25th Ann.-2 TR w/over 1500 pics!!!!

[kaoden39]

I tried for Shasta pics for ya too, but the clouds were not cooperating on either of my drives to Redding and back



It sure was nice of you to try. Thank you.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

I hope you, DH, and the girls have a FANTASTIC time!!

All the luck in the WORLD to your DH in his interview and I'm keeping you all in my prayers!!

I can't wait to hear how everything went when you come back!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Glad you made it back to finish the report mnmrmustard!!! There was definately a LOT of information in my report.......like I was writing my own personal guide book.....

Well just a quick note......we're back......things did not have a fairytale ending.....the girls struggled as we thought might happen......glad to be home....missing my other kids (which we'll get in couple hours).....still have the Anaheim itch of wanting to live there.....still have no clue what we're going to do about jobs....wondering if Anaheim wasn't meant to be.....what is the reason (will it be a good thing or a bad thing)......left wondering what's our next step........ did get some pics & will fill everyone in on the mini trip later today.

Thank you all for the prayers & well wishes....it just wasn't meant to be. Heavy sigh..............

 

[charmama4]

I'm so sorry things didin't work out the way you wanted. There IS a reason for everything, we just may not understand what it is during the process.

Would love to see pictures of your girls, though!!!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Charmama is right, a reason for everything. And through all this you'll find what the reason is and what is meant to be.

Glad you all are back home safely. You're still in my thoughts!

 

[kaoden39]

 

[mnmrmustard]

Glad you made it back to finish the report mnmrmustard!!! There was definately a LOT of information in my report.......like I was writing my own personal guide book.....

Well just a quick note......we're back......things did not have a fairytale ending.....the girls struggled as we thought might happen......glad to be home....missing my other kids (which we'll get in couple hours).....still have the Anaheim itch of wanting to live there.....still have no clue what we're going to do about jobs....wondering if Anaheim wasn't meant to be.....what is the reason (will it be a good thing or a bad thing)......left wondering what's our next step........ did get some pics & will fill everyone in on the mini trip later today.

Thank you all for the prayers & well wishes....it just wasn't meant to be. Heavy sigh..............

Well it was a fun guide to read for sure

And yes, a busy Disneyland can be a bit overwhelming for the wee ones, I'm sorry they didn't feel the magic. But they will make up for it in years to come

We had been hoping and praying for you guys and your hubby's interview, but I also saw the reports of 1,200 people having been laid off (mostly at WDW, but a chunk at DL) and about 700 positions that they had open that they decided not to fill. I read that a lot of those positions were middle and upper management and was hoping the direct customer-interaction jobs would continue to be filled.

I can understand the itch to live there and live the experience/be part of the magic. And if it is meant to be it will happen in its own time. And while you're up here it will give you more time to research housing and schools and all of that good stuff so that when the time comes you'll be at least as prepared as you are for your Disney trips!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

first of all, thank you all so much....it's great having a support team!!!

Ok, so here we go with the MINI TR:

Sun, April 5

We were up early & on the road at 5am. We had great weather the whole trip!! We started noticing traffic picking up just north of Sacramento & it continued to get worse the further south we went. We saw 3 accident scenes on the way down: In Sacramento a car had just left the freeway & ran thru a chain link fence.....car was damaged but all the occupents were getting out & seemed fine. Not sure what they did, but guessing they just weren't paying attention & hit the shoulder & lost control. The 2nd accident scene was around Coalinga (pewwwww). A motorcyclist was in the center median & his motorcycle was probably 200 ft away from him & a thousand pieces. The paramedics had him up on a stretcher & a helicopter was landed on I-5 Northbound with traffic stopped for miles. The 3rd accident scene was on the Grapevine. We saw what used to be a sand/dune buggy on a trailer. It had burned & was pretty much toast.....lol.
The traffic was stop & go from Six Flags & stayed that way to Commerce. We headed straight to our motel: America's Best Value, Astoria Inn & Suites. It was the most disgusting motel we've stayed at. TripAdvisor had great reviews of it, but I'm thinking friends & family did those reviews. I'll have pictures later & go into more details. The twins did great on the road trip. They lasted 13 1/2 hours with no complaining but the last 30 minutes they let us know they had been in the car too long!!
We went over to Disneyland to take care of a few things (figured better to do in the evening then first thing in the morning). We parked at the Mickey garage & rode the tram over.....the girls loved it!! Mike & Derek went to the AP center to upgrade Derek's ticket to a deluxe AP as I went to city hall with the twins to get a GAC (guest assistance card). We ended up with a card that allowed us to use the stroller as a wheelchair. We met back up & the guys took the twins to the baby center to feed them as I got them their 1st pair of ears!!
We picked up some dinner at the Tomorrowland Terrace (we sat at the outside tables of Pizza Port & were going to get food there, but to be honest with you I thought the smell of the food was icky & so did Derek). We ate our late dinner & then the fireworks started. We decided to walk over towards IASW to see them. Michayla fell asleep while they were going & Shyann ran all over the place with Mike chasing her. Neither girl seemed to even notice the fireworks or the big booms. This has always concerned us about possible autism, they tend to shut off & they've had their hearing tested & it's fine. No startling or looking towards the sounds at all.

After the fireworks we walked up to the new BBQ to look around. It was closed but you were able to walk around & look. So I took tons of pics so here we go:

It looks pretty nice, but the price was scary!!! People walking by can look right in, but the stage is all the way to the far end, so people "catching" the show don't really get to see much from the outside. The CM's won't let you in unless you're eating there, so no biggie to me if someone walking by tries to watch a bit. I'm really glad it was not roped off.....really enjoyed getting all the pics!!

We walked up past BTMRR & I snapped this shot:

I tried to get a pic of the Mark Twain as it went by, but not the best shot but doable:

We decided it was time to get some sleep, so we made our way back up Main Street & rode the tram back to the car. Back to the motel for some much needed sleep.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 2: Monday, April 6

Up & ready to go by 8am.....but first we had to try on the girls ears.....Shyann didn't mind them but Michayla ripped them off immediately....had to snap the pics quick with her!!:

We parked at the Mickey parking & rode the tram to the park. Went into DL & got a couple Photopass pics (the only ones we ended up doing) at the Celebration Balloons, the Partner's Statue & the Castle. I took some pics from around the hub.

Derek ran to get FP's for Space Mtn & then we met back up at the Plaza Inn. We were doing the Minnie & Friend's Character Breakfast. We had just got shown to our table when Chip stopped by.....no camera or autograph book ready...bummer!! The first character that spent time with us was Minnie herself!!

The food again to us is so-so, but the characters there are worth it to us.

More Minnie & Friends next post!

 

[DizNee Luver]

The next character was the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland:

Next was Max--Goofy's son:

The Fairy Godmother came & played with the girls....we've seen THIS one before:

Eeyore, he was sad when the girls were:

Peter Pan was heading to our table when he realized Hook was a table away, so he taunted him thru the railing & then ran off.....he never made it back to our table even after mentioning it to the Character Host....a bit disappointed, but oh well....

Captain Hook was next, after peeking around for Peter:

More in the next post!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Next bounced in Tigger:

Minnie ended up coming back by so we got another couple pics:

Honest John (the Fox from Pinocchio) came by....never seen this one before!!

Dale made a stop:

Then a repeat performance from Eeyore:

They had a dance song & we snapped these of Honest John & Rafiki:

& the final character was Rafiki (the Lion King)

We saw 11 characters at our table (10 autographs & pics) & saw 3 more characters during our breakfast....the 3 that didn't make it to our table was Peter Pan, Alice & the Mad Hatter. This is why we love this meal....not for the food, but for the characters!!! The girls did ok, but it was definately time for a nap when we left.

More to come!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

After our breakfast, Derek ran to get a 2nd set of FP's for Space Mtn. We met up & walked towards Critter Country. Mike & Derek rode single rider on Splash Mtn. as I strolled the girls in Pooh's Corner to do a little shopping. Derek got these pics while on Splash Mtn:

I of course got you some food porn pics of the sweets:

While I waited for the guys to come off of Splash, I caught Winnie the Pooh walking towards the meet n'greet:

The girls woke up fussy, so we decided we needed to find a quiet place to feed them their lunch. We took a peak at the picnic area, but not much shade & all cement.

We went thru DTD & made our way to the lobby of the Grand Californian. It was quiet & a bit darker in there, so we figured a good place to de-stress. Mike & Derek took quite a few shots in the lobby....some came out, some did not:

We walked around a bit outside of the hotel as we made our way to Whitewater Snacks for our lunch.

Next up, lunch & the afternoon!

 

[kaoden39]

The White Rabbit and the balloons seemed to be the biggest hits. I know Captain Hook can be kind of scary. I am sorry that things didn't go better for you down there.

 

[DizNee Luver]

We had our lunch at Whitewater Snacks. The food was very good & you get a ton.....no one could even begin to finish their lunches.

After lunch, Derek snapped a few more pics on our way out of the GCH:

We stopped by World of Disney to pick up sweatsuits for the girls. I had brought jackets for them, but something black got all over one of the them so we needed something warm for them.

We went back into DL & used our 6 FP's for Space Mtn. Mike & Derek rode, Derek & I & then Mike & I. The girls rested in their stroller in the "tunnel" at the exit of Space Mtn. Our next stop was at BTMRR to get a set of FP's.

The girls were warm, so we headed inside of the Golden Horseshoe to watch the Billy Hill & the Hillbillies. Michayla was very fussy & tired, so I ended up leaving the show & sitting on a bench to rock her to sleep. One of the musicians (I think from the comedy group that performs in front of the Golden Horseshoe) came by & played lullabye on his fiddle. After the show, Derek ran & got our 2nd set of FP's from BTMRR. We went back into Critter Country so Mike & Derek could single rider Splash Mtn again.

Derek took some more random shots on our way:

Derek took his camera back onto Splash & got this one:

We finally took the girls on their first ride......The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Michayla sat on my lap & Shyann sat on Derek's lap. They did ok-ish..... Michayla & Shyann both tensed up & holy cow....it really was loud in there. Funny how you don't tend to notice those things until you have someone with you that has sensory issues.

After the ride, we could tell the girls were hungry, so we sat on the bottom level of the Hungry Bear Restaurant to feed them. It's not quiet, but definately a little less activity & noises going on down there. After the twins were fed, we headed back to BTMRR to use our FP's. Derek & I rode, then Derek & Mike & then Mike & I....love this ride!!!!

At this point we could tell the girls were done, so we decided to leave the park early & pick up dinner at a fast food place to eat in the motel. Mike ended up riding the tram alone & picking up the car. He met Derek, the twins & I on Harbor Blvd at the 15 minute parking area. We got the girls in their car seats & they instantly calmed down. We picked up dinner from Carl's Jr & ate dinner at the motel. The girls played on the floor & then had their bedtime bottles & fell fast asleep.

The next post will be pics of the motel & explainations of what we saw!

 

[DizNee Luver]

The White Rabbit and the balloons seemed to be the biggest hits. I know Captain Hook can be kind of scary. I am sorry that things didn't go better for you down there.

The White Rabbit was early in the meal, by about Tigger, they were getting ready for their naps. I don't think any of the characters scared them....which I really expected.

 

[kaoden39]

The White Rabbit was early in the meal, by about Tigger, they were getting ready for their naps. I don't think any of the characters scared them....which I really expected.

That's good. I know that the parks on a whole can be daunting to little ones. Lunch at White Water Snacks looks really good. I need to put this on my list of places to eat.

 

[DizNee Luver]

AMERICA'S BEST VALUE--ASTORIA INN & SUITES on Ball (one block off Harbor)

It's a small older motel....great location, especially if you planned on using the Mickey parking garage. We paid $69.99/night + tax....but we didn't realize we also paid $1.50/night for the in room safe, they we never used. The motel offers a Continental Breakfast (which consisted of a box of donuts & some pre-packaged pastries, coffee & juice??) I believe the guy that checked me in said it was available 6:30-9:30 but I was up & outside (not for that) every morning before 7am & the door was always locked....other people were looking for it & no one was even in the office yet. It had a small pool & hot tub.

Is it just me or does the hot tub look totally grimy gross??? YUCK!!

Our room was on the 2nd floor, had 2 queen beds, small fridge, microwave, tv, alarm clock, blow dryer....safe & bathroom.

I had specifically asked about portable cribs & they told me they could give me one for sure, but couldn't guarantee a 2nd one but they'd try. We got one & they don't even have a 2nd one........ that meant one of the babies had to sleep on the floor. Good thing I brought a bunch of extra blankets.

So we had noticed stains all over the carpet, but figured they were just that.....stains.

That is, until Michayla was crawling on the floor while we ate our dinner. She was on the floor for 20 minutes & this is what it did to her:

Totally disgustingly dirty carpet & the poor thing had to sleep on it!!!!! We took a few more pics of what we observed in our room.

You could see light around most of the door

Burnt plug-in....that makes you feel safe.....

Just one corner of the bathroom by the door, which by the way didn't shut.... no privacy here!!

I would never, ever recommend staying here....no matter how desperate! We walked into the room Sunday night & the girls started sneezing & getting congested within an hour. When we left during the day, they got better as the day went on, as soon as we went back in there....it started up again. We could smell a musty/moldy smell on their blankets & clothes & by the end of the trip, we all were having issues.

I did complain about the conditions of the carpeting & are you ready for this....... the lady told me it was Disneyland's fault because of the fireworks. She said, the fireworks are what causes the black stuff....she runs her finger across the window sill & says "look at the black stuff & I just dusted"....the only thing I saw was dust....not black dust, just dust. I commented that we'd never had this problem anywhere else along the park & she said, well they have interior corridors......ummmmmm, not all of them. Bottom line, the family that runs this motel are dirty & they don't care what the rooms look like. They got their money out of you & that's that! I'm putting a very negative review on TripAdvisor & gonna try to find the corporate email for the motel chain to send them these pics.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, April 7:

We got up today, confident in Mike getting a job. He dropped us all off at the 15 min. parking lot off Harbor Blvd & headed to his 9am interview. Derek & I took the girls in knowing we wanted to take them on IASW. We had got the GAC but never used it, so figured we'd give it a try this morning. We asked a CM how to use it & they directed me to take the stroller down the wheelchair ramp. We got to the end & the CM asked us to get into row's 4 & 5. I asked her where to park the stroller & some rude person in line said "you were supposed to leave it up there"...I ignored them. We parked the stroller, got the girls out & then got right into the boat. Shyann sat with Derek & seemed to do ok for the entire ride, Michayla did alright for the first half & then it got to be too much to take in. She arched her back & her arms came back (kinda like a newborn when startled). We got them off & took a couple minutes to allow them to rest. Derek took some more pictures......if you've noticed his theme for the trip was the Matterhorn.

We decided it just wasn't a DL trip with out going on Peter Pan, so we again used the GAC & entered thru the exit. We waited about 3 minutes before Michayla & I were directed in. Then Derek was about 2 "boats" behind us with Shyann. Michayla did not like this ride.....too dark, too loud & the going down part scared her. Shyann did ok until the boat went down & then she got upset. After the ride, we decided no more rides for the girls. We went back over to the area of IASW as this was to be our meeting place with Mike. It was still too soon for him to be back, so we headed into ToonTown to take pics.

Oops!!! Just realized daughter has gymnastics....be back later to finish this up!!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

I just can't get over what pretty eyes your girls have!

Man, you guys saw a TON of characters at Minnie's! We're eating there at the end of this month and your pictures made me really excited! What time was your seating at?

Poor baby got dirty from the carpet! I can't believe it was that filthy! What a yucky hotel, it really sucks when you stay at a place like that, we've done it before. Let us know if their corporate says anything when you email them.

I can't wait for more pictures!

 

[kaoden39]

Yuck. And I do mean yuck. I will not stay there and I would so email, call and really give them a piece of my mind.