10 Mths of WDW Planning leads us to~~DISNEYLAND!! Report Completed~Pic Heavy!!!

[DizNee Luver]

Finally made it over here Laurie!!

I am SO HAPPY your check finally came!!

And PPH Concierge?!?! Thats a dream right there! I know a lot of people love the DLH and GCH but the PPH was awesome in my mind!!

I am looking at a quickie trip the end of this month but I'm not sure it's worth it. I would drive down after work on Tuesday November 27th, spend a few hours in the park. Wednesday in the park, and then I would have to leave Thursday around 1pm to make the drive back as I would work that night. So I would basically get 1.5 park days and they are SHORT park days at that! Only open 10am-8pm... I'm torn as it's quite the drive (about 6 hrs each way) + 2 nights at a hotel... not sure its worth it!! Ugh the decisions we make for our Disney Love!!

I know, I feel so hoity toity (or however you spell that) staying Concierge!!! It will be so nice going back to the park and knowing we'll be comfortable, have a great view and access to some drinks and snacks!

I think any trip, no matter how long or short the trip is worth it!!! (as long as this doesn't keep you from going end of Feb) The park is amazing and if you just plan on going to catch a few of the holiday offerings (parade, fireworks, HMH and Small World) you won't be sorry.

Hey Laurie -

Sorry about your bank account, but thankfully you got it taken care of right away. Looks like your trip is full speed ahead and I am excited for you and your family.

Kris

Well I hope it's been dealt with......they told me it would take up to 24 hrs to reverse the 3 charges and when I checked it before dinner......they were still pending!

We're under 30 days now, so we're definitely full speed ahead.

 

[smile4stamps]

I know, I feel so hoity toity (or however you spell that) staying Concierge!!! It will be so nice going back to the park and knowing we'll be comfortable, have a great view and access to some drinks and snacks!

I think any trip, no matter how long or short the trip is worth it!!! (as long as this doesn't keep you from going end of Feb) The park is amazing and if you just plan on going to catch a few of the holiday offerings (parade, fireworks, HMH and Small World) you won't be sorry.

Ha-Ha... actually if I DON'T go on this short trip I would be less likely to go in February! If I go on this trip I will be upgrading to the Premier Pass (now isn't that all Hoity Toity?!? lol!) If I don't go on the short trip I'm not sure I would bother to upgrade and therefor not sure when I would go to DL again...

 

[DizNee Luver]

Ha-Ha... actually if I DON'T go on this short trip I would be less likely to go in February! If I go on this trip I will be upgrading to the Premier Pass (now isn't that all Hoity Toity?!? lol!) If I don't go on the short trip I'm not sure I would bother to upgrade and therefor not sure when I would go to DL again...

Well then I say YOU MUST GO!!!!! I mean it!!! No really........I mean it.....go!!!

 

[smile4stamps]

Well then I say YOU MUST GO!!!!! I mean it!!! No really........I mean it.....go!!!

If I can find a hotel room for under $100 with taxes for 2 nights I will! That's kind of a stretch lol.

 

[Sherry E]

If I can find a hotel room for under $100 with taxes for 2 nights I will! That's kind of a stretch lol.

Paula -

You could have found exactly that if you were going to DLR during my dates (which are currently 12/2-12/5, with a slight chance of switching to 12/9-12/12), but you're not! I'm staying at the PPH under quite miraculous, unexpected circumstances this year, and I have space for a roommate (especially someone who is solo) - but you're going at the end of November!

 

[smile4stamps]

Paula -

You could have found exactly that if you were going to DLR during my dates (which are currently 12/2-12/5, with a slight chance of switching to 12/9-12/12), but you're not! I'm staying at the PPH under quite miraculous, unexpected circumstances this year, and I have space for a roommate (especially someone who is solo) - but you're going at the end of November!

Yeah... 11/27-11/29 is the only 2 days in a row I have off through the end of the year (except for 12/5-12/14 when I will be visiting with my DH who I do not see often enough!) So I guess technically I am off for your second choice of dates but that is the time I will be celebrating Christmas with my DH and my MIL. Were you able to get rates this year like you were last year?!!?

 

[DizNee Luver]

If I can find a hotel room for under $100 with taxes for 2 nights I will! That's kind of a stretch lol.

Best I could find you was the Motel 6~Maingate for $112 (with taxes). We've stayed here before and they did a huge remodel. Actually pretty nice for a Motel 6. You will need to drive or take ART unless you like a long walk. It's doable.....but for our family......the walk back would have brutal at the end of a long day.

Paula -

You could have found exactly that if you were going to DLR during my dates (which are currently 12/2-12/5, with a slight chance of switching to 12/9-12/12), but you're not! I'm staying at the PPH under quite miraculous, unexpected circumstances this year, and I have space for a roommate (especially someone who is solo) - but you're going at the end of November!

Nice offer Sherry!! Too bad the dates didn't coincide!!

Yeah... 11/27-11/29 is the only 2 days in a row I have off through the end of the year (except for 12/5-12/14 when I will be visiting with my DH who I do not see often enough!) So I guess technically I am off for your second choice of dates but that is the time I will be celebrating Christmas with my DH and my MIL. Were you able to get rates this year like you were last year?!!?

I'm glad you'll get to go back for an early Christmas with your hubby! I was wondering if you were able to get time off since you just got back from your lengthy WDW trip!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Yeah... 11/27-11/29 is the only 2 days in a row I have off through the end of the year (except for 12/5-12/14 when I will be visiting with my DH who I do not see often enough!) So I guess technically I am off for your second choice of dates but that is the time I will be celebrating Christmas with my DH and my MIL. Were you able to get rates this year like you were last year?!!?

Not exactly - without going into specifics, let's just say I got an even better deal and was going to pay it forward!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Not exactly - without going into specifics, let's just say I got an even better deal and was going to pay it forward!

 

[smile4stamps]

Best I could find you was the Motel 6~Maingate for $112 (with taxes). We've stayed here before and they did a huge remodel. Actually pretty nice for a Motel 6. You will need to drive or take ART unless you like a long walk. It's doable.....but for our family......the walk back would have brutal at the end of a long day.

I found the Good Nite Inn Buena Park for $96 but not sure if it is an okay drive... I will have my car and with the Premier Pass free parking at the park so that is not a concern. Just want to make sure it won't take more than 15 minutes to get to/from the park in the morning and at night.


Nice offer Sherry!! Too bad the dates didn't coincide!!

Yeah. I love the PPH and would love to stay there again. However they charge $15/night for parking! I don't understand that!

I'm glad you'll get to go back for an early Christmas with your hubby! I was wondering if you were able to get time off since you just got back from your lengthy WDW trip!!!

That is the great part about my regular schedule only being 3 days a week. Its easy to just take off a couple of days and get a long break. I then work as much as I can inbetween trips to earn more vacation! Unfortunately this trip will actually be to San Diego as my husband is going to try and get his hot dog business going in Yuma, AZ for the winter! I still won't get to see my doggies! I miss them so much and haven't seen them since August! The next time I see them will most likely by May I guess.

Not exactly - without going into specifics, let's just say I got an even better deal and was going to pay it forward!

That is wonderful you were able to get such a great deal! Hopefully you can find someone willing to take you up on it!

 

[Sherry E]

That is the great part about my regular schedule only being 3 days a week. Its easy to just take off a couple of days and get a long break. I then work as much as I can inbetween trips to earn more vacation! Unfortunately this trip will actually be to San Diego as my husband is going to try and get his hot dog business going in Yuma, AZ for the winter! I still won't get to see my doggies! I miss them so much and haven't seen them since August! The next time I see them will most likely by May I guess.



That is wonderful you were able to get such a great deal! Hopefully you can find someone willing to take you up on it!

I'm sure I could find someone to take me up on it...if I were looking for someone to take me up on it. It's too good an offer to pass up. But I'm not looking. I only offered it to you and to Molly/bumbershoot - both of whom I've met (and both of whom can't go!). I'm fine staying solo - this was purely an act of paying it forward because I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of some Christmas magic!

The $15 parking fee is crazy but since they got rid of the Resort Fee at the hotels, they had to find some way to tack on extra money to the bill. The thing is, I would bet that a lot of folks arrive via bus, taxi or shuttle at the hotel parking lots and don't need parking.

 

[DizNee Luver]

That is the great part about my regular schedule only being 3 days a week. Its easy to just take off a couple of days and get a long break. I then work as much as I can inbetween trips to earn more vacation! Unfortunately this trip will actually be to San Diego as my husband is going to try and get his hot dog business going in Yuma, AZ for the winter! I still won't get to see my doggies! I miss them so much and haven't seen them since August! The next time I see them will most likely by May I guess.

That is wonderful you were able to get such a great deal! Hopefully you can find someone willing to take you up on it!

Oh bummer.....I thought you'd be going "home". Well at least you get more time with the hubby!!

I don't know anything about the motel you mentioned......I get scared of lower priced places since we had such an awful experience at one near the park.......I've personally stayed at the Motel 6 and my older boys have stayed at it a few different times. Never really any complaints (except the pool area can get a tad noisy).

I'm sure I could find someone to take me up on it...if I were looking for someone to take me up on it. It's too good an offer to pass up. But I'm not looking. I only offered it to you and to Molly/bumbershoot - both of whom I've met (and both of whom can't go!). I'm fine staying solo - this was purely an act of paying it forward because I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of some Christmas magic!

The $15 parking fee is crazy but since they got rid of the Resort Fee at the hotels, they had to find some way to tack on extra money to the bill. The thing is, I would bet that a lot of folks arrive via bus, taxi or shuttle at the hotel parking lots and don't need parking.

So they don't waive the parking fee if you don't have a vehicle?? I'm not sure how they can charge you a parking fee when you're not parking?? I assumed that would be charged only if you indeed had a vehicle with you. I only budgeted the fee for one room (one vehicle), not both rooms.

 

[PHXscuba]

I think the parking fee is only if you had a vehicle, no more miscellaneous "resort fee." When I called for onsite hotel prices for spring, they said for that $15/room fee you could park TWO cars! And I clarified that I if I had two rooms, I only had to pay one $15 fee (for up to two cars). Might help us if my parents come up for a day to join us. My dad hates to pay for parking.

PHxscuba

 

[smile4stamps]

Oh bummer.....I thought you'd be going "home". Well at least you get more time with the hubby!!

I don't know anything about the motel you mentioned......I get scared of lower priced places since we had such an awful experience at one near the park.......I've personally stayed at the Motel 6 and my older boys have stayed at it a few different times. Never really any complaints (except the pool area can get a tad noisy).



So they don't waive the parking fee if you don't have a vehicle?? I'm not sure how they can charge you a parking fee when you're not parking?? I assumed that would be charged only if you indeed had a vehicle with you. I only budgeted the fee for one room (one vehicle), not both rooms.

The motel I mentioned gets decent reviews... I need to do more research before I commit.

No, the parking fee is per vehicle. They USED to have a resort fee. The Resort fee was per room and included the parking charge. Now there is no resort fee but is a parking fee if you have a vehicle.

 

[Sherry E]

Oh bummer.....I thought you'd be going "home". Well at least you get more time with the hubby!!

I don't know anything about the motel you mentioned......I get scared of lower priced places since we had such an awful experience at one near the park.......I've personally stayed at the Motel 6 and my older boys have stayed at it a few different times. Never really any complaints (except the pool area can get a tad noisy).



So they don't waive the parking fee if you don't have a vehicle?? I'm not sure how they can charge you a parking fee when you're not parking?? I assumed that would be charged only if you indeed had a vehicle with you. I only budgeted the fee for one room (one vehicle), not both rooms.

No, people won't be charged if they don't have a vehicle. That's why I said that a lot of people probably arrive via taxi, shuttle or bus and don't need the parking - it ruins the hotels' attempts to get an extra $15 out of people! They had to lose the Resort Fee last year, and the parking was included in the Resort Fee. So now they want to make sure they are getting money if people park, but more and more guests are coming in without their own vehicles.

When I made my PPH reservation a couple of weeks ago, the CM on the phone was very stern in reminding me that there would be a $15 fee if I drove a car onto the lot. I kept saying, "I won't need parking...I won't need parking...I don't need parking," and she kept repeating how the charge would appear on my bill if I parked...so much so that I feared I would discover that there was an extra $15 thrown onto my bill anyway (like the phone deposit), 'just in case.'

So even if my friends were to park at PPH (as one of them usually does) and meet me in the A.M., if I had a room key for them and they showed it to the parking guy on the way out of the lot, they would charge ME for their parking. They would add the fee onto my bill. So the friends would have to just tell them they were parking independently and let them charge them.

Last year the parking was free with my PPH room - although there was some dispute within the Special Activities office as to whether the parking was supposed to be free for my entire stay or just for one day. Most of the CM's said it was good for the entire stay. One incorrect CM said it was free for one day only. She was overruled.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I think the parking fee is only if you had a vehicle, no more miscellaneous "resort fee." When I called for onsite hotel prices for spring, they said for that $15/room fee you could park TWO cars! And I clarified that I if I had two rooms, I only had to pay one $15 fee (for up to two cars). Might help us if my parents come up for a day to join us. My dad hates to pay for parking.

PHxscuba

The motel I mentioned gets decent reviews... I need to do more research before I commit.

No, the parking fee is per vehicle. They USED to have a resort fee. The Resort fee was per room and included the parking charge. Now there is no resort fee but is a parking fee if you have a vehicle.

No, people won't be charged if they don't have a vehicle. That's why I said that a lot of people probably arrive via taxi, shuttle or bus and don't need the parking - it ruins the hotels' attempts to get an extra $15 out of people! They had to lose the Resort Fee last year, and the parking was included in the Resort Fee. So now they want to make sure they are getting money if people park, but more and more guests are coming in without their own vehicles.

When I made my PPH reservation a couple of weeks ago, the CM on the phone was very stern in reminding me that there would be a $15 fee if I drove a car onto the lot. I kept saying, "I won't need parking...I won't need parking...I don't need parking," and she kept repeating how the charge would appear on my bill if I parked...so much so that I feared I would discover that there was an extra $15 thrown onto my bill anyway (like the phone deposit), 'just in case.'

So even if my friends were to park at PPH (as one of them usually does) and meet me in the A.M., if I had a room key for them and they showed it to the parking guy on the way out of the lot, they would charge ME for their parking. They would add the fee onto my bill. So the friends would have to just tell them they were parking independently and let them charge them.

Last year the parking was free with my PPH room - although there was some dispute within the Special Activities office as to whether the parking was supposed to be free for my entire stay or just for one day. Most of the CM's said it was good for the entire stay. One incorrect CM said it was free for one day only. She was overruled.

Ok, that's good to know.......with 7 nights and 2 rooms......that fee can get spendy!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Thought I should check in!! We had a busy week and a long weekend (which continues thru tomorrow night). Thursday morning Anthony and Addy both had a Veteran's Day program at their schools. The middle school program was really well done, but I found myself quite emotional and in fact, at one point I looked down at Anthony and he was crying. I think that since this was the first Veteran's Day since the passing of my dad & step-dad, it hit us both kinda hard. Addy's program was for the 1st and 2nd grade and had some great patriotic songs......very age appropriate celebration.

(Anthony is the short little guy in the front row between two tall girls)

(Addy is the back row with the red bow in her hair)

The kids are out of school Friday thru Monday, so we invited Addy's half sister Mia and her bio mom to come visit us Friday night. We did another one of our Disney Movie Nights!!!!

Our theme was Lilo-n-Stitch..........so we went with the Hawaiian feel!!

I found these awesome soda labels at our local party store!

I was able to find tiki glasses at the Dollar Tree and the party store is where I found the plates and napkins.

I picked up a few other decorations.

Before the party I had to get the balloons ready. I put a Smarties candy inside each balloon before blowing them up.

This was the agenda for the evening and then everyone's name in Hawaiian.

The guest of honor~~

The first thing on our agenda was "Cobra Bubbles" investigating our pictures of the "experiments". (as you know~~Stitch was experiment 626)

Anthony:

Mia and Addy:

Mellissa and Shyann:

Tyler and his sketch!

Next up was dinner~~

"Nani's" Teriyaki Chicken

"Pleakley's" Rice, "Lilo's" Fruit Kabobs and "Jumba's" Hawaiian Rolls

Next up more movie night!

 

[DizNee Luver]

So after a yummy dinner, it was time to watch the movie!

Some pics of the crew while we were watching previews:

We all enjoyed the movie and then it was time for "Gantu's" Feed the Tiki game. (like pin the tail on the donkey but we used Hawaiian stickers and tried to get them in the mouth of the tiki). I realized I didn't have anything to cover the eyes.....but remembered getting a Jack Skellington sleep mask at the Dis Diva's Girl Trip.....and it worked perfectly!!

This is Addy:

This is Mia:

This is Shyann:

This is Anthony:

The Tiki on the door with the stickers on and around it.

LOL......Mellissa's ended up all the way over on the door frame!!

Next was "Stitch's" Balloon Destruction!! The kids got really excited when they realized there was candy inside! (Addy was afraid of popping them)

Next post will finishing up our evening.

 

[DizNee Luver]

The last thing for the evening was the Mt Kileaua Volcano Sundae!!! We've done these before and they are a huge hit.

Here's the bowl of toppings:

Mike scooping up the ice cream into the big bowl:

Anthony adding the chocolate syrup:

Shyann adding the Swedish Fish:

The girls posing:

Mia adding the Nerd's:

Addy adding the M&M's:

The toppings in the bowl:

Tyler adding the entire can of whip cream!

Addy was given a HUGE spoonful of whip cream.....lol

The finishing touch:

Tyler starts serving up the sundae:

After everyone was done, Michayla came up to the table and did a little tasting of her own!!!

That concluded our Lilo-n-Stitch night!! I'd say, another success!!

Yesterday we headed up to Salem for a birthday party for the kids friends at Chuck E Cheese. Mia and Mellissa had never been to one before, so this was a new experience for them.

We finally took Mia and Mellissa home after dinner Saturday night. Today we're going to watch the Harlem Ambassador's Basketball (kinda like the Harlem Globetrotters, but a co-ed version) at our local high school. Should be lots of fun for the family. Tomorrow, don't have any plans and the kids don't have school......so it will be a chillax day!!

26 DAYS!!!!!!

 

[Trentmom]

Movie night looked like a blast. Good idea putting candy in the balloons

Ice Cream looked yummy

Looks like the kids had fun at CEC too.

Great weekend