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

[DizNee Luver]

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

It really was a lot of fun!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Well time to update the plans/itinerary:

If you recall, we decided to rent a 12 passenger van and drive to Disneyland. Well, we're still driving......but we're taking our mini van instead of renting a bigger van. This gives us money to spend elsewhere and we have the kind of van that there is storage in the floor and a decent space behind the back seat. I feel a good game of tetrus will be played in packing our van but we will make it!

We will be leaving our home around 6am on Friday, December 7th and driving south. We'll make a fast food lunch stop on the way south and will stop for the day in Sacramento. We'll be staying the night at the Homewood Suites~Sacramento Airport/Natomas.

We'll meet up with some Dis friends and their families for dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Sacramento.

The next day (Sat the 8th), we'll travel to Hollywood. We're staying at the BW Hollywood Plaza Inn.

We're going to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

And the Disney Soda Fountain to share Mickey's Masterpiece Sundae!!

On Sunday, Dec. 9th....we'll head to Anaheim to start our 7 night stay at the PPH.

We'll spend our afternoon enjoying lunch at an In & Out Burger.

And shopping at the Company D store (Cast Member store)......

(the only pic I have is of the Diva's in front of the entrance)

and even the Character Warehouse store.

Then our exclusive DTD, DL & DCA time will begin. We'll do the parks Monday, the 10th thru Friday, the 14th. Saturday the 15th will be a down day to rest up for the trip home, last minute shopping, swimming, etc.

On Sunday, the 16th we'll head north and drive as far as Willows. We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express.

Our last day, Monday the 17th we'll start out having breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.

We'll be home by dinner time. So that's pretty much it!! We're all getting very excited and the days are passing quickly.

****All the pictures (except for the PPH and Diva pic) are from Google Images......they are not my personal pics!!****

 

[PHXscuba]

I love your Lilo and Stitch party!! DS7 is a huge Stitch fan and I can practically quote the movie by now. We may be doing some themed nights before our trip and I hope I have permission to blatantly steal some of your ideas!!??

Good luck eating that Mickey's Masterpiece even with seven people ... I saw one last summer when the table next to ours ordered it, and it was ginormous! Your kids after eating it:

PHXscuba

 

[DizNee Luver]

I love your Lilo and Stitch party!! DS7 is a huge Stitch fan and I can practically quote the movie by now. We may be doing some themed nights before our trip and I hope I have permission to blatantly steal some of your ideas!!??

Good luck eating that Mickey's Masterpiece even with seven people ... I saw one last summer when the table next to ours ordered it, and it was ginormous! Your kids after eating it:

PHXscuba

Feel free to use the ideas from our movie night. I've done 2 others and I think they're listed out in my WDW PTR. The other 2 were Monster's Inc and Chicken Little.

I don't plan on us eating all of the sundae, but it is cheaper to buy that vs individual sundae's for everyone.........and my family have been practicing with our monster sundaes......lol

 

[Trentmom]

Your plans look great.

Those hotels look very nice


That sundae sounds yummy

 

[DisneyStitch626]

Once again, loved your choice of movie theme night! It looked like so much fun! The chicken and the fruit kabobs looked so yummy! And the sundae too!

Love your plans. Sounds like you guys will have a blast! Also like your choice of photo for Madame Tussaud's.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Your plans look great.

Those hotels look very nice


That sundae sounds yummy

Thanx Kelly!! I hope they're as nice as the pics show.....sometimes, photos can be deceiving. We've always found the Homewood Suites to be nice. I think the one that has me the most worried will be the Hollywood one (and it's the most expensive one!)

Once again, loved your choice of movie theme night! It looked like so much fun! The chicken and the fruit kabobs looked so yummy! And the sundae too!

Love your plans. Sounds like you guys will have a blast! Also like your choice of photo for Madame Tussaud's.

It was like the post was made for you.......Stitch and MJ!!

 

[DisneyStitch626]

You know, I was thinking that too. LOL!

 

[DizNee Luver]

You know, I was thinking that too. LOL!

 

[DnA2010]

Hi Laurie,

You movie night was fantastic! How nice that you could have Mia and her mom- am I correct that she is Addy’s birth mom as well? I think it is just wonderful that you get the girls together.

I am enjoying your plans very much for DL! We are hoping to get back next summer, but who knows right…we talked about driving, it is hard to beat what we paid for our last trip- we have recently (in the last couple of years) found Allegiant Air- do they possibly fly out of an airport anywhere near you? For our last trip, we managed to get flight and hotel (Castle Inn- I know it is not liked very much on here but we actually had a nice stay1) for under $500 for 3 of us for flight AND hotel! All taxes in! Crazy hey! (That was out of Bellingham) Might be something to look at for future trips? Even just getting the flights can be very reasonable…especially if you have that fabulous CM discount! They seem to have great prices for off season times, especially around 2.5 months out.


We are going to San Fran to visit family (and the Disney Museum!) for the week starting on New Years, and I got the flights for under $100/person!

-Ally

 

[DizNee Luver]

Hi Laurie,

You movie night was fantastic! How nice that you could have Mia and her mom- am I correct that she is Addy’s birth mom as well? I think it is just wonderful that you get the girls together.

I am enjoying your plans very much for DL! We are hoping to get back next summer, but who knows right…we talked about driving, it is hard to beat what we paid for our last trip- we have recently (in the last couple of years) found Allegiant Air- do they possibly fly out of an airport anywhere near you? For our last trip, we managed to get flight and hotel (Castle Inn- I know it is not liked very much on here but we actually had a nice stay1) for under $500 for 3 of us for flight AND hotel! All taxes in! Crazy hey! (That was out of Bellingham) Might be something to look at for future trips? Even just getting the flights can be very reasonable…especially if you have that fabulous CM discount! They seem to have great prices for off season times, especially around 2.5 months out.


We are going to San Fran to visit family (and the Disney Museum!) for the week starting on New Years, and I got the flights for under $100/person!

-Ally

That was Addy's birth mom and half sister (Addy's dad is Hispanic and Mia's dad is Native Indian and they really look a lot alike!) We have an open adoption with Mellissa but it had been 3 yrs since we had seen them. M is in rehab here in our town, so I finally decided to go see her. She's been here since July and seems to be doing well......we will see. We're the back up plan if she screws up again....so we want Mia to feel comfortable around us....just in case.

You know, I haven't looked at Allegiant for prices....I usually just look at Alaska and SW. Next trip, I'll take a look.....thanx for the tips!!

Oh, have fun in SF......we were hoping to add the Disney Museum in at the end of our trip but we had to work around Derek's dates and he ended up getting way more days off together than originally planned. So we're hoping to do a summer SF trip (or maybe next Sept. after my oldest son's wedding)

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

OMG!! I loved the movie night!! My middle school didn't have a Veteran's Day thing. At my school this year, they ignored 9/11.

 

[DizNee Luver]

OMG!! I loved the movie night!! My middle school didn't have a Veteran's Day thing. At my school this year, they ignored 9/11.

Thanx, movie night was fun!!!

That's too bad that the schools in your area didn't have a Veteran's Day assembly or anything for 9/11!! I think it's important to remember both of these days and make sure that young people understand what they mean to our country.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I was so sad when we changed our trip from WDW to Disneyland because of missing out on the Candlelight Processional. We had our ressies for a dining package and we're all set up to see Olivia Newton-John as the narrator. Not long after cancelling this trip, I get a courtesy phone call to let me know that Olivia Newton-John was no longer the scheduled narrator but the gal that voiced Mulan/Jasmine. So I thought, at the time, we had made the right decision in switching to DL.

So then the news of 20 nights of Candlelight Processional at DL was a hot topic and dining packages being discussed. I made up my itinerary, made my dining ressies but left one night open (Dec 12) for the CP, just in case. Then the announcement of narrators came out.........who is the narrator for the one night I set aside?? None other than Dick Van Dyke!! Let's just say I was an extremely excited about seeing him. He's been a favorite of mine since my childhood and the thought of seeing him in person, in my favorite place on earth during my favorite season was just too much for me to control those emotions. So the news of NO dining packages but seating would be a lottery for AP holders comes out. I was devastated, as I am the only one in my family with an AP. That meant, we, as a family would not be attending this event. I was sad.......... On the 12th, they opened up the lottery.......I can't even take my hubby if I won because he doesn't have an AP and you had to have a valid one by that date (Nov 12). So I didn't enter......but then last night, I got to thinking........I would be kicking myself if I didn't at least try to win a spot to see it. So I entered for 2 people, the 7:30pm showing on Dec 12th when Dick Van Dyke will be there. I didn't do multiple days and times.....just the ONE TIME. I highly doubt I'll win........but at least I know I tried. I'm not sure what I'll do IF I do win two seats......I'd feel horrible seeing it and leaving my family behind......but what an opportunity it would be to see someone I've idolized all my life. I know I have lots of local Diva friends that would probably volunteer to "escort" me if need be...... So now the waiting for the email begins. November 26th, Disney will send out emails letting everyone know if they were one of the few selected AP holders to view this event during it's holiday run.

If it's meant to be, it will be.....if not.......I'll survive and my family will still have the most amazing time!!

Leaving in 23 days, seeing Derek in 25 days and 26 days until we step thru the gates of DL/DCA!!!

 

[6Smiles]

Hey Laurie -

How awesome would it be to have Dick Van Dyke narrate and have a surprise visit from Julie Andrews as well. The Mary Poppins team reunion! I am a huge fan of Dick Van Dyke myself he is an extremely talented gentleman. I really hope you land tickets!

How exciting that you will leave in 23 days and seeing Derek in 25 days how wonderful. I know you will all have a wonderful time just being together.

We are 30 days out and I can hardly contain myself. My daughter came home tonight and informed us they changed the date of her performance in tears to the 17th of December my youngest DD 8th birthday. She said I should not have said the new date out loud as she wanted her concert to be her sister's Birthday present! Such a sweet sentiment and yet our surprise to her is that she won't be at her concert either... We will all be in Disneyland . We arrive late morning of the 14th and leave after breakfast with the character's from Surfs Up on the 19th. A very modified trip but at this point I am just happy to be going at Christmas time!

Kris

 

[DizNee Luver]

Hey Laurie -

How awesome would it be to have Dick Van Dyke narrate and have a surprise visit from Julie Andrews as well. The Mary Poppins team reunion! I am a huge fan of Dick Van Dyke myself he is an extremely talented gentleman. I really hope you land tickets!

How exciting that you will leave in 23 days and seeing Derek in 25 days how wonderful. I know you will all have a wonderful time just being together.

We are 30 days out and I can hardly contain myself. My daughter came home tonight and informed us they changed the date of her performance in tears to the 17th of December my youngest DD 8th birthday. She said I should not have said the new date out loud as she wanted her concert to be her sister's Birthday present! Such a sweet sentiment and yet our surprise to her is that she won't be at her concert either... We will all be in Disneyland . We arrive late morning of the 14th and leave after breakfast with the character's from Surfs Up on the 19th. A very modified trip but at this point I am just happy to be going at Christmas time!

Kris

That would be dreamy to have Julie Andrews surprise everyone by stopping by......lol Realistically though, I don't have much chance in winning since I only did one show period. I kinda felt if I was meant to go to the CP....it would be that showing. So either it will happen or it won't. I'm surely not going to let it get me down if I miss out on going.

Do you think your daughter's gonna freak out when she finds out she isn't going to her concert??

So let's see.......coming in the 14th.....that's Friday......so we'll have to find 5 minutes to meet up!! We're doing a late dinner Friday at the Jazz Kitchen, then just hanging out on Saturday. This would probably be the easiest day for me to meet you. The family will lunch at Earl of Sandwich and dinner at Tortilla Jo's. Let me know, as you would be giving up a couple minutes of your day. Like I said, our Saturday is unstructured or planned other than meals. (and I have an AP if I need to run into one of the parks to catch you)

 

[Trentmom]

So, if you go to Disneyland at Christmas, only people who can see candlelight processionals are AP holders? Or is that just to get a reserved seat and anyone else who wants to see it, would have to stand in the back?

Just curious as pondering a trip to Disneyland during Christmas season one of these years

Thanks

Either way...good luck on lottery

 

[DizNee Luver]

So, if you go to Disneyland at Christmas, only people who can see candlelight processionals are AP holders? Or is that just to get a reserved seat and anyone else who wants to see it, would have to stand in the back?

Just curious as pondering a trip to Disneyland during Christmas season one of these years

Thanks

Either way...good luck on lottery

The seating is for the AP holders this year. People are free to stand around the edges but for my family (because of the twins)...that really isn't an option for us. I do believe they will do a dining package next year....but they decided against it this year. I think the dining would allow other people to have reserved seats. It's kinda hard to know for sure. This year is definitely a trial year. I just wish if an AP holder won a couple seats that they could bring ANY guest, not just another AP holder.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I love how Dick and Julie will be there!! When I went to see it at WDW, I had Marlee Matlin as my narrator. By the way, it was in 2006, just close to New Years 2007

 

[Trentmom]

The seating is for the AP holders this year. People are free to stand around the edges but for my family (because of the twins)...that really isn't an option for us. I do believe they will do a dining package next year....but they decided against it this year. I think the dining would allow other people to have reserved seats. It's kinda hard to know for sure. This year is definitely a trial year. I just wish if an AP holder won a couple seats that they could bring ANY guest, not just another AP holder.

Oh okay.. I got it. Thanks for explaining that.

Yeah, I agree with you on lottery thing. Lottery winner should be able to bring whomever they want