ttfn2u2pooh
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 3, 2011
- Messages
- 240
We just got back from our amazing trip to DLR.
Who went... myself, DD (age 3), my mom
Stayed.... Disney's Grand Californian Hotel with Concierge Services
Dates... Sept 19-23
Some amazing hi-lights:
GCH... everything about this hotel is wonderful. The closeness to the parks is simply the best. My mom and DD would not have had such a good time at the end of our days if any more walking had to be done.
GCH Concierge Level... if you ask me if it's worth it, I'd tell you YES without hesitation. From being greeted at the door and getting a private registration (bypassing the line at the Registration Desks) to the beautiful decor, rooms, amazing views. My DD lived off of the supplied Fruit Loops cereal, Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches and the cheese & crackers. And all of us more than took advantage of the amazing desserts and supply of water, sodas and juice for our daily trips to the parks. Plus, my DD LOVED getting off the elevator and picking out a movie to have in the room. She loved getting up and putting in the movie every morning.
We did Minnie's Breakfast as our character meal. So much fun. We were one of the first to be seated so the characters just pounced on us. I had bought my DD an autograph book the night before and she had so much fun watching them sign her book. Food was okay, nothing extra special, but it was the attention from the characters that made it all worth it.
The character meet-and-greet areas. So well done. Didn't have more than a 5-10 minute wait and the times when the characters had to leave there was a cast member at the end of the line telling everyone. I had read where people would be standing in line and the character would just up and walk away. I was so afraid of this happening. We told DD that the character had to go use "the potty" and she more than understood. I will say, we did NOT stand in line for the Tangled, Princess Fair thing, or Tinkerbell. My mom has a hard time standing for a long time so those will just have to happen on our next trip. one major hi-light was Minnie dancing around Main Street hub one morning. She was the first character my DD saw and could not have been more excited.
My daughter fell in love with DLR from the first moment. To see her face at moments are memories I will forever hold dear to my heart. I cannot wait to take her back. She loved the merry-go-rounds (in both DL & DCA), the train ride with the dinosaurs, Small World, Monsters Inc. and the Toy Story Mania ride.
Aladdin Show - I am so glad we waited for this show. My daughter had never seen anything like this before and she just kept saying "This is so much fun" the entire time.
The Mickey's Soundsational Parade - My mom stayed and rested back in the hotel while I took DD back to DLR for the parade. It was so much fun. We had no problem finding a spot to view but then a woman in front stood up and offered her seat to my DD. She had so much fun screaming out all of the characters she was seeing and dancing her way through the whole show.
I was a little surprised by how crowded it was. I just cannot imagine what it must be like in the middle of summer. And honestly, I could not imagine what it would be like to stand in line for 90 minutes for some of the rides. While most of the rides are really cute some seem so short for such a long wait time. Luckily, we were able to walk onto The Little Mermaid ride 3 different times. We missed the Pixar parade as I didn't see that it was only showing on Tuesday while we were there. Another reason to make it back to DLR.
Monte Cristo Sandwiches... you MUST get one of these. By far the BEST meal I had at DLR. We started with their parmesan cheese fries and then the sandwich. I know it's probably one of the worst things to eat but I didn't care. I was on vacation and savored every single bite.
We wanted to end the meal with their benets as they looked amazing but I think they would have put us in a coma had we done that.
Oh... and tigger tails. OMG I wish I would have gotten one well before I left. Instead I got one the day we left, tucked it into my suitcase and found Heaven the night we returned. I want another one... NOW!!!!
Then again, I would have probably gained about 25lbs from getting 2, 3 or 4 a day.
There was a lot that we didn't get a chance to do but even more of a good reason to find our way back one day. Overall it was an amazing trip and I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who helped answering my many questions along with some of the hints I got from this board. I'm trying to figure out how to get back there with my other DD and my DH. It will happen hopefully sooner than later because Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth.
Who went... myself, DD (age 3), my mom
Stayed.... Disney's Grand Californian Hotel with Concierge Services
Dates... Sept 19-23
Some amazing hi-lights:
GCH... everything about this hotel is wonderful. The closeness to the parks is simply the best. My mom and DD would not have had such a good time at the end of our days if any more walking had to be done.
GCH Concierge Level... if you ask me if it's worth it, I'd tell you YES without hesitation. From being greeted at the door and getting a private registration (bypassing the line at the Registration Desks) to the beautiful decor, rooms, amazing views. My DD lived off of the supplied Fruit Loops cereal, Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches and the cheese & crackers. And all of us more than took advantage of the amazing desserts and supply of water, sodas and juice for our daily trips to the parks. Plus, my DD LOVED getting off the elevator and picking out a movie to have in the room. She loved getting up and putting in the movie every morning.
We did Minnie's Breakfast as our character meal. So much fun. We were one of the first to be seated so the characters just pounced on us. I had bought my DD an autograph book the night before and she had so much fun watching them sign her book. Food was okay, nothing extra special, but it was the attention from the characters that made it all worth it.
The character meet-and-greet areas. So well done. Didn't have more than a 5-10 minute wait and the times when the characters had to leave there was a cast member at the end of the line telling everyone. I had read where people would be standing in line and the character would just up and walk away. I was so afraid of this happening. We told DD that the character had to go use "the potty" and she more than understood. I will say, we did NOT stand in line for the Tangled, Princess Fair thing, or Tinkerbell. My mom has a hard time standing for a long time so those will just have to happen on our next trip. one major hi-light was Minnie dancing around Main Street hub one morning. She was the first character my DD saw and could not have been more excited.
My daughter fell in love with DLR from the first moment. To see her face at moments are memories I will forever hold dear to my heart. I cannot wait to take her back. She loved the merry-go-rounds (in both DL & DCA), the train ride with the dinosaurs, Small World, Monsters Inc. and the Toy Story Mania ride.
Aladdin Show - I am so glad we waited for this show. My daughter had never seen anything like this before and she just kept saying "This is so much fun" the entire time.
The Mickey's Soundsational Parade - My mom stayed and rested back in the hotel while I took DD back to DLR for the parade. It was so much fun. We had no problem finding a spot to view but then a woman in front stood up and offered her seat to my DD. She had so much fun screaming out all of the characters she was seeing and dancing her way through the whole show.
I was a little surprised by how crowded it was. I just cannot imagine what it must be like in the middle of summer. And honestly, I could not imagine what it would be like to stand in line for 90 minutes for some of the rides. While most of the rides are really cute some seem so short for such a long wait time. Luckily, we were able to walk onto The Little Mermaid ride 3 different times. We missed the Pixar parade as I didn't see that it was only showing on Tuesday while we were there. Another reason to make it back to DLR.
Monte Cristo Sandwiches... you MUST get one of these. By far the BEST meal I had at DLR. We started with their parmesan cheese fries and then the sandwich. I know it's probably one of the worst things to eat but I didn't care. I was on vacation and savored every single bite.
We wanted to end the meal with their benets as they looked amazing but I think they would have put us in a coma had we done that.Oh... and tigger tails. OMG I wish I would have gotten one well before I left. Instead I got one the day we left, tucked it into my suitcase and found Heaven the night we returned. I want another one... NOW!!!!
Then again, I would have probably gained about 25lbs from getting 2, 3 or 4 a day.There was a lot that we didn't get a chance to do but even more of a good reason to find our way back one day. Overall it was an amazing trip and I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who helped answering my many questions along with some of the hints I got from this board. I'm trying to figure out how to get back there with my other DD and my DH. It will happen hopefully sooner than later because Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth.
Thanks for sharing.
