For those who are considering using any kind of shuttle service (such as Super Shuttle) to get from point A to point B, I wanted to also recommend a smaller, no-frills (but still good) service called Sav-on Shuttle as an alternate option. I don't know if I'm allowed to post the link here so I won't do it, and they have not asked me to recommend them at all, but you can find great reviews of Sav-on Shuttle on Yelp.
I came across Sav-on Shuttle when I was trying to find a less expensive option than Super Shuttle last year. I needed "point to point" service (meaning no stops or swings by the airport), to get from my home to the Catalina Express terminal in Long Beach and back home later that night. That was successful, so I used them again in November 2012 to get to DLR and back. All tolled, since July of 2012 I have used Sav-on Shuttle for 4 different trips (with the most recent occasion being four months ago) -- and 3 of those have been round-trip. I'll be using them again in a couple of weeks (although they don't know it yet!).
Sav-on Shuttle is owned by a nice man named John. It's a small company. They usually don't send out email confirmations or anything like that. They will take credit cards but I actually think they prefer cash. John will often do a lot of the pick-ups and drop-offs himself, though I did have one other driver last year (who was also very pleasant). They have always been prompt. In fact, if I say that I need to be picked up at 4:45 A.M. -- yes, A.M. -- they are usually there even earlier than that. I don't know how much Sav-on Shuttle would charge to pick you up from the airport or take you anywhere else, but I would bet that it is at least a little bit cheaper than the "leading" shuttle companies. Sav-on does a lot of business with Disneyland visitors -- sometimes they drop people off at or pick people up from DLR several times a day, and they get a lot of airport business from people whose Super Shuttle orders went awry.
Anyway, look up the reviews of Sav-on Shuttle on Yelp and maybe they can be a good option for you instead of another shuttle service.
We were supposed to be leaving to DLR in 23 days with my cousins. Three families for a total of 15 people. One family was just informed today their move-in date for their new house has been moved up, and they probably won't make it now. In the other family, my cousin had to make a trip to the ER earlier today for the removal of her appendix. Even if she heals in time, their Disney fund was probably just drained entirely.
Luckily, in my foresight of planning the trip for everyone, I did NOT do advance payment for hotel rooms to save another $25 a family, and NO park tickets have been bought (for anyone besides MY family, but they were purchased in May). I had a feeling something was going to come up because everything has been going a little
too good lately, and I appear to be correct. lol
I'm just kind of bummed because I had a lot of cool photo ideas for our group. I went to a local Dollar Tree and got Disney Santa Hats (found
here for our entire group. That was supposed to make for a cool photo in front of the trees and castle. Also, my cousin and I had plans to see WOC WD (we're a little obsessed with WOC) and I am deflated that I may have to watch it with my own family that doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as I do.
A trip to Disney is still a trip to Disney, but it won't be the same without everyone else there. I'm sure it will still be great, but I'm still disappointed.
dtnrhi --
I'm so sorry to hear that all of this is happening and that the trip will not be what it was supposed to be (even though it will still be a trip to Disneyland). I totally know and get where you are coming from. I don't think I can even count how many times things have suddenly come up for other people in my group over the years, affecting the plans. At first we could find ways to work around the things that came up, and then eventually people just stopped going. The trouble is, it never means quite
as much to anyone else to go as it does to us, the ones who are huge Disney fans and the ones who are making the plans. So
we are the ones who are most impacted by others not being able to make it, not the people who suddenly can't go! Of course, things happen and they can't always be predicted -- but they seem to happen at such inconvenient times! Lol.
That's a large part of the reason why I have begun to embrace solo time at DLR -- it got to be too much of a hassle trying to plan with other people.
I hope that you and your family have a great time anyway, even though it won't be the same. And I hope that your cousin is doing well.
Sherry I'll keep my fingers crossed that Kurt is the narrator when you see the CP.
We saw Gary Sinese last year at EPCOT and he was my #1 choice. It was on Christmas Day too. One of the best memories of the trip. (Being that I was pretty ill the entire time there weren't a lot of other great ones for me) Hoping for much better health this year at DL.
TK --
Thank you!
I remember that you saw Gary Sinise last year (and I remember that you were sick). He was the narrator at DLR's CP in 2011, but I did not see the CP that year. I think that seeing the CP on Christmas Day would be magical (not if you're sick, though)!
I just don't know when or if the names will be officially announced or confirmed, and if they are I am not sure if Kurt Russell will narrate on my night. Again, nothing against Blair Underwood but I'd rather see someone who is part of Disney's family narrating the CP.
P.S. I'd better not get sick on this trip -- I have a Club 33 visit planned, as well as my usual photo-taking extravaganza. Last year it was all about the masks in NOS. This year, who knows what discoveries are waiting for me? Lol.
That would be fantastic, Sherry. I love Kurt Russell. I watched Tombstone over and over again, because he was that good on it. Val Kilmer was pretty fantastic too.
How do you sign up for the AP seating lottery? I might actually watch if we got a seat.
I like the Grove too. We have discussed it more and think just dining at the mall will be best. We'll hit up the Farmer's Market next time. Thanks for the tips.
Kim --
There is no AP lottery this year. Last year the CP ran for an unprecedented 20 nights at DLR, so the Parks Blog announced it and invited AP holders to enter a sort of lottery to win seats (the actual seating is very limited). I did not get selected for the AP seating lottery. However, I knew that a lot of AP holders entered the lottery for seats and wouldn't end up coming to the event (sometimes people will enter something just to see IF they can win, or "just in case" they can attend, and then their spots go to waste if they don't show up), so the fact that I did not win the AP lottery was not an issue. I walked up at the right time, stood in the right place, and got a seat 2 nights in a row.
However, because the CP is back to its old 2-night only schedule this year, the actual seats are for invited guests only (members of Disney employees' families, VIPs, etc.), and anyone else who wants to view the CP will have to stand around Town Square. So that's why I was pondering who I would be willing to stand for. I was spoiled by getting seats twice last year, but this year I will have to stand and I don't want to stand around in a mass of people in Town Square for just anyone. It has to be someone I would want to see.
Dining at the mall? You mean at Hollywood & Highland?
Time is money. I think it's worth every penny. Have fun!
) If this is true, and if Kurt is the narrator on my night - jackpot!!!!
He was the narrator I wanted to see last year -- he was my first choice out of all of the ones on the roster in 2012 -- but I didn't win the AP seating lottery and I changed my trip dates, so I "ended up with" Lou Diamond Phillips instead. LDP did a perfectly lovely job, but to see an actual Disney legend narrate would be that much sweeter. So I am crossing my fingers that (A) the rumored CP narrators turn out to be accurate; and (B) that Kurt Russell narrates on my CP night. No offense to Blair Underwood -- I like him too, but he is not part of Disney history!
