Summer Vacation Time - San Diego, Hotel Del Coronado, Catalina, and of course DL

[kylie71]

Love the entrance pics Mike! Your lense makes that area look so roomy!! lol!

I hope your DW is feeling much better by now!

Lori

 

[KCmike]

Mike, I hope your wife is feeling better.

She is doing much better. I've heard that things either get rapidly better on this day and next or sometimes people get dry sockets. Hoping for the first one.

Thanks for the update on DW. I echo everyone else....hope she is feeling better.

Thanks Princess!

Love the entrance pics Mike! Your lense makes that area look so roomy!! lol!

I hope your DW is feeling much better by now!

Lori

Thanks Lori! Only six days to go? Everything planned?

 

[kaoden39]

She is doing much better. I've heard that things either get rapidly better on this day and next or sometimes people get dry sockets. Hoping for the first one.




Thanks Princess!




Thanks Lori! Only six days to go? Everything planned?

Oh gosh me too. I had dry sockets and it was awful! Thank you for the update.

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Hi Mike!

I do hope your lovely wife is starting to feel better soon

Once again I find myself going back to the start of your report so I can take in all the pictures over again. I am hoping I can produce some nice pictures too when we go in October and if any of them are half as good as yours, I will be a happy girl!

Looking forward to more and now I know about the picture of the day thread I will be checking that out too!

Oh, any tips you can provide for caturing the neon of Carsland so beautifully will be appreciated

 

[KCmike]

Awhile back I was giving you the report on Catalina and I remembered how I forgot to give you the second half of the day at Catalina on our glass bottom boat tour. Again let me say how much fun we had with the golf cart tour around the island. It was so much fun. To go to the top of the island and see the ocean and all its glory is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. It's one of those things that I have always wanted to do. I can picture myself going to Hawaii someday and doing the same thing. I've always wanted to to be driven up the mountain in Hawaii and riding bikes down the mountain. One of those getting up before the sun comes up, above the clouds, and watching it rise and then riding down the mountain taking in all the beauty. As I get older maybe they will have a golf cart ride like Catalina?

So the glass bottom boat was going to be our second big thing we did on the island. We made it back from the golf cart just in time to catch the next tour going out. We went back to the pier and bought our tickets from this stand.

It was only about $10-15 per person and we thought what a bargain. We all boarded within a few minutes and were ready to start the excursion.

The inside of the boat is divided into thirds. A front, a middle, and the back of the boat. The front of the boat is the best as it has a bigger glass bottom to look out of. We were in the middle. The operator of the boat suckers you into buying fish food as they say this will bring the fish to the bottom of the boat. You pour the food down a shoot next to where you sit and bam the fish come immediately.

We were told we would see several different fish among other things. I think we saw two different species of fish. It was really disappointing. The captain realized we saw very little and promised us twice during his announcements that we would head to deeper water but that never materialized. I would highly suggest that you don't take this tour if you head over to Catalina for the day or weekend.

We did see people scuba diving and snorkeling and wished we had done something like that instead in retrospect but after seeing retrospect after seeing "Shark Week" I don't think I would head into open water especially that deep into the Pacific Ocean. I hear that alot of the sharks love to head out there and then into even deeper waters where they do their business (procreating). I have to say that I love watching shark week when it comes on. It's just so interesting.

This next pic is of some kids out near the beach swimming and collecting seaweed.

Here is a look down one of the side streets

Alright up next is the final day.

 

[KCmike]

The final day is almost always bitter sweet for me. I always want to get up early, do my favorite things one more time, and soak in as much ambiance I can before I have to say farewell.

Our last day the year before in WDW was of course at Magic Kingdom and we were fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Floridian. We had always been moderate resort stayers but we decided to splurge this year thinking it would definitely be the last for WDW for many years if not decades. Our first stay at a deluxe was Grand Californian and I have to admit once you've stayed at a deluxe its hard to go back. Anyways our last day at WDW we headed over to MK and did our favorites. My absolutely favorite ride in any Disney park is Splash Mountain at WDW. My wife and I were sort of newlyweds when this ride opened at we drove down to Florida that year to ring in the opening of the ride. We rode the peoplemover, sorry the transit tomorrowland authority, and took in Carousel of Progress. Of course we did many other rides but the last day is always so sad for me. There is so much hope when you begin your vacation and there is so much ....something....not really sadness but something. It does make me sad though. Anyway that last night at MK at WDW it rained during our big dinner at Liberty Tree and before seeing Wishes. We had alot of fun that day. I sometimes talk of WDW not being near as good as Disneyland and I should say that their different. I do prefer Disneyland to WDW for many reasons. In the end a Disney vacation is mostly about the parks, right? And the parks at DL our far superior to the ones at WDW in my opinion.

Here are some shots of the WDW vacation we had. Yes I will do anything to include more vacation pictures! Shameful I know!

Still to come....More of reporting of the last day at Disneyland 2012.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Your pictures are gorgeous; irrespective of where you take them. So, I'm always happy to come in here for a viewing.

It's funny.....whenever I'm in DLR, I think DL is the best park. There are so many rides packed into the park and if you consider that between DCA and DL (just a short walk away from each other), they hold all the great rides that are located over 4 parks in Orlando, it does give you pause for thought as to which is the better customer experience.

But then I get to WDW and the one thing that WDW does best is the full immersion into Disney-ania. Both areas are great......just different.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[KCmike]

Your pictures are gorgeous; irrespective of where you take them. So, I'm always happy to come in here for a viewing.

It's funny.....whenever I'm in DLR, I think DL is the best park. There are so many rides packed into the park and if you consider that between DCA and DL (just a short walk away from each other), they hold all the great rides that are located over 4 parks in Orlando, it does give you pause for thought as to which is the better customer experience.

But then I get to WDW and the one thing that WDW does best is the full immersion into Disney-ania. Both areas are great......just different.

Thanks for sharing.

My favorite part WDW is definitely the resort hopping and not the park hopping. How weird, huh?

Thanks Princess!

 

[NLD]

Love those Catalina pics.

 

[KCmike]

Love those Catalina pics.

Thanks Nicole. I'm glad I can check Catalina off my list.

 

[KCmike]

Random

 

[PrincessInOz]

Another great random shot.

My favorite part WDW is definitely the resort hopping and not the park hopping. How weird, huh?
Thanks Princess!

I'm not fond of the travel time between parks at WDW but the resorts themes are just wonderful. I want to stay at them all. Sadly, I need $$$ for that.

 

[tinkermell]

Hi Mike!

Just read your whole report this morning. What a fantastic vacation you had.

I live just 3 hours north of DL, and have not experienced DCA yet. Finally going next month.

Anywhos, your pictures are fabulous. I enjoyed every one of them, and wish I could comment on many of them.

I love how one of the posters, thought the Del was the Grand Floridian. That's how much they resemble each other. I want to caution some readers that not all the rooms at the Del are big. The original older rooms, are very small and the walls are thin. Unless they have redone them in the last 5 years.

Thanks again for the wonderful report!

PS- Hoping your wife is pretty much back to normal.

 

[KCmike]

Another great random shot.




I'm not fond of the travel time between parks at WDW but the resorts themes are just wonderful. I want to stay at them all. Sadly, I need $$$ for that.

Thanks Princess! I agree about the time taken away when travelling on the buses from resort to park. I do like resort hopping though especially on the monorail.

 

[KCmike]

Hi Mike!

Just read your whole report this morning. What a fantastic vacation you had.

I live just 3 hours north of DL, and have not experienced DCA yet. Finally going next month.

Anywhos, your pictures are fabulous. I enjoyed every one of them, and wish I could comment on many of them.

I love how one of the posters, thought the Del was the Grand Floridian. That's how much they resemble each other. I want to caution some readers that not all the rooms at the Del are big. The original older rooms, are very small and the walls are thin. Unless they have redone them in the last 5 years.

Thanks again for the wonderful report!

PS- Hoping your wife is pretty much back to normal.

Thanks Melody. I missed the poster being confused on the Hotel Del vs. the Grand Floridian. Now I need to go back and see where that was. Thanks for the comments on the shots thus far.

My wife is feeling better. She had to go back to the oral surgeon yet again to get another tooth packed as she had two of the three have dry sockets! She goes back yet again Friday to finish everything up.

Hope you have a great trip down to DL next month. I miss the Haunted Mansion overlay.

 

[KCmike]

Here's a random Black and White shot that I liked. Hope you all had a good Hump Day. Can't wait for the long holiday weekend.

 

[tksbaskets]

What a great pic! It made my Thursday morning!

 

[KCmike]

What a great pic! It made my Thursday morning!

Thanks! Hope you have a great weekend. Here's one to get it started...

Carthay Circle Fountain at Night

 

[PrincessInOz]

Gorgeous night shot, Mike.

 

[KCmike]

Gorgeous night shot, Mike.

Thanks Princess.