Magic for a Year!!! Our adventures with our 1st APs Halloween Party added 5-23

[IndayMichelle]

I'll keep the ticker up for now, he has a nasty habit of flipping like a pancake at the very last minute.

Crossing my fingers!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

We'll we are going!!!!!! We're not going in March, though. Instead we are going THIS WEEKEND!!! I got a couple great rates on name your own price, too. On the 17th we'll be staying at the Marriott Anaheim Suites for $79 and Ayres the 18-20 for $69/night!! Not too shabby. DH said we could go and silly me didn't check the blockout dates. We're blocked the 18 & 19 So, the plan is to get the blockout passes for the 18th and sleep in on the 19th followed by a trip to DTD and Trader Sams. We've never spent an entire day in DTD, we always do a quick look around and head back to the parks. This should be interesting

 

[IndayMichelle]

He really does flip like a pancake! I'm so excited for you! Canceling only to leave sooner is AWESOME!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

Hubby calls yesturday to tell me he as another suprise. If I can find a hotel about 2 hours away from DL or just over the grapvine, we can leave Thursday after Diva gets out of school. So today (being Thursday) the kids and I will be on the road as soon as she gets out of school. We're staying in North Hollywood tonight at the Holiday Inn ($75 name your price vs $139 list price). Check out Friday am and head to DL, check into Marriot Anaheim suits. Check out Saturday and head to Ayres and DL for the day. I may have to upgrade our APs. It'll be cheaper than buying two blockout day passes. We may play for a bit on Monday, leave by 12. DH wants us to leave at 10, but I just don't see that happening.

 

[IndayMichelle]

Is it super busy because of the holiday?

 

[kaoden39]

Is it super busy because of the holiday?

Michelle, Presidents Day is always busy.

 

[IndayMichelle]

Michelle, Presidents Day is always busy.

It's just like rainy days, I'd rather be there on a busy day than be home(or in my case, work) reading about i!

 

[Lucille1963]

I'm looking forward to the update. I hope you're having a wonderful time!

 

[kaoden39]

It's just like rainy days, I'd rather be there on a busy day than be home(or in my case, work) reading about i!

I like them all!!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

We're back!!! Actually we've been back for a while. I was trying to wait to write a report till I uploaded my pictures. I still haven't done it. I was going to load today, but the camera is the truck. I can't go outside yet

I will say HOLY SMOKES IT WAS PACKED!!! Not Christmas packed, but still very busy. This trip we got to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, ride the explorer canoes, and both kids got picked for the Jedi Training academy. Trader Sams was awesome. I had a BBQ burger of some sort with a slice of pinapple and bacon. it was haven The kids shared a flatbread cheese "pizza". It was very good, too. The kids ate it up. My burger came with sweet potate fries. I'm not a fan of those, but these were good. My son liked them, too, and he usually doesn't care for them. I think the lighting had something to do with him eating them. It's really dark. It's also very small, about a dozen or so tables and a good sized bar. I don't remember the name of my speciallty drink ( I blame the rum) but it was very tasty. I order the kids some sort of fun drink, but they didn't care for them. The waiter took them back and brought them regular sodas (at my request) and didn't charge me for thier first drinks (not at my request).

To get around the block out days, I bought passes for Saturday and skipped the parks on Sunday. Sunday we slept in, went to DTD for a few hours, lunch at Trader Sams, swam in the pool (where we met another family from our home town), and went to Dave and Busters for dinner and video game/prize entertainment. I will say, booking on the name your price on priceline comes with some cool advantages other than the super cool price. I learned about other venues for food other than Harbor Blvd.

Anyway, hopefully by the end of the day I'll get my pictures uploaded.

 

[IndayMichelle]

Anyway, hopefully by the end of the day I'll get my pictures uploaded.

Hooray!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

The Little Mermaid

Family Tree at Trader Sam's, not a great shot, we were sitting right under it.

Diva hula hooping at elTRONica.

Diva and Monkey in line for the Storybook boats

Pros-teeth-sis

Jedi Monkey

Jedi Diva

Diva and Monkey with Mardi Gras Chip and Dale

POTC Blackbeard

Our first celebrity siting. According to Diva, this girl plays Emma on "Jesse". Zoey was there, too, but I couldn't get a good shot of her. There were doing some filming on Tom Saywer Island

Hidden Mickey on the Winie the Pooh ride

I have more, but in moderation

Update on our June trip. I learned that Cars Land is having an AP premeir June 10-12. If I can get the retro rate at HOJO's we'll shift our vacation a week later. I also have to confirm that this is true. Kinda bittersweet. I liked having our trip the first week of June because the crowds should be less intense that week (when comparing to the rest of the summer) and the weather is still somewhat toleratable usually. Still, it shouldn't be too bad the following week scince we are going Mon-Fri.

 

[kaoden39]

Cute pictures!!

 

[IndayMichelle]

I love Diva's ears! Jedi training looks like fun!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

It's time for more pictures

Tiki Room

This is the begining of day one, we just got off the tram from the Mickey and Friends parking lot.

Hiemlich's Chew-Chew train at night

Mary Poppins and Bert. We were the last ones for this visit, it was my job to inform the guests behind me that the line was closed after me. One lady tried to squeeze in with us, unfortuanally for her it didn't work. Bert asked me if she was with us, I had to say no.

Some IASW without the holiday overlay. This is the first time in many years I've been on this ride during it's regular operation.

Darth Mahl

We are still on for June 4-8, still staying at HOJO at the retro rate. If I can get the retro rate for the following week, I may switch. There is a good rumor of a AP premire for Cars Land that week. If not, that's okay. We're going back in October and December and possibly January, so it's not like we're NOT going to see it.

I am toying with the idea of driving down 1/101 a day or two before. It may just be a day before. I don't have a lot of stops along the way picked out yet. So far, I would like to play on a beach at Pismo Beach, see the Monarch Butterfly "thing", and stop off at Solvang. I found a central CA coastline website full of things to do all along the coast. If we leave two days before, I can add the childrens muesum in San Luis Obispo. I haven't made it very far through the website yet and I still have to get approval from DH. This is the trip he's going to join us, he may join us for the begining of the trip instead of the end.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

It's been a while. I think we need more picutres.

Blue Bayou

POTC

Monkey's favorite ride Winnie the Pooh.

So, the latest news: We are NOT doing the CA101/Pacific Hwy drive down. After all the reserch I did and planned out the route and the stops and pitched the idea to DH, he said no. To him, the goal was to get to DL the fastest way possible, taking the coast was going to take all day. (duh) I explained I knew how long it would take and the plan would be to leave Saturday and have two days to drive down the coast and check into HoJo on Monday. Then he said we can do the "coast vacation" by itself some other time. Also on the list for "some other time vacations" are Universal and Legoland. I still don't know when DH will be joining us for our trip, I'm assuming he'll drive down on Thursday and spend Friday with us in the parks. I wouldn't be suprised if he said to bid on a hotel for Friday and Saturday night so we can spend all day Friday and part of Sunday (blocked out on Saturday) at the parks together.

The 60 day mark is coming up. So far I'm penciling in Carnation Cafe for lunch (finally!!! it's been closed the last two times we were there) and Frountier land BBQ. I'm going to try to do that one with all of us. DH also wants to see WOC, too. If we only have Friday to spend together at the parks, it'll be BBQ for lunch and head to DCA after for some rides and WOC picnic. I'm not to sure about the last part. It's such a headache to see that show. The show itself is really cool, but the effort and planning and stratigic manuvous it takes to see it are a bit much. We'll see what happens.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

It's getting closer!!! I'm getting excited!!! So is Monkey, it think DL is his favorite place. Looking back on the pictures I don't see a single sad face on him. Diva, on the other hand, looks a bit board/tired in some of them. I made our dinning resservations the other day. Tuesday the 5th we'll be having lunch at Big Thunder Ranch, Wednesday the 6th we'll have dinner at Ariel's Grotto and watching WOC in the preffered seating area. On Friday, our last day, we'll have breakfast with Minnie and Friends at the Plaza. I'm still trying to get a retro rate for Sunday the 3rd, but so far I've had no luck. If we can't get a day early, I'll see if I can bid on a hotel on our way home so we can stay longer on Friday. The more I think about it, the more I like plan "b" better. In the mean time, lets reminise on the last trip with more pictures.

It's a Small World

Tiki Room

Trader Sams

POTC

Critter Country

 

[kaoden39]

Is that last picture taken in Critter Country?

 

[merlib]

I am toying with the idea of driving down 1/101 a day or two before. It may just be a day before. I don't have a lot of stops along the way picked out yet. So far, I would like to play on a beach at Pismo Beach, see the Monarch Butterfly "thing", and stop off at Solvang. I found a central CA coastline website full of things to do all along the coast. If we leave two days before, I can add the childrens muesum in San Luis Obispo. I haven't made it very far through the website yet and I still have to get approval from DH. This is the trip he's going to join us, he may join us for the begining of the trip instead of the end.

We are going to be coming in California in May! Flying into San Francisco, enjoying the city for a few days, then driving down 1/101 toward LA. We will take 3 days to do this part and will then spend the last 3 days at Disneyland. Can you tell me what website you are talking about that has lots of fun stuff to do along the coast? Would love to take a peak at it!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

Is that last picture taken in Critter Country?

Yup! outside the Country Store near the walkway by the Winnie the Pooh exit.

I am toying with the idea of driving down 1/101 a day or two before. It may just be a day before. I don't have a lot of stops along the way picked out yet. So far, I would like to play on a beach at Pismo Beach, see the Monarch Butterfly "thing", and stop off at Solvang. I found a central CA coastline website full of things to do all along the coast. If we leave two days before, I can add the childrens muesum in San Luis Obispo. I haven't made it very far through the website yet and I still have to get approval from DH. This is the trip he's going to join us, he may join us for the begining of the trip instead of the end.

We are going to be coming in California in May! Flying into San Francisco, enjoying the city for a few days, then driving down 1/101 toward LA. We will take 3 days to do this part and will then spend the last 3 days at Disneyland. Can you tell me what website you are talking about that has lots of fun stuff to do along the coast? Would love to take a peak at it!

No problem, the site is touringthecentralcoast.com