the week signing for things with the phrase: "Let me just take out my Club 33 pen." I am NOT kidding by the way.

I'm not a rich man, but I have some expensive tastes. Between C33 and Imagineering, I think Im going to have to convince DW to be proactive and take a second out on the house before we go for the shopping!

I went to Australia for 3 weeks and spent about $50 on souvenirs for myself. At Imagineering and Club 33 I spent about $500.