August 20, 2005 - L.A. to Port Canaveral - Eastbound Repo Cruise - The SHIP OF FOOLS

[mark & sandra]

bmwdsny- This is the photo from page 138 of susan's manager.

Hope this explains it...Mark

 

[jiminyC_fan]

OMG,

 

[Bmwdsny]

Originally posted by mark & sandra
bmwdsny- This is the photo from page 138 of susan's manager.

Hope this explains it...Mark

Oh, i get it!! This time with the clothes off!!! Gee, i am glad that all i see!!! WHEW!!!! Just don't get all porno on me!!!!!

 

[DudetteTwo]

You can't stay away from this board too long because you get WAY TOO FAR BEHIND. Is there still stock available for J.G. Enterprises - sound like an up & coming company!!!!!!!!!!! Where do you people get those picture?

Stormy in New Jersey. Lots of rain and flooding but the Disney Dudettes are high & dry! There are several areas (Lumberton & Medford Lakes) that have houses under water. Two dams broke due to the Rancocas River & ten dams are damages. If it rains hard again, they are in trouble. Now they are saying "tornado warnings" too!

Had a fun night out after work yesterday at Los Amigos 7 the met up with some old friends who are returning to Argentina for lunch today. It is the first time they got to meet my new boyfriend. They want us to come to Argentina & stay with them for a vacation. Wouldn't that be fun! Hope you all have a terrific week. Toodles JEANNE

 

[Luv2Dream]

Mark: I don't even know what to say about those pictures. I was eating supper at the time and all I can say is it wasn't appetizing !

JGE Enterprises sounds like a fine upstanding corporation. I'm in for the REAS and the deluxe transport to the port. They look way too good to pass up, especially baking in a GLAD bag on deck. Yes, my kind of vacation relaxation.

We'll be staying at GC from 8/17 to 8/19 so we are in for the DL meet.

Hope everyone had a great day today. It's overcast and rainy, but not hard rain, just bothersome kind. It's supposed to clear up for the weekend though.

 

[Mom2Belle&PeterPan]

Originally posted by Bmwdsny
Barbara,

I will be using DVC points to stay in one of the DL hotels. Do you know anything about Paradise Pier?? Is DL Hotel the best of the 3?? I probablry won't be staying at the Grand Califorian since the points are high to stay there so it is really a choice of DL hotel or PP. You recomended the Sierra tower?? I heard from another source that the Bonnita tower is good too. Which is better?? What is the difference between the 2 towers?? I never stayed at a concerige level, what exactly is that??

Hi Melinda,

Welcome back from your travels!

The Sierra Tower faces DTD on one side and the pool on the other, whereas the Bonita Tower is furthest away and is the quietest. If you are looking for peace & quiet, go for the Bonita Tower. If you'd like to see the parks and DTD with all the goings on, I'd choose the Sierra Tower. The Marina Tower is where the lobby is located. I've never seen that recommended. We've only personally stayed in the Sierra Tower.

The concierge level at the DL Hotel is described as follows:

Sprinkled with pixie dust, the rich history of Disney story-telling is evident in every detail.

Three Diamond Deluxe Hotel
King-size bed or two queen-size beds
Room service
Phones with voicemail
Irons, ironing boards, refrigerators, hairdryers, make-up mirrors and safes in each room
Cribs and roll-away beds available upon request
Disney Channel and ESPN
Smoking or non-smoking rooms available
Disabled-accessible rooms available

CONCIERGE LEVEL GUESTS are entitled to these additional amenities:
Priority check-in
Staff available prior to and during your visit for reservations and vacation planning
Enjoy an exclusive lounge featuring Continental breakfast and evening wine and cheese reception
Nightly turndown service
DVD players and complimentary movies

Another reviewer wrote the following:

We headed up to the concierge lounge (this was my favorite part of the trip). We ate many meals here and were able to take pop, juice boxes, and water to stock our fridge in our room. The food there was good. Breakfast was cereal, rolls and fruits. The evening hour had breads, crackers, cheeses, salsa and chips, veggies, assorted dips, and wine. Beer was available to purchase. At night they had milk, cookies and reice krispie treats.

~~~~~

Overall, the food at DL/DCA is not as good as WDW, though there are some places you will definitely enjoy. It's just that the average tourists can spend some bucks on food that is not so good. We tried some new eating places during our stay and wish we had not, it was not worth the $ Sometime soon I'll write up our favorite eating places.

The Paradise Pier has just been remodeled and has gotten great reviews thus far. It is farthest from the parks, most say too far.

The Grand Californian is the nicest of the three hotels and the closest to the parks.

With the DL Hotel, keep in mind you do have a walk to DL/DCA through DTD, but we did not find that to be a problem in the least. In fact, we found it to be fun, entertaining, and joyful! To us, it is a short walk, to others, it may seem too long. I'll talk
with dh and we'll give it a mileage rating here soon.

You can also take the monorail into DL, it's almost right outside of the DL Hotel.

The DL Hotel has the best pool and charm for the kids. Even my then 12 year old really liked it!

Hope this helps!

Barbara (PS See my next thread for info. on what another trusted friend had to write about the DL Hotel.)

 

[Mom2Belle&PeterPan]

Originally posted by EmmasGrammy
Barbara,

Thank You so much for the hotel info!!! I have been craving any input on the "off property" hotels near DL. I've been checking the AAA book and the Unoffical Guide to DL plus Birnbaums book and I'm going crazy!!! Thank you for all your help!!!

Lynda

Hi Lynda,

You are very welcome! I went back and found some more info. for you and all from my trusted friends. I am copying it below. My buddies are Disney fans too and they plan, plan, and plan their Disney trips! Some of the info. is redundant, but I think it will give you some more insight as you make your lodging decisions!

Best wishes!

Barbara
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MORE INFO. on Hotels in DL areas

FROM ANOTHER DL FRIEND (another trusted friend):

Hi, R!
My name is R, too! I've been to DL 4 times in the past year, and have stayed at HoJo's , Grand Californian, Crowne Plaza and the DL Hotel (in that order)

The Crowne Plaza was very nice and had very reliable bus transportation. The busses ran every 30 min, and the drivers were very friendly and well informed. I suppose you could walk from Crowne Plaza to DL, but it would be a bit of a hike, I think. I don't know how much the rooms are there, I went with a friend who's husband was able to get us a free room there.

HoJo's on Harbor Blvd was also very nice and in walking distance of the parks. I think we paid $70/night. The pools were being refurbished while we were there, but dsnylndmom has stayed there since then and said that the new pool area was very nice. I would defintitely recommend Hojo and we would stay there again.

The Grand Californian was wonderful, I just can't say enough about it. The best thing, though, is the location. It can't be beat. It is actually located inside Disney's California Adventure park, so it makes going back to the hotel for a mid day break (which we all recommend here on this board!) very convenient. The Grand is very expensive, so we will only stay there again if it's a special ocasion. Or if we win the lottery!!

On our most recent trip (last month) we stayed at the DL hotel and just loved it. The buildings do look a little bit dated from the outside, and the lobby is nothing to write home about, but the DL hotel is a great place to stay. It is a little bit of a walk from the DL hotel to the parks, but you get to walk through Downtown Disney which we really enjoyed. The hotel is located very close to the monorail station in Downtown Disney, so you can just hop on the monorail to get to DL (the monorail does not go to California Adventure) With the age of your dd, I would recommend walking to DL your first time so she can walk in on Main Street USA and see the castle for the first time(the monorail lets you off in Tomorrowland) Also, even though the buildings look a little dated on the outside the rooms are spacious and very nice. The Neverland pool at the DL hotel is awesome! It has a Peter Pan theme and a fun slide. There is also plenty of Disney magic all around the DL hotel! The landscaping is gorgeous, there's a great gift shop, and Goofy's Kitchen is located here. Goofy's Kitchen is a character meal buffet, which your dd would probably love (depending on how she feels about the characters)We really enjoyed our stay at the DL hotel, and will be returning there when we go back to DL in Dec.

As much as I loved the DL hotel , what S said in her post is true. There are so many hotels located within walking distance of DL and DCA that you don't have to stay at a Disney hotel to have a great location(like you would at WDW). In fact I think some of the hotels on Harbor Blvd are closer to the parks than the DL hotel. With the age of your dd I would recommend a hotel within walking distance so you won't have to worry about lugging a stroller on and off of the busses (if you bring a stroller)
Hope I've helped some! Hang around this board, and you'll get lots of help and tips!! dsnylandmom is an absolute wealth of knowlege on Disneyland! I'm sure she'll be along soon enough to give you some more info!

Welcome to the board!
R

MORE on hotels around DL WRITTEN BY MY FRIEND dsnylndmom:

The closest off-site motel is the Best Western Park Place Inn. They have regular rooms and mini-suites. They have fridge's and microwaves and a breakfast at the restaurant next door(either continental or pancakes) They have a small outdoor pool and a wonderful staff. We loved this motel it's our #1 walking distance!
These next 5 are to the left of the Park Place if you are looking at Harbor with your back to DL......

Right next to it is the Tropicana. It's been recently remodeled and getting good reviews at another board I'm on. It also has microwave and fridge and outdoor pool.

Next is the Carousal. It also has regular rooms and suites with fridge and microwave and an outdoor pool on the 5 floor and continental breakfaat. When I stayed there last it was 6 years ago and the rooms were eh, but they've since remodeled.

Next to that is the Park Inn International. They have regular rooms and large suites, also with the fridge and outdoor pool. I've never stayed there but I've heard rave reviews about it.
Next to that is the Fairfield Inn, don't do it. LOL that's all I have to say.

Finally last before the freeway is Hojos. Hojos is wonderful! The tower rooms are HUGE and you can get one facing the park and see the fireworks from here! They have beautiful grounds, interior corriders(the only one walking distance)2 pools and a kiddie splash area. They don't have continental breakfast ut do have a microwave and small fridge. The walk is about 7 minutes from the gate but you can use the ART shuttle. If you are interested in the Hojos let me know and I'll email you the addy to get a GREAT rate. Hojo's is our second fave. But I should tell you the 1st and 2nd are sooo close! LOL

If you are looking at Harbor with your back towards DL to the right you have
Park Vue~~~don't do it, roachy

Desert Inn & Suites~~lots of floor plans, fridge and microwave, indoor pool, small contintental breakfast. We've stayed here a couple of times and it's not bad. It's clean and the staff was okay, it's one we look towards after BW Park Place and Hojo's are booked(and if we can't get Tropicana to try it out!)

Ramada Saga Inn-don't try, bad smells and funky floor reported by friends.

Castle Inn & Suites-again don't try. Stuff falling apart, HORRIBLE staff.

AND YET MORE FROM dsnylndmom!

Stay away from the Del Sol!! That & Park Vue are known for roaches.

Hojo's is good, Park Place Inn, Anaheim Inn, Candy Cane and Park Inn International. Carousal is okay and so is Desert Inn & Suites
If I'm not mistaken it's 15% for hotel tax. Although, Best Value Inn & Suites in Orange does not have the hotel tax. It's at the most a 10 minute drive to the park, although they have a shuttle but you have to schedule it. They include breakfast(inc. a few hot items)and dinner(light dinner)The hotel is older and shows on the outside but the inside was extremely clean and well kept. You can get either studios or suites, including a Penthouse suite with a separate bedroom upstairs. When we stayed there in July the penthouse suite was $89 and the studios $65 and the 1 bedroom suites $69. Check Hotels.com

 

[ThreeCircles]

Just in case anyone missed the press release:

<a href="http://www.knology.net/~jwoodrum/jge/jge.html">J.G. Enterprises Announcement</a>

 

[Bmwdsny]

Thanks barbara for the DL info....It is a big help!!! I just have to figure out the points system now....Hope you don't mind that i have more ?????'s

For the DL Hotel i have these choices (the points are lowest to the highest in that order)

Standard view,
Resort/Pool View-Lower level,
Resort/Pool view Upper lever,
Concierge- Pool View
Concierge- Disney Cali. adventure park view

SO MANY CHOICES!!!

What does standard view consist of??? I have to figure out how much view i really need...how much time do i really spend in the room!

The Paradise Pier is lower points than the other 2 but i probablry choose the DLH, for the tradition and the pool sounds faboulous!!

 

[izzinmac]

Barbara,

Now I'm convinced its back to HoJo's for a 20 year later revisit! Others sound good, but we want HoJo's for sentimental reasons!
Do you know your friend dsnylndmom's contact for a good rate there?

Bob

 

[Mom2Belle&PeterPan]

Originally posted by Bmwdsny
Thanks barbara for the DL info....It is a big help!!! I just have to figure out the points system now....Hope you don't mind that i have more ?????'s

For the DL Hotel i have these choices (the points are lowest to the highest in that order)

Standard view,
Resort/Pool View-Lower level,
Resort/Pool view Upper lever,
Concierge- Pool View
Concierge- Disney Cali. adventure park view

SO MANY CHOICES!!!

What does standard view consist of??? I have to figure out how much view i really need...how much time do i really spend in the room!

The Paradise Pier is lower points than the other 2 but i probablry choose the DLH, for the tradition and the pool sounds faboulous!!

Hi Melinda,

Concierge is only in the Sierra Tower from what CMs have told me directly. Now that being said, this has only been word of mouth. BTW, you get your own elevator to the concierge rooms. Also, I read that the rooms next to the elevators can be noisy, so put in a request for them to be away from the elevators.

This is what I believe are to be true re: the rooms:

Standard view - probably the street or parking lot, other views possible if hotel is not busy, but it will definitely be busy next summer for the 50th anniversary.

Resort/Pool View-Lower level,
Resort/Pool view Upper level, - you will get the upper or lower floors, (I believe floors 4 and below for lower, 5 and up for upper) with a pool view, any tower possible.

Hope this helps! Happy to answer any and all questions!

Take care!

Barbara

 

[Mom2Belle&PeterPan]

Originally posted by izzinmac
Barbara,

Do you know your friend dsnylndmom's contact for a good rate there?

Bob

Hi Bob,

I'll see if dsnylndmom has a PM for this board, she just may. Otherwise, I'll e-mail her and get back to you as soon as I hear from her.

I agree, HOJO's sounds great from the reports, and it will be so much fun for you to be their with your family to relive the memories and make new ones!

BTW, I am the oldest of seven children in my family, and I love it! Wonderful that you have seven children!!!

Barbara

 

[EmmasGrammy]

Bob,

I hope you don't mind me butting in (perhaps not a good choice of words following the pictures posted by Mark!!) BUT, I was surfing the net and found a DL website called mouseinfo.com. They are sponsored by HoJos and they have a thread about getting special hotel rate deals for members of that forum at the HoJo Anaheim. It is a good information source (but not as chatty as this forum). There is not a membership fee or anything to join the forum and the gentleman who posts on the forum from Ho Jos is very friendly and helpful. Check it out. If I knew how to post a link I would do it for you. Sorry HTH!!!

 

[Mom2Belle&PeterPan]

Lynda & Bob,

Here it is!

There is now a new procedure on how to receive the Howard Johnson discount.

M..........com readers planning a trip to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim may take advantage of these special offers by a simple click of a mouse. First, reserve your room through Hojo.com, Hojoanaheim.com, or by calling (800) 446-4656. After you've made your hotel reservation and received a confirmation number, complete the form.*A member of our Guest Care Team will reply within 24 hours with the availability of special offers and room upgrades for MouseInfo.com members. Discount rates and upgrades are subject to availability and may not be available during special events, conventions or holidays.

http://www.hojoanaheim.com/mouseinfo/

Thanks EmmasGrammy!

Barbara

 

[Bmwdsny]

Also, is it true that we have to pay for parking even if we stay on site disney hotels???

 

[izzinmac]

EmmasGrammy and Barbara,

Thanks for the Mouseinfo site and savings info. Too early to book for next August, but I compared the same date rates for this year with other sources and it is a significant savings. Plus it looks like they will do everthing to give free upgrades when possible. Joined mouseinfo tonight to be able to take advantage of those rates.
Another board to keep up with!!!

Bob

 

[paulcrsb]

As of now we are arriving on the 17th and have a room booked at Paridise Pier through DCL. It's pretty spendy and we are hoping for lower rates when they are released in September.

Paul

 

[Grumbo]

Paridise Pier through DCL. It's pretty spendy

We probably will stay close to DL next year. We've booked the Holiday Inn Express for two weeks from now but what do you call "spendy"? Not meaning to pry but haven't considered "on site" hotels for DL.

Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[ehtpnt]

Thanks everyone for all the hotel info. Now all I have to do is get DH to read thru it. I know we are flying out on the 18th and plan to spend the 19th at DL. But we are still discussing where to stay. The above info will be very helpful.

Mark those feet are disgusting. But the picture of the manager is something else. Puts a whole new meaning in the term "double jointed."

I remember green stamps. It took forever to fill a book, And took thousands of books to get any thing.
We are getting more rain and thunderstorms. We had 5 inches yeaterday and have had another inch or so today.
JGE sounds like a good investment. How much is the stock? And can we get preferred shares? I'm in for the REAS but think I'll pass on the jelly fish.

Talk to everyone tomorrow.

Estelle

 

[twhipple]

I have an idea -- and it's quite an undertaking. I'll volunteer for it, but it can't be done until I return from my October 2 cruise. What if we indexed the thread and on page one Grumbo could note which page the index is on and the index could be continually updated (i.e. hotels near DL pgs 100-101, 125-139; rental cars pgs 5, 125; zinfandel/martinis, etc., you get the picture). That way we're all still in one thread, but we can find info (I still can't find the link about the tuxedos ). Like I said, I'd be willing to do it (I could start now with the current stuff), but I can't do the old stuff until after Oct 9. I got a big test coming up in September and I have to study

Let me know what you all think.