April 2017 TR - Disneyland and Universal with teens - THE END

[sharona]

Hi All! Just back from our fabulous trip to the west coast. I traveled with my DD14 (Princess), DSIL (C) and DN14 (J). For more about us, you can check out my PTR: https://www.disboards.com/threads/a...best-of-the-west.3581868/page-2#post-57510473

C, J, me, Princess
100 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We spent 6 days/5 nights in Anaheim with visits to Disneyland (DL/DCA), Universal Hollywood and Huntington Beach. Weather was great, the parks were fun and the beach was heaven!

I hope to get the first day written up today. Meantime, here are a few pics from our adventures.


CA2017_8999_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr


Disneyland, CA by SharonCat..., on Flickr

IMG_1928 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

 

[sharona]

Hi All!

Day 1 we travel from East coast to West coast:

We were booked on American from from Boston to LAX - leaving at 9am and scheduled to arrive at LAX at 12:30pm local time. Because we booked kind of late in the game and were traveling using my ff miles, we didn't have 4 seats together. I was surprised to even find 4 award seats on the same flight! We did manage to snag the More Space seats or whatever AA calls their version of seats that can fit a normal sized human. Well worth the extra miles to avoid the dreaded middle seats in the rear. The Princess and J got seats together which was good since they were sharing a laptop with a few movies downloaded. C was in front of them and I was blissfully alone on the other side of the plane.

6+ hours to read, sleep, watch a video, play BubbleWitch on my phone and eat snacks that I didn't have to share!!!! Can you tell I don't get much me time?

We boarded on time and then taxi'd out to the runway. And we sat and sat and sat for what seemed like an hour but was really only about 15 minutes. Still...something was up. Finally the pilot comes on the PA system and announces that we are "kind of heavy" so we need to keep sitting here running the engines to burn off some fuel and oh by the way we'll be using a landing runway as that is the only one long enough to get our fatasses off the ground. File that under stuff I really didn't need to know right before take off!

Finally, we're airborne and climbing fast. Phew! I'm not typically a nervous flyer but I had just watched Grey's Anatomy a few nights before and of course it was about a plane emergency with flashbacks to the plane crash episode. Yikes!!! I was definitely not as relaxed as I usually am when I fly and I blame it on Meredith Grey.

This flight, I lucked out and got 2 very sweet ,young (maybe 9 and 12) girls sitting in my row. Their parents were in the row behind us asleep most of the flight. The girls were quiet and small which is exactly what you want in seat mates for a 6 hour flight on a crowded plane. At one point, I was laughing to myself because I was watching my video, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (yes I'm geek) and they were watching theirs..... "Bad Moms"!!!!! I haven't even let my 14yo watch that yet. I thought it was really funny but for kids - no. There was some very raunchy dialogue and lots of drinking scenes! I wonder if the parents even knew what they were watching!

We landed at LAX on time and headed to baggage claim. Luggage in hand we rolled on out to the waiting shuttle to National. Everyone in the family loves when we rent with National because I have Exec status with them and can pick any car in either the Exec or Emerald Aisle. Princess and I usually take turns picking the car. I always go for a big shiny suv because I'm used to my Pilot and like to be higher up. Princess and J have a weird fascination with mini-vans, probably because neither C nor I have ever owned one... So being that it was just a quick one way rental from LAX to Anaheim, we let the kids choose. Of course, they went with a Dodge Grand Caravan because they thought there were tv's in there. There weren't but they were happy to find outlets to plug in their devices and charge up on the way! It was a nice enough car but I'm used to my Pilot. When I step on the gas in that thing we surge forward! The mini van took a bit of getting used to especially with all the lane changing involved with driving in LA!

First stop McD's for food as we were ravenous. Second stop Target for supplies. Third stop Embassy Suites Garden Grove! Final Destination DCA!!!!!!!

CA2017_9106_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

 

[sharona]

Day 1 Continued:

After a quick stop at Target for supplies (is there such a thing as a quick Target run?), we arrived at the hotel and our room was ready. Embassy Suites are not my favorite of the Hilton line but with 2 teenagers, one being a boy, we definitely needed the extra space and privacy that the suite provided.

Quick segway for a review of the hotel:

Room - we'll give it a B

The good: high floor, away from elevators; bedroom with 2 beds and door; fridge; safe; bathroom with sink inside the room; second sink in the "wet bar" area; table and chairs; 2 tv's, plenty of storage in drawers and armoire, omelette station, 24 hour soda/juice, pool, hot tub, housekeeping was excellent.

The bad: sofa bed squeaked every time J moved; terrible view of back parking lot and construction area of lot in back, noisy atrium and door to room that had a slight gap under it letting in all the noise; terrible buffet - with the exception of the omelette station everything was just bland and lukewarm (cold and old pancakes and french toast, deep fried home fries, tasteless muffins); terrible coffee

The indifferent: location was not great but not bad. Close to Target, Bucca diBeppo, the ice cream place, shuttle seemed frequent but we didn't use it; for a large busy hotel the elevators were not too bad; the hotel restaurant was not bad the night we got take out

All in all, it was not a bad stay, especially because we used Hilton points so it was "free". It was a good thing I had ear plugs with me or I doubt I would have gotten much sleep with the squeaking sofa bed and atrium echos. And though we booked it to save on breakfast costs with 2 hungry teens, we ended up going out for breakfast 2 of the 5 mornings that we were there because none of us wanted omelettes gain and everything else was inedible.

And now back to our regularly scheduled trip report:

We left ES in our rental van and dropped it off at National on Katella. This was super easy. We paid $50 for the one way rental which is about what we would have paid for an Uber from LAX I think. And it was better than a shared shuttle and less expensive than a private one. We had made our McD's and Target stops without having to worry about keeping a driver waiting and the drop off for the car was convenient. We didn't keep the car because we weren't really going anywhere until Sunday and the hotel had a parking fee so we wanted to skip paying for things we wouldn't be using. After drop off we walked around the corner and were on our way into DCA.

First impressions of DCA (arriving about 4:30pm) - it was crowded and busy but not impossibly so.

CA2017_9008_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We headed straight to the guest services because we needed to get a DAS for J. We got a return time for RSR and then went over to Soarin and pulled a FP. While we waited for those times to roll around we just enjoyed the sights and ambiance of the park.

J's condition doesn't really allow for him to use stand-by for anything that has an indoor queue or a wait time longer than 15-20 minutes so we had determined to take it slow and just enjoy. We weren't going to cross the park multiple times to get FP's or do rope drop or anything even remotely like commando touring.

CA2017_9115_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

CA2017_9111_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr



We really enjoyed our first ride on RSR. Wow to the theming and the whole Radiator Springs area. It was amazing! So much detail and so well done.
CA2017_9055_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

CA2017_9054_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

CA2017_9051_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

CA2017_9064_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

And the new Soarin! Loved the new locations and the screen and movie looked awesome. I do kind of miss the old Soarin. Well... in all honesty what I missed was the orange grove smell and the "whooeeeee" of the guy in the glider.

We took a turn on the Luigi cars. What a cute ride. Maaaambooooohh Italiaaaaaanoooooo..

CA2017_9083_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

CA2017_9068_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

CA2017_9072_edited-1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We were still on East Coast time and we were all starting to fade. After a quick snack break where we made the mistake of sitting down in the bakery, none of us had the energy to go on. We called it a night about 9:15 local time, 12:15am for us after leaving our house 18 hours earlier! We used Uber to get back to the hotel ($5 plus a $3 tip). We were in bed and all of us snoring away by 10:30pm. It was a good start to the trip! We planned to let our East coast body clocks carry us through early arrivals the first couple of days. Hmmmm do teenagers understand East coast time? Apparently not!

 

[Nevada Jen]

Yay! Happy to be reading your report. I made the mistake of taking my 10 year old son to Bad Moms. I'm pretty sure I ruined him for life with that one. But on the other hand, I have much less worry about what he will see in the future by accident. That cat is out of the bag! Sounds like your first day was just about perfect. I have stayed at that ES in the past. Your review is spot on. I hope you also got cheer, soccer or dance competition guests. It really does increase the enjoyment factor of the atrium layout

 

[buteraa]

Excited to hear more!

 

[sharona]

Yay! Happy to be reading your report. I made the mistake of taking my 10 year old son to Bad Moms. I'm pretty sure I ruined him for life with that one. But on the other hand, I have much less worry about what he will see in the future by accident. That cat is out of the bag! Sounds like your first day was just about perfect. I have stayed at that ES in the past. Your review is spot on. I hope you also got cheer, soccer or dance competition guests. It really does increase the enjoyment factor of the atrium layout

Haha! We got basketball teams. The boys bball players were actually very quiet. I never travel w/out ear plugs and you couldn't wake up J and Princess with a jackhammer next to the bed. C can't hear anything above her own loud snoring (which is how my love of earplugs began).

That's funny about your son. I can relate - I once took my 14 yo nephew and his friend to see Pineapple Express without knowing it was about pot. The movie we planned to see was sold out and they told me Pineapple Express was a comedy. I was mortified to realize I was THAT aunt who takes the young boys to inappropriate movies!

 

[sharona]

Excited to hear more!

Thanks for the feedback! I was going to just post the rest of my photos and be done with it because it didn't seem like anyone was interested in hearing the details. I've been a bit under the weather today and yesterday but I'll try to write more tomorrow night.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Definitely post at least some words with your photos. I think it is super helpful for people to be able to read how people with special needs experience DL. As a parent of a special needs kiddo, it is terrifying to take your kid to these places without knowing how everything is supposed to work. I am sure there are plenty people who are reading and just not talking. I could talk forever but I can't take the photos to go with a report because I am handling a special needs kiddo the whole time and trying to balance their needs with everyone else's needs.

 

[pepperandchips]

Loving your report and the gorgeous photos you took! Don't stop writing - I love your sense of humor

 

[Christi0909]

Yes, keep writing, I'm enjoying your report so far! I'll be going to DL/DCA for the first time in Oct, so I'm always looking for good TRs!

 

[sharona]

Definitely post at least some words with your photos. I think it is super helpful for people to be able to read how people with special needs experience DL. As a parent of a special needs kiddo, it is terrifying to take your kid to these places without knowing how everything is supposed to work. I am sure there are plenty people who are reading and just not talking. I could talk forever but I can't take the photos to go with a report because I am handling a special needs kiddo the whole time and trying to balance their needs with everyone else's needs.

Hi. I'm going to continue it, just got a bit delayed by a bug followed by a trip to Nashville with the girlfriends and now coaching Princess's softball team. It's been crazy. I hope to get another installment up tonight. I'll include as much detail on the special needs stuff as I can remember. Thanks for your support!

Loving your report and the gorgeous photos you took! Don't stop writing - I love your sense of humor

Thanks for reading and for the encouragement!

Yes, keep writing, I'm enjoying your report so far! I'll be going to DL/DCA for the first time in Oct, so I'm always looking for good TRs!

Thanks for reading and for the encouragement!

 

[sharona]

Day Two - Disneyland!

As expected, I was up at the crack of 4 due to still being on East coast time. C and the kids were out cold. I grabbed my book light and my book and settled in for a few hours of reading. At 6 I cracked the curtain open a tiny bit to let in some light and started getting ready for the day. I let the rest of the gang sleep until 7:30 (with teens it's better to be late and happy than early and cranky) then I got them moving. After a quick stop at the buffet we were ready to roll. Not crowded at all on Sunday on our first morning:

1 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We had decided to skip the shuttle and use Uber as it was roughly the same cost. The car was there within a few minutes and we were off!

Our arrival at DL was just past 9:00. The park had just opened. People were streaming in but the line at security was pretty short and there was really no line at the gate. We rolled with the tide and headed into the park. First stop was the lockers off of Main St. We had a bag with some clothes and extra sunblock that we stored in there and I decided to add my camera since the best light of the day had already come and gone (not sure why I even brought it along). Cell phone shots only for today!

2 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

3 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

4 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

Princess and I headed right to HyperSpace Mtn.

5 by SharonCat..., on Flickr


We had been to DL only once before for a quick one day visit and Space was being refurbished at the time so we had missed it. It was at the very top of our must do list and we were not about to let it wait in case the ride went down. Also, we were on a mission to check it out for J. The assumption was that the dark and the noise would be a no-go for him but he loves the wild mouse type of roller coasters so we were hoping with the new Star Wars theme that it would be doable for him… The app said stand-by wait was 20 minutes.
6 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We hopped in line and were moving along pretty quickly until just before we got inside then it seemed like 9:30 FP returns kicked in and people started passing us by in the FP line (I’m assuming it was the FP line since I don’t think that HyperSpace has Single Rider???). Actual wait was about 45 minutes. Posted stand-by wait time that I noted on our way out was 60 minutes so between the time we got in line at 9:20 (?) until we exited about 10:00 the wait went from 20 – 60 minutes. My advice if you’re heading to HyperSpace first, either get right over there at rope drop or grab a FP and amuse yourself doing something else for the first 30 minutes instead of waiting in line wasting valuable early morning time.

While Princess and I were languishing in the Space queue, C and J had taken our tickets over to a Guest Services kiosk and gotten a DAS return time for Space so we could ride again later if we thought J would like it. She also got FP for Buzz for all of us. Then they had hopped on Buzz for a quick battle. J is really good at Buzz, I’m sure it’s the many hours spent playing video games. He was intrigued when I mentioned that there were some “cheats” for the ride and I think he may have investigated that online before our visit. Like many kids his age, he watches youtube videos of other people playing video games – did you know this was a thing? I don’t get it at all but after some discussions with moms of teen boys, this is a very popular thing to do.

Princess and I had loved-loved-loved it. So much better than the one at WDW. We got first car first row for our first ride and it was so much fun. IMO, they improved this ride 100% just by adding the Star Wars anthem at the very beginning! They could have stopped right there and I would have loved it. I’m a child of the 70’s. When the first Star Wars movie came out in 1977 I was 12. Saw it with my brother who was 11 and we could not stop talking about it! Begged Mom for money to see it again and she finally gave in. We were hooked. I had a serious crush on Harrison Ford for many years after seeing that first Star Wars movie…

Princess and I were split over recommending HS to J. I thought he would like it once he got past the very beginning when it’s totally dark as long as he had his earplugs in. She thought it was a no go. It was too early in our trip for J to be daring and he opted to not ride. C also is a no go on Space since I talked her into it 10 years ago at WDW and she hated it. C is bipolar when it comes to amusements. She jumped off a 3 story building onto one of those big blow up pillows but would not ride the Alpine Slide...

We all got in line for HS again but J and C took the chicken exit. Princess and I had said we could just cancel the return time and do something else but they wanted to walk us in. I think C was hoping J would change his mind once we got in there but he was not wavering. I felt a little guilty using the DAS return time if J wasn’t riding but the CM at the FP entrance said it was not an issue when we asked about it.

Next we all headed to Buzz with our FP after C made a quick stop at a kiosk to get a DAS return time for Star Tours. We made a small wager with winner getting to pick our lunch restaurant. Victory was mine!!!! I just barely edged out J and the dreaded lunch at Taco Bell. While we were waiting for the Star Tours return time we decided to ride AutoTopia. The wait was minimal (maybe 20 minutes). C didn’t want to ride but I went on. I can see how this is fun for little ones but even the teens were bored with this and I could not wait for it to be over. Princess got behind a very slow person and had a miserable ride.

7 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

As we were exiting we saw one older woman with what must have been her grandchild (about 3) who wouldn’t stay in the seat. The woman had to hold the child with two hands so couldn’t really drive the car. The kid was screaming and squirming and trying to get out. She was having a really hard time controlling him and looked nervous that he was going to get away and get hurt. We pointed this out to a CM who ran over to help them. Not really a ride that you would expect to have issues with but if you’re bringing a frisky toddler on with you, be aware of the potential for trouble.

After this we all went on Star Tours. I should backtrack and say that I took a Dramamine when we got to the park because I wanted to ride Star Tours and any type of screen rides make me totally nauseous. While I enjoyed the experience, it was not something that I would deem worth the side effects of the Dramamine. TMI alert. Stop reading now if you don’t want to know too much about me… Dramamine makes me have to pee every 20 minutes! And being a 50+ woman, I already pee every hour as it is! It drives Princess crazy when I take a Dramamine and we have to stop at literally every Ladies room we pass and I have to go both before and after every ride. She rolls her eyes and heads to the nearest shop. I can tell you where every Ladies room is at Universal Orlando and Princess knows where the nearest gift shop is to each. Dramamine has cost me a lot of money over the past 3 or 4 years due to the extra shopping time that Princess gets…

After Star Tours we stopped and got a DAS return time for BTMRR and headed across the park to Adventure Land. We grabbed FP for Indy and then rode Big Thunder. This has always been Princess’ favorite ride in the park. We’ve had so many fun experiences riding this one. Once, at WDW during an early morning rope drop we rode 5 times in a row. Another time we rode during the fireworks and it was truly magical. We both have happy memories of riding the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!!!” Princess loves when I say that in my goofy cowboy voice as the ride pulls away… well, she used to love it. Now she hides and gives me “the look”. I have to admit that sometimes when she is being a snotty 14 year old I do things that I know will embarrass her. Does that make me a bad person or just a bad mom? LOL. Just human! This is one of my favorite scenes from Modern Family :

Recently Princess and I were talking and I found out that, while I think I’m Claire - the cool, wine drinking, stylish, slightly sarcastic, young looking mom from Modern Family… Princess says I’m really Beverly - the f bomb dropping, overly involved in her kids lives, schmoopy hugging, snuggle crazed, shoulder pad wearing, stereotypical Jewish mother from The Goldbergs! What????? ROFL. In reality I am a bit of both. I think we all are.

I guess I am ok with being Beverly. She's a fierce and funny mom and there's nothing wrong with showing just enough crazy to keep your kids in line.

When I want Princess to appreciate me I make her watch Frankie from the Middle. Compared to her I am SuperMom. Oh wait, I was SuperMom once…

And now, back to the TR… We rode BTMRR and then did a quick check in on how we were all feeling. It was now about noon and we decided to have a snack break while we waited for our Indy FP window to open. We hung out in Frontierland and people watched while eating our popcorn (me), corn dog (C) , French fries(J) and ice cream (Princess).

We headed over to Indy. Let's just pause to admire how hot he was back then!

Princess and I had not gotten to ride Indy on our previous visit. It had broken down while we were in line for it and after 45 minutes of giving it another 5 minutes, we had given up and moved on. This time there were no issues. What a great ride. We really liked it. J sat this one out too. He needed some “bench time” with his DS so we had found him a spot in the shade and left him there with his DS and his cell phone.

It was pushing 1pm at this point and we wanted to get a rest or swim in before coming back later. The park was open until midnight so no need to stay through the hottest, most crowded part of the day. We wanted a nice sit down lunch away from the park. Since I had won the Buzz challenge, I chose Cheesecake Factory. We headed over there in a taxi – not realizing how close it actually was. No wait to be seated, delicious familiar lunch in a big booth with ac and no crowds. Of course I got my favorite Chicken Romano followed by a piece of Salted Caramel Cheesecake (to go). We took our time eating and then Uber’d back to the hotel for a break…

To Be Continued

 

[ADLFAN]

I'm loving your trip report, too! Please keep updating! Sometimes I find it easier to notice and appreciate the little Disney details in pictures rather than when I'm immersed in them - like the little 'rotary' signs at the entrance to Cars Land!

 

[sharona]

Day Two Continued...

We arrived back at our hotel about 2:30pm. C and Princess and I decided to head to the pool. Princess and I have a running battle over sunblock and tanning. She is pro tan, I am pro sunblock. She thinks because she is 75% Italian and Portuguese that it's ok for her to lay out in the sun. Needless to say we had our daily sunblock argument with some extra eye rolling on her part before she stomped off to the pool in a snit. She soon gets over it so I just don't engage until she changes back into my daughter.

J immediately decided he was not interested in the pool and was going to hang out in the room with his DS.

The pool was empty so we had our choice of seats. I chose the seat in the jacuzzi. C and Princess found some loungers in the sun and broke out the cheesy celebrity magazines. C is obsessed with celebrity gossip and reads all of the rags: OK, People, Star, US Weekly... Princess is only interested in the hair and make-up. I really enjoy movies and tv but I have 0 interest in the personal lives or fashion choices of any of those people. Also I refuse to have anything to do with supporting the vultures that put those mags together, especially the ones that won't leave the kids out of it. Stalking a celebrity's children to get a photo and sell magazines is disgusting and makes me sick.




Ugh is there anything more annoying than the amount of attention paid to the Kardashians? No, no there is not.



Is there anything less interesting than the Kardashians? Well...

C and Princess are both Bachelor fans! Yuck. Degrading to see women publicly fighting over a man who thinks he can find his true love by making out with all of them in front of millions of people. Sure you'll get to know the real her on tv...

Sorry, my keyboard just ran away with me there!!!! Rant over...for now!

Back to real reality, not tv reality...We hung out at the hotel, relaxing, showering, napping, snacking etc. until 5:30pm. Knowing it would cool off the minute the sun was gone, we grabbed sweaters and hoodies and headed back to DL. I have to say the weather was fabulous while we were in SoCal. It was high 70's/low 80's the first day and went up by a few degrees each day of our trip. The mornings and nights were cool enough for a sweater and pants but the days were definitely summery. If I were to visit SoCal again, I would definitely do it in late April. It was so nice to be outside and not be wet or cold. We had a miserable Spring in New England with a teaser of 1 or 2 nice days followed by low 40's and rain for the rest of April and the beginning of May. I coach Princess' softball team and this past Saturday morning we had a game at 9. It was damp and really cold. May 13th and I was wearing gloves and a winter coat and had a pack of those hand warmers in my pocket for our pitcher to keep her fingers from stiffening up! On May 13th!!!!! And the ultimate irony - I froze my butt off and got a sunburn! That is just not right.

We arrived back at DL and were through the security check and gates by 6. For those who are interested, the Ubers were $5-$6 from ES to DLR drop off (+ tip which I know some people say is not necessary but yes, IMO, it is). We rarely waited more than 5 minutes for the Uber to get there. Taxis back to ES from DLR, which we used a few times during the trip, were $7-$8 (+ tip) but we found the taxi drivers at park closing wanted a $10 flat fee for the short trip. They would not turn on the meter and I'm sure were pocketing the $10 so for them, $10 and no tip! We didn't want to bother waiting for the Uber then trying to find it in the crowd of cars at the crowded taxi stand/drop off/pick up area so we usually just hopped in a taxi.

When we entered it was busy on Main St but not crazy. I didn't see a ton of people with blankets trying to stake out spots for the parade and we had no problem getting around. We headed to a Guest Services kiosk and got a return time for BTMRR. The CM's at guest services were wonderful and helpful and very accommodating. What we found with the DAS at DLR was that whatever the stand-by wait time was, that is the return time we were given. So if there was a 30 minute stand by at BTMRR and we went to guest services at 6pm to ask for a return time we were given 6:30pm return. At 6:30pm we would get to the ride and would be sent through the FP line so there would be usually just a very short wait. There is no end time to the return window. There were a few times where the FP return line was long due to prior closures and we opted to leave and come back later due to J not being able to wait in a crowded line for 20-30 minutes without getting stressed and causing anxiety issues. He's come a long way from when he was younger and it's really amazing how much he has matured and learned to cope with his anxieties and the over stimulation that a busy and noisy place can cause. Because of that it's easy to forget that he has special needs until something happens and then it becomes impossible to forget! C is great with him and makes it look a lot easier than it is! I know first hand how much work it is to keep him on track at such a crowded and confusing place as DLR. There were a few attractions without FP that we asked for return times during our visit and the way they worked it was dependent upon the ride access. Autotopia for example we were given a particular spot at the beginning of the queue to stand aside and someone then came and took us a roundabout way to the loading area... The biggest difference between our experience at DLR vs. what we found at WDW for the DAS is that at WDW you have to go to the actual attraction to get the return time. This can be a lot of extra walking around and I can see how with younger kids this could be an issue where you take them right to the entrance then have to tell them they have to wait an hour to come back! At DLR you can use any Guest Services kiosk in the park to get a return time for any ride which was really user friendly. We used the return times and FP to ride just about everything but, as we had planned to take our time, we didn't run all over the place from one ride to the next trying to ride as many times as possible. J would not have liked that experience and we wanted to have an easy, stress free trip. The DAS allowed us to really enjoy the park in a nice way without all of the extra work of FP runners and maximizing FP.

I didn't take a lot of photos this night. I had taken my DSLR back to the hotel at our break and left it there. I took a few cell phone snaps and C took a bunch more. I'll see if she can forward them to me and I will share them later. Here are the few that I took:

8 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

C and J - was nice of the CM to get in there with the balloons but I had positioned them so the castle was showing and she blocked it. The balloons is a nice change though...

9 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

Princess and J getting along... J always loses his sunglasses and ends up wearing C's or mine. He doesn't care that they have bling on the sides, lol. Confident in his manliness.

All of us...
10 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We stopped and got a FP for Indy and then rode BTMRR. After that, everyone wanted something to eat so we decided on New Orleands Sq. C and I ate at the French Market. French Dip for her and French Market Chicken for me. Everything was delicious! J and Princess went to Stage Door Cafe and got some fried stuff and brought it over to French Market to eat with us. We debated Splash Mtn while we ate. I voted no since it was a little chilly out. C and Princess were neutral and J was a big No on the big drop and the possibility of getting wet. We decided to save Splash for our next DLR day right before our break. I was surprised that Princess wasn't pushing to go on as it's one of her must do's at WDW but I think she was chilled due to the sunburn and not wanting to deal with getting wet. She was all bundled up in her hoodie tonight but wearing Daisy Dukes . The previous night, while we were hanging out at DCA, she had gone into a shop and got the cute Disneyland hoodie she's wearing in the pics above. It was almost $50!! Glad her Nana gave her some spending money! When she was paying, the CM asked her if she was an AP holder and before she could answer the woman standing behind her in line said "she can use mine" so Princess saved I think it was 20% but my memory is a little foggy on that. I want to say she got the hoodie for $38 instead of $48+... something close to that. Princess was very happy with her savings. It was really nice of the AP holder to help her out and of the CM to let her use the discount.


Since Splash was given the thumbs down for tonight, we decided on HM then PoTC. Neither had a long wait per the app so we got a return time for HyperSpace and then went stand by for HM and PotC. J was fine with HM as he's been on the one at WDW before and knows it's more tongue in cheek than scary. The ride was interrupted several times by mischievous ghosts and gouls which made it not flow as well which is a shame. J was a little leery of going on PoTC after seeing the dark and semi-spooky entrance but he decided to give it a try. Princess and I ended up in the front row with C and J behind us. J was a bit unnerved by the creepy atmosphere at the beginning and that first little drop in the dark was very anxiety inducing for him but he was ok after that. Princess and I, on the other hand, were now sitting in puddles in the front row. Also got splashed a bit in the face. Gross!!!!! Since when do you get all wet on PoTC? I know this was an issue at WDW after the refurb but I wasn't aware that swampy wetass syndrome had spread to the west coast. They need to find a cure for that, stat!

I was wearing beige capris and it looked like I had peed my pants . Princess had on denim shorts and you really couldn't tell they were wet but she was uncomfortable. I wasn't a happy camper having to walk around with wet underwear all night. We would have gone on Splash if we were interested in taking our chances with water. C and J had remained dry but J was starting to fade on us. We found a "quiet" spot for him while we rode Indy. Sorry to whoever had to sit in my damp seat after Indy. I tried to dry it off with a napkin as I was exiting. Even with the FP that line getting on Indy takes a while. From the merge to the loading area seems long to me compared to other rides, especially those built in the post FP era. J was in a video game trance by the time we got back out there!

We decided to head over to Tomorrow Land and perk J up with a ride on Buzz. When we got there we grabbed FP for Buzz and then Princess and I rode HyperSpace with the return time we had gotten after dinner - C and J once again opting for the chicken exit. We met up out front and it was almost time for Buzz. Our wager this time - matching shirts! C and I wanted to get the kids in the spirit of the family trip by buying matching shirts and all wearing them the next day. Princess was totally against it. I was seeing pics on FaceBook all week from our friends and neighbors who were at WDW showing off their matching shirts. I kept showing them to Princess to annoy her. Even her little "he's not my boyfriend" from school was wearing a goofy red Mickey tshirt with his two little sisters... J didn't care what he was wearing as long as it wasn't pink. So the bet was, if C or I won - matching shirts. If Princess won, no matching shirts and we would each have to buy her a blue slushy. If J won he was donating his win to Princess and letting her have the prize in exchange for her "not being as annoying" the next day.

And the winner was... of course. Once again proving that motivation is the key to success. She had finished dead last that afternoon.

After Buzz the kids wanted to do Star Tours again so we got a return time for that which was almost immediate since stand by was under 20 minutes. Princess and J went over there while C and I waited outside "people watching" (eating Mickey ice cream bars) and "relaxing" (checking emails and posting photos on Facebook and Instagram). When the kids were done with ST we were all ready to go to bed! We were still feeling the time change even with the mid day break and it was getting late for us. The fireworks were about to start. The kids are not really into the parade and while I love fireworks, it's not our primary focus and to us, not worth spending time staking out a spot and dealing with J in the crowds and noise on Main St. To exit the park, I thought we'd have to go through the shops because of the parade ending and fireworks about to start, but we were directed down a "backstage" path. We were soon out of there and in a taxi heading back to the ES just as the fireworks started to boom.

Next up Day Three - DCA. Our original plan was to take the next day (Thursday) off to sleep in and maybe go to Warner Bros Studios and DTD then spend Friday and Saturday at DLR but the weather was forecasted to be 90+ on Saturday so we decided to spend Thursday at DCA and Friday at DL then go to the beach on Saturday!

 

[sharona]

Day Three: DCA

We were completely sick of the buffet at the ES so we got up in the morning and took an Uber to the IHOP across from the DLR drop off area. Hot breakfast cooked to order - really is there any better meal than breakfast? The options are just unlimited. Food was good and service was quick. We left there feeling fat and happy and waddled over to the DCA entrance. We had a few plans for this day: Do-overs for CARS and Soarin and TSMM, first ride on Screamin for me and Princess (C said she was a maybe but I knew she was a no), exploring the parts of the park we had skipped the first night and being at CARS Land when the lights come on.

We arrived about 9:15 and headed right to CARS Land to grab FP for later. We got a return time for TSMM and then went to check out the "Hollywood" area of the park. We decided to go on the Monster's Inc. ride and then go to Animation Academy or whatever it's called at DLR. I know, I know, criminal misuse of early morning park time. But, it is what it is. We were making a circuit of the park today and seeing it all as it was our last time at DCA.

It was pretty empty over in that area which was kind of cool. Here are some cell phone pics that show how uncrowded it was in the front of CARS Land and in Hollywood Land.

C and J...
11 by SharonCat..., on Flickr


Princess
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13 by SharonCat..., on Flickr
The new Guardians of the Galaxy themed ride which was not open yet...

As we were walking out of the Monsters Inc. attraction I was trying to take a quick selfie pic of with this guy in the background but instead he snuck up and photobombed me:

14 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

Next stop Animation Academy... We had missed our window. We decided to skip the drawing because we had just missed one and didn't want to wait for the next. We stopped at Mater's and gave that a whirl. J was sliding all over the place in his basketball style shorts. He almost flew out of the vehicle when it whipped around.
15 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We headed over to CARS Land and I took some shots in the area and outside the ride while C and the kids explored the gift shops in Radiator Springs. Pretty soon it was time for our FP!
19 by SharonCat..., on Flickr
20 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

Ladies and Gentlemen.... The Ramones:
21 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

And then it was our turn... I guess I had my phone upside down? Not sure what happened here but I like it.
22 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

After CARS Land we explored the Pier area. Princess wanted her daily Mickey Bar:

23 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

And then she wanted some pics of herself. Now I take my camera everywhere and she used to love being in my photos but about 2 or 3 years ago she decided that she didn't want to be photographed anymore - this does not include, of course, the 100+ snaps she takes of herself for snapchat every day... We made a deal that I could take as many as I wanted on vacations and the rest of the time I would ask first and only use my "I insist" for special occasions and holidays. It's been working out well so far and every once in a while she wants a good photo of herself and will ask me to take it. These did not come out great because it was just before mid day and lighting and shadows were harsh. I tried to get her to move into some shade but she had a certain idea of what she wanted and I just went along with it...

24 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

25 by SharonCat..., on Flickr


It's a very scenic area and I would come back to it several times and eventually got some shots that I liked.

26 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

I loved all the flowers and landscaping at both parks.

27 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

C and I were messing around with her mirrored sunglasses all week. I finally got her to think about the reflections before she snapped her selfies!



28 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

29 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

We headed over toward TSMM to once again get our butts whipped by J. He rode with me this time and my score was much lower than usual. I think he shot out so many targets that there wasn't much left for me!!!

Next - lunch and Screamin. Would C ride?

 

[AusAnnie]

I don't know why - but I can't see any of your photos.

 

[sharona]

I don't know why - but I can't see any of your photos.

Anyone else not able to see the pics?

 

[Canadian Girl 77]

I can't see the pics either.

 

[sharona]

Maybe too many pics per post. I'll try to fix it when I get home tonight.

 

[Canadian Girl 77]

It looks like something is wonky with the links. I can see the image from Mean Girls and the celebrity magazines.