noryglory
Freaking out is not allowed!
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2005
- Messages
- 418
Here is a verrrry long trip report on our best trip ever!!
The dates: Saturday night, 11/5: 5:30-11:30 pm.
Sunday, 11/6 all day
Monday, 11/7 all day
Tuesday 11/8 all day
Wednesday, 11/9 til 11:30 a.m. departure to airport
The players: Me, 34 yo mom
Husband, 34 yo dad
Our son, 5 ½
The Weather: fabulous. Seemed to hover around 70 morning, noon, and night. Not too hot, not too cold. Like everything on the trip, it was just right!
The Location: Stayed at DLH concierge level. Thought it was fantastic. We had a concierge level booking, thankfully, as the check-in line on Saturday at 5 p.m. was a total nightmare. Probably the longest line we saw the whole trip, LOL! I got served immediately and we were on our way to Disneyland and in the park within a half hour of arriving, believe it or not! A great timesaver, which is important when you are at the parks! I posted a detailed description of our stay at the hotel in a separate message.
The Crowds: Pretty light. The numbers dropped as our trip continued Saturday night was the most crowded (but completely manageable), then Sunday was the next most crowded, then it got quieter on Monday and Tuesday.
Day One: Saturday night, 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.
11 rides, plus fireworks
DTD Monorail to park: Did Star Tours, got Buzz FP, rode POTC and Jungle Cruise, got Indy FP, rode Matterhorn, Buzz using FP, had dinner at Redd Rockets, boys did Autopia while I went to get our Fireworks spot, they joined me for the Fireworks, then we rode Indy using FP, BTMRR, Dumbo, the Teacups and the Matterhorn again before taking the monorail back to DTD at 11:30 p.m. (Yes our son is 5 ½!)
Critique/Tips
For worrying so much about the crowds, a FANTASTIC success. I was so worried that Saturday night was going to be a zoo. Well, in terms of our four days there it definitely was the most crowded, but all in all it was still delightful. We managed to bang out 11 rides from 5:30-11:30, and thats with over an hour of sitting in the hub waiting for the fireworks show! I dont think we waited very long for anything, just a few minutes at the most. Sort of an enjoyable anticipatory wait, as I think most Disneyland queues are quite enjoyable if you dont have to wait too long!
I sort of wish now that I had staked out a spot for the fireworks on the Tomorrowland side of the hub. The fireworks were AMAZING. I was seriously in tears for parts of it. Its just a very emotional show for those who have many memories of rides and adventures at the park. Tink is so cool! We got a spot in the front of the castle, just to the left adjacent to the Plaza Gardens. I had all my info about where to sit, but arrived a bit too late to get right up in front. I should have sat on the tomorrowland side, we would have seen the big fireworks better, as we did have a tree blocking about ½ of the big explosions, but the hub fireworks and effects were really the thing we wanted to experience up close, as you can see regular fireworks anytime. So in the end, it was fine to be over there, plus we headed into Adventureland immediately afterward so to be on that side was a huge timesaver as there are literally thousands of people all around you all trying to go in different directions.
I got our spot in the street around 8 p.m. My husband and son joined me around 8:45, and the show started at 9:25.. I sat and visited with a very nice family for most of that time, and also called my mom and checked in with her (she was watching our 18 mo) so it wasnt a bad use of time. Plus it was our bonus night and the whole point of it in my mind was watching these fireworks so I was prepared to waste the time waiting.
Red Rocketts was really a disappointment. We had heard about it being pretty good, but the pizza my son had (although he seemed to like it fine!) was pretty nasty. My salad was decent and my husbands pasta was fine, but Im glad that I read about all the hidden seating thats available because if you didnt know what you were doing youd think there wasnt anywhere to sit because inside the restaurant it's packed! Its sort of crazy in there (at least it was when we went on a Saturday night at dinnertime) and there were lots of random lines of people waiting, waiting, waiting. Really, you could just walk up to the area that had your sort of food and pick it up. We actually got out of there pretty fast since waiting in line for something to be prepared is one thing, waiting BEHIND that person waiting, to pick up some other item that is sitting there ready, quite another and people were just waiting like that that all over the place. The folks inside the restaurant basicially told you when you walked in to go and get what you wanted at each station, so I dont feel like I was cutting or anything
Day Two: Sunday
17 rides, two shows (Aladdin and Fantasmic!)
9 a.m.: DTD Monorail to ride Space Mountain (probably our longest wait during the trip, about 20 minutes), picked up FP afterward, then went to DCA.
Rode Tower of Terror, got FP which we didnt end up using later on. Probably our second longest wait during the trip, about 15 minutes. But first time ever on the ride, so got to soak in the atmosphere (and freak out DS!) rode Grizzly River Rapids, got a Soarin FP, went to Bugs Land and rode three rides in Fliks Fun Fair (Bumper cars, Flyers, and the Francis boogie). Used a PS coupon (came with our package) for Aladdin at 12:30 show, rode Soarin with our FP, then had lunch at Tortilla Jos at DTD then went back to the hotel and took a nap for three hours (remember the 5 yo was up til after midnight the night before!!).
6:30 p.m. Took DTD monorail in, got Autopia FP, rode SM using our morning FP, rode Autopia (didnt need FP), picked up Buzz FP, grabbed a quick bite to eat in Tomorrowland (whatever that restaurant is by the music stage), rode the Matterhorn on both sides (first Fantasyland then Tomorrowland, I like FL side best!), did the rocketships, rode Buzz (didnt need our FP), picked up a HMH fastpass, got a spot for Fantasmic at 8:30, went on HMH immediately after Fantasmic with zero minute wait and no FP use!, then rode Splash Mountain with also no line to close out our day.
Critique/Tips
Much quieter today as evidenced by the non-FP usage. They just shut down the FP lines if it isnt busy enough.
I thought Fantasmic was a bit of a disappointment. Probably just the buildup in my mind or something? I was really expecting it to be a spectacular spectacular and it just wasnt, especially after the great Aladdin show. I liked the Peter Pan segment as well as the dragon at the end, though. I really enjoyed getting there only 30 minutes before and having a VERY decent spot. I grabbed a place near the reserved seating, right behind the big light pole that most people seem to think stays in position, therefore a lot of room still available at that late time. Thanks to these boards, I knew a few minutes before the show it would lift up. So, basically, with a couple small poles blocking a tiny bit of view, we could see everything. I'm VERY glad we didn't shell out a ton of money for reserved seats, I had considered it and didn't want to risk our son being too scared or tired and lose out all that cash. We really didn't need it.
HMH: Very cool. Although I miss my Haunted Mansion! I had never seen the overlay before. But our family is a great fan of the NBC so that makes it fun. They have some great Jack merchandise so the boys each got a cool Jack sweatshirt.
Aladdin: Unlike Fantasmic: The. Best. Show. Ever. This was so great. My son sat still the entire time, transfixed by all of it. We had a great seat in the last row of front orchestra and Ali waved right at us from the elephant and a camel came and snuggled with us during the carpet ride segment. My husband was skeptical about this in terms of the time we set aside to do it, and really was quite impressed as well. My son said I LOVED THAT! when we were exiting the show. This truly is a cant miss activity.
Tortilla Jos: So good! We got a great seat outside on the patio, got to watch the end of the Steelers game at the nearby bar, and had a delicious lunch. The strawberry margarita was SO good, I had two! (And at $7 a pop, quite the splurge!) My husband and I were smart to split a burrito after eating two or three baskets of chips. (And the waitress was nice, she didnt do the true split as she said they would have charged us like $3, so they just brought us an extra plate and I did it myself.) Very fun, I recommend if you like Mexican. The food was all a bit different, stylewise, but a fun and tasty change from what we usually eat.
Day Three: Monday
29 rides, 1 eventToontown Morning Madness
Today was an early entry day for us, but because we had been staying up way too late and getting so much accomplished, we werent spazzing over getting there right at 8 so we ended up getting inside the park at 8:30 (rode the monorail from DTD).
Accomplished Alice, Mr Toads and Peter Pan during that time, then hit first the Storybookland boat right as it was about to leave the dock. My son got to sit on the bow, I have great pictures of him going into Monstros mouth! Then we got over to Toontown, also an hour before it opened (it opens an hour after the park opens) and used our Morning Madness early entry (part of our package). We did our character greets here, not too long of a wait to see Pluto and Goofy (we actually goofed around with him, he chased my son around a pole and vice versa). Watched a very cute mayoral ceremony with Mick, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, et al and got to be honorary citizens of Toontown (got a special button). Rode Gadgets Go Coaster twice in a row, walked through Mickeys house but didnt see him there as he was out in Toontown, then rode Roger Rabbit and messed around with all the cool doorbells, etc before leaving. We exited the gates and a huge crowd of people were waiting to be let in. It was a great use of our time.
From there, we picked up a Buzz FP, then went on BTMRR, HMH, Pooh twice with NO line, then got to the Blue Bayou around 11 for our 11:30 PS. Note: They dont open for checking-in until 11:15, so no real point in getting there too much before that. There were some huge lines for booking a reservation and everyone was turned away as there werent any! So thanks to the DIS Board for tipping me off to make my reservation 60 days out. Anyway, we were I guess the fourth or fifth PS party to check in, and I did ask for waterfront at checkin (she said yes immediately) and we did get a prime waterfront seat, which was great. I had the Monte Cristo out of tradition (a donut sandwich I like to call it!) and my husband got the prime rib even though we had heard less than flattering things about it. It wasnt great, but it wasnt bad, according to him. After that we rode Pirates, then took the monorail back to the hotel for a break. We went to the arcade and then swimming for a break. Headed back to DCA around 4, where we rode GRR, Orange Stinger, the sunwheel, got a Screamin FP, rode Mulholland Madness, the boys rode GRR again while I rode the Zepher and Maliboomer (using Single Rider), then went on M Madness one more time before riding Screamin using our FP and then hit the Tower of Terror before heading back over to Disneyland. (We forced our son to ride ToT again but he was a good sport about it. We got him a I survived the Tower of Terror lanyard with his name on it as a present for being so brave!! He said, I like the ride part but HATE the Toilet Zone part!)
At Disneyland, we took the train from Main Street to Tomorrowland since the parade was about to start, where we rode Buzz using our FP and then the Matterhorn and Splash Mountain before catching the train again at NOS for its Sweeper run through the park at closing (they pick up only, no dropoffs til Main Street since the park is closed). So the train trip was a real bonus after hours, so to speak. Had CM Vern as our conductor, and he rode on the little outside platform right by us so we had a very nice conversation with him all the way around the park. Asked him lots of "insider" questions, it was fun to hear about some behind-the-scenes stuff like costuming, getting a job at Disneyland, etc.
Critique/Tips
Pretty quiet today. Downtown Disney was very crowded at closing (8 p.m.) and we had mistakenly thought that it would be quiet like it was Sunday night (at 10 p.m. though!) so our plans to grab a bite to eat on the way back to the hotel were sort of squashed as our son was very tired and we didnt have a PS anywhere. We went back to the room and ordered room service, and our son fell asleep before it arrived! But all was well, Im sure he made up for it the next day! And we adjusted our plans to eat an early dinner instead of a late one on Tuesday to avoid this problem again.
Toontown Madness is a must-do if you have little ones. Even if you dont, if you get this coupon with your package its worth it to go in when there arent oodles of people all around to check it out, since its such a small area it feels crowded even when it isnt that bad
Single Rider feature: This is a great feature that is not advertised heavily, but for certain rides if you are with a party that cannot or will not ride something, you can ride it on standby single rider at usually a fraction of the time others are waiting. Maliboomer was the ONLY ride in both parks that our son was not tall enough to ride so we each had a chance to ride it separately. It seemed that for most rides that offered it you would go through the exit and stand at a designated place.
Sunwheel at DCA: This ride had one of the longer lines that we stood in since its so slow loading. I noticed that there are non-rolling cars that they load one of for every two rolling cars, and you have to enter the exit of the ride to get on. There was no line for those cars, so we got out of the long line we were in and got right on the first car that loaded once we were there. Our son really didnt notice the difference and we were able to enjoy the ride and the view immediately instead of waiting for 20 or more minutes. In fact, when we landed the CM asked us if we just wanted to go again as there was still no line.
Day Four: Tuesday
22 rides, three shows (50th anniversary presentation, Tiki Room, and Parade of Dreams)
Tuesday morning was another Early Entry day for us (used our four-day park hopper on EE day one and our DLR hotel pass on EE day two). Unfortunately we are dragging by this point a bit so we waddled into the park even later, if thats possible, and dont arrive until 8:45 (yes, early entry is over at 9!) however, we were the first party through the turnstile for that particular Monorail ride so we got a chance to sit up with the driver, so that was a real bonus. And that still gave us a 15-minute jump on the rope drop. So we rode Space Mountain twice, grabbing a FP when they first became available, then grabbed a Buzz FP when the FP window opened up for us.
We then headed over to DCA, and were at the rope when it dropped. For once, were at a park when it opens! We got over to California Screamin, and waited and waited and waited. I dont know if they normally do this but the ride did NOT open until 10:15. Sort of weird, but no biggie. We rode it two times in a row, the second time requesting the front row so we had to wait an additional six loads, I think, then grabbed a FP for later (ended up not using it). Dad rode Maliboomer single rider today to try it out, then we hit the Orange Stinger again and then GRR a whopping four times in a row (Mom only on the second and third trips!) before going back to the hotel to change from wet clothes to swimsuits. Hit the pool and had a snack, then got dressed in dry things before heading over to ESPN Zone for a very late lunch/early dinner.
We used our four-day park hopper to get free $10 game cards (each of us got one) and then, because of some helpful tipster on these boards, I had signed up both me and my husband for MVP Club online before we left home, and we just had to turn in our email welcome and sign something at the shop and we got a 40 point card (about $13 worth) each, as well as two ESPN Zone mini coolers (fit a six pack). For absolutely free! So we spent over $50 on games on ESPNs charge, never dropped any of our own money. Well, except for our meal!
After that, we took the Monorail into the park (in the front compartment again as it happens) and rode Space Mountain for the LAST time. Had our FP but there was no wait. Rode Buzz for the last time, and also not needing our FP. I got the family high score of 177,800!! Rode Star Tours, went and got an Indy fastpass, then did some shopping on Main Street before hitting the 50th show with Steve Martin at the Lincoln Theater. Hit the Tiki Room with our Dole Whip Floats, then rode Indy. Walked through the castle for the first time (in the last evening of our trip!), rode Snow White and Pinocchio, then dashed over and got a front row seat for the Parade of Dreams with about 10 minutes to spare. Enjoyed the parade, then got over to Critter Country and rode Splash Mountain three times in a row, the last two times by asking if we could just go again since there was no line. We were in one of the last two logs launched at exactly 8 p.m., so we closed down the Mountain and the park!
Missed the sweeper train this night so walked back down through Main Street and out into DTD. It was more quiet tonight (go figure!) so we stopped at La Brea and ordered some sandwiches, which we ate outside in a nice alfresco area with heaters. Our son was exhausted so we headed back to the room where we finished our food so he could go to bed.
Critique/Tips
The parade was fun, but it wasnt very long. Maybe five or six floats? I don't know if that's typical or what. We had a great spot that all the characters were very focused on our area and lots of folks, including Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, Belle, Snow White, etc etc etc waved right at us or came right over to us and interacted a bit.
If you plan on going to ESPN zone, definitely sign up for the MVP club thing. Its great to play for free!! That "$50" worth or games went pretty darn quickly as most of the games cost several "points" each.
If you email your Buzz Lightyear photo to yourself, be sure to turn down (or shut off completely) your junk mail filters before the trip. We didnt, and the messages didnt even make it into our junk mail folder but I guess were blocked from getting into our account at all. Boo hoo! Use the sight guide on the Buzz gun, you will be more accurate. I finally hit some lit bonus targets and got a nice sizeable score, before this all my scores were well below 100K.
On Splash Mountain, if we hadnt asked the unloader CMs to ride again, we would have wasted valuable minutes walking back through the incredibly lengthy (and empty) queue and would have only been able to ride one additional time instead of the three times we did. We were extremely polite, one night we asked to go again (I think Sunday night) and they had already gotten the close word so they wouldnt do it for us the timing just needs to be right. This night it worked twice!
Tiki Room: I had read somewhere that you can ask to wake up Jose, but they said they dont do that anymore, as someone once whacked Jose instead of his perch. The birds are now woken up by the entire audience. Its pretty cute. I think they shortened the show and changed it a bit after the last refurb. I could swear they did the Tiki Room song at the end one more time but no more but really, shorter is just fine. My son who went on Tower of Terror and Indy and the HMH and lots of other scary stuff without much comment was completely freaked by the talking/moving totems before the show. I want to leave. I want to leave now. Too funny. But he perservered and enjoyed it.
The 50th Anniversary show is very well done and was enjoyable even to my 5 yo. Steve Martin and Donald Duck interact a lot and it's quite funny. If you have the time you should definitely do it as it. Im glad we did it on our last night. Kind of a nice recap and reminder of what its all about
Day Five: Wednesday, Our last day (Departure)
Went to the concierge lounge to get coffee and the paper and asked the concierge if she could get us a PS at the Storytellers Café, which is the character breakfast at the GCH. She could, and did, at 9:20. So we headed over there and got a great booth, I dont know if it was happenstance or because she booked it for us or what. Anyway, we wanted to eat off the menu as no one in our family is particular to buffets, so that was the place to go. (Goofys just has the buffet, I'm not sure about PPH's restaurant.) Anyway, we saw the bears from Brother Bear (Koda and Kenai) and Dale of Chip and Dale fame. There was some gorilla in there from Tarzan as well but we didnt see him (which was just fine with all of us). Overall a pleasant experience. When I asked Kenai what he would do if my son didnt finish his Mickey waffles he growled at him. Guess who finished his waffles?!? Too cute!!
Did a bit of shopping for last minute souvenirs at the World of Disney store at DTD. I had wanted to get the 50th anniversary book Disneyland: Now and Forever, and they were sold out. And I bet in the park I could have found it easier. Im sure lots of people think like me, oh a heavy book Ill get it on my way out but I got the phone number for Disney DelivEARS (Sorry, I cant find it now, sure its on the website!) and as soon as I got home called and ordered it no problem. So it will arrive in a few days and remind us again about our fabulous trip!
We took a cab from the airport both ways, and it is a solid $40 depending on traffic. For our family of three I think it penciled out versus a shuttle, and we got there directly and quickly using a cab.
Thanks to all who took the time to read my lengthy report of the best trip ever. Im happy to answer questions if you have any!
The dates: Saturday night, 11/5: 5:30-11:30 pm.
Sunday, 11/6 all day
Monday, 11/7 all day
Tuesday 11/8 all day
Wednesday, 11/9 til 11:30 a.m. departure to airport
The players: Me, 34 yo mom
Husband, 34 yo dad
Our son, 5 ½
The Weather: fabulous. Seemed to hover around 70 morning, noon, and night. Not too hot, not too cold. Like everything on the trip, it was just right!
The Location: Stayed at DLH concierge level. Thought it was fantastic. We had a concierge level booking, thankfully, as the check-in line on Saturday at 5 p.m. was a total nightmare. Probably the longest line we saw the whole trip, LOL! I got served immediately and we were on our way to Disneyland and in the park within a half hour of arriving, believe it or not! A great timesaver, which is important when you are at the parks! I posted a detailed description of our stay at the hotel in a separate message.
The Crowds: Pretty light. The numbers dropped as our trip continued Saturday night was the most crowded (but completely manageable), then Sunday was the next most crowded, then it got quieter on Monday and Tuesday.
Day One: Saturday night, 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.
11 rides, plus fireworks
DTD Monorail to park: Did Star Tours, got Buzz FP, rode POTC and Jungle Cruise, got Indy FP, rode Matterhorn, Buzz using FP, had dinner at Redd Rockets, boys did Autopia while I went to get our Fireworks spot, they joined me for the Fireworks, then we rode Indy using FP, BTMRR, Dumbo, the Teacups and the Matterhorn again before taking the monorail back to DTD at 11:30 p.m. (Yes our son is 5 ½!)
Critique/Tips
For worrying so much about the crowds, a FANTASTIC success. I was so worried that Saturday night was going to be a zoo. Well, in terms of our four days there it definitely was the most crowded, but all in all it was still delightful. We managed to bang out 11 rides from 5:30-11:30, and thats with over an hour of sitting in the hub waiting for the fireworks show! I dont think we waited very long for anything, just a few minutes at the most. Sort of an enjoyable anticipatory wait, as I think most Disneyland queues are quite enjoyable if you dont have to wait too long!
I sort of wish now that I had staked out a spot for the fireworks on the Tomorrowland side of the hub. The fireworks were AMAZING. I was seriously in tears for parts of it. Its just a very emotional show for those who have many memories of rides and adventures at the park. Tink is so cool! We got a spot in the front of the castle, just to the left adjacent to the Plaza Gardens. I had all my info about where to sit, but arrived a bit too late to get right up in front. I should have sat on the tomorrowland side, we would have seen the big fireworks better, as we did have a tree blocking about ½ of the big explosions, but the hub fireworks and effects were really the thing we wanted to experience up close, as you can see regular fireworks anytime. So in the end, it was fine to be over there, plus we headed into Adventureland immediately afterward so to be on that side was a huge timesaver as there are literally thousands of people all around you all trying to go in different directions.
I got our spot in the street around 8 p.m. My husband and son joined me around 8:45, and the show started at 9:25.. I sat and visited with a very nice family for most of that time, and also called my mom and checked in with her (she was watching our 18 mo) so it wasnt a bad use of time. Plus it was our bonus night and the whole point of it in my mind was watching these fireworks so I was prepared to waste the time waiting.
Red Rocketts was really a disappointment. We had heard about it being pretty good, but the pizza my son had (although he seemed to like it fine!) was pretty nasty. My salad was decent and my husbands pasta was fine, but Im glad that I read about all the hidden seating thats available because if you didnt know what you were doing youd think there wasnt anywhere to sit because inside the restaurant it's packed! Its sort of crazy in there (at least it was when we went on a Saturday night at dinnertime) and there were lots of random lines of people waiting, waiting, waiting. Really, you could just walk up to the area that had your sort of food and pick it up. We actually got out of there pretty fast since waiting in line for something to be prepared is one thing, waiting BEHIND that person waiting, to pick up some other item that is sitting there ready, quite another and people were just waiting like that that all over the place. The folks inside the restaurant basicially told you when you walked in to go and get what you wanted at each station, so I dont feel like I was cutting or anything
Day Two: Sunday
17 rides, two shows (Aladdin and Fantasmic!)
9 a.m.: DTD Monorail to ride Space Mountain (probably our longest wait during the trip, about 20 minutes), picked up FP afterward, then went to DCA.
Rode Tower of Terror, got FP which we didnt end up using later on. Probably our second longest wait during the trip, about 15 minutes. But first time ever on the ride, so got to soak in the atmosphere (and freak out DS!) rode Grizzly River Rapids, got a Soarin FP, went to Bugs Land and rode three rides in Fliks Fun Fair (Bumper cars, Flyers, and the Francis boogie). Used a PS coupon (came with our package) for Aladdin at 12:30 show, rode Soarin with our FP, then had lunch at Tortilla Jos at DTD then went back to the hotel and took a nap for three hours (remember the 5 yo was up til after midnight the night before!!).
6:30 p.m. Took DTD monorail in, got Autopia FP, rode SM using our morning FP, rode Autopia (didnt need FP), picked up Buzz FP, grabbed a quick bite to eat in Tomorrowland (whatever that restaurant is by the music stage), rode the Matterhorn on both sides (first Fantasyland then Tomorrowland, I like FL side best!), did the rocketships, rode Buzz (didnt need our FP), picked up a HMH fastpass, got a spot for Fantasmic at 8:30, went on HMH immediately after Fantasmic with zero minute wait and no FP use!, then rode Splash Mountain with also no line to close out our day.
Critique/Tips
Much quieter today as evidenced by the non-FP usage. They just shut down the FP lines if it isnt busy enough.
I thought Fantasmic was a bit of a disappointment. Probably just the buildup in my mind or something? I was really expecting it to be a spectacular spectacular and it just wasnt, especially after the great Aladdin show. I liked the Peter Pan segment as well as the dragon at the end, though. I really enjoyed getting there only 30 minutes before and having a VERY decent spot. I grabbed a place near the reserved seating, right behind the big light pole that most people seem to think stays in position, therefore a lot of room still available at that late time. Thanks to these boards, I knew a few minutes before the show it would lift up. So, basically, with a couple small poles blocking a tiny bit of view, we could see everything. I'm VERY glad we didn't shell out a ton of money for reserved seats, I had considered it and didn't want to risk our son being too scared or tired and lose out all that cash. We really didn't need it.
HMH: Very cool. Although I miss my Haunted Mansion! I had never seen the overlay before. But our family is a great fan of the NBC so that makes it fun. They have some great Jack merchandise so the boys each got a cool Jack sweatshirt.
Aladdin: Unlike Fantasmic: The. Best. Show. Ever. This was so great. My son sat still the entire time, transfixed by all of it. We had a great seat in the last row of front orchestra and Ali waved right at us from the elephant and a camel came and snuggled with us during the carpet ride segment. My husband was skeptical about this in terms of the time we set aside to do it, and really was quite impressed as well. My son said I LOVED THAT! when we were exiting the show. This truly is a cant miss activity.
Tortilla Jos: So good! We got a great seat outside on the patio, got to watch the end of the Steelers game at the nearby bar, and had a delicious lunch. The strawberry margarita was SO good, I had two! (And at $7 a pop, quite the splurge!) My husband and I were smart to split a burrito after eating two or three baskets of chips. (And the waitress was nice, she didnt do the true split as she said they would have charged us like $3, so they just brought us an extra plate and I did it myself.) Very fun, I recommend if you like Mexican. The food was all a bit different, stylewise, but a fun and tasty change from what we usually eat.
Day Three: Monday
29 rides, 1 eventToontown Morning Madness
Today was an early entry day for us, but because we had been staying up way too late and getting so much accomplished, we werent spazzing over getting there right at 8 so we ended up getting inside the park at 8:30 (rode the monorail from DTD).
Accomplished Alice, Mr Toads and Peter Pan during that time, then hit first the Storybookland boat right as it was about to leave the dock. My son got to sit on the bow, I have great pictures of him going into Monstros mouth! Then we got over to Toontown, also an hour before it opened (it opens an hour after the park opens) and used our Morning Madness early entry (part of our package). We did our character greets here, not too long of a wait to see Pluto and Goofy (we actually goofed around with him, he chased my son around a pole and vice versa). Watched a very cute mayoral ceremony with Mick, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, et al and got to be honorary citizens of Toontown (got a special button). Rode Gadgets Go Coaster twice in a row, walked through Mickeys house but didnt see him there as he was out in Toontown, then rode Roger Rabbit and messed around with all the cool doorbells, etc before leaving. We exited the gates and a huge crowd of people were waiting to be let in. It was a great use of our time.
From there, we picked up a Buzz FP, then went on BTMRR, HMH, Pooh twice with NO line, then got to the Blue Bayou around 11 for our 11:30 PS. Note: They dont open for checking-in until 11:15, so no real point in getting there too much before that. There were some huge lines for booking a reservation and everyone was turned away as there werent any! So thanks to the DIS Board for tipping me off to make my reservation 60 days out. Anyway, we were I guess the fourth or fifth PS party to check in, and I did ask for waterfront at checkin (she said yes immediately) and we did get a prime waterfront seat, which was great. I had the Monte Cristo out of tradition (a donut sandwich I like to call it!) and my husband got the prime rib even though we had heard less than flattering things about it. It wasnt great, but it wasnt bad, according to him. After that we rode Pirates, then took the monorail back to the hotel for a break. We went to the arcade and then swimming for a break. Headed back to DCA around 4, where we rode GRR, Orange Stinger, the sunwheel, got a Screamin FP, rode Mulholland Madness, the boys rode GRR again while I rode the Zepher and Maliboomer (using Single Rider), then went on M Madness one more time before riding Screamin using our FP and then hit the Tower of Terror before heading back over to Disneyland. (We forced our son to ride ToT again but he was a good sport about it. We got him a I survived the Tower of Terror lanyard with his name on it as a present for being so brave!! He said, I like the ride part but HATE the Toilet Zone part!)
At Disneyland, we took the train from Main Street to Tomorrowland since the parade was about to start, where we rode Buzz using our FP and then the Matterhorn and Splash Mountain before catching the train again at NOS for its Sweeper run through the park at closing (they pick up only, no dropoffs til Main Street since the park is closed). So the train trip was a real bonus after hours, so to speak. Had CM Vern as our conductor, and he rode on the little outside platform right by us so we had a very nice conversation with him all the way around the park. Asked him lots of "insider" questions, it was fun to hear about some behind-the-scenes stuff like costuming, getting a job at Disneyland, etc.
Critique/Tips
Pretty quiet today. Downtown Disney was very crowded at closing (8 p.m.) and we had mistakenly thought that it would be quiet like it was Sunday night (at 10 p.m. though!) so our plans to grab a bite to eat on the way back to the hotel were sort of squashed as our son was very tired and we didnt have a PS anywhere. We went back to the room and ordered room service, and our son fell asleep before it arrived! But all was well, Im sure he made up for it the next day! And we adjusted our plans to eat an early dinner instead of a late one on Tuesday to avoid this problem again.
Toontown Madness is a must-do if you have little ones. Even if you dont, if you get this coupon with your package its worth it to go in when there arent oodles of people all around to check it out, since its such a small area it feels crowded even when it isnt that bad
Single Rider feature: This is a great feature that is not advertised heavily, but for certain rides if you are with a party that cannot or will not ride something, you can ride it on standby single rider at usually a fraction of the time others are waiting. Maliboomer was the ONLY ride in both parks that our son was not tall enough to ride so we each had a chance to ride it separately. It seemed that for most rides that offered it you would go through the exit and stand at a designated place.
Sunwheel at DCA: This ride had one of the longer lines that we stood in since its so slow loading. I noticed that there are non-rolling cars that they load one of for every two rolling cars, and you have to enter the exit of the ride to get on. There was no line for those cars, so we got out of the long line we were in and got right on the first car that loaded once we were there. Our son really didnt notice the difference and we were able to enjoy the ride and the view immediately instead of waiting for 20 or more minutes. In fact, when we landed the CM asked us if we just wanted to go again as there was still no line.
Day Four: Tuesday
22 rides, three shows (50th anniversary presentation, Tiki Room, and Parade of Dreams)
Tuesday morning was another Early Entry day for us (used our four-day park hopper on EE day one and our DLR hotel pass on EE day two). Unfortunately we are dragging by this point a bit so we waddled into the park even later, if thats possible, and dont arrive until 8:45 (yes, early entry is over at 9!) however, we were the first party through the turnstile for that particular Monorail ride so we got a chance to sit up with the driver, so that was a real bonus. And that still gave us a 15-minute jump on the rope drop. So we rode Space Mountain twice, grabbing a FP when they first became available, then grabbed a Buzz FP when the FP window opened up for us.
We then headed over to DCA, and were at the rope when it dropped. For once, were at a park when it opens! We got over to California Screamin, and waited and waited and waited. I dont know if they normally do this but the ride did NOT open until 10:15. Sort of weird, but no biggie. We rode it two times in a row, the second time requesting the front row so we had to wait an additional six loads, I think, then grabbed a FP for later (ended up not using it). Dad rode Maliboomer single rider today to try it out, then we hit the Orange Stinger again and then GRR a whopping four times in a row (Mom only on the second and third trips!) before going back to the hotel to change from wet clothes to swimsuits. Hit the pool and had a snack, then got dressed in dry things before heading over to ESPN Zone for a very late lunch/early dinner.
We used our four-day park hopper to get free $10 game cards (each of us got one) and then, because of some helpful tipster on these boards, I had signed up both me and my husband for MVP Club online before we left home, and we just had to turn in our email welcome and sign something at the shop and we got a 40 point card (about $13 worth) each, as well as two ESPN Zone mini coolers (fit a six pack). For absolutely free! So we spent over $50 on games on ESPNs charge, never dropped any of our own money. Well, except for our meal!
After that, we took the Monorail into the park (in the front compartment again as it happens) and rode Space Mountain for the LAST time. Had our FP but there was no wait. Rode Buzz for the last time, and also not needing our FP. I got the family high score of 177,800!! Rode Star Tours, went and got an Indy fastpass, then did some shopping on Main Street before hitting the 50th show with Steve Martin at the Lincoln Theater. Hit the Tiki Room with our Dole Whip Floats, then rode Indy. Walked through the castle for the first time (in the last evening of our trip!), rode Snow White and Pinocchio, then dashed over and got a front row seat for the Parade of Dreams with about 10 minutes to spare. Enjoyed the parade, then got over to Critter Country and rode Splash Mountain three times in a row, the last two times by asking if we could just go again since there was no line. We were in one of the last two logs launched at exactly 8 p.m., so we closed down the Mountain and the park!
Missed the sweeper train this night so walked back down through Main Street and out into DTD. It was more quiet tonight (go figure!) so we stopped at La Brea and ordered some sandwiches, which we ate outside in a nice alfresco area with heaters. Our son was exhausted so we headed back to the room where we finished our food so he could go to bed.
Critique/Tips
The parade was fun, but it wasnt very long. Maybe five or six floats? I don't know if that's typical or what. We had a great spot that all the characters were very focused on our area and lots of folks, including Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, Belle, Snow White, etc etc etc waved right at us or came right over to us and interacted a bit.
If you plan on going to ESPN zone, definitely sign up for the MVP club thing. Its great to play for free!! That "$50" worth or games went pretty darn quickly as most of the games cost several "points" each.
If you email your Buzz Lightyear photo to yourself, be sure to turn down (or shut off completely) your junk mail filters before the trip. We didnt, and the messages didnt even make it into our junk mail folder but I guess were blocked from getting into our account at all. Boo hoo! Use the sight guide on the Buzz gun, you will be more accurate. I finally hit some lit bonus targets and got a nice sizeable score, before this all my scores were well below 100K.
On Splash Mountain, if we hadnt asked the unloader CMs to ride again, we would have wasted valuable minutes walking back through the incredibly lengthy (and empty) queue and would have only been able to ride one additional time instead of the three times we did. We were extremely polite, one night we asked to go again (I think Sunday night) and they had already gotten the close word so they wouldnt do it for us the timing just needs to be right. This night it worked twice!
Tiki Room: I had read somewhere that you can ask to wake up Jose, but they said they dont do that anymore, as someone once whacked Jose instead of his perch. The birds are now woken up by the entire audience. Its pretty cute. I think they shortened the show and changed it a bit after the last refurb. I could swear they did the Tiki Room song at the end one more time but no more but really, shorter is just fine. My son who went on Tower of Terror and Indy and the HMH and lots of other scary stuff without much comment was completely freaked by the talking/moving totems before the show. I want to leave. I want to leave now. Too funny. But he perservered and enjoyed it.
The 50th Anniversary show is very well done and was enjoyable even to my 5 yo. Steve Martin and Donald Duck interact a lot and it's quite funny. If you have the time you should definitely do it as it. Im glad we did it on our last night. Kind of a nice recap and reminder of what its all about
Day Five: Wednesday, Our last day (Departure)
Went to the concierge lounge to get coffee and the paper and asked the concierge if she could get us a PS at the Storytellers Café, which is the character breakfast at the GCH. She could, and did, at 9:20. So we headed over there and got a great booth, I dont know if it was happenstance or because she booked it for us or what. Anyway, we wanted to eat off the menu as no one in our family is particular to buffets, so that was the place to go. (Goofys just has the buffet, I'm not sure about PPH's restaurant.) Anyway, we saw the bears from Brother Bear (Koda and Kenai) and Dale of Chip and Dale fame. There was some gorilla in there from Tarzan as well but we didnt see him (which was just fine with all of us). Overall a pleasant experience. When I asked Kenai what he would do if my son didnt finish his Mickey waffles he growled at him. Guess who finished his waffles?!? Too cute!!
Did a bit of shopping for last minute souvenirs at the World of Disney store at DTD. I had wanted to get the 50th anniversary book Disneyland: Now and Forever, and they were sold out. And I bet in the park I could have found it easier. Im sure lots of people think like me, oh a heavy book Ill get it on my way out but I got the phone number for Disney DelivEARS (Sorry, I cant find it now, sure its on the website!) and as soon as I got home called and ordered it no problem. So it will arrive in a few days and remind us again about our fabulous trip!
We took a cab from the airport both ways, and it is a solid $40 depending on traffic. For our family of three I think it penciled out versus a shuttle, and we got there directly and quickly using a cab.
Thanks to all who took the time to read my lengthy report of the best trip ever. Im happy to answer questions if you have any!
Thanks for sharing 
