DLH June 1-5! Pre-trip reprt

[joeysmommy]

This is my first pre-trip/ trip report after being on the boards for 6 years!
Players:
Me, DS9, DS11 and my mom

Later players:
DN26 and her BF 26

So this trip was kind of last minute and a little complicated.
And yes I am asking my kids out of school for 3 days... Last year they watched movies the last week of school : /
They will be back for the last 2 days of school

My Niece, DN 26 is going To DL with her BF June 5-8 for her BDay and asked if we would like to go...so naturally being a good Disney Geek I couldn't resist! Only thing is we can't go June 6-8 cuz son doesn't want to miss 6th grade graduation festivities etc. and they can't come earlier cuz o f school schedule/ work schedule.

So I called my usual cheap spot and booked a room at BWPPI for $116 per night and was pretty happy with that.. Like being close by.

Looked online for flights and snagged $59 on JetBlue! Yeah!
I love arriving at Long Beach cuz that 1 luggage carousel makes things so easy! Cab ride is same price as SNA and still 20 minutes.

My mom said she wanted to come too but only over the weekend and she REALLY wanted to stay at DLH since her friend just got back and told her how great it s with the new renovations etc. but I refuse to pay $400 per night for any hotel.

Then I got a PIN code from DLR so we booked DLH!!!
Haven't stayed there since 2006 so I had to get acquainted with the new names of the towers..
Called and booked our room with a request for Adventure or Fantasy tower...REALLY don't want Frontier tower..that's the one we were stuck in our first trip and that is a long way with tired cranky kids and no stroller.

Read a few trip reports on here about DLH and decided to spring for a pool cabana for Sunday afternoon.. My mom is not a hot weather girl so that is for the best. Found a short video of the cabana on youtube and sent it to Mom- she is super excited!

Glad I called guest services and asked about it cuz you can book them 60 days ahead of time, would have been a bummer if II waited til check-in and they were all booked.

Booked dining ressie for Sat arrival day at Carnation Cafe... Been craving the loaded baked potato soup.
Sunday we are eating lunch and dinner poolside in our cabana... Shoot,. I'd sleep there all night if they let me.

Sunday night mom leaves for the airport then heading back into the park with my mini me's..

Monday ad Tuesday we will have to ourselves then niece and her BF arrive late Tuesday night..gonna wait for them and ride a few last minute rides together ( they have AP's also) and close down the park.
They are staying offsite so it's gonna be a bummer not being at the same hotel : (

Wednesday we'll celebrate DNs birthday in the park...got to come up with a dining plan cuz Goofys kitchen s booked up and Ariel's doesn't have dinner character meal in early June. Booked House of Blues as a back up but that isn't quite the same.

Wednesday the boys and I need to leave for the airport around 6:30pm to catch our 8:30pm flight home.

So excited! Got my lot of 50 trading pins in the mail!

Also received the battery pack phone case for iPhone- works great! Phone was almost dead, battery pack charged up quickly to 80%! Will be perfect for using wait apps and playing the scavenger hunt in line app!,

 

[Goofy_Mom]

Love the plan We're staying at the DLH for the first time every on our upcoming trip. I saw the cabana youtube video, too, and if we had an entire day or even half day at the pool, I'd be all for it! As it stands, it looks like our pool time is going to be check in day before the Halloween party and check out day.

What about Storytellers or Minnie's plaza for DN"s birthday meal? I haven't actually been to Storyteller's for a character meal, but I've heard good things.

 

[joeysmommy]

Love the plan We're staying at the DLH for the first time every on our upcoming trip. I saw the cabana youtube video, too, and if we had an entire day or even half day at the pool, I'd be all for it! As it stands, it looks like our pool time is going to be check in day before the Halloween party and check out day.

What about Storytellers or Minnie's plaza for DN"s birthday meal? I haven't actually been to Storyteller's for a character meal, but I've heard good things.

Hi Goofy Mom
When are you going in the Fall for the Halloween party? We go at the end of September too : )
Aren't the cabanas awesome? I just wish they weren't so expensive
Storytellers is a good idea. I always forget about that one. Do they have dinner character meals?

 

[wiigirl]

In!

 

[joeysmommy]

Getting so excited! 11 days to go!

placed my Vons.com order for delivery to DLH 1-3pm on arrival day.
Ordered some microwavable mac n cheese so called the hotel to find out about the microwave situation. I know the rooms do not have a microwave but wanted to know if I could request one. I find it ridiculous that for the prices they charge a microwave is not available in room.

Would have been nice to make instant oatmeal in the morning while getting ready. Maybe I will just pop downstairs in my pjs and bathrobe and stick it in the microwave.. not cute



Ok so I called Disney dining and placed more dining ressies... lunch at Carnation Cafe on Monday just me and my boys and then Blue Bayou on Tuesday.
I've noticed your chances of getting a waterside table are much greater with a party of 4 or less. All the larger tables are situated more interiorly.

Then for Wednesday for DN's birthday booked a Blue Bayou ressie for 4:30 since we cant do a character dinner thats the next best thing.

I also looked into getting a town car to the hotel from Long Beach airport but all of the companies I called didn't seem very professional and the rates were much higher than a taxi so we'll just pop over to the taxi lineup and not worry about a meet n greet of a driver.
I surprised the family (9people) a few years ago with a limo at LGB airport and they loved it. But 9 people warranted a limo cuz it was cheaper than 2 taxis.

Yay! I love planning