Blabbermouth & DH's Feeding Frenzy TRIP REPORT - Final Update 9/21

[blabbermouth]

OMG!!!!! Now I HAVE to stop at Mimi's one day for breakfast! That looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !!!!!!

Oh, I missed your comment, sorry! It IS to DIE for. If you go to their website and register they send you email coupons. They're usually only for the next week or so, so you might not be able to time it right, but worth a try if you can check before you go.

Hi, I just found your report too. Great start to the meal planning. I'm from Victoria too. I live out near the Buchart Garden exit from the HWY. I want to take my DD to Disneyland soon, she is so into the Disney princesses now. I want to take her when she still thinks she is meeting the real Snow White. She talks about going on a plane to see Snow White.... I wonder where she got that idea
I know what you mean about travelling, sometimes getting off the island is half the battle.

Hi! Always nice to "meet" another person from my 'hood! I grew up out that way-ish. You should definitely take your daughter! Although, my parents took me and my brothers when I was about 3 1/2 and then never again, so I really don't have any memories of it. Be careful, if you take her once you'll have to take her again when she's older too

We finally found some decent flights with airmiles, we drove once in 2008 and it wasn't TOO bad, but it is a long way. You end up tired before you even get there.

I will post another update tonight after my FIL leaves from our weekly dinner! I think this update will be about things I want to do/see that I haven't done before.

 

[blabbermouth]

So having only been to DL once and DW once, there are a ton of things we've never done! (Well, DL also once when I was three, but I dunno what we did then!)

Here are some of our favorite rides:

This one is probably the ride we've been on the most!

Also love: Pirates, TSMM, Jungle Cruise, Splash etc etc.

I've already been talking about restaurants I want to try, and dinner choices are coming up soon. Some other food items I've never had: Real cherry coke, jalepeno cheese pretzel, corn dog! I tried to get a corn dog one night on our last trip, not realizing the red wagon place closed earlier than the park. Soooo disappointed!

Rides and shows in Disneyland I want to go on/see that I haven't before:

• Billy Hill & the Hillbillies
• Mr Toad's Wild Ride
• New Star Tours
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• The TRAIN (yes, I know, crazy I haven't been on it, huh)

Rides and shows in DCA:

• Animation Academy
• Grizzly River Run (even though I don't like getting wet! Last time we tried it was down)
• Heimlich's Chew Chew Train
• Little Mermaid
• Mickey's Fun Wheel

Our last trip was during the very end of June and it was BUSY. I found a lot of the lines in DCA especially to be quite long, and if there wasn't a fastpass we just didn't want to bother on some of the smaller rides. Hopefully it'll be a bit quieter this time and we can manage to get on some of the rides we've missed. Plus, with the park opening later, we will be able to make some rope drops, which I've heard helps

What other things am I missing that are less popular but are really great? I don't want to overlook fabulous things!

 

[smile4stamps]

I love the lists of things you want to do! I did the same thing for my trip and it really helped me to make sure I actually did the things I had missed before!

I learned the hard way that most of the food places in DL close before the park actually does! I've definitely learned I need to eat earlier now if I plan to eat!

 

[blabbermouth]

I love the lists of things you want to do! I did the same thing for my trip and it really helped me to make sure I actually did the things I had missed before!

I learned the hard way that most of the food places in DL close before the park actually does! I've definitely learned I need to eat earlier now if I plan to eat!

I know now too. I think that night I settled for the lovely pickle featured in my first post!

 

[blabbermouth]

Got the car reserved, the ever-fancy Chevy Cobalt (or similar)!

At least it has air conditioning!

And all for the low price of $221 including their insurance for one whole week. Works for us.

 

[blabbermouth]

Oh, did I mention that we are exactly one month away from leaving?!

I already talked about dinner on our first night, Rainforest Cafe.

Monday night - Big Thunder Ranch BBQ

I've seen the pics in the food photos thread. My husband LOVES chicken. I've seen him eat a half chicken meal, and then order another full meal. This was after a full day of snowboarding, but still! This is the only food he can eat a TON of, so I figure he'll be happy. And we'll get our money's worth!

Tuesday night - Ariel's Grotto World of Color Dinner

I know we don't have to do the package to get good spots, but I've heard great reviews and the dessert plate looks fab! May be preceded or followed by a drink at the Cove Bar.

Wednesday night - Napa Rose

This is our even bigger splurge meal. We really like good ($$$$$) food, but usually settle for pretty good and unique at least for cheaper. The only time we really go for fancy meals at home is if my parents treat us! J likes exotic meats (umm... like lamb...) so I'm sure he'll find something he'll like and I will probably go for seafood because I don't cook it often at home.

Any meal recommendations? What's good at Ariel's and Napa?

Yay, can't believe we only have a month left to wait!!!!

 

[Belle Ella]

Lamb is an axotic meat? My mother would find that hilarious. Exotic makes me think kangaroo or aligator or something, haha. Buuuuut - yay for being 1 month away!

 

[blabbermouth]

Lamb is an axotic meat? My mother would find that hilarious. Exotic makes me think kangaroo or aligator or something, haha. Buuuuut - yay for being 1 month away!

Haha, yes, that was a bit of a joke I just mean not beef, pork, chicken.

 

[Belle Ella]

Haha, this is why i have no sense of humor.

 

[cinderella-princess]

Tuesday night - Ariel's Grotto World of Color Dinner

I know we don't have to do the package to get good spots, but I've heard great reviews and the dessert plate looks fab! May be preceded or followed by a drink at the Cove Bar.

Wednesday night - Napa Rose

This is our even bigger splurge meal. We really like good ($$$$$) food, but usually settle for pretty good and unique at least for cheaper. The only time we really go for fancy meals at home is if my parents treat us! J likes exotic meats (umm... like lamb...) so I'm sure he'll find something he'll like and I will probably go for seafood because I don't cook it often at home.

Any meal recommendations? What's good at Ariel's and Napa?

Yay, can't believe we only have a month left to wait!!!!

I'm so happy you are eating at Ariel's Grotto and the Napa Rose!! We ate at Ariel's Grotto last time and everything everyone got was great. I had pasta that was amazing, I think DH had steak that was very good, and someone (DSIL??) had the chicken dish which was just as good. The dessert IS to die for!!! I want to see if we can order the dessert from the restaurant in the Cove Bar this time, it's that good.

I don't remember what we had at Napa Rose (it was almost 3 years ago now) but I do remember that everything was terrific. I know that we both had steak but I think they change their menu seasonally. We ate at the Chef's Table (just like Samantha Brown if anyone has seen her Disneyland special) and it was very fun. I would definitely recommend asking to reserve the chefs table.

 

[reyasmommy]

I love the Rainforest cafe, as you should know by now since you've been reading my PTR. If your husband likes Chicken he'd probbly like my favorite meal there, the Chicken Fried Chicken. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmm!!! Your plans are sounding great. I like to write a list of everything I want to do on my trip as well. Look forward to reading more.

 

[blabbermouth]

I'm so happy you are eating at Ariel's Grotto and the Napa Rose!! We ate at Ariel's Grotto last time and everything everyone got was great. I had pasta that was amazing, I think DH had steak that was very good, and someone (DSIL??) had the chicken dish which was just as good. The dessert IS to die for!!! I want to see if we can order the dessert from the restaurant in the Cove Bar this time, it's that good.

I don't remember what we had at Napa Rose (it was almost 3 years ago now) but I do remember that everything was terrific. I know that we both had steak but I think they change their menu seasonally. We ate at the Chef's Table (just like Samantha Brown if anyone has seen her Disneyland special) and it was very fun. I would definitely recommend asking to reserve the chefs table.

Thanks for the good reviews! I think one of my favorite parts of a vacation is not having to cook

I love the Rainforest cafe, as you should know by now since you've been reading my PTR. If your husband likes Chicken he'd probbly like my favorite meal there, the Chicken Fried Chicken. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmm!!! Your plans are sounding great. I like to write a list of everything I want to do on my trip as well. Look forward to reading more.

Haha, ok, we will love RC together then! I will recommend the chicken fried chicken to DH. I think last time we were there he got... chicken! haha, with some sort of wine sauce maybe? He liked it.

 

[kim3339]

I finally made it over to your PTR!!! One thing you have to try when you go in a couple of weeks, don't you love hearing that , is to try and ride Lily Belle. It's a special car attached to the train, it's really fancy. Just stop by station at Main Street to see if it's going around that day and if you can ride her. You do have to go all around the park in her, but it is so much fun. I did that for the 1st time last year.

 

[blabbermouth]

I finally made it over to your PTR!!! One thing you have to try when you go in a couple of weeks, don't you love hearing that , is to try and ride Lily Belle. It's a special car attached to the train, it's really fancy. Just stop by station at Main Street to see if it's going around that day and if you can ride her. You do have to go all around the park in her, but it is so much fun. I did that for the 1st time last year.

Hi! Oh yeah, I've heard about that. Not a bad idea since I want to ride the train anyway.

 

[blabbermouth]

Not much to update today, but it's been awhile, so I thought I should pop in (to my own report!)

After our last trip (and our WDW trip) I did a scrapbook, and I'm trying to decide if I want to do one again or not. I'll obviously take a lot of photos, just have to think a bit differently if I want to take photos for scrapbooking too. It just might be a bit more boring this time because we'll be seeing a lot of the same things again and just the two of us again. But it does give me something to do in the winter!

If I do another book I'd like to pick up another one of the disney scrapbooks because then they'll match my last two.

Other souvenirs we're going to buy: coffee mugs (we have some from WDW, but want to add to the collection), a new travel mug for me, mickey wine bottle topper if they still have them, maybe a tshirt or two each, and some disney candy for our coworkers!

Here are my scrapbook pages from DLR in 2009. I didn't get as many pics this trip because we didn't do photopass like we did at WDW. I can post those scrapbook pages later if anyone wants to see them.

For some reason photobucket uploaded these photos in the wrong direction, and even though I rotated them online they still post sideways... any ideas to fix it?

I also have a bunch of pages from San Diego and San Francisco. It's a great way to remember the trip once you're home and back to real life

 

[blabbermouth]

and with this post I reach 500 posts!!!!



To celebrate I'll post this very cute sleeping koala (DH's fave animal) from the San Diego Zoo!

 

[cinderella-princess]

I love your scrapbook pages!! They look so professional and imaginative. I sometimes scrapbook and your pages are what I always want mine to look like but never achieve.

Congrats on your 500th post too!

 

[kindakrazy2]

I love the sleeping koala! I want one! lol!

 

[blabbermouth]

I love your scrapbook pages!! They look so professional and imaginative. I sometimes scrapbook and your pages are what I always want mine to look like but never achieve.

Congrats on your 500th post too!

Oh thanks, you're making me blush! I really don't think mine are all that great! I just don't look at scrapbooking websites, then I don't know any better. I try not to spend TOO much money on it. I think the secret is to get a big matching paper package with a few pages of punch out stuff, then everything at least matches! And I only buy stickers and stuff when they're on super clearance sale. I now have a really basic cricut which I use for letters too. Last Christmas I made a scrapbook calendar for my mom, it was sooooooo much work, but it was fun to go through all the old family photos, and everyone loved it!

I love the sleeping koala! I want one! lol!

Oh, totally! Apparently they have viciously long claws and are really smelly, but that doesn't stop DH from wanting one as a pet.

 

[blabbermouth]

Ahh, why do surprise expenses always appear around vacation time??? Rethinking some of my expensive dining choices due to:

Hitting a deer with my car Insurance will cover the new bumper, but I still have to pay a $300 deductible.

I've finished all of my accounting classes, but haven't finished the experience requirement, so I thought this year's fee was only going to be $365, but it's going to be $730, for the pleasure of having them accept or deny my experience report.

I also need new tires, but I knew about that one already, so it's less of a surprise.

I think no matter how much money I make or save I still worry about spending!

Vent over

What are some other good options if I choose to toss out Napa Rose? Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen? Naples? They're both a bit cheaper at least. I guess we can decide at the last minute because it will be our second to last day of vacation so we can base it on how much we've already spent and cancel the ressie if necessary