Is it December Yet?? Cancelled with a Heavy Heart!

[Trentmom]

Another great update

Breakfast looked yummy

That is great you got some quality time with just you, mike, addy and anthony. I am sure they loved that

 

[DizNee Luver]

Another great update

Breakfast looked yummy

That is great you got some quality time with just you, mike, addy and anthony. I am sure they loved that

It was a fun afternoon with the 2 kids. It was nice giving them some much needed attention!! We (the 6 adults) took turns at pairing up & watching the twins at the motel for naps and early bedtimes. It worked out good doing that, but we also felt we were missing out on a lot of family time having to do that. We did all the meals together & most of the mornings, but then we all separated and we came home feeling we had missed out on doing a lot of things. But it was still awesome to have all 7 of my kids together!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day six & our 4th DL day.....started with breakfast then me & Addy going off to spend some mommy & daughter time. We started at Pixie Hollow and seeing Tinkerbell!!

Then we went up to the Princess Fantasy Faire and we saw Tiana, Belle & Ariel.

While we were off doing this, my oldest Nick took Anthony to the Jedi Training. We had pre warned him that lots of kids show up to do this & only a few get picked......well guess what?? The first time he goes, he gets picked!!

He was pretty excited. He fought Darth Maul.

After a fun morning, Ty & I had nap duty, so we headed out of DL. Before we left, we stopped for a couple minutes to listen to the Disneyland Band.

Not sure what the family did during the girls nap, but looking at the pics....I'm thinking some Grizzly River Run riding happened. Anthony & Addy had a blast playing in the splash zone!

Everyone met back up at the motel & we went over to the Paradise Pier Hotel for dinner at the PCH Grill!!

Random Family Shots:

My kids are goofy & this is picture proof!! (little hams)

So for you Beaches & Cream fans.....here's DL's version of the big dessert~~~The Kitchen Sink!!

We did pretty good getting thru this.......

Day 6 will end with that!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Checking with our TA to find out if booking 2 separate packages would benefit us, so we could take advantage of the Free Dining. Right now we're booked Dec 7-16, but the free dining is the 10th-13th. So trying to find out if we can postpone our package to the 10th and then book a 2nd package to cover the 6th - 10th.

 

[kaoden39]

Checking with our TA to find out if booking 2 separate packages would benefit us, so we could take advantage of the Free Dining. Right now we're booked Dec 7-16, but the free dining is the 10th-13th. So trying to find out if we can postpone our package to the 10th and then book a 2nd package to cover the 6th - 10th.

Crossing my fingers for you!!

 

[Trentmom]

Love Addy's Gold Ears

How cool Anthony got picked for Jedi Training, the first time

DL version of our Kitchen Sink..Looks yummy

Great pics

 

[DizNee Luver]

Love Addy's Gold Ears

How cool Anthony got picked for Jedi Training, the first time

DL version of our Kitchen Sink..Looks yummy

Great pics

Those ears were awesome!! When we got home from the trip, she wore them all the time.....but then they fell off & into the toilet.......it was a super sad day at our house. (good thing, big brother worked at the Disney Store at the time and found a new pair for her~~not the pretty gold ones but good enough)

The Jedi thing was a surprise....no sign, no Star Wars shirt, nothing. Anthony has always been a little magnet for getting picked for stuff......especially at Disneyland!

The kitchen sink was delicious!!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Had to make a small adjustment to our ADR's today. I was looking thru the menus & realized if we wanted to have the Ooey Gooey toffee dessert at the Liberty Tree Tavern, we would need to do a lunch. (didn't show on the dinner menu, which is served family style). So I moved our LTT to Weds. late lunch at 2:30pm, cancelled our Plaza Inn dinner that night. On Thursday, our resort & MVMCP day, I cancelled the LTT dinner & added the Plaza Inn for 5:20pm. I'm really hoping to get a Be Our Guest ressie for this night!!

I actually liked the idea of ordering what we wanted vs the family style meal.....so I think this worked out much better!!

Checking with our TA to find out if booking 2 separate packages would benefit us, so we could take advantage of the Free Dining. Right now we're booked Dec 7-16, but the free dining is the 10th-13th. So trying to find out if we can postpone our package to the 10th and then book a 2nd package to cover the 6th - 10th.

That dessert is the main reason we booked LTT lunch too

Any news from your TA? Hope it all works out so you can take advantage of FD

 

[DizNee Luver]

That dessert is the main reason we booked LTT lunch too

Any news from your TA? Hope it all works out so you can take advantage of FD

I know, the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake looks so good!!!

Heard back from the TA & we could add the day to both ends of our trip, plus 2 more days of deluxe dining for about the price we're paying now. (we actually end up with 2 more park days as well....not sure they would be used, but it was a pricing thing). So we would be saving money since we were looking at around $800 for 2 rooms on the 6th & 2 rooms on the 16th......and paying OOP for the extra meals.

Only problem is.......I don't have the $200 x 2 for the deposit on the new package. We would have to split our stays & rebook our original package (deposits already paid) and then book a 2nd package for the first 4 nights. So until I can come up with $400......we're holding steady. Hopefully we can come up with that extra money so we can take advantage of the free dining before all the rooms are booked up!!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I know, the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake looks so good!!!

Heard back from the TA & we could add the day to both ends of our trip, plus 2 more days of deluxe dining for about the price we're paying now. (we actually end up with 2 more park days as well....not sure they would be used, but it was a pricing thing). So we would be saving money since we were looking at around $800 for 2 rooms on the 6th & 2 rooms on the 16th......and paying OOP for the extra meals.

Only problem is.......I don't have the $200 x 2 for the deposit on the new package. We would have to split our stays & rebook our original package (deposits already paid) and then book a 2nd package for the first 4 nights. So until I can come up with $400......we're holding steady. Hopefully we can come up with that extra money so we can take advantage of the free dining before all the rooms are booked up!!

They won't apply your current deposit to the rebook of your current package? If you change your package dates, you shouldn't have to put down a new deposit? So I would think that you should actually only need $2oo to book the 2nd package.

 

[DizNee Luver]

They won't apply your current deposit to the rebook of your current package? If you change your package dates, you shouldn't have to put down a new deposit? So I would think that you should actually only need $2oo to book the 2nd package.

Because we have two rooms, we have to have 2 pkgs. We've already covered the original ones (which would be adjusting the "arrival" dates on)......we would have to book 2 new pkgs for the 2 rooms for the first 4 nights. It kinda stinks you can't book multiple rooms in one package, but that's not how they do it. So we have to have $200 for each room package.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Because we have two rooms, we have to have 2 pkgs. We've already covered the original ones (which would be adjusting the "arrival" dates on)......we would have to book 2 new pkgs for the 2 rooms for the first 4 nights. It kinda stinks you can't book multiple rooms in one package, but that's not how they do it. So we have to have $200 for each room package.

Right! I knew that! Was just hoping to find a way to make it easier for you!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day Seven, our Knotts Berry Farm Day.

It may be a Knott's kinda day, but we still started it out in Disney fashion by having breakfast at the Storyteller's Cafe. This is a character breakfast at the Grand Californian Hotel.

You can either have the buffet or order off menu. This is their Banana Stuffed French Toast......yummo!!

This character greeting has forest/jungle animal friends. Our first visitor was Meeko.

Then Terk:

A family favorite is Brer Fox!!

Next was Chip:

The kids then were lead thru the restaurant in a game of Follow the Leader and some dancing. Next up was Dale:

We had one more character to meet........Kenai from Brother Bear.

Now that breakfast was over, it was time to load up in the van & go about 30 mins NW to Knott's Berry Farm.

 

[DizNee Luver]

We made it to Knotts & had a LOOOONNNNNGGGGGGG walk from the parking lot to the front gates.....but here it is.

Once inside the gates, we stopped for a family photo.

Addy & Anthony's first ride was on Woodstock's Airmail.

(the older boys all took off to hit the coasters). We found that the rides in Camp Snoopy were meant for the toddler set and the coasters for the most part are for the older set.....but kids in Anthony's range (if not ready for the thrill rides) weren't given very many options of things to ride.

Here's some metal scenery in the Fiesta Village area:

The carousel is unique with different kinds of animals....not just horses.

The boys texted they were getting on Perilous Plunge....unfortunately we just missed them.....but here's the ride:

A drop at a 75 degree angle.....no thanx!

While enjoying (NOT) our lunch, we watched the people on Excellerator. The boys had rode this one earlier.

After lunch, half the group went to ride the train & I stayed with Michayla to watch Tyler & Derek ride Boomerang.

My boys are nuts!!! lol

It was about 1:30/2pm and most of the group was ready to go back to the motel. We were finding no shade, lots of concrete & metal and it was hot!! Also the lack of rides for the kids and the carnival/fair feel of this place was leaving most of the group uninterested in being here. Unfortunately, I still had 3 rides I wanted to do and Derek & Tyler were game to ride a little more, so the 3 of us stayed while the rest of the group headed to the motel for swimming & naps. We would all meet up again at 7:30pm at the Mrs Knott's Chicken Dinner restaurant.

I'm actually sorry we stayed just so I could do those 3 rides. One of the rides I wanted to do was the big roller coaster, Ghostrider. Boy, I wish I had skipped this one. I had never rode a wood coaster and holy moly......you get shook and jarred like crazy. Not a good thing for a person with fibromyalgia!!! Also, I was so scared that I couldn't even scream!! YIKES!!!

We did the Bigfoot Rapids.....really short & goes somewhat in a circle......not nearly as good as Grizzly River Rapids. Then rode Calico Mine Train.....this was super cheesy but a ride I remembered from my childhood. Our last ride was Jaquar. The boys had rode this earlier & compared it to Big Thunder Mt Railroad.....so they knew I should be able to handle it.

We headed out of the park & they asked if we needed a stamp......Derek said we don't plan on coming back....ever!! lol

We hung out in the shops until the family came back for dinner.

OVERVIEW: So we went to Knott's knowing it would not be like Disneyland, but we were disappointed by how filthy this park was. I stepped in gum 2 different times shortly after entering the park. I went into a bathroom and the floor was covered in paper (not a piece here & there.....) You couldn't walk in without stepping on paper!! There weren't shaded areas. Lack of rides for the middle group (not kiddie but not thrill rides). Large area of carnival style games with "barkers" on microphones. No theming....just lots & lots of metal & cement. Food prices were ridiculous (even more than Disney prices) and the food was horrible. Not a lot of friendly employees. So we probably will not be returning to the park.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Once the family came back, we got in line for the Mrs Knott's Chicken Dinner restaurant. This is a very popular restaurant and waiting up to an hour or more is not uncommon. We were there on a Friday night, (7:30ish) and had less than a 30 min. wait.

They started us out with drinks & biscuits......they are so yummy!!!

Next is salad with either soup or cherry rhubarb (which was delicious!)

The main course was the 4 pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with a choice of corn (which we all had) or cabbage with diced ham.

This was one of the best meals we had on this trip!! So much food & it was all so good. You also get a piece of boysenberry pie for dessert. We got our pie to go, as we were all tired & extremely full!!

So if you get out to Disneyland, take a side trip to Knott's just for the chicken dinner......you'll be glad you did!!

 

[Trentmom]

Bummer Knott Berry Farms is so run down

Those rides looked insane, the ones the boys went on

Glad you got a good dinner at least

 

[DizNee Luver]

Bummer Knott Berry Farms is so run down

Those rides looked insane, the ones the boys went on

Glad you got a good dinner at least

I think that's the norm....not run down.....lol I mentioned to a couple workers that the bathroom was a disaster and neither of them seemed to care.

Lots of thrill rides, but I don't tend to do those, Derek & Tyler really dig them & Nick did a few of them (but not the really extreme ones). Anthony isn't into them, so we were very limited on rides.

The dinner is DELICIOUS!!!! We'll make a return trip when we drive down again. (the last few trips we flew down). It's worth the drive across town to eat there!!

 

[DisneyStitch626]

Enjoyed reading about your Knott's day. Sounds a lot like our Six Flags day. Lots of metal, pavement and garbage, and not a lot else. We said that we should have gone there before Disney, cause then our expectations probably wouldn't have been so high.

Anyways, it looks like the coasters would have been fun at least. And I love the sounds of the chicken dinner. Yum!

I also had the banana stuffed french toast at Storyteller's. It was soooo good!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

That chicken dinner looked awesome!

Sorry Knotts Berry Farm wasnt that great. The thrill rides looked fun, but its a shame they dont really have much for those kids who arent babies, but arent ready for thrill rides. They should have stuff for them too.

I hope those rooms are still avail for FD when you get the money.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Enjoyed reading about your Knott's day. Sounds a lot like our Six Flags day. Lots of metal, pavement and garbage, and not a lot else. We said that we should have gone there before Disney, cause then our expectations probably wouldn't have been so high.

Anyways, it looks like the coasters would have been fun at least. And I love the sounds of the chicken dinner. Yum!

I also had the banana stuffed french toast at Storyteller's. It was soooo good!

Well my family was prepared & knew not to think "Disney" when we went there. Derek had been to Six Flags a couple years early, so he knew what to expect. I knew not to expect a lot of theming, etc. but cleanliness was not high on their agenda.

Chicken dinner........droooooooooooooool !

That chicken dinner looked awesome!

Sorry Knotts Berry Farm wasnt that great. The thrill rides looked fun, but its a shame they dont really have much for those kids who arent babies, but arent ready for thrill rides. They should have stuff for them too.

I hope those rooms are still avail for FD when you get the money.

They really are missing that "middle" area.

I hope so too!! This whole trip seems to be up in the air right now. Ready for things to go right!