disney-super-mom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2004
- Messages
- 6,466
I won't go into to much detail, but we had an AWESOME time (Me, DH, Ryan (7) and Luke (3)). Our best trip ever - probably because we've been enough times that now we can relax and take everything at a slower pace. We slept in every morning, and went swimming-n-sliding every evening.
We did have a few moments that made this trip magical for us.
First magical moment: we reserved a standard, mid-size four door car at Enterprise (at the Ontario airport), but they were all out, so the nice gal helping us gave us a set of keys and said, "Here ya go. Have fun and there's no extra charge!" Well, she gave us the keys to a huge, four-door, full size Dodge truck!
My DH was in heaven. He's a truck man anyway being that he's 6'6" tall, and he drives a Chevy truck at home, so for him it was like taking a new truck on a week long test drive. 
Second Magical moment: On Sunday, it was soooooooo hot that we hit the pool at the Paradise Pier hotel by 2:00 pm. The kids (Ryan (7) and Luke (3), our 2 boys) loved the slide and the kids wading pool. They spent all afternoon going down the slide, into the wading pool to play a little, then back down the slide again. DH and I played with them too, and we went down the slide and took them swimming in the big pool (I want to add that the pool temp in the main pool was very comfortable - definately heated), then we went back to the wading pool with them so we could relax and have a few beers while they did their thing on the slide. Around 5:00 pm, one of the slide lifeguards (who was great with the kids, pouring water on their heads, splashing and squirting them with water too), named our little three year old (Luke) as "King of the slide"! They had a cute ceremony - first by announcing to everyone through a bullhorn that Luke had been chosen as King of the slide and everyone clapped, then they put a lei around his neck, and then he had his picture taken with the lifeguard. It was so cute! It really made our day and our trip!
Third magical moment: On Wednesday, we ate lunch at Rancho del Zocalo (great food this time by the way), and the gal at the register rang up everything we had, gave us the total, and then she asked us if we were season passholders. I said, "No, we're not." Then my DH said, "But, we're here season-ally!"
She thought that was pretty funny, so she went ahead a gave us the season passholders discount on our food. That saved us about $10, and we thought that was pretty great of her!
A few other things that we thought were great this trip:
1. The food was surprisingly good this trip (although we didn't have any hamburgers, so maybe that's why.
). Room service at Paradise Pier - great. Rancho del Zocalo, regular menu - great, kids menu - so so (so stick with the regular menu and just share with your kids). Redd Rocket's Pizza Port - great. French Market - great. Bengal BBQ - great. Rainforest Cafe - great. Pacific Wharf Cafe - great. The Biergarten - AWESOME!
2. Yes, it was crowded and the lines looked long, but the lines were running fast. We usually stood in line for 10 minutes or less per ride. We never used fastpass once on our whole trip, not one time! We never needed to!
Somehow, and I don't know how with as crowded as it was, but Space Mountain and Splash were practically walk-on.
3. Luke, our three year old, is a thrill ride wild man! And we were actually worried?!! He LOVED Space Mountain, Splash and Big Thunder Mountain! He had his hands in the air on Thunder Mountain the whole ride (and we rode it 4 times)!
4. We FINALLY saw Fantasmic, and it was a wonderful show! We saw the 10:30 pm Sunday show. No crowds to speak of at all during that time, so it was very, very easy to find a great spot to view the show, with lots of room on either side of us to spare!
5. Watching the fireworks from the Paradise Pier pool deck - AWESOME!
The view was wonderful, and since they pipe in the music/narration, it was almost as magical as watching it in the park, only without the crowds to fight for a good viewing spot. We relaxed in our patio chairs around a table with drinks and snacks, sat back and thoroughly enjoyed every second of the show! Then it was a short 2 minute elevator ride back up to our room. Couldn't ask for anything better!
Well, that's it this go around. Ask me any questions you may have.
Luke, our little dare devil on Thunder Mountain!
Ryan having fun on Thunder Mountain - Wheeeeeeeee! (Notice the Dream Fastpass around the man's neck behind Ryan. You can see it between Ryan's ear and arm.)
The boys at the Rainforest Cafe.
Luke (with daddy) is "King of the Slide" at the Paradise Pier!
Me, DH, Ryan and Luke at It's A Small World.
All my boys riding on the teacups (boys on teacups - that kills me! ) and yes, they were spinning when I took this picture.
We did have a few moments that made this trip magical for us.
First magical moment: we reserved a standard, mid-size four door car at Enterprise (at the Ontario airport), but they were all out, so the nice gal helping us gave us a set of keys and said, "Here ya go. Have fun and there's no extra charge!" Well, she gave us the keys to a huge, four-door, full size Dodge truck!
My DH was in heaven. He's a truck man anyway being that he's 6'6" tall, and he drives a Chevy truck at home, so for him it was like taking a new truck on a week long test drive. Second Magical moment: On Sunday, it was soooooooo hot that we hit the pool at the Paradise Pier hotel by 2:00 pm. The kids (Ryan (7) and Luke (3), our 2 boys) loved the slide and the kids wading pool. They spent all afternoon going down the slide, into the wading pool to play a little, then back down the slide again. DH and I played with them too, and we went down the slide and took them swimming in the big pool (I want to add that the pool temp in the main pool was very comfortable - definately heated), then we went back to the wading pool with them so we could relax and have a few beers while they did their thing on the slide. Around 5:00 pm, one of the slide lifeguards (who was great with the kids, pouring water on their heads, splashing and squirting them with water too), named our little three year old (Luke) as "King of the slide"! They had a cute ceremony - first by announcing to everyone through a bullhorn that Luke had been chosen as King of the slide and everyone clapped, then they put a lei around his neck, and then he had his picture taken with the lifeguard. It was so cute! It really made our day and our trip!
Third magical moment: On Wednesday, we ate lunch at Rancho del Zocalo (great food this time by the way), and the gal at the register rang up everything we had, gave us the total, and then she asked us if we were season passholders. I said, "No, we're not." Then my DH said, "But, we're here season-ally!"
She thought that was pretty funny, so she went ahead a gave us the season passholders discount on our food. That saved us about $10, and we thought that was pretty great of her! A few other things that we thought were great this trip:
1. The food was surprisingly good this trip (although we didn't have any hamburgers, so maybe that's why.
). Room service at Paradise Pier - great. Rancho del Zocalo, regular menu - great, kids menu - so so (so stick with the regular menu and just share with your kids). Redd Rocket's Pizza Port - great. French Market - great. Bengal BBQ - great. Rainforest Cafe - great. Pacific Wharf Cafe - great. The Biergarten - AWESOME! 2. Yes, it was crowded and the lines looked long, but the lines were running fast. We usually stood in line for 10 minutes or less per ride. We never used fastpass once on our whole trip, not one time! We never needed to!
Somehow, and I don't know how with as crowded as it was, but Space Mountain and Splash were practically walk-on.3. Luke, our three year old, is a thrill ride wild man! And we were actually worried?!! He LOVED Space Mountain, Splash and Big Thunder Mountain! He had his hands in the air on Thunder Mountain the whole ride (and we rode it 4 times)!
4. We FINALLY saw Fantasmic, and it was a wonderful show! We saw the 10:30 pm Sunday show. No crowds to speak of at all during that time, so it was very, very easy to find a great spot to view the show, with lots of room on either side of us to spare!
5. Watching the fireworks from the Paradise Pier pool deck - AWESOME!
The view was wonderful, and since they pipe in the music/narration, it was almost as magical as watching it in the park, only without the crowds to fight for a good viewing spot. We relaxed in our patio chairs around a table with drinks and snacks, sat back and thoroughly enjoyed every second of the show! Then it was a short 2 minute elevator ride back up to our room. Couldn't ask for anything better! Well, that's it this go around. Ask me any questions you may have.
Luke, our little dare devil on Thunder Mountain!
Ryan having fun on Thunder Mountain - Wheeeeeeeee! (Notice the Dream Fastpass around the man's neck behind Ryan. You can see it between Ryan's ear and arm.)
The boys at the Rainforest Cafe.
Luke (with daddy) is "King of the Slide" at the Paradise Pier!
Me, DH, Ryan and Luke at It's A Small World.
All my boys riding on the teacups (boys on teacups - that kills me!
) and yes, they were spinning when I took this picture. 
