andersonsc
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2009
- Messages
- 240
Sorry if this is too long. We got home this morning and Im really tired but wanted to get thoughts down before I forget. Hope this info helps someone
Sorry if too rambling!!
We (me, husband, 4 sons - 15, 13, 13,7) arrived Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving. Plane landed at LAX by 8:30am, got rental car and no traffic problems on way to Grand Californian. Checked in and told CM we would actually prefer not to have park view room. We had park view before and while very pretty to look at and see world of color we found noise level to be high during the day when trying to rest. Received room text about 1:15pm and we were assigned DVC room 6500 park view.
We had Costco tickets. When we got to gate, CM typed our names into computer and printed new tickets with our names on them. He messed up on our sons, had to call a lead over who said to just write sons name on new ticket. Started to write but they wanted me to use their pen.
We found that on Wed & Thurs our tickets did not work to get fast passes! We asked a CM at the FP machine for help. The CM said the problem occurred because we went into the park first thing during early morning entry when the crowds were so big. She said the computer system didnt have time to register our tickets so the fast past machine was reading our tickets as not being used for park entry that day. She gave us other ticket type things that we could use in FP machines that day. Panic averted!
It may have been a more wide spread problem, because the next day at Disneyland same thing happened. My husband asked for the FP ticket things and the CM said they were all out. We finally got some so all was well.
We always had our IDs ready. One CM wrote minor on our kids tickets and they were only asked for ID once. This occurred when my 15 yr old went through the line first. CM asked for ID but didnt need it once he saw our son was actually with us. She did want to see our ID before she would let him through though. Kids went into park alone at other times and said no CM asked them for ID. At Grand Californian entrance, I did see several adults go through without showing ID and CM didnt ask for it.
Not to complain (too much!) but this annoyed me. Late afternoon, I entered DCA from grand cal. There was about 10 people in line at two turnstiles. This lady with a stroller passed all of us and walked right up to the stroller gate. I though maybe she was with the person at the front, but no, just her and kid in stroller. We saw many more people passing in ride line to catch up to family. On one ride about 6 people passed to meet up with one man. on another about 10 people passed to meet up with about 3 other people!
We went to early morning DCA. Wednesday we arrived at bag check at 6:45am. Went straight to Racers and waited in line about 30 min or so. After riding we went on Luigis tires with no wait. Then went to get racer Fast Passes. This didnt work as it was already about 8am and line was wrapped around to Tower or Terror! The next early DCA morning (Friday) we got to bag check at 6:30am, and were the 2nd family in our line at park entrance turnstiles. Only waited about 20 min to get on racers. Husband then went to FP line and waited. Older boys went in racers single rider line twice. Waited about 10 min each time to ride. Youngest son and I rode Luigis tires and maters with no wait. Husband was out of FP line by 8:10 then on to Toy Story with 20 min wait.
Teenagers went on Matterhorn using single rider line and were so disappointed. This had been a favorite of theirs but they said it was jerky and uncomfortable and they had no desire to go on again.
Youngest son (7) wanted to do Jedi academy for first time. We were a little late to first showing at 10:30 Thursday morning. We arrived after they starting picking kids but his older brothers took him in and he was one of the last kids to get picked. No real trick to getting picked. His older brother kept pointing to him and he just had his hand up to be picked. I noticed a few families already waiting for show at 10am when we walked by.
Ate Thanksgiving dinner at Storytellers. Never been there before. Very comfortable atmosphere and waitress was fine. Didnt feel rushed and actually waited a while for our final bill. Had 2:30 reservation and seated at 2:45. I has been worried buffet would not be available because we were told it started at 3pm when reservation made. Asked at Storytellers the day before and was told buffet would be out by 2pm. Mixed reviews on buffet. Didnt really think turkey was very good. My son and husband loved the beef though. Mashed potatoes were great. Corn chowder was great. 3 of the kids just got the plated meal and it was a huge amount for them. In hindsight I should have gotten the plated meal because the only extra thing I got from the buffet was some fruit. Not really worth the buffet price! I asked if the 3 kids could substitute ice cream for pumpkin pie and this was allowed. I was not a fan of the desserts on the buffet. I have a very unrefined palate and just wanted some regular pumpkin or apple pie! My son loved the desserts. He ate 2 of the pumpkin things in the real pumpkins. I wanted pie with crust though!! It was fine to do once but wont eat there again.
Left Grand Californian today (sat) at 6am. No traffic. At rental car return by 6:35 or so.
Ok, Im done. Sorry if this was boring but I hope maybe someone gets some info from it. Happy Holidays!
We (me, husband, 4 sons - 15, 13, 13,7) arrived Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving. Plane landed at LAX by 8:30am, got rental car and no traffic problems on way to Grand Californian. Checked in and told CM we would actually prefer not to have park view room. We had park view before and while very pretty to look at and see world of color we found noise level to be high during the day when trying to rest. Received room text about 1:15pm and we were assigned DVC room 6500 park view.
We had Costco tickets. When we got to gate, CM typed our names into computer and printed new tickets with our names on them. He messed up on our sons, had to call a lead over who said to just write sons name on new ticket. Started to write but they wanted me to use their pen.
We found that on Wed & Thurs our tickets did not work to get fast passes! We asked a CM at the FP machine for help. The CM said the problem occurred because we went into the park first thing during early morning entry when the crowds were so big. She said the computer system didnt have time to register our tickets so the fast past machine was reading our tickets as not being used for park entry that day. She gave us other ticket type things that we could use in FP machines that day. Panic averted!
It may have been a more wide spread problem, because the next day at Disneyland same thing happened. My husband asked for the FP ticket things and the CM said they were all out. We finally got some so all was well.
We always had our IDs ready. One CM wrote minor on our kids tickets and they were only asked for ID once. This occurred when my 15 yr old went through the line first. CM asked for ID but didnt need it once he saw our son was actually with us. She did want to see our ID before she would let him through though. Kids went into park alone at other times and said no CM asked them for ID. At Grand Californian entrance, I did see several adults go through without showing ID and CM didnt ask for it.
Not to complain (too much!) but this annoyed me. Late afternoon, I entered DCA from grand cal. There was about 10 people in line at two turnstiles. This lady with a stroller passed all of us and walked right up to the stroller gate. I though maybe she was with the person at the front, but no, just her and kid in stroller. We saw many more people passing in ride line to catch up to family. On one ride about 6 people passed to meet up with one man. on another about 10 people passed to meet up with about 3 other people!
We went to early morning DCA. Wednesday we arrived at bag check at 6:45am. Went straight to Racers and waited in line about 30 min or so. After riding we went on Luigis tires with no wait. Then went to get racer Fast Passes. This didnt work as it was already about 8am and line was wrapped around to Tower or Terror! The next early DCA morning (Friday) we got to bag check at 6:30am, and were the 2nd family in our line at park entrance turnstiles. Only waited about 20 min to get on racers. Husband then went to FP line and waited. Older boys went in racers single rider line twice. Waited about 10 min each time to ride. Youngest son and I rode Luigis tires and maters with no wait. Husband was out of FP line by 8:10 then on to Toy Story with 20 min wait.
Teenagers went on Matterhorn using single rider line and were so disappointed. This had been a favorite of theirs but they said it was jerky and uncomfortable and they had no desire to go on again.
Youngest son (7) wanted to do Jedi academy for first time. We were a little late to first showing at 10:30 Thursday morning. We arrived after they starting picking kids but his older brothers took him in and he was one of the last kids to get picked. No real trick to getting picked. His older brother kept pointing to him and he just had his hand up to be picked. I noticed a few families already waiting for show at 10am when we walked by.
Ate Thanksgiving dinner at Storytellers. Never been there before. Very comfortable atmosphere and waitress was fine. Didnt feel rushed and actually waited a while for our final bill. Had 2:30 reservation and seated at 2:45. I has been worried buffet would not be available because we were told it started at 3pm when reservation made. Asked at Storytellers the day before and was told buffet would be out by 2pm. Mixed reviews on buffet. Didnt really think turkey was very good. My son and husband loved the beef though. Mashed potatoes were great. Corn chowder was great. 3 of the kids just got the plated meal and it was a huge amount for them. In hindsight I should have gotten the plated meal because the only extra thing I got from the buffet was some fruit. Not really worth the buffet price! I asked if the 3 kids could substitute ice cream for pumpkin pie and this was allowed. I was not a fan of the desserts on the buffet. I have a very unrefined palate and just wanted some regular pumpkin or apple pie! My son loved the desserts. He ate 2 of the pumpkin things in the real pumpkins. I wanted pie with crust though!! It was fine to do once but wont eat there again.
Left Grand Californian today (sat) at 6am. No traffic. At rental car return by 6:35 or so.
Ok, Im done. Sorry if this was boring but I hope maybe someone gets some info from it. Happy Holidays!
