An open thank you letter

[DorkyDisneyMom]

Dear DL Dissers,

I want to start by saying, "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!" All of you are so helpful and wonderful. I found this forum when I started planning my family's first trip about 16 months ago. I have been lurking every day, several times a day since then. This place has been by far the friendliest and most useful place of them all.

We just returned from our 4 1/2 day trip. It was, in the words of Dash Incredible, "The BEST vacation ever!!" We were "dreamed" twice. One BIG one, and one small one.

I think I will try to do a trip report. I just really wanted to tell you all thank you! Most of the things that happened on our trip wouldn't have been possible without all of your help.

I have never posted before because I couldn't think of a cute name. Also I knew if I waited long enough every question I had would be asked and answered. So I just observed and absorbed and hoped to use most of what I learned for our trip.

I think that most of what happened on our trip wouldn't have been possible without all of you. Thank you all for sharing what you know. Thank you for answering any and all questions. We had a truly magical trip, a trip of a lifetime for us all.

Thank you all so much!

Mary

 

[Hound 109]

I'm glad you had a great time, Mary.

Jump into a discussion any time.....you're a DLR vet now.

& if you feel like it, give us a 2 paragraph recap of your trip. Highlights, lowlights, tips that worked etc. But most importantly....

......

Thanks for posting, Mary!

 

[PrincessSitka]

Oh please tell us a little about your trip. Tells us about you getting dreamed

 

[lulubelle]

Hi Mary!
Welcome to the Diz Boards. Please tell us anything and everything about your trip. We'd love to hear all about it. And what a sweet post, that was very thoughtful.

 

[DLR29]

I'm dying to know what your "big" dream was. These boards are great, aren't they?

 

[Disneyluvr2]

I'm dying to know what your "big" dream was. These boards are great, aren't they?

I'm dying to know too!!! How lucky to be dreamed TWICE! I've gone several times and still haven't even seen the Dream Team! Please tell us more!

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

Ok I will only post if you promise to read my trip report too.

I don't want to ruin it. I want people to read that too.

Ok so do you promise?

 

[DisneyPhreak]

Promise!!

 

[BillyFan]

I promise!!!

 

[Hound 109]

Ok I will only post if you promise to read my trip report too.

I don't want to ruin it. I want people to read that too.

Ok so do you promise?

I only read trip reports from dorky bouncing tiggers.


(looking at avatar).......ok....we're good.

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

Two promises!!!


Deal!


Highlights: DLH upgrade to Dreams tower. Pool view, we could see the Skull from our room.

Packing kids clothes in gallon sized bags. Awesome.

Vons online. Free delivery! And them giving it to the bell services while we did the parks!

Checking our stroller at the stroller rental. We used our Visa for the free ones. But they stored ours and we picked it up at the end of the night. No "Dead Kids walking"

16 rides the first day! All walk on. Longest line was Indy, 10 minutes.

Grandma taking the youngest back for a nap so we could do 16 rides.

DS5 (has Autism) riding it all. He rode Space AND Indy AND Splash. He told me he would never ride Space again. But HE RODE IT!

It's a Small World Holiday. What a great ride. We saw fireworks from there too.

Peter Pan. I've never been on. I love that ride. No wonder that line is always so long.

Casey Junior backward caboose!

Haunted Mansion Holiday! We got bombs each time we rode it.

DD7 Jedi Training Academy. She fought Darth Maul. She wasn't scared, she didn't know who he was. She only knows Vader.

DS3 (has Autism) waking up the second day singing "If you're happy and you know it."

Fourth day Blue Bayou. Monte Cristo, riverside, cookie boat. Oh my. Also had a wonderful server.

Zoetrope. Don't miss it!

DH telling me after the first day, "You're awesome! That was awesome."

Pin Trading. Great social skills building, and fun too!

California Screamin'. Could we start any faster?! It was great with the breaks in between the "scary parts".

DS5 told me that was his favorite ride. Not the train!? Not the monorail?! Yes!!

DS3 Pooh reride 3 times. He loved that ride.

Getting "Dreamed" with the fast passes, on Saturday when we really needed them. We were getting off of Pooh.

DS3 Telling Cap'n Hook "Bye Bye Cod Fish"

Soarin'. Front and center. Wait for it, it is a whole different ride.

Aladdin. Loved it.

EE with DS5. Peter Pan (first, always first) Matterhorn 5 times. 3 right and 2 left. Omnibus, Fire engine bell ringer. Godzilla ducks at Storybook Canal. Cookies and cocoa for breakfast. Yum! That is what happens when you follow the plan.


Lowlights: Others not wanting to have a plan. Didn't you read what Hydroguy said?! Sheesh! Don't be late for EE. Have a plan! This is the wrong time to ride this ride!! Come on people. No shopping!! Rides.

Naples pizza. Worst. Pizza. Ever.

Friday rain. We were soaked, we had to go back to the hotel. Yuck! No Hotel. Rides!

Parts of DCA. Why are all of these shops fake?! If I wanted to see facades I would have gone to Universal. Why is there so much walking?

We missed Pirate's lair.

We missed Redwood Creek.

We also missed Monsters Inc.

We missed F! My DH second guessed the plan and we missed it.

The worst Lowlight is.....some guy telling me to "Lose weight so my husband would find me more attractive." Crazy! If you really are in that bad of a mood, please go home.


Ok I think that is it.





Oh wait! The big "Dream" $500.00 SHOPPING SPREE AT WORLD OF DISNEY!!!

 

[BillyFan]

The worst Lowlight is.....some guy telling me to "Lose weight so my husband would find me more attractive." Crazy! If you really are in that bad of a mood, please go home.


Ok I think that is it.





Oh wait! The big "Dream" $500.00 SHOPPING SPREE AT WORLD OF DISNEY!!!

OK, whoever said that is not a nice Disney Friend! But a $500 shopping spree sounds terrific!!!!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Oh wait! The big "Dream" $500.00 SHOPPING SPREE AT WORLD OF DISNEY!!!

OMG. CONGRATS!!

i LOVE hearing about people winning the dreams you don't hear advertised!! AMAZING!!!!

 

[PrincessSitka]

I loved it you got 500.00 wonderful. Now you are hooked like the rest of us to disney

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

It really was great. We had been telling our kids for weeks that they were getting a trip to Disneyland for Christmas and not to expect anything else. They had saved up some money in their piggy banks so they would have spending money. I had just planned on buying a Christmas ornament and a magnet.

We were trying to save money so we could also go visit family over Christmas break. We figured gas to be about $500.00. So our Disney budget was going to be mostly food.

It was such a huge suprise. I swear I was shaking so bad. I couldn't believe that it was happening.

I think one of the best parts was it happened the day after I had the run in with that guy. I know I shouldn't have let what he said bother me but, I was up almost all night because I was so upset by it.

So yeah, I am hooked. Not because of the shopping spree but because we had such a great time. The shopping spree was just icing on the cake.

 

[mariezp]

Thanks for sharing with us! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip... with a few minor exceptions. But then being at Disneyland, it would be really hard not to have a great time! (BTW, I am just willing to bet the insulting jerk gets his payback one day!)

You lucky girl! $500 to spend. Looks like there were gifts to be had afterall. We went in September for 10 days and not a Dream Squad in site! Oh well, it must not have been meant for us but was waiting for you.

 

[ctamama]

Yay!!! SO glad you got dreamed!! Your trip sounds wonderful!! Boo on the rude comment!! Someone called my DH an idiot while we were there a few weeks ago.....I guess their Mommies didn't teach them "if you don't have something nice to say........" very frustrating!! But I bet HE didn't get $500.00 to spend! HA!


I'll read the trip report too!!

I so agree about the disboards, they are such a huge help...I am new too, and all the tips and answered questions made our trip so great!

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

I felt bad for "the guy". My DD7 and he arrived at the exit gates at the same time. She kind of squeezed between him and the gate. I pulled her back.

I told her, "You're not the only one at Disneyland."

Then I told him, "Go ahead."

I saw that he was carrying a bigger kid. Been there. Done that.

"Go ahead." me

"No, go ahead." guy

"No. Please go ahead." me

"Go ahead." guy

"No. Go." me pleading, looking guy in eye.

"No." guy

He wasn't going. He insisted I go. I insisted he go. Neither one of us was moving. So I went.

Then after I went. He said Really loudly, "Because I am only carrying a baby."

So instead of letting it go.

I said, "I told you to go. There is no need for snarky comments."

His wife heard that, "Calm down Lady!"

I said, "I am calm. You need to calm down."

She said, "Calm down. Jesus Lady!"

I said, "Welcome to The Happiest Place on Earth."

She said, "Yeah, now that you are leaving."

I didn't say anything. I was headed toward my family at that point.

Then he told me, "You will never win against her."

Then he said, "By the way four eyes, why don't you lose some weight so your husband will find you more attractive!!"

Nice.

So the moral of the story is....Pretend like you didn't hear the first comment. Or move to a different exit gate. At least that is what I will do next time. Really, I tried to do the right thing.

 

[momshadow]

What I don't understand is that he seems to be egging you on by making you go first. But you know what they say about men with small minds! I know that things like that really bother me too and I usually spend more time focused on how bad it was and why did it happen to me than the idiot person who only received a third grade education! Well I'm glad you where dreamed and was shown a huge helping of Disney magic.

 

[Hound 109]

"Four Eyes"....WTH. That's pretty lame.

So not only is he disgustingly rude... & a bully.....he's a lamo.


But you were with your wonderful family at Walt's park. So no worries.

(& he'll end up in the circus in Pinocchio's ride....or run up against a bigger dog )