Chirple
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2009
Hello, and welcome to my second ABD trip report. This one I'm actually doing in the same year (hopefully, same month) in which the trip took place! I don't have any photos to add yet. In comparing what we did during our trip to other trip reports, they are comparable.
Pre Pre ABD Day 1
Who we are: Dan and Carol, a middle-aged couple with no children who love Disney. He will tell you that I’m the “Disneyholic”, but he is right there with me. This was our second ABD in 3 years, the first being AZ/UT.
With an early departure on 8/16, we decided to finish packing on 8/15 and put our suitcases in the car that evening. I also took out the recycling; regular trash would be taken out the next morning. This allowed us (well, me) not to be running around in a panic on departure day.
We set the alarm for 4 am to leave the house by 5:30 am. We had purchased premade coffee from Dunkin’ the night before for my husband; all he needed to do was heat it up in the morning. Trust me, he needs this morning coffee.
We prepaid for a preferred parking spot in Newark’s P6 Economy Lot (more on this with our return). We parked right across from the bus stop; it would be easy to find the car when we got back. We didn’t have long to wait for the airport shuttle bus, but we were the last terminal stop on the route (C out of ABC).
Terminal C was very busy for an early Thursday morning. We had to wait for access to a kiosk to get our checked bag tags. Then we waited for bag drop. Then we once again patted ourselves on the backs for having TSA Pre-Check because the security lines were out of control, including TSA Pre-Check. The difference between our line and the regular one was that we at least kept moving.
We had United Club passes (came with our credit card), but the regular club was no where near our gate. In fact, our gate was not far past security. It was also located in one of the shorter areas of the terminal; I walked from gate 103 to gate 110 to get my Dunkin’ coffee.
Flight was scheduled to depart at 8:30 am. The pilot notified us that we’d be taxiing for 25 minutes but still arrive on time. The flight overall was uneventful and quiet. We paid for Economy Plus seats, which provided us with earlier boarding and extra legroom. We didn’t need any overhead storage space on this flight.
Once we landed in Orange County (SNA), our luggage came out quickly. We crossed the street to the shuttle pick up area as I checked in with Super Shuttle. We were the first ones to arrive. The driver loaded our luggage into the van, but we hung out in the fresh air until the other passengers started to arrive. There were 7 of us riding together. The family of 3 also had tickets to that night’s Angels vs White Sox game (which turned into a nail biter).
We were burning DVC points for our pre-pre days; we chose to stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel. It took a while to get checked in as there were two people working the reception desk, and the two families being assisted seemed to be either a bit dramatic or taking an awfully long time. When a third CM came out, we were able to check in quickly. Our room was ready which allowed us to go up and drop our bags. The room was nice and clean, but we looked directly on to the pool deck (4th floor). There is no true quick service at this location, so we had lunch in the Surfside Lounge. The food was good, and they took our 10% DVC discount.
I had showered before we left and still felt clean and presentable. My husband used time between lunch and the baseball game to shower. I took a walk through Downtown Disney (walking past the Disneyland Hotel) and window shopped. When you visit Disneyland’s Downtown Disney area, you must go through security (bag check and metal detectors). Once you’ve cleared it, there is no other security check to access the parks.
We decided to eat dinner at the ballpark. We requested an Uber, and we did not have to wait long. We picked her brain about best options for after the game, and she suggested that we cross the street or walk away from the park to request our ride back. Once she dropped us off, we snapped a couple of photos out front. The park was still empty. We easily found our seats, and my husband went off searching for food. He came back with a nice pulled pork sandwich and sides. I went looking for food, and I found nothing appealing to me. I ended up with a box of popcorn for dinner.
Once the game was over (Angels barely squeaked out a win), we walked across the street and down the road to Embassy Suites. From there we called for an Uber, and he was there quickly. For the record, we initiated conversation with both drivers, and they were extremely helpful and kind. We were seriously overtired, but we were glad that we pushed ourselves to acclimate to the time change.
Pre Pre ABD Day 2
On Friday we had brunch scheduled at the PCH Grill in our hotel. I got up and showered. The food offerings were not extravagant, but we enjoyed everything we ate.
While my husband got ready, I took a walk over to the Grand Californian, hung around the hotel for a bit, and then walked back. I went to our hotel pool and sought out a shady spot. Once he was done getting ready, I took him through the route I had used the day before to get to Downtown Disney. We first wandered around the Disneyland Hotel property and checked out the historic photos.
NOTE: When we last visited Disneyland in 2001, my husband was going through some very stressful personal issues. He could not enjoy himself, and he left California with a negative feeling about Disneyland. He would tell people over the years that it was horrible./NOTE
As we walked through DTD, Dan remarked how it looked so different from when we last visited. He loved it. I almost fell over hearing that from him. I took him to the Dress Shop because there was one dress I really liked and wanted his opinion. He thought the pattern was really cute (the new Mickey & Minnie floral dress). I decided to try it on, but I needed his help with the back zipper and hook & eye. Once the dress was on, we both thought it was flattering on me. I used my 10% DVC discount for it. We moved on to the World of Disney store and looked around. I bought a couple of shirts, and he really liked the one t-shirt I bought (unisex) and said he wanted to get one for himself and for his sister. For some reason he wanted to wait to buy them.
We decided to eat at the La Brea Bakery & Café. Since we wanted an actual table, we had to wait on a short line (were told 15 minutes and waited 5). Dan had the chicken pot pie with side salad. The pot pie itself was not large, but the filling was rich. I had the Asian Chicken Salad; it was very good. We splurged with chocolate cake for dessert. It was delicious! When were done eating, we walked back to our hotel.
He was still hungry and made it our mission to find plain popcorn. All we could find was flavored popcorn. After giving up, he asked someone at the Cali Pop stand where he could get plain popcorn. Apparently, in order for Cali Pop to keep carts in DTD, they cannot compete with the popcorn that Disney sells in the parks. He settled on a Wetzel’s Pretzel. It was getting chilly so we each got hot tea from Starbucks and people watched. We also became a source for a scavenger hunt. When we were done, we walked back to our hotel, pulled out our clothes for the next morning, and prepared our bags for departure.
We did not enter either park during our pre pre days.
Pre ABD Day
For Saturday 8/17 we had pre-arranged our ABD pickup. We had to meet the driver by 1 pm in front of the Grand Californian. Two things to note here: 1) you cannot access the Grand Californian the way you can the other Disneyland hotels. You must have a room key to get through the gate or use the voice box to call the security attendant. 2) It was very easy to walk our luggage across the street to the Grand Californian.
We were able to have a late breakfast at the Surfside Lounge in our hotel. We walked across the street with our bags and waited in the curbside pick up location. Our driver arrived about 10 minutes late due to traffic, and he said it would take around 1.25 hours to get to Hollywood. He was right. We had a nice chat with our driver before each of us fell asleep in the car. We pulled into the Loews Hotel entrance at 2:25 pm and got dropped off. The lobby was packed. We stood in line to check in only to find out that the computers were all down. They took my name and cell number and said they would text us when the computers came back up. Since we had no room yet, we left our bags with Bell Services. We walked over to the Hollywood and Highland Center to grab lunch. We ate at the Italian restaurant. The food was good (he had a calzone; I had salad), but it was very overpriced. We also checked the directory to see if, by chance, there was a barbershop in the center. No luck.
Before we arrived my husband had called Loews to see if there were any barbershops nearby. They told him there was one not too far from the hotel and to check with the Concierge in the lobby. We did once we finished lunch. Dan was given a map with the location of the barbershop, and off we went.
NOTE: The barbershop is Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, which has locations all over the country. We were not familiar with Floyd’s, and no one advised Dan that he should make an appointment. It was approximately 0.8 miles from Loews (left on Hollywood Blvd, right on N. Cahuenga Blvd). Dan was told over the phone that the shop is closed on Sundays; this is not true. https://www.floydsbarbershop.com/hollywood/ /NOTE
Once we arrived at Floyd’s, Dan was told there was a 2 hour wait (see NOTE about appointments). The door listed the hours, and he was able to make a 1 pm appointment for a haircut and shave on Sunday. Due to the lack of information relayed by Loews staff regarding the barbershop’s operations, we lost Sunday as a touring day.
We walked back to the hotel, and here is where Dan will tell you was a HUGE highlight of his trip—we found Adam West’s star on the Walk of Fame. It’s located in front of where Frederick’s of Hollywood used to be. I took a couple of pictures, but they weren’t to his liking. I also received a text from Loews that the computers were online and could check into the hotel. We completed check in and gave our luggage claim ticket to the person at the front desk. He said we had to be in our room for luggage delivery, and up we went. (You need to use your room key to access the different floors.)
Being that this was our pre-ABD day, dinner was on our own. Having passed the Pig ‘n Whistle, I looked up their dinner menu; it sounded really good and reasonably priced. I had visited this establishment with my friend in 2001 just for a drink at the bar, and I thought it was a place Dan would like due to its history in Hollywood. I was not wrong on all accounts.
When we left the restaurant, Dan wanted to have his photo retaken with Adam West’s star. As the obliging spouse, I did. Then he said I could post them on Facebook. He rarely gives the okay on his pictures.
Before we left to get dinner, we checked to see how late Bodega (in-hotel Starbucks coffee, snacks, water, etc) was open because we needed water to take evening meds. It was closed, but we noted a 7-11 across the street and purchased water there on the way back.
We were still wondering about breakfast (when I posted the question in the Backstage Magic meets thread) and decided that we would probably eat at the hotel’s restaurant anyway (Preston’s).
Next up: Backstage Magic ABD Day 1!
Pre Pre ABD Day 1
Who we are: Dan and Carol, a middle-aged couple with no children who love Disney. He will tell you that I’m the “Disneyholic”, but he is right there with me. This was our second ABD in 3 years, the first being AZ/UT.
With an early departure on 8/16, we decided to finish packing on 8/15 and put our suitcases in the car that evening. I also took out the recycling; regular trash would be taken out the next morning. This allowed us (well, me) not to be running around in a panic on departure day.
We set the alarm for 4 am to leave the house by 5:30 am. We had purchased premade coffee from Dunkin’ the night before for my husband; all he needed to do was heat it up in the morning. Trust me, he needs this morning coffee.
We prepaid for a preferred parking spot in Newark’s P6 Economy Lot (more on this with our return). We parked right across from the bus stop; it would be easy to find the car when we got back. We didn’t have long to wait for the airport shuttle bus, but we were the last terminal stop on the route (C out of ABC).
Terminal C was very busy for an early Thursday morning. We had to wait for access to a kiosk to get our checked bag tags. Then we waited for bag drop. Then we once again patted ourselves on the backs for having TSA Pre-Check because the security lines were out of control, including TSA Pre-Check. The difference between our line and the regular one was that we at least kept moving.
We had United Club passes (came with our credit card), but the regular club was no where near our gate. In fact, our gate was not far past security. It was also located in one of the shorter areas of the terminal; I walked from gate 103 to gate 110 to get my Dunkin’ coffee.
Flight was scheduled to depart at 8:30 am. The pilot notified us that we’d be taxiing for 25 minutes but still arrive on time. The flight overall was uneventful and quiet. We paid for Economy Plus seats, which provided us with earlier boarding and extra legroom. We didn’t need any overhead storage space on this flight.
Once we landed in Orange County (SNA), our luggage came out quickly. We crossed the street to the shuttle pick up area as I checked in with Super Shuttle. We were the first ones to arrive. The driver loaded our luggage into the van, but we hung out in the fresh air until the other passengers started to arrive. There were 7 of us riding together. The family of 3 also had tickets to that night’s Angels vs White Sox game (which turned into a nail biter).
We were burning DVC points for our pre-pre days; we chose to stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel. It took a while to get checked in as there were two people working the reception desk, and the two families being assisted seemed to be either a bit dramatic or taking an awfully long time. When a third CM came out, we were able to check in quickly. Our room was ready which allowed us to go up and drop our bags. The room was nice and clean, but we looked directly on to the pool deck (4th floor). There is no true quick service at this location, so we had lunch in the Surfside Lounge. The food was good, and they took our 10% DVC discount.
I had showered before we left and still felt clean and presentable. My husband used time between lunch and the baseball game to shower. I took a walk through Downtown Disney (walking past the Disneyland Hotel) and window shopped. When you visit Disneyland’s Downtown Disney area, you must go through security (bag check and metal detectors). Once you’ve cleared it, there is no other security check to access the parks.
We decided to eat dinner at the ballpark. We requested an Uber, and we did not have to wait long. We picked her brain about best options for after the game, and she suggested that we cross the street or walk away from the park to request our ride back. Once she dropped us off, we snapped a couple of photos out front. The park was still empty. We easily found our seats, and my husband went off searching for food. He came back with a nice pulled pork sandwich and sides. I went looking for food, and I found nothing appealing to me. I ended up with a box of popcorn for dinner.
Once the game was over (Angels barely squeaked out a win), we walked across the street and down the road to Embassy Suites. From there we called for an Uber, and he was there quickly. For the record, we initiated conversation with both drivers, and they were extremely helpful and kind. We were seriously overtired, but we were glad that we pushed ourselves to acclimate to the time change.
Pre Pre ABD Day 2
On Friday we had brunch scheduled at the PCH Grill in our hotel. I got up and showered. The food offerings were not extravagant, but we enjoyed everything we ate.
While my husband got ready, I took a walk over to the Grand Californian, hung around the hotel for a bit, and then walked back. I went to our hotel pool and sought out a shady spot. Once he was done getting ready, I took him through the route I had used the day before to get to Downtown Disney. We first wandered around the Disneyland Hotel property and checked out the historic photos.
NOTE: When we last visited Disneyland in 2001, my husband was going through some very stressful personal issues. He could not enjoy himself, and he left California with a negative feeling about Disneyland. He would tell people over the years that it was horrible./NOTE
As we walked through DTD, Dan remarked how it looked so different from when we last visited. He loved it. I almost fell over hearing that from him. I took him to the Dress Shop because there was one dress I really liked and wanted his opinion. He thought the pattern was really cute (the new Mickey & Minnie floral dress). I decided to try it on, but I needed his help with the back zipper and hook & eye. Once the dress was on, we both thought it was flattering on me. I used my 10% DVC discount for it. We moved on to the World of Disney store and looked around. I bought a couple of shirts, and he really liked the one t-shirt I bought (unisex) and said he wanted to get one for himself and for his sister. For some reason he wanted to wait to buy them.
We decided to eat at the La Brea Bakery & Café. Since we wanted an actual table, we had to wait on a short line (were told 15 minutes and waited 5). Dan had the chicken pot pie with side salad. The pot pie itself was not large, but the filling was rich. I had the Asian Chicken Salad; it was very good. We splurged with chocolate cake for dessert. It was delicious! When were done eating, we walked back to our hotel.
He was still hungry and made it our mission to find plain popcorn. All we could find was flavored popcorn. After giving up, he asked someone at the Cali Pop stand where he could get plain popcorn. Apparently, in order for Cali Pop to keep carts in DTD, they cannot compete with the popcorn that Disney sells in the parks. He settled on a Wetzel’s Pretzel. It was getting chilly so we each got hot tea from Starbucks and people watched. We also became a source for a scavenger hunt. When we were done, we walked back to our hotel, pulled out our clothes for the next morning, and prepared our bags for departure.
We did not enter either park during our pre pre days.
Pre ABD Day
For Saturday 8/17 we had pre-arranged our ABD pickup. We had to meet the driver by 1 pm in front of the Grand Californian. Two things to note here: 1) you cannot access the Grand Californian the way you can the other Disneyland hotels. You must have a room key to get through the gate or use the voice box to call the security attendant. 2) It was very easy to walk our luggage across the street to the Grand Californian.
We were able to have a late breakfast at the Surfside Lounge in our hotel. We walked across the street with our bags and waited in the curbside pick up location. Our driver arrived about 10 minutes late due to traffic, and he said it would take around 1.25 hours to get to Hollywood. He was right. We had a nice chat with our driver before each of us fell asleep in the car. We pulled into the Loews Hotel entrance at 2:25 pm and got dropped off. The lobby was packed. We stood in line to check in only to find out that the computers were all down. They took my name and cell number and said they would text us when the computers came back up. Since we had no room yet, we left our bags with Bell Services. We walked over to the Hollywood and Highland Center to grab lunch. We ate at the Italian restaurant. The food was good (he had a calzone; I had salad), but it was very overpriced. We also checked the directory to see if, by chance, there was a barbershop in the center. No luck.
Before we arrived my husband had called Loews to see if there were any barbershops nearby. They told him there was one not too far from the hotel and to check with the Concierge in the lobby. We did once we finished lunch. Dan was given a map with the location of the barbershop, and off we went.
NOTE: The barbershop is Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, which has locations all over the country. We were not familiar with Floyd’s, and no one advised Dan that he should make an appointment. It was approximately 0.8 miles from Loews (left on Hollywood Blvd, right on N. Cahuenga Blvd). Dan was told over the phone that the shop is closed on Sundays; this is not true. https://www.floydsbarbershop.com/hollywood/ /NOTE
Once we arrived at Floyd’s, Dan was told there was a 2 hour wait (see NOTE about appointments). The door listed the hours, and he was able to make a 1 pm appointment for a haircut and shave on Sunday. Due to the lack of information relayed by Loews staff regarding the barbershop’s operations, we lost Sunday as a touring day.
We walked back to the hotel, and here is where Dan will tell you was a HUGE highlight of his trip—we found Adam West’s star on the Walk of Fame. It’s located in front of where Frederick’s of Hollywood used to be. I took a couple of pictures, but they weren’t to his liking. I also received a text from Loews that the computers were online and could check into the hotel. We completed check in and gave our luggage claim ticket to the person at the front desk. He said we had to be in our room for luggage delivery, and up we went. (You need to use your room key to access the different floors.)
Being that this was our pre-ABD day, dinner was on our own. Having passed the Pig ‘n Whistle, I looked up their dinner menu; it sounded really good and reasonably priced. I had visited this establishment with my friend in 2001 just for a drink at the bar, and I thought it was a place Dan would like due to its history in Hollywood. I was not wrong on all accounts.
When we left the restaurant, Dan wanted to have his photo retaken with Adam West’s star. As the obliging spouse, I did. Then he said I could post them on Facebook. He rarely gives the okay on his pictures.
Before we left to get dinner, we checked to see how late Bodega (in-hotel Starbucks coffee, snacks, water, etc) was open because we needed water to take evening meds. It was closed, but we noted a 7-11 across the street and purchased water there on the way back.
We were still wondering about breakfast (when I posted the question in the Backstage Magic meets thread) and decided that we would probably eat at the hotel’s restaurant anyway (Preston’s).
Next up: Backstage Magic ABD Day 1!
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