¤*~*¤May/June 2013 ¤*~*¤Trip Planning Thread

[ColoradoLime]

It is a convention rate...we are also attending a homeschool convention at the DLH at that time.

Hmmm...and how would one join this convention if one wanted?

 

[ColoradoLime]

Hey there all!!


Considering the weekends are already busy plus the fact that it will be cindo de mayo, will DL be crazy packed? And do you guys think that park will hit capacity and not let people in like us who will be arriving late afternoon? I sure would hate to miss it!

Yay - we'll be there at the same time! Not sure about Cinco de Mayo. We're flying in that day so we may not even get to the park then. I'm sure someone else that has been there that day before can give you some insight.

 

[msdaisy]

Hmmm...and how would one join this convention if one wanted?

Right! LOL

 

[Saskiwi]

Ooooh I love these threads full of people going around the same time - everyone gets so excited as the date gets closer...
Now that its 2013 it suddenly seems a lot nearer!

Pencil us in for May 30-June 3 - probably Hojo or Candy Cane Inn - we are yet to confirm.

We are doing a big US trip (see my ticker) in May, with 8 days at WDW then DC and NYC and ending up with 3 days at DL before we fly home to New Zealand.

Its pretty much a 20 hour journey (16 hours flying via Australia!) for us to get just to LA, so we have to plan a long way out.. which means we often have found events like Grad Nights sneak up on us after we've booked!

This is the case this trip, as I just realised one of our 3 nights, May 31 is a Grad night - but we will just have to deal with it!

We have visited DL twice in the past 3 years, once for 6 days and on our last trip (Halloween 2011) we surprised even ourselves by using 12 out of the 14 days on our pass!

So....we feel we know DL/DCA pretty well by now, apart from Carsland...WDW - not so much, so I have been overwhelmed by how much planning we are having to do for that - but then planning a Disney trip is half the fun

Here's my 2c worth on questions raised in the thread so far: WOC is definitely a must-see! It knocks Fantasmic into a cocked hat (whatever that means!)
It is a lot more than "colored water" - my jaw literally dropped open when we first saw it and I got goosebumps and teared up more than once. It is spectacular use of all the music and images that make up the wonderful Disney stories we all know. It is totally "state of the art" and makes F! look pretty old-fashioned (but in a lovable, nostalgic kind of way!)

Having said that, I wouldn't wait for 2 hours for anything! We have seen WOC 3 or 4 times and 30-60 mins was the longest we waited and that waittime got us great spots. Of course this was in pre-Carsland days, so maybe the crowds are uber-crazy for WOC now, too and I will get a rude shock in a few months But please try and see it if you can...

And if it doesn't seem too odd getting travel advice on your own country from a Kiwi... for those looking for a short trip from Anaheim, I really recommend Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Monument. We stayed at PS for 3 nights after our DL trip in 2010 and loved it. The desert landscape is totally different to anything we have back home and the peace and quiet of the national park was wonderful after all the crowds and noise of the parks.

I did a little TR about it which is still online here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2155931

 

[ColoradoLime]

We are doing a big US trip (see my ticker) in May, with 8 days at WDW then DC and NYC and ending up with 3 days at DL before we fly home to New Zealand.

What a great trip!!!

 

[PrincessDisney4]

My husband * I will be arriving at DLR on April 29th through May 5th for our DISNEYMOON!

 

[ColoradoLime]

My husband * I will be arriving at DLR on April 29th through May 5th for our DISNEYMOON!

Yay! How fun!!

 

[LoveKermit]

We will probably do WoC since we do not know when we will get back to DLR. We just have to decide if we do a meal and preferred FP or FP and a picnic. The picnics don't come with FP, right? It's just something to do while you wait. That sounds like us.

Also, our Birnbaum's book makes every restaurant sound like a can't-miss. I know that cannot be true. I also know we cannot make reservations until 60 days. But DH and I will talk about it every weekend over coffee until then.

Can the regulars give us their top 2 favorite places to eat in the parks?

Because of the 60 day rule, we will be making those and WDW ADRs the same week. Oh, the first-world problems I have.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Can the regulars give us their top 2 favorite places to eat in the parks?

Oooh I love this idea and would love to see what everyone responds with. We too are newbies and I feel the same way as the PP. We have a general list of places that we want to eat at, I read the Birmbaum book and have looked at menus on allears.net, but everything sounds good to us. I would love to know what the DLR vets thinks of TS places.

 

[lovebug33]

I LOVE the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ place.

 

[ColoradoLime]

I LOVE the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ place.

I'm so glad to hear this as this is one of the spots on our list to try!

 

[PoohsFan1]

I LOVE the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ place.

That is actually on our list of restaurants to do when we are there. I am so glad to read that you really enjoyed it .

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Disneyland:

Minnie and Friends character breakfast
Carnation Cafe

CA:

Wine Country Trattoria
Carthay Circle

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[grammalisa]

Count us in! 12 of us will be arriving May 29 for 3 days. Will also be doing Sea World San Diego zoo and Universal Studios. Will be staying at Super 8.

 

[ColoradoLime]

Yay!! I'll get you added to the list when I get back to my computer.

 

[ColoradoLime]

Vacation planning with my husbands schedule is going to drive me crazy. Now we might have to go back to our original June dates due to things he has going on at work. Ugh.

 

[LoveKermit]

We have to look at menus too.

We are thinking Blue Bayou and/or Carnation Cafe. We may do Wine Country Trattoria, not sure.

We are going to do Pinocchio's Workshop and maybe go to Napa Rose, but that may change. Anyone been there? Is it like California Grill?

What are favorite quick services?

 

[BriAlie]

DH and I will be staying at GCH May 15-16.

Sadly, DH is not a big Disneyland person, and I can't convince him to spend much time in the parks. This is the start of an 8 day trip to CA, OR, and WA. We will arrive in SNA on the 15th around 1130am, get a car, and head to the GCH. Anything we can get done that afternoon until closing, plus the next morning until around 11 or noon, is all the time I get! I'll get us up for the early entry at Disneyland on the 16th at least, to gain an extra hour. I'm happy to get to go at all, but I would always love more time.

It's DH first time at Disneyland, and probably the one and only time I will get him to go. Luckily, my sister loves the park as much as I do, so I will be back with her at some point.

 

[Lm3js]

Count me in. I just booked our room at the Tropicana. We will be going to DL on 6/11,12 and 13. Can't wait. We are also heading to Legoland on the 9th as my kids have been dying to go and they are about to outgrow it.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Vacation planning with my husbands schedule is going to drive me crazy. Now we might have to go back to our original June dates due to things he has going on at work. Ugh.

Ugh, I am so sorry to hear that. I would hate not knowing what my dates were because of work schedules. It really makes it hard to have a countdown ticker . Hope you guys will work something out....at least you can still say you are going to Disneyland .