8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC #13

[mkygrl]

I actually bought gas for $3.33 a gallon the other day!!! I couldn't believe it!
.

What a bargain! It is about 3.85 around here..one place is 3.75...but it is kind of sketchie!


Chrissie

 

[mkygrl]

WOW!

I hit my 2,000 (ok now 2,008th) post!!!




I need to not be soo shy!


Chrissie

 

[captaincrash]

Okay, Crash . . since you are the resident DL expert . .. we only want to go DL ONE day (Friday) and only want to get a pass for ONE park (so we have cash to spend on other things for the next 3 weeks). Considering our boys are 11 and 14 and LOVE rollercoaster rides, which park would you recommend . . . (other folks are more than welcome to chime in as DL experts, too . . .)

By the way, I love Chinese food from Chinatown. We always stop when we're in Washington, DC. It's tradition! Wonder if West Coast Chinese tastes the same as East Coast Chinese??

Have a super day!

Overall, Disneyland is the better roller coaster park (Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and the Matterhorn). Especially if you've never been to DL before, it's definitely the one to go to.

However.... I must in all fairness note, that if you've been to Disneyland, and you are REALLY into rollercoasters, the place to go is Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia (about an hour and a half north). It is one of the best rollercoaster parks in the world. Guaranteed to make them puke.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to think of me as any sort of DL "expert".... I'm just an enthusiast with young kids who is just barely at the fringe of distance where I'll go on a whim.

Having issued the customary disclaimer (above)... I'll now reply by saying I could NOT have siad it better then DAN from San Jose as quoted above. However, I'll add... that we like DL and CA for different reasons. If you're looking to do ONE day in the park... I would offer the following semi-common sense suggestions for an "out of towner":

1) You're better off getting in as early as is comfortable - and hustling over to your highest priority attraction... but PLEASE hustle over and about without STRESSING your party or others about you. This is the "Happiest Place on EARTH",... so lets' keep it that way.

2) It might be worth while to swing by AT THAT TIME and nab a FAST PASS on that favorite ride too. It should allow you to reenter as a Fast Pass holder within the hour ... but SAVE IT. Although it might say valid to enter 8:15 to 9:15AM... it is still honored AFTER 9:15! And you can ONLY get a fast pass IF you are holding a fast pass that is coming up in terms of time. IE, If you are holding a fast pass that runs 8:15-9:15 then you'll have to wait until AFTER 9:15 to get anoeht fast pass elsewhere. SO you can quickly nab a fast pass to be saved until later use when it is busy in the park. AND you might quickly accumulate 2 or 3 or up to 4 fast passes that will EASE your wait in lines during the middle of the day when the crowds might become PUNISHING.

3) You are permitted to bring SOME types of food into the park. During busy times the lines for food can be ANNOYING. Most of the dining is slightly above reasonably priced IMO... but still... I'd say it's priced about right for what you get WHERE you get it. HOWEVER.... I tend to try to shave a dime here and there while saving something more precious.... TIME. SO ... we pack fruit... cut fruit... obviously home made sandwiches and .... we carry in packets of HOT COCO, and sometimes we bring granola bars and fruit roll ups. Plus similar things like that. The folks SEARCHING bags out front will NOT permit restuarant made food into the park. They'll waive you aside - advise you - then suggest you sit over to the side and eat it NOW.

So... for making hot coco... there are a couple of convenient places to get hot water with no fuss - no wait - and no cost. Well... no cost is what you'll encounter anywhere in the park for hot water... however... to walk up and help yourself... my #1 spot is the PIZZA PORTAL in TOmorrow land. I walk in through the exit .... past the cash registers... and at the cofffee machines is a little RED HANDLED knob that is (I vaguely recall) marked HOT WATER. Take a FOAM INSULATED cup which is right in front of you ... fill it about 80% full and cover it). If you fill 100% you can scald yourself when capping the cup or if you splash a little walking about with it. SO I almost never fill it all the way. Sometimes the water is so hot I have to double the cups up too.

On the way out I say it's just plain hot water to the cash register folks IF one is open. Often there is a bit of a line to pay going out ... and I try to pick the shortest looking one... but more often I walk over to ANY EMPLOYEE who is near by and make a token mention I am just getting a little hot water (just like that)... and so on .... and it is quickly ACKNOWLEDGED as a FREE thing. And I walk out. With hot water you can make hot coco... and we've brought in cup of noodles (gotta hide that... I wrap it in a blanket...) or instant Chinese FISH porridge in a plastic bowl ... which my kids love. My circumstances are perhaps different in some ways... my kids will NOT eat a lot of the stuff they sell to eat in Disneyland. They will ONLY eat the TURKEY LEG ($7) and once in a while ... Mac N cheese at a sit down place.

They won't eat french fries, salads, hamburgers, chicken fingers, etc.. Well... maybe once in a blue moon they'll do chicken fingers/nuggets..and french fires are actually FORBIDDEN in our family ... but the little one will break the rules IF Alicia and I are not on hand... as they had a play date and the hosting Mom bought french fries... which our little one ate ... but the older daughter refused.

SO ... some lite snacks might save you an hour or so standing in lines at the peak of day... but you may or may not manage well with this technique.

As for how to get a lower price or savings? I'll have to privately PM you the little secrets I know - because disney folks would not like those kind of details to circulate openly.

SO... how to get in early? Some of the hotels on property enable EARLY admissions .. and some of the multiday passes (park hoppers) enable ONE early admission. So ... even if you are 1st in line when the park officially opens you might be the first of the general public to run up to Space Mountain or NEMO and find a 30 minute line already there! Where did THESE people come from when YOU were first in line? Well.... now you know. Still... it's worth getting an immediate fast pass... then once that 1st pass expires ... get another one for the same ride or another "hot" ride. Pocket them and use them when you feel like returning or avoiding a wait in a line for an attraction.

Oh... other places toget hot water... we often bring a vacuume bottle with 3 cups hot water. And the family baby station/office has a micro wave there - usable ONLY to heat water. In DL it's off Main street at the center of the park... and in CA it's near the sourdough tour/tortilla tour entrance area.

Other considerations... if you order a mac n' cheese CHILDS dish... the cup of Mac N cheese will probably look insultingly small for the $6 or so spent. However, it's an UNPUBLISHED and other UNMENTIONED thing that you can get FREE REFILLS on the Mac N cheese. Just politely ask about the modest size of the serving and if a courtesy refill is an option. At the Carnation Restuarant in the middle of main street they do it. That's the only place we've gotten mac n' cheese... and a server told us about that. I might add we've never had more than ONE refill of mac n cheese.

OK... what else is there to know or widget here? Well.... we're big on parades and fireworks... so we have oiur favorite viewing spots. OK... I just thought of one. If you want to (or can) ride single .... a few rides have single rider entrances which essentially put you right up to the front of the line. This is SOMETIMES open on that California Screaming roller coaster in CA... and mulholland madness..... and I think it is open on the new Midway Madness ride themed after TOY STORY. I might have the ride names wrong because I just ignore ride names and just go on and ride the atttractions. However, all you need do is ask the attendant out front of a ride entrance about the potential of single rider only lines/entrances. Obviously, if you're moving through the park as a family - and enjoying rides together ... this has NO benefit. However, for those occassions when ONE person wants to ride that cool ride and no one else really wants to .. everyone else can move along and that ONE person can slip away for about 10-15 minutes to often step directly onto the ride!!! When the park is busy they might not permit the single rider lines to run.

As for Chinese food outside of the park.... 1st.... passing Chinatown... or major Asian communities that essentially represent REAL Chinese food .... weoften drive past or can detour to them onour way HOME. If you're staying at or near the park... it means driving AWAY from your hotel and Disneyland to get food. Given a 24 hour day - with most time spent in the park or sleeping... you might NOT want to drive 30 minutes each way for good Chinese food. Some half decent Chinese restuarants are near by ... primarily off BROOKHURST going WEST... on there is another one I have to map out if you're truly interested.

However, if you're interested... here are a couple of suggestions:

For special deals with nice white table cloths... go to New Capitol Seafood on the 4th floor at 140 W. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, CA 91776. The deal hear is if you have 7 people on your table AND you order just $40 in dishes you can select from several FREE dishes. It might vary based on availability... but it is often 2 lobsters, 2 dungeness crabs, a mess of live shrimp freshly steamed (peel and eat), or ??. Heck! Buying 2 lobsters is often no less than $20 if not worth $35! Even the SMALLEST live lobsters are sold $8.99 EACH at other restuarants! And dungeness crab is rarely less then $10 each! So... just be warned that the LINES are insulting to get in... and not being Chinese I recommend you go in with patience and stand right NEXT to the lady taking / announcing numbers. Often she will anounce the number of the next party waiting.... in Chinese. SO you can look at her waiting list being marked off and SEE where you are ... or ask kindly. This place is also tremendous for DIM SUM... (actual photo of restuarant below) it's cheap and reasonably well crafted. Again... it would be insanity to try and get in from 10AM to 2PM on the weekends... with an estimated 45-75 minute wait. This place used to be called Sam Woo SEafood - here is a link with map = http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...s-Sam_Woo_Seafood-San_Gabriel_California.html And remember to drive carefully... the drivers near these restuarants are probably going to behave in unexpected ways < steady silent smirk > ... and I suggest you try parking underground or walk from the fringe of the parking lot.

FOr an after 9PM place is MPV BBQ at the intersection of New Ave and Valley Blvd in Alhambra. They have a special after 9PM menu that is cheap and diverse in nature. Cheap means an $8.95 seafood hot pot (no tofu), and dishes start at $3.99! Plus if you spend $20 then you get a FREE dish of live shrimp freshly steamed (peel and eat). Wow! And if you order $20 and do NOT ask about the shrimp deal you won't get it.

Litterially.... you'll find some kind of deal at maybe 1 in 5 Chinese restuarants in and around town. It varies from a special lunch menu to a late nite menu... or it might manifest in those hand written specials written up and posted around the restuarant. I don't read or speak Chinese so I get nominally insulting treatment when they realize I neither speak or read Chinese. Then it gets worse when I ask for forks and free water in a cup (not bottled water). So I sort of look carefully at what other tables are getting. Half the time I find out about deals this way. Gee.... why does almost every table have that double lobster or fresh peel and eat shrimp dish? AND... often I get my own forks or water. Sometimes it's tough getting service above the taking of an order and initial serving of it. Especially after I open MY moth and start talking. I initially look Chinese but certainly don't sound or act Chinese to them I guess. I use a .... fork...?

At any rate.... in Chinatown I go to a place late nite called MAYFLOWER. Park close... ignore the crowd at the HAWAII nite club across the street ... as it's a good thing as the place has it's onw security roaming the block watching our cars ... but park close. And don't talk to strangers on the street. < wink > However, chicken chow mein (crispy HK style with just the right flavor) is only $4.50 and beef chow fun with black bean sauce is $4.75. That's what I ordered for take out last nite.

Near Disneyland if you want fair mexican food that's not too far away... we like going to Los Sanchez http://www.lossanchez.com/loca.htm You take Harbor Blvd south/west to Garden Grove Blvd (just before the 22 freeway) and turn RIGHT. Go about 2-4 blocks and it's on your left. Dine in or take out. I like their lengua burritos (beef tounge). Alicia likes thier menudo and seafood dishes ... in particluar the shrimp cocktail. As usual ... take a slow look around at what other people are having to get an idea of what ya wanna try.

If ya want a nice american style sit down meal... you might wanna try Clearmans' Village. It's a short drive NORTH on the 5 freeway... http://www.clearmansrestaurants.com/northwoods.html This is located off FIrestone Blvd in La Mirada. it can cost a bit more here - but it's good eating. Especially thier CHEESE bread... and you can BUY thier cheese spread in local markets out here...

And if ya just wanna keep things simple... there's a Bucca de Puke-a uppa (ala Skate-M's remark) near by off harbor. $10 off coupons are often available and they are now running a 15th anniversery menu with a dozen dishes reduced in price to boot. The Frutta de Mare (seafood pasta) in the large family size is only $25.95.

I cannot recall all the things we do when going to or from or at the parks. ANd I'm no expert - but I might have some ideas that are / were of interest to you. I hope something I shared helps someone have a better time at the parks!

Plus - I might add Alicia is stranding me for 3 days from Monday to wednesday before the cruise... so I am likely to get a hotel near DL and hit the parks. Who's going to DL or CA on tuesday and wednesday? Maybe we can hook up and walk about the parks a little together? I often stand in line to hold spots for our party so the kids don't have to suffer the whole time in ONE line. I've not been very good about keeping up lately... too much going on... but PM me if you're gonna hit the parks on tuesday or wednesday and we'll swap Cell numbers and probably cross paths!

 

[RRBB]

For us our weekend is getting FE and SM stuff. Yah. Getting stuff into the tailor to get altered.

I'm so upset. I took my formal to be altered - straps needed to be shortened just a bit. They made them too short . It will work, but definitely looks kind of funny since the front is too high up now. DH and MIL said I should take it back, but what can they do at this point?

Morning Everyone. Throat is starting to feel better, it should after all the drugs and gargling. Now I just have medicine head and a facet for a nose. My co-workers think I should see if my doctor will give me a prescription for antibiotics since I got so sick on my last cruise (last year in the Med) and this is how it started. Thankfully it was at the end of the cruise, but flying back was really painful.

I hope you feel better soon. We're all on antibiotics here - DS for sinus infection, DH for throat, DD for ear infection, me for whatever I caught from them. At least it's now and not in 2 weeks. Hopefully we'll all be healthy by the time we board the plane.

 

[pyramid2000]

That's funny...I was just mentioning to a co-worker yesterday how different Mexican food is in Denver than in Kansas City. I always knew that BBQ was different throughout the country (Texas style, Memphis sytle, Carolina Style and of course, the best -- KC Style). But Mexican and Chinese food too vary by region?!

Heck, around here they vary by restaurant! THough not by too much. WHat was described earlier about the chicken chow mein with the crunchy noodles as opposed to the soft noodles. Here, CHOW mein is crunchy and LO mein are soft.

 

[pyramid2000]

They haven't got got our British sense of humor, the only time they got close was with Inspector Clouseau,

When John Clesse did Faulty Towers in the UK, for the BBC, that was it!

How about Benny Hill??

 

[pyramid2000]

Yikes! Can you still get him on?

Almost.....

 

[mkygrl]

They won't eat french fries, salads, hamburgers, chicken fingers, etc.. Well... maybe once in a blue moon they'll do chicken fingers/nuggets..and french fires are actually FORBIDDEN in our family ... but the little one will break the rules IF Alicia and I are not on hand... as they had a play date and the hosting Mom bought french fries... which our little one ate ... but the older daughter refused.


Plus - I might add Alicia is stranding me for 3 days from Monday to wednesday before the cruise... so I am likely to get a hotel near DL and hit the parks. Who's going to DL or CA on tuesday and wednesday? Maybe we can hook up and walk about the parks a little together? I often stand in line to hold spots for our party so the kids don't have to suffer the whole time in ONE line. I've not been very good about keeping up lately... too much going on... but PM me if you're gonna hit the parks on tuesday or wednesday and we'll swap Cell numbers and probably cross paths!

Hey Tom thanks for the advice!

Can I ask why fries are forbidden? Just curious and feel free to decline to answer..I will understand...

We will probably be in the parks AT LEAST one of those days.....


Chrissie

 

[pyramid2000]

or we could group together in the internet cafe and with wireless and continue chatting . . .too bad access isn't free to all . . .

We could be like teenagers texting!!!

 

[Stepht5]

I'm so upset. I took my formal to be altered - straps needed to be shortened just a bit. They made them too short . It will work, but definitely looks kind of funny since the front is too high up now. DH and MIL said I should take it back, but what can they do at this point?
.

I am so sorry! That has to be very frustrating! You can always ask if there is anything that they can do!

 

[Joy2theWorld]

Well then - congratulations in advance and good luck
You can still add the extra person as a TBA (to be announced) and just add the particulars later on

Thanks! I had no idea that I could add someone as TBA. I figured we would have to have a name.

We're going to need a lot of luck due to some major health issues of DH a few years back (cancer) ....so, thank you!!

 

[dahuffy]

Most here probably have seen this, but Disneyland ticket prices are going up tomorrow. One day tickets are increasing by $3, two day tickets by $11 and longer stays are going up by $10.

http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2008/08/01/disney-raises-ticket-prices/

Happy to say that I've already received ours!

 

[dahuffy]

In Iowa the meat and veggies were a soupy mix of meat and veggies served on top of thin crispy fried noodles.

This is the kind that I grew up with in MN and what I like....totally different her in OK.

 

[pyramid2000]

WooHooo!!! Just a little shout out to Michelle, AKA Rockolamamma, and her family! Because of them, I was able to get DH onboard!! Just a little peeved that we now have 5 in one room instead of 2 rooms and it cost MORE for that because SOMEONE is so wishy-washy.....

Now I have to buy (gulp) plane tickets. Luckily I found a good deal. And I can always just drive by myself if I can't get myself on that box with wings.

 

[arlenesp]

Ugh! I know, our flight is out of JFK at 7:30 AM on the 14th.

It's a happy Ugh!

Early day. Have a safe flight. We are flying nonstop on the 15th at 1:20 and arriving 3:20 so should be there by late afternoon.


Tom thanks for the photo site. I uploaded a few.

 

[SDHoneymooner]

With all this packing talk, I'm getting worried about it! I have to be packed for the cruise by 8/14, make sure my DH2B has his clothes packed too, make it to our rehearsal on Friday by 4p, and then the wedding festivities start! When I leave the house on Friday morning, I have to be packed for the wedding AND the honeymoon! YIKES!! My DH2B is off to his bachelor party in a few minutes so maybe I'll do some packing tonight.

On another note...I got 2 "new" dresses today. Well, they're old bridesmaid dresses from friend's weddings, but I had them altered for the cruise. They were too big and I had one shortened to knee length. It's a cute black cocktail dress now instead of a long bridesmaid dress! And only $85 for both! Woo hoo!!!

Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!! Only 15 days till we're on the ship! Yay!!!!

 

[dahuffy]

I have discovered the upside to 105 degree heat. I decided to use the trampoline to lay out and dry the clothes (I do not put much in the dryer). They dried FAST!! I usually have to leave them a couple of days to fully dry. Today- 20 mins and completely dry.

Same here Coral. I washed my sneakers this morning,set them out on the front porch and they were completely dry in 2 hrs!!

 

[mkygrl]

On another note...I got 2 "new" dresses today. Well, they're old bridesmaid dresses from friend's weddings, but I had them altered for the cruise. They were too big and I had one shortened to knee length. It's a cute black cocktail dress now instead of a long bridesmaid dress! And only $85 for both! Woo hoo!!!

Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!! Only 15 days till we're on the ship! Yay!!!!

Isn't that cool! So you were able to adjust and reuse! Way to go!



Chrissie

 

[dahuffy]

Lubricants

 

[wheelerkidz3]

hi everyone! just popping in quick to say hello!
has most everyone rec'd their docs already? i saw a bunch of people posting the other day about getting them, but we have seen nothing. i emailed our ta, and she said they are enroute to her....and she still hast to get them to us! she thought they would be there yesterday...but nothing!!! ugh!