Cookiedude's Trip Report Part 2 - NOW WITH LESS BARFING!

[Cookiedude]

Day 6 (12/1) - Downtown Disney

If you're playing along with Barfapalooza the Home Game, I'm sorry to report that almost nothing went wrong today

After cancelling the second leg of our trip to stay in Anaheim for another week (to make up for lost time due to aforementioned Barfapalooza), we didn't fancy doing a Disneyland day amongst Candelight Processional crowds. So we headed to Downtown Disney instead to see Enchanted. The kids were so excited, they've been hanging out to see it. And it was really nice to just wander over there and take our time.

Movie was really cool. Everyone enjoyed it, and in the true spirit of the film I launched into song upon encountering the very plush restroom at AMC Danced around the circular lounge singing "Oh what a glorious bathroom, never before have I seen, a bathroom so cleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan". Needless to say, the kids declined to join in

Shopped (ka-ching!) at the Lego store (way cheaper than at home and three of the boys are complete Lego nuts) then late lunch at Rainforest Cafe (sucky table and kids didn't eat any of their food, but DH and I liked ours and the atmosphere was fun).

Quick few games at ESPN Zone then off home. DH and I decided to treat ourselves to a movie in bed (Everyone asleep early! Nobody puking! Woohoo!) but TV kept giving us an error message. Call front desk, they've never heard of such an error before. Send the engineer over, he's never seen the error before either He goes away and hauls another TV back up to the room, plugs it in ... same error

Day 7 - La Brea Tar Pits and Santa Monica Pier

Decide on another down day today, so pick up the hire car and head up to LA. Traffic's excellent and driving with the SatNav is a dream. Kids really enjoyed the La Brea Tar Pits, they're at a good age for it and very into science. Eat at the Koo Koo Roo next door for lunch then head down Santa Monica Blvd all the way to the beach. Almost sunset so make a quick dash down to the pier (brrr). Walk right out to the end and come across a wonderful singer from Argentina. Watch the sunset listening to the sultry rhythms.

Day 8 (12/3) - California Adventure

Fantastic day at CA today! Kids absolutely loved it. Wandered over in no particular rush, arrived at the gates at about 10:15am. Grab a locker, head over to Soarin'. Not a walk on but maybe a 10-15 min wait only. Wow, wonder why I'd never ridden this before, it was so cool! Slightly freaked coz I'm scared of heights Everyone loves it.

Head to Muppets because DH's kids are crazy about them, get sidelined outside Animation Studio when DD8 sees Snow White. While waiting in line to get a photo, Dopey comes to join her which just made DD's day since he's her favourite (for some reason ). Standing on the road taking a photo of her with Snow, spin around and nearly get run over by Mickey Guess he didn't see me. He and Woody were barrelling down the street on the way to somewhere, they didn't stop long. Also saw Mr Incredible.

Finally make it on to Muppets, sat in first row, not a good idea. Off to Animation Studio with Beaker plush in hand , head straight in to see Crush. DH's two kids both get picked to ask questions, lots of chatter about Australia. He asked them if they surf and whether they've been to the Great Barrier Reef. He joked that DD had something munching on her noggin (she was wearing a Stitch hat). It was Crush's birthday today. He was 150.

Spent a lot of time in Animation Studio doing the various thingys. Learned an important lesson: Autistic kids don't like the Animation Academy drawing lesssons very much We learned how to draw a picture of Jack Skellington wearing a santa hat, which I really enjoyed. But both my kids found it really stressful. Their drawings didn't look like the one the instructor was making and she went soooo fast so it just all added up to a teary session for them.

Lunch at Taste Pilot's (pretty good) then off to Grizzly River Run. Store stuff in the free lockers (thanks to tip learned from here ) and walk on. Get medium wet. Kids all want to do it again so we decide might as well get wet all in one go while it's still sunny Hop right back on, only this time we hit the geyser COMPLETELY SOAKED

Walking down towards Paradise Pier trying to dry off, we run into Push. Yay! The kids adore him and don't want to leave. He gets DD to put her Stitch hat on his 'head' and he proceeds to run around scaring passersby and pretending to attack them I think it was their favourite part of the whole day.

Do Mulholland Madness (twice), Orange Stinger, Maliboomer. DH takes his kids to Screamin' while DS7 gets his face painted like a tiger. CM did a really really good job. I loan him my tigger ears to complete the look

Trying to make our way to Tower of Terror we get sidelined in Bugs Land for a bit, meet Flik and Atta, hop on a couple of rides there. Going through sunshine plaza we see Chip and Dale, surfin' Goofy and surfin' Santa. Finally get to Tower of Terror, sun has gone down and we're getting chilly. DS10 (birthday boy) is pretty scared about going on this one, but decides to give it a shot. I was so proud of him. Man was that thing scary! I was so not expecting it to be. Yeah, I know it's called Tower of TER-ROR (duh) but I'd seen so many littlies going on it I figured it was gonna be like HM. Everyone came off shaky but excited from the adrenaline rush, including DS10 who declared it the scariest thing ever but still agreed to try it a second time. Enjoyed that slightly more than the first.

Nearly time for early fireworks over at DL due to CM party early closing, so we grab our jackets and head over there. What a zoo! Manage to make it down Main St almost to the hub, so it was a pretty good view. But so much more crowded than last week. The fireworks always make me teary but I ws doing a good job of containing it ... until it finished and I bent down to tie DS's shoe. As I looked up, snow was falling directly above our heads and DS was reaching up to catch it. Something about looking up at his face so full of pure joy and the snow falling down on us through the lights made this entire past week of WIGGINESS melt away and that was it, I didn't even try to contain it Wiping away a tear, DH looks over at me and goes "You get snow in your eye?"

Become part of the thronging mass making our way to the exit, but there was no CM family traffic coming the other way so I guess they found a better way of managing that this year. Head to Bubba Gump Shrimp and after a long day at the parks I kinda found the constant "AWESOME!" greetings from the staff a little grating. Until our server managed to tip DD's dinner (including blue jello) all over the table and into my lap ... then walk off without even attempting to help us clean it up! Dude, what's that about??

 

[lulubelle]

Thanks so much for sharing, Cookiedude
Tower of Terror is one ride I cannot handle anymore, the "drops" do a number on my tummy and there is nothing to hold onto when you fall! Glad you are having a good time....finally.

 

[WA Kay]

"As I looked up, snow was falling directly above our heads and DS was reaching up to catch it. Something about looking up at his face so full of pure joy and the snow falling down on us through the lights made this entire past week of WIGGINESS melt away and that was it, I didn't even try to contain it"

Now you are making me cry. Thanks for the great report. I am very happy to hear that things are going much better for your family and look forward to the next report.

 

[5/4Disney]

Wow!! WE were there the same time as you guys. Your report makes me miss things already (eventhough I'm still unpacking and doing TONS of Laundry) Since it rained all day on Friday we changed clothes to stay dry and this increased our laundry pile. Hate to hear you guys got sick, that happened to us a couple years ago at WDW. I'll post pics and a report later once things slow down here.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Ah, here you are! I was wondering where you went.

Wow, sounds like you all had A LOT of fun at CA! I know what you mean about the Animation Academy and autistic kids.....my DS also hates it because it's extremely difficult for him to draw, and very hard to even write for that matter. He'd much rather use a computer or word processor to write, and as far as drawing goes, it's stick figures for him.

(However, I've heard of autistic kids who are wonderful artists, but maybe can't communicate or talk so well. It really is a DisAbility of many variations.)

Also, my son HATES getting wet on rides. He loves the rides, he just hates the "wet clothes" part. So he has to ALWAYS wear a poncho to ride Splash and Grizzly River Run. Many people ask, "Why bother riding a water ride if you don't want to get wet?" I never know what to say. Anyway, I'm hoping that someday he'll get over it, and see that sometimes (when it's hot out), it can be fun to get wet in your clothes.

You sound like a fun mom.....singing in the bathroom. Sounds like something I would do.

What, a server spilled your daughter's food all over the table and you, and then didn't even bother to help clean it UP?!?! NICE. So, did you leave her a big tip?

Can't wait to read more when you get a chance. Hope the fun continues for all of you!

 

[Cookiedude]

I've heard of autistic kids who are wonderful artists, but maybe can't communicate or talk so well. It really is a DisAbility of many variations.

Yes indeed it surely is isn't it? I once heard the term DIFFability and really liked it for that reason

Many people ask, "Why bother riding a water ride if you don't want to get wet?" I never know what to say.

I would say "Because I like riding ON the water not IN the water. That's why I'm here and not in the hotel pool"

 

[Cookiedude]

Day 9 (12/5) - The Barfers Go To Legoland! Or maybe not!

Managed to get up early today, ready to head south for our Legoland day. Partly because we wanted a break from Disney, partly because I'm delaying that dreaded Last Day at Disney

Quick bite in the room, grab some coffee to go, program the GPS and off we go! An hour later and we arrive at the gates of Legoland ... only to find it's closed on Tuesdays. DOH! I KNEW THAT!!!! I soooooo was kicking myself. I mean, that was part of the original plan last week. The pre-barfapalooza plan, when everything made perfect sense and was so thoughtfully planned out. Do not go to Legoland on Tues or Weds. I KNEW THAT!! But somehow that teeny but oh-so-important piece of information had managed to seep out of my sleep-deprived brain.

I gotta say, the kids took it really well. Better than me Probably because they were so engrossed in their iPods and were happy to keep driving. Quick check of the GPS revealed that the California Surf Museum was only 5 miles north. DH is an avid surfer from way back so that sounded gnarly dude. Hopped back on the freeway and were there in a jiffy.

The California Surf Museum is in Oceanside, a totally gorgeous and sleepy town by the water. It was a really nice place to stumble upon. The museum btw was really interesting, they had a lot of old original wooden boards and excellent photos. The woman there was very friendly and we had a good chat before ransacking the gift shop of assorted skater and surfing toys.

Right. Back on our way. After toying with the idea of doing a half day at Disney, we decide instead to head on up to LA and see the Griffith Park Observatory. Only took us about 90 mins to get there and it was a gorgeous day for it (er, minus the smog ).

I love the Griffith Park Observatory. They've totally renovated it in the past year and the result is fantastic. An interesting space and astronomy museum with very knowledgable guides to explain stuff, and a planetarium show that was spectacular (only $7 adults, $3 kids). And they've added a cafe there now which has a great selection of really yummy food! I had a Wolfgang Puck chicken salad with honey sesame cashews and wonton noodles ($6.95!) and it was probably the best thing I've eaten so far on this trip. And to top it off, the observatory is situated at the top of the hollywood hills with probably one of the best views of the Hollywood sign and the whole of LA. So we sat outside in the LA sunshine, eating our Wolfgang Puck salads beneath the Hollywood sign. What a quintessential LA experience Oh and the kids were super excited because they filmed part of Transformers there so you know, how cool is that.

Ransack the gift shop yet again and home we go. Pull up alongside Disneyland just as the fireworks go off. Purfect end to an impromptu yet pretty darn cool day.

 

[kitsch]

Sounds like you had another wonderful day.
I too love the Griffith Observatory, especially on a clear day like today . If you have time, you should try to check out the Getty--the view is also fantastic. Only 1 more clear day left...looks like it's gonna rain all week.

 

[Cookiedude]

Sounds like you had another wonderful day.
I too love the Griffith Observatory, especially on a clear day like today . If you have time, you should try to check out the Getty--the view is also fantastic. Only 1 more clear day left...looks like it's gonna rain all week.

Today was pretty smoggy actually, couldn't see much further than the city. But comparatively? It was clear

Haven't been to the Getty since they moved it, would love to go. Am madly trying to work out a plan to fit in Legoland, Universal and one more day at Disney before Sunday and before the rain! Eek! Don't think it's going to be doable. But on the upside, hopefully I'll have some snow for Big Bear!

 

[CardinalsFan]

Your "Day 9" should be 12/4, not 12/5, no?

 

[Cookiedude]

Your "Day 9" should be 12/4, not 12/5, no?

Oops Yes you're right. Must be running on Australian time

 

[Cookiedude]

Day 10 (12/5, the real one) - Last Day at DLR!! Nooooooo!

Everyone up bright and early this morning. What a pity it's not an EE day. OMG, realise that we've come to the last day of our hoppers and not used our EE! How did that happen? Oh yeah. We went to Barf City instead.

Anyhoo ... since this was to be our last DLR day the plan was to split up - DH with his kids and me with mine - and do our favourite rides one last time and catch Aladdin over at CA (why doesn't it play on Mon and Tues?? )

Get to Disneyland gates at 9:20am, earliest time for the whole trip. Seems like there's a LOT more people here today than last week.

Walk into Town Square and have the first of many "OMG it's the last time I'm gonna see/do <insert attraction here>" for the day. DH grabs a locker while I head to the clock shop to replace DS's "water resistant to 30m" watch that stopped the second he stepped into the hotel swimming pool. Line up at rope drop, kiss DH goodbye for the day and plan to meet up at the hotel after dinner.

The boys decide they want to do Buzz as the first ride of the last day, since it had been the first ride on the first day. Actually get to email ourselves the photos this time then hop straight back on. When we get off I have a spur of the moment "OMG it's our last day" moment and tell them that every ride we do today we're going to buy something from the gift shop when we get off. That didn't last long but they did get little astro blasters on a keychain which they clipped to their belt loops and had fun blasting each other while waiting in line for the rest of the day.

Do Star Tours and have one of those "okay maybe I've done this ride too many times now" moments when I find myself drifting off somewhere around the comet doing some mental maths about whether we're gonna make it to the first session of Aladdin or not

The boys get Star Wars figurines to commemorate our last Star Tours trip and off we head to Space Mountain. 15 minute wait so I want to fast pass it but DS10 is adamant we have to ride it then and there. DS7 suddenly decides he doesn't want to ride, but I make him do it as a favour to DS10 (it was either that or suffer a major meltdown from DS10 if he couldn't ride Space for the last time after I'd promised him he could, and besides I knew DS7 loved the ride and was just saying that because he wanted to play with his brand new Star Wars figurine ). Sure enough both kids loved the ride.

Off to Pirates and kids are slightly disappointed there's no TEMP ERROR this time Head over to see the reindeer, which DS7 had been eagerly anticipating the whole trip, only to have him go "Mummy, they're just DEER." Er, yes son, that would be where the ReinDEER part comes in.

Okay so the reindeer were a bust, off to CA we go. Pass by BTMRR and DS7 remembers that this is his favourite ride. DS10 has decided he doesn't like it anymore because of "the bit where it looks like you're going to bump your head". I make him go on it as a favour to DS7 in return for the Space Mountain favour. Deal. And make a pact that for the rest of the day we only go on stuff we all want to go on. Oh and also make a deal that he closes his eyes and I tell him when the "hit your head" part is over.

Right. Off to CA. Grab Soarin' fast passes and have a quick boogie to HSM2 on route to Aladdin. Munch on some carrot sticks and grapes while waiting in line. Something about the grapes here, my kids have practically inhaled whole bags of them. Aladdin was good although I think it used to be better for some reason. Kids love it though and it's nice to sit for a bit.

Do Soarin' as a walk on with the fast passes (nice) then head down to see if we can find Push. He's not there today Kids are mad about Mulholland Madness so they do that twice, all on their own (my brave little independent things). By now it was 4pm and DS10 really wanted to finish the day doing IASWH and the parade. So we head back out into the plaza to stop at the ticket window and ask about extending our 5 day hoppers for a day.

Now the reason I was doing that was because we had yet to see F! and today was the last day of our hoppers. So if I wanted to try and catch it this weekend I'd need an extra day just for that. I asked a CM about this a few days ago, and he told me it would cost us $10 per ticket. So I wait for 20 minutes only to have a different CM tell me it would be $150 for the three of us. What?? After a quick debate between the voices in my head (the Disney Lovin' one and the Bean Counter) I decide that F! isn't worth $150. I make the decision not to do it. Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Back into Disneyland. Kids suddenly decide they absolutely have to do Autopia. I started to say "you remember this morning when I asked you which rides you wanted to do today and you told me Buzz and Pirates and there was absolutely no mention of Autopia so I planned the day around it and here we are at 4:30pm on our last day and I really don't want to waste 30 more mins waiting for Autopia" but instead go okay let's do it. Thirty minutes later it's dark and cold and we're all hungry but hey at least we got to ride around a concrete track getting high on fumes for a bit.

Make our way over to IASWH but decide to eat now, watch the parade from our cool spots and then do IASWH before going home. I plant the kids down and then go hunt for some food. It is so crowded and dark and I don't want to go too far from where they're sitting so I hit the turkey leg cart and grab one plus a chimichanga, some soda and Doritos. They hate everything but the soda and Doritos so I wait 20 minutes for a churro to make it a balanced meal

Excellent viewing for the parade plus the light-show thingy on IASWH and the snow. Having a lovely time until DS7 ran down to an empty spot on the edge of the parade route to wave to Aladdin. A bunch of people sitting to his right all start yelling at him to sit down. I mean YELLING. Okay so he was in their way but he's only 7 and there's no way he could've realised that, since he wasn't in front of them but to the side. They didn't have to yell at him. He came running back to me in tears and stayed that way until the end of the parade

Parade over, we head upstream towards IASWH, ready for the last ride of our trip. Only to find that it was closed for the rest of the night because of the fireworks! I guess I should've anticipated this but I thought maybe it would open in between the parade and fireworks. I am SO bummed. The kids are in tears. This is not how I want this holiday to end! The boys want one more ride, any ride will do. They choose Star Tours and that never has a line, so we head through a massive crowd of people around the Matterhorn through Tomorrowland and finally make it to ST, only to find a line out the door. Dude. Okay, deep breath. How to salvage this. We head out into the hub and find a spot on the ground between two benches. I sit them down on my lap and we spend the last twenty minutes before the fireworks in a little cocoon away from the crowds, looking at the beautiful castle (albeit through a tree) and cuddling my darlings, laughing about the funniest bits of our trip and talking about our favourite rides.

Fireworks start.

Rememberrrrrrrrrrrr the magic ...

The smoke hangs around after some of the ones in the middle so the second half is obscured by brown smoke, kinda like watching it through thick smog

Just rememberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr the magic ...

Of course I'm crying by this point I think about everything that has brought me to this point, this very moment, standing at Disneyland with my boys. Not just everything that's happened on this trip, but all the events of the past few years, all the decisions I've made and pathways we've gone down together that have led us to this one moment.

And in that moment I believe.

I believe in triumph over adversity.

I believe in the healing power of laughter.

I believe in the joy of youth.

I believe in the magic.

Yes. I believe.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I believe too, and really enjoyed your reports!

 

[froggy5657]

That was a great trip report and since I was just in DL I could just picture everything!

 

[trodrigue]

Oh Cookiedude! You just embody what the Disney Magic is all about! What a wonderful trip report. Thanks for sharing. I love to hear about a Mom and her boys, as I also have two boys and have that special bond.