3 Generation Trip PTR May 8-May 20

[eryn the pooh]

Ive tried to wait to start, but its so hard! I NEED to talk about it to someone, and I know you'll all listen!

First the players:
Me-Eryn(32) I think it's my 15th trip, Im officially a Disneyland addict-my whole family knows where Im going every year!
DD-Hailey(14) Her 6th(?) trip, Im bringing her up right! Shes slowly moving to the dark side
This is Hailey and I Feb 2009

DM-Vicki(50's) Mom joined me, DD and DN Brazyl(8) last February-I think she's been 5 or 6 times
This is all of us last Feb

DF-Jim(50's) Dads last trip was 2002-5 or 6 times as well
I dont have any pics of Dad in DL so this is me, Dad and my sis last summer on the Island

And last but definatly not least, DDBFF-Bobbie(13) Bobbie is Haileys very best friend and this is Bobbies VERY FIRST trip to DL! She is excited! Bobbie is one of those kids who has extreme amounts of energy-she bounces off the walls-but they have a blast together! Here is Bobbie with one of the draft horses-the girls are crazy horse lovers.

 

[eryn the pooh]

The Plan....Or the possible Plan

Sat May 8
My family is known to all as being on "Ford" time(we're the Fords) Ford time is after everyone else has shown up, then the Fords show up! So I hope we'll be leaving my parents place around 730am but it might be more like 8am! We are all traveling together this trip. My sis is keeping my car and the dogs while we're gone.
We aren't going directly to the airport today, we are driving from our wonderful home here in the geographical center of BC all the way to my other sisters house in Victoria BC. Bobbies first time on a ferry as well-that'll be fun
Sun May 9 Mothers Day
Since it will be gorgeous in Victoria today, we'll go to Beacon Hill Park, down to the warf, do our traditional pit stop at the bathrooms in the Empress hotel and end the day with a family dinner.
Mon May 10
Visit with sis and neices and nephew. Fun on the island Take the ferry back over to Vancouver and to our hotel, havent chosen it yet. Looking for one where it won't cost an arm and a leg to leave the vehicle there while we're gone.

 

[Disney owl]

looking forward to reading more

 

[pdxJolene]

Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[eryn the pooh]

Tues May 11
9am flight from Vancouver with Alaska Air. Always been pretty happy with them. Wont be too bad, I think we can get up at 6 or 630 and be at the airport by 7ish. Looking forward to the new, cool body scanners! (sarcasm)

We are a no-check-in-luggage kind of family. Strictly carry-on. I find it actually pretty easy. Not sure how the teen girls will find it though! Im sure they'll be fine

So we are arriving at LAX at about noon. I have purchased the entertainment book for the Hojo rates so we are using that as well to rent a car. I think its $311 for two weeks....pretty good considering it would be $150 just for all our transfers from airport to hotel and back. This way we can grab our car-hopefully-and head straight to Hojos!

We have 2 rooms, Im hoping for building 3 or 4 on the second floor. I just love the wonderful windows-makes the room so bright-which I like This was our room in 08

Check-in or just leave our luggage in the car and go get our passes! Havent decided on 5 or 6 day ones yet, Ill wait to see prices closer do departure.

Like many others, we have our traditions. We go take the train round trip first thing. I think its a good way to start the trip. Especially with a first-timer like Bobbie-an exceptionally excitable first-timer! Hopefully she wont be overloaded! Then we usually go on BTMRR, DD's favorite. But, alas, it will be down on our first day.
(I actually changed our flights the day after I booked them because that morning I noticed BTMRR was going to be down the whole time of our trip! YIKES! So I rebooked it so that at least it, hopefully, will be running for the last few days of our trip. <fingers crossed>)

After the train, we will of course get Bobbies 1ST VISIT BUTTON!!
So we have decided after the train we will make our way over to the Jungle Cruise-a fun introduction for Bobbie. Plus, DM LOVES Bengal BBQ so we'll probebly be eating there. DD LOVES the clam chowder so I think sticking around Adventureland and NOS will be a good idea. If we need to, FP's for Indiana Jones.
Me and DN in Feb 09 on the way down to IJA. She was scared on BTMRR but LOVED IJA??? I guess different things scare different people

Not sure what the hours will be when we're there, possibly closing at 9 or 10. I dont mind the earlier hours, gives me time to re-charge! So back to the hotels nice, comfy beds ((mmmm)), and off to dreamland.

 

[eryn the pooh]

Ive just received my Entertainment Book in the mail this morning! Hopefully it can help me save even just a few dollars Mmmmm...more Dole Whips

Ive also started buying some snacks, to spread out the cost a little. And bought some USD travellers checks-man am I liking the dollar! Like .98! Crazy, but it sure helps when my $1 is almost actually $1!

Wed May 12
Obviously depending on park opening time, Id like to get there ASAP. I know the girls really want to go on their own, and since DD has been many times and knows her way around, plus I think they are old enough, I will let them spend today off on their own. I think maybe we'll have a meet-up at around 2 or 3, just to check up, make sure moneys holding out and they can follow rules
Me, DM and DF will probably stick together. I think I'll grab whatever FP's I can while they wait in whichever lines we decide on. I would like to get over to DCA as soon as it opens. Right onto Soarin'....Ahhhh....I might have to say my #1 ride, if I was forced to pick
DM wont be doing ToT or CS so maybe DF and I could go do those. I hvent been in the Animation buiding for years so I would like to wander in there for a bit.
I think either Mexican Grill or Pacific Warf Cafe for late lunch, early supper.
If the weathers OK Id love to go on GRR! Maybe after we meet up with the girls we can all go on it and get soaked together!
This is DD, middle, in 06 with two others who joined us. It was a great time!

I think we'll be staying in the parks until closing, unless we get drenched and cold((())) Which, being from Canada, takes ALOT to get us cold
This is just a random pic. One of my fav's of DD on our '06 trip. Just think it looks cool.

We had some very nice people offer us their plastic bag thingys(?) one time so we grabbed them and went on over and over and over again! Me and DD in 07

Me, DN and DM in 09 right outside BTMRR. DN ABSOLUTLY hated it! Poor thing was almost hyper ventalating the entire time! When we got off she wasnt mad, but she was firm-she was NEVER going on it again! That was until she wanted her cousin to do something for her. The DN said she would go on BTMRR again if DD did whatever it was(cant remember)! And she did! She hated that ride but she did it again just for her DC! Amazing little girl!

 

[eryn the pooh]

Thurs May 13

ITS VEGAS TIME!

I have never been, always wanted to go so decided this would be a good time to venture over for a day or two.

Since we'll have a vehicle we will drive there. Gonna try to be up and out by about 8 am. Ive read that the drive could be anywhere from 4-8 hours, depending on traffic Hopefully we'll get the 'no traffic' day! I think because it's not a Friday it should at least be slightly OK.

Im waiting to get a deal on the Monte Carlo. It was definatly hard to decide on a hotel there. Half the comments on hotels were good and the other half were bad So we finally decided on the MC because the pool looks really nice and fun, for the girls, and its not hugly expensive.

We dont have a planned itinerary for Vegas, just stuff that we want to do or see. My daughter loves the wax museum in Victoria, so we'll go to Madame Tussauds. DM wants to go to the Harley Davidson resturaunt for ribs. We want to see the volcanoe and the fountain. The girls want to see the Chris Angel Beleive show(mixed reveiws, still not sure). I would love to see the Rat Pack or Cher! We all want to see Lion King.

Friday May 14

Still in Vegas.....

 

[eryn the pooh]

UPDATE!!!OMG!!!

The other day I was checking out the Disneyland website and noticed they were having some great hotel special. 2 nights and you get 40% off, pretty good. So I called, just to see the price, and it was pretty decent! So I called my mom and she said she had already seen the special and was wanting to talk to me about spending a few nights at the Grand Californian! We have never stayed on-site before and would love too. So ok, we decided 2 nights was good.

I was wondering how much concierge level would be so I called reservations and inquired. She immediatly jumped me to the 5 for 3 days, good sales girl I said we couldnt because we had a 2 day Vegas break in the middle, she suggested we stay longer or change Vegas to accomadate the 5 nights... This girl needs a raise. And she did it so sweetly, like it was almost my idea, and in no way like an insurance sales person that comes to the door

I hadnt spoken about 5 nights concierge with the other members yet so I said to put it on hold. As soon as I called them(parents) they said yes!

So we booked 5 nights concierge level for just over $3000, plus this included our 5 day park hoppers for all 5 of us. Maybe expensive but split in half its $1500 each. I think thats ok. BUT, I happened to be reading a review of concierge level on trip advisor, and someone said thier 15 year old got in trouble for trying to go into the lounge alone to get drinks. Well Im bringing 2 teen girls and I definatly dont plan on babysitting them. This is the first trip DD14 will be going off on her own for hours at a time. So this put a real krimp in everything. I dont want her to have to find me everytime she wants a snack or a drink.

So I did call and they confirmed that no one under 16 is allowed without an adult Concierge cancelled. I really do not agree with this rule. Maybe 11 or 12 and under but not all under 16. Oh, well. We're still keeping our room!

And we will now be going to Vegas on Wed, not Thur. So only 1/2 a day at the park and then off to Vegas.

 

[eryn the pooh]

We're back!

What a great trip! For the most part everything went wonderfully!

Im not one for recording or remembering every detail, so Ill do what I can with what stuck out in my brain! Its mostly just highlights, not a day by day, minute by minute play.

Arrived at LAX 11:30, seems like the flight from Vancouver to LAX is getting shorter. Even on the ticket it was landing at noon, only 2 1/2 hour flight, nice



Got our rental car, arrived at Hojos to wonderful smiles and 2 great rooms. To DL first. Our tradition is a round trip on the train first thing. It was great to be back Food next thing. I sure noticed how un-busy it was. Was expecting busy after reading some reports on the week before. Was extremly happy about this! Bengal BBQ and clam chowder, yum! First day went great, we got ALOT done and, again, was seriously impressed by the low crowds. IJA was no more than a 20 min wait and the walkways in Adventureland were actually manageable

Checked out next morning, ate breakfast at Mimis, yum, and did DCA and DL until 2 or 3. Crowds awsome again. Went and did some camera, munchoe, cell phone shopping on the way out to Vegas. Getting an American cell was WAY cheaper than using our Canadian ones-Virgin Mobile for $15 which included $10 worth of min-.99 a day to call between all our Virgins. Definatly using them every trip.

Traffic was a bit busy leaving but the remainder of the way was just fine. Got to Vegas in 3 hours 55 min.

 

[eryn the pooh]

It was pretty cool for a first time Vegas trip to drive up at night. Man, alot of lights! We stayed at the Monte carlo. It was beautiful. 22nd floor, view of the strip. Pool was nice. Unfortunatly did not see a show. Id sure like to go back for more than 2 nights with a bunch of girls.

Headed back to Anaheim on Friday and checked into the Grand Californian! Another first time! And we loved it. I think Ive learned dont listen to ANYTHING that other people say or write about thier hotel experience. Yours is always going to be totally different.

We had a beautiful room on the 2nd floor just off the lobby. Room 2203, actually the same room we had in Vegas...
It did not take forever to walk down the hallways, it also was very easy to find our way to the DCA entrance. I guess we were lucky with our room location.
Two queens with a daybed. Very nice. Never felt cramped with 5 of us. View was of pick-up/drop-off, but didnt matter. Took maybe 3 minutes to walk to the DCA entrance-very cool for going on GRR over and over again!