It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Disneyland, November 18-22 2010 *completed*

[MattsPrincess]

About Us

The Plan

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Holiday Tour, pics & review

A Christmas Fantasy Parade pictures

World of Color, pics & review of the show and the picnic meals

Minnie & Friends Breakfast, pics & review

Carousel Inn, pics & review

Food pics and reviews

Holiday Merchandise

Misc. Pics 1

Misc. Pics 2

A Note for Military Families

​

Sooo...this trip has been ridiculous from the beginning. We started planning while DH was in Iraq, as a little reward for making it through our first deployment. We decided to go from December 28th to January 1st, because we thought it would amazing to be in the parks for our anniversary (4 years, dec 30th) Plus being at Disney for Christmas was something i've wanted to do since before I can remember. We decided to stay at PPH. Then everything started getting crazy. We decided staying onsite was too much money, and switched to HoJo. Then we decided this was going to be a bigger, more extravegent trip, so we might as well stay onsite. Cancelled HoJo and booked DLH. Then I started looking up info about being in the parks for New Years Eve, got toally freaked out about crowds, and cancelled everything.

We decided we would go in September instead, to take advantage of the 5-for-3 tickets and lower crowds. Booked all that. Then realized there would only be fireworks and whatnot on weekends that time of year, and we had booked all weekdays. So, we cancelled everything again. Talked, researched FIRST, then decided to go for Halloween. Booked that. Started planning, watched the DVD that DLH had sent before our cancellation, and saw all the pretty Christmas decorations. I started to cry. But, DH wanted to be home (michigan) for Christmas since he was in the sandbox last year, so it was out of the question. "Why can't we just go in November? Won't it be decorated then?" says Dh. *facepalm* DUH! Why didn't I think of that? And I call myself a disney fan...here he was schooling me on park plans. Why were we forcing ourselves to decide between spending Christmas back home with family OR in the parks when we could have both? Booked everything for November, and that's the end of the pre trip story, though a very brief, cut down version, lol. There was a lot more hotel switching, second guessing, consideration of WDW instead of DLR, etc etc. We're travellers, but i've never had this much back and forth with a trip before.

So, now I have visions of mickey-eared gingerbreads dancing in my head, and many dreams include giant trees and snow on main street. I'm very much looking forward to all the lights and sounds of the season, HMH, peppermint overload, and having such a magical place be made even more magical. I fully expect to cry at least once while there. Two months to go.


Update 9/24- Booked our character meal. Minnie & Friends Breakfast, for Monday Nov. 22nd at 9am.

Update 10/18- Got our tickets!!! Two 5 Day Hoppers. And they are different than I thought they were. Last time we had to wait in line at a booth to redeem our military vouchers for regular tickets. It was a pain and wasted a lot of time. This time, the ITT office gave us actual tickets! We can go straight to the turnstiles! AND....today is also the 1 month mark!!!! Just 1 month from today, and I will be posting from DLR!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Update 10/19- Booked the Holiday Tour!!!

Update 10/21- Decided to go ahead and get World of Color picnics. Still not sure if we will see the show (though i'm betting we will), but at least now it's an option. I got the kids Lunchbox Classic (PB&J) and DH got the adult All American (fried chicken).

 

[MattsPrincess]

Friday the 18th-
up as early as possible, drop dog at kennel as soon as they open
drive as fast as we can without getting pulled over, lol
check into hotel, drop bags off
go get tickets and go into DL
ride a few rides, just relax and take it all in
camp out good seats for the fireworks

Thursday the 19th-
get to DL at opening
ride the Fantasyland rides we missed last time (peter, pinocchio, toad, SBL boats)
get christmasy ear hats to wear for the:
Holiday tour, 12:00
Christmas Parade, 3:00
more rides, maybe the fireworks again but from farther back to take in the snow better

Saturday the 20th-
TTMM
Jump over to DCA
rides
pick up picnics
see Aladdin if it's still showing (according to the DL website, it is!)
more rides
check out GCH carolers
WoC, 9:00

Sunday the 21st-
not too much planned here, kind of a "everything we missed/want to do again" type day. just relax, take our time, soak it up. Maybe take some food porn pics for y'all!

Monday the 22nd-
Minnie's @ 9am
souvenier shop (keychain w/ my name on it, maybe something for the house, tree ornament, xmas cards, and CANDY!)
maybe a few more rides
on the road by 3pm


I'm going for a planned, but not over planned approach. I didn't realize how much we had missed last time until I started planning this trip, and it made me feel bad. We missed an entire section of the park, a lot of rides, shows, etc. I don't want it to be like "we have to be on this ride at this time" type deal, but also don't want to be rushing around the last day trying to hit everything we missed.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

Loving in!!! We head to Disneyland the day after you head home. I've got a PTR/TR going, too (Family of four November 23-27, if you're interested)

May I suggest to get the ticket before you go? They'll be less expensive if you buy them somewhere other than the ticket counter at Disneyland. You can find them at your local Disney Store or grocery store. Our Safeway and Savemarts have a gift card "island" with the Disney tickets on them. Costco sell them, too, but I think those are Citypasses.

Have a good trip and keep us posted. I'ld like to hear how things go and any pictures you may take.

 

[MattsPrincess]

Oh yeah, we are buying them ahead of time. Dh is military and we can buy them on base, but it's just a voucher we have to trade in at the booth. No worries!

 

[MattsPrincess]

LGMH good to go? .... check!

 

[MattsPrincess]

Figured some of you guys might like to know who's trip you will be reading about here, so here's a little "get to know us" post!

Me:

My name is Elyse. I am 22 years old, and was born and raised in Michigan. I was raised on Disney, and it has been (and always will be!) a big, important part of my life. I even have a Disney tattoo! I am the oldest of 2 kids, with a younger brother. I've been to Disney World three times and DisneyLand once...so far. Hopefully many more trips to both are in my future. I am very small (im not short, im elf sized!), quiet, and shy...a true Piglet. I am a certified veterinary assistant, but decided to stay in school and get a degree before I start working in any field. I am not your typical college party girl. Been there, done that, don't like it. I love reading, music of almost any kind, road trips, learning, animals, hockey (GO WINGS!), cooking, baking, Christmas, photography, and many other things.

DH:

His name is Matt, and he is also 22 and from Michigan. He doesn't have quite the same love and devotion for Disney as it wasn't a big part of his child hood, but i'm working on bringing him over so far with much success. He's also been to the World three times and the Land once. He's the oldest of three, with two younger sisters. Matt is more of a Tigger. He joined the Air Force in 2006, and went to Basic Training that August. He graduated Basic in October, and went straight from there to his technical training school in California, where he was trained to be a diesel engine mechanic. After he graduated school, he came back to Michigan for two weeks, then we packed up a truck and moved to his first duty station, Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. Right now he is a Senior Airman. He has been deployed once so far, to Iraq last December. Matt is goofy and immature (in a good way) and can make anyone smile. He's easy going, laid back, always happy. He likes video games, music, all sorts of technology, and is very outdoorsy.

Us:

Matt and I met in 9th grade, at age 14. I got put in the seat behind him in our AFJROTC class, and other than a few breakups in between, we've pretty much been together ever since. We got engaged during senior year, and had planned on marrying the following May. However, the military has a way of changing plans, lol. We wanted to make sure I would be able to move with him, so we moved the date up to December 2006. When he was in Michigan on a break from Tech School for Christmas, we got married. We were both 18. We've had a pretty rough few years since moving to Tucson, but in the long run all it's done is bring us closer together and prove we can always count on each other. We don't have kids, or any plans for them. We aren't even sure if we want any at all. Right now, we are enjoying being young and just trying to get the most out of life. That, and we've got our hand plenty full with this one:

This is Delilah Jane, our three year old beagle baby. We've had her since she was two months old. She is spoiled rotten, to the core, in every way. But, she deserves it. She's the sweetest, most loving little pup in the world.

All in all, we are fun loving, easy going, adventure seeking, over grown toddlers who happened to be lucky enough to find each other early in life. We have a long life ahead of us, and I know Disney and all it's magic will continue to be a part of that life.

 

[BeautyAndTheBeast22]

Subscribing! We will be at the DLR Nov 11-15th.
Can't wait for your TR! Vacation time will be here before you know it

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Subscribing as well, you 2 make the cutest couple!!

 

[MattsPrincess]

Thought I'd add a little note for other military members or dependants that may be trying to plan a trip. We bought our park tickets through the ITT office on base (not sure if that's what other branches call it or not). I've seen it mentioned on here to several military people to not bother doing this because the discount is minimal and not worth it. I just wanted to put it out there that this isn't always true.

We got ours (two 5 day hoppers) for $82 less than we would have spent buying them on the Disney website, and about $150 less than at the gate price. To me, that's worth it. That $82 is our character meal, and an additional $20.

Point being, no, not all bases will offer as big a discount. Some may even offer bigger ones. But it's worth at least looking into and plugging in the numbers for your own specific base and budget to see if it's a good discount for you or not. Don't just write it off because other people don't feel it's worth bothering with. I was told not to bother because it would only be a dollar or two difference, but I decided to check anyways, just in case, and I'm very glad that I did.

*as a side note- unlike other tickets & packages that include early entry and toontown morning madness, the military tickets do not include anything other than park entry, no matter what tickets you buy. if early entry or TTMM are important to you, you need to take this into consideration as well.*

 

[BeautyAndTheBeast22]

I would agree it is def worth it! We saved $221 on our families passes by buying military. I didn't even have to go to the base to purchase them. I was able to do it over the phone and have them ups'd. It took 15 minutes tops. Savings like this really do add up.

 

[reyasmommy]

Your plans sound great, I'm looking forward to reading about your trip.

 

[MattsPrincess]

Well, it's official....DH's leave got approved this morning! Nothing, not even the Air Force, is going to stop us now!!!! yay!

 

[reyasmommy]

 

[MattsPrincess]

Ok, the tour. I knew DLR offered tours, but never thought it would be something we would be interested in doing. Then I heard about the holiday tour here on the Dis. I looked into more, read reviews, and decided we had to do it.

I booked at the one month mark (by date, not by an actual count of 30 days). I got the busy signal the first 3 times I called. The 4th time, it rang through and I got to listen to some lovely music "from the parks" for about 30 minutes while I was on hold. Mid "yo ho, a pirates life for me" a very nice female CM picked up. She was very helpful, and we didn't have any trouble getting my tour booked. I booked for two adults with no discount, and the price came to $128.

Review- We had the noon tour, and were told to meet over in the Tour Gardens 15 - 20 minutes prior to that. Walked over around 11:30 and checked in, got our tags. We were starting to think it was just going to be the two of us, but finally about 10 till, 8 other people came too. We got out audio stuff and met our guide, Sheila. It was her first tour!

We listened to some music and walked around Main Street. We learned about why DLR does Christmas and some trivia about the tree. Stopped in and got our fudge sample, one chocolate and one peppermint each. SO GOOD.

Walked on down main street and into Frontierland. Saw Mrs. Claus walking by. Talked about different decorations and traditions, made our way toward HMH. Saw Jack and Sally! Rode HMH. Walked and talked, more music. Rode the train and sang Jingle Bells. Rode IASW. Went over to Clara Bell's and got our cookie and cocoa. (POINT OF INTEREST- I checked with the girl that gave us our cocoa to ask if it was made with milk or water, and she said water. I was a little hesitant still, but tasted it. It was too good not to try more. There couldn't have been any milk in it, because I am very lactose intolerant but I didn't get sick at all.) Went and sat in our seats for the parade and got our pins.

This was a lot of fun and well worth the money, I think. Dh and I both enjoyed it. It is a lot of walking, but it didn't seem to bad. There are a lot of breaks in between, whether it be on a ride, the train, stopping to talk about something, etc.

 

[MattsPrincess]

DH made the call on this one. Called at the 60 day mark, wasn't even put on hold or anything. We opted to "pay ahead" by buying meal vouchers through Last Minute Travel, which was very easy. Grand total for two adults, no discounts, was $61.93. Because we bought the vouchers, this price includes the food, tax, and tip.

Checked in about 5 after 9, no problems. Got our picture taken but chose not to purchase the package ($29.99 for one 8x10 and i think 4 5x7, all the same picture) Got buttons, which I didn't know about but DH did and kept it a secret so I would be surprised! Sweetie.

Got seated right next to the door on the patio. It was a bit chilly, but we were comfortable in light hoodies. I loved the atmosphere of this restaurant and would eat here again, with or without the character meal. It was very comfy and cute.

My Food: I'm not much of an eater, so this part will be small, lol. Here's what I got-

Plain Mickey waffles, a croissant, and apple juice. The waffles were soooo very good! Light and fluffy, but still filling. I tried the syrup, but didn't care for it. The croissant was pretty good, but a little dry. Nice and flaky though and great flavor. The apple juice is just Minute Maid, but very yummy.



DH's Food: Now, he is an eater, so there will be more to this! Round One-

Omelette with bacon, cheese, and jalapeno. He loved this and ate it so fast I barely saw it. He said it was very good, and that there were a lot of options for what you could put in them. Said the orange slices were great, very full flavor and cold but not too cold. Also liked the orange juice, no pulp.

Round Two-

Mickey waffles with blueberries and french toast with powdered sugar. Also loved both of these and is craving them now, lol! He did say he wished he'd gotten less berries though, but wasn't sure why.

Round Three-

Biscuit and gravy, sausage links, hot chocolate, chocolate milk and a plate of fruit. The only thing he didn't like was the sausage...actually, he wouldn't even eat it. It was very over cooked and hard, and had a thick crust around it. He said it didn't even smell good. The cocoa is just Nestle, but very good.


The Characters: I was a little disappointed here. I didn't feel like they spent a lot of time with us, even though the place was fairly empty. They spent a ton of time with the table that had kids, but kind of blew us off. We saw Minnie (obviously), Max, Chip and Dale, Hook, Gepetto, and Eeyore. Rafiki, Tigger, and Brer Bear were also there but they never even came to our table. Tigger actually walked right past us Max was the best, in my opinion. He spent a bit of time with us, and acted all shy around me. I kissed his nose, then he got all braggy toward DH, lol

 

[MattsPrincess]

After a lot of going back and forth, we finally decided to go ahead and buy picnics meals. We still haven't decided for sure if we will watch the show or not, though i'm assuming we will. But at least this way it's all set and we CAN see it if we choose to, without having to fight the crowds to get a FP in the morning. Bought two picnic meals for the 9pm showing. Grand total, with no discounts, was $29.98.

My meal: The Children's Lunch Box Classic. Came in an adorable little carboard box with pictures of baby versions of some characters all over it. Just a basic smucker's Uncrustable sandwich. It was cold but not too cold. Also got some apple slices and the cupcake. The cupcake was pretty dense and a little too moist for me, but good. I would order this again, show or not. I was full after and ready to go. Oh, they didn't put the bracelet in my bag I don't know if it's because he saw I was an adult and assumed I didn't want it or just forgot, or what...but I didn't get one

DH's meal: The Adult "All American" box. Says it was "very good" and he was happy I ordered them. We happened to take our meals back to eat in our hotel room, so he was able to heat up the chicken and said it was even better warm. Said the leg was a little small, though. Beware of bones. Potato salad and cole slaw tasted like the more 'traditional' variety, he said something he'd expect at a family picnic. Apple pie was good, flaky. Says he would also order this again.

The show:
We weren't entirely sure we were going to watch the show, because we didn't want to waste all that time waiting around. We were in DL going on rides when we realized it was 8:40. We decided to at least go look at what the crowd was like, and make our choice then. By the time we got to the viewing area, it was 8:53. There was no line, no big crush of people. We asked a CM where to go and walked into our Blue section.

At first we were in an OK area, but being small I couldn't see. DH ran down to the boardwalk of our section to see if it was better, then came and got me because it was. About 5 minutes into the show, we moved down there and got great spots. We were behind other short people, no kids on shoulders, almost dead center. I could see pretty much everything. It would have been nice if the people next to us would have shut up for a second though. They literally talked through the entire show, LOUDLY. Not even about the show, but about other places they'd been, what they were going to do after the show, etc etc.

As for the actual show...we weren't that impressed. We both agreed that for $15 a person, it was alright but if we had paid for one of the other dining packages or fought in line for a fast pass, we would have felt gipped (sp?). We were both impressed with the technical aspect of it, and what it must take to put it on. We were amazed that water and light could do all that. But beyond that, we weren't entertained. It didn't feel like there was any real story or point...it was just like random character here, popular song there, here's some filler, and ok it's over. We agreed we would not want to see it again.

 

[MattsPrincess]

We decided to stay at the Carousel Inn (carouselinnandsuites.com) 4 nights in the Concierge Club King Suite, with a military discount and taxes and parking fee, came to $562.12. Should include breakfast and wifi.

--

So, we drive all the way there and go to check in. First off, as soon as we pulled in we could hear that the hotel was under some sort of construction. You could hear saws and hammers and all that. We parked, got out, and went into the lobby. Got up to the desk and were told that we couldn't have Club King, because those are all under renovation and are not available. The pool is also under construction and not available to be used.

We got moved to a 2 queen room instead. We were told it would be the exact same room, just with one more bed. However, none were ready at the moment as we were early. We went into the parks and came back around 10. Checked in and were told that due to not getting the room we had booked, they were dropping our nightly fee and waiving the valet fee! Cool. They also gave us pass things for hot breakfast.

Got up to the room and realized it is not exactly the same. The King Suite had beautiful hard wood floors and looked amazing. This room is small, carpeted, and pretty typical. Got settled in and got out my computer to upload the days pictures only to find out that the internet IS NOT FREE. It's 9.99 for 24 hours, as well as a few more expensive options. There are two small computers in the lobby you can access the internet on, and that is their "free wifi".

The hotel itself was a little beat up looking, with paint peeling off the railings and a few stains on the floors and walls. Also, the only parking option is valet, and anytime you need something out of your car, you have to go down to the desk and wait for them to bring it to you.

DH said the breakfast was nice. There is a Quizno's next door that provided the "hot breakfast" portion, which is small egg and cheese wrap type sandwiches. There were also all the typical continental selections, cereal, breads, fruit, coffee and juices. All I personally tried was the plain donut and the plain croissant, both were very good.

The beds were VERY comfy, the sheets were very soft, and the shower was great.

We were on the 5th floor and had a lot of problems with the elevator. If we were going up and someone on a lower floor pushed the button, we would stop going up and go back down to get them. Very annoying. Don't know if this an actual problem they are working on or if it's just the way their elevator is. Also, that we saw, this was the only elevator, at least in our half of the building (the same side as the lobby)

PROS: VERY short walk to the parks
Comfy, clean room
Good breakfast
Friendly, helpful staff
Good price

CONS: No notice of our room no longer being available
Under renovations, no pool (don't know when they will be done with this, forgot to ask)
Waiting for the valet to get you car or give you your keys can get annoying
No wifi in the rooms



All in all, we enjoyed our stay. Being so close to the parks made up for most of the downsides of this hotel. The only thing that really bothered me was the lack of internet in the rooms, but only because the website made it seem like they had it. If I had come in knowing they didn't have it, it wouldn't bother me at all. I just felt like they were sort of trying to pull the wool over your eyes, you know? Was it the best hotel ever? No. But we're planning on staying here again in June 2011 unless we get a better rate at a different hotel. It's cheap and convenient, and at the end of the day it's just somewhere to sleep to us.

Room 519:

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Conceirge sounds lovely!! The picnics are a good choice, if you can get FPs on another day then you can always go a 2nd time

 

[ardenandjacksmom]

It sounds like you're getting everything squared away nicely--I guess all that 'pre-planning' has paid off! We'll be right behind you arriving the 24th for three nights (haven't started a PTR--yet)

Glad your DH got his leave approved and you're good to go, please thank him for his service from us!!

Also, love your pics, thanks for sharing!! Can't wait to read your updates

 

[Padrepride]

I hope you have a great trip!! I definitely recommend seeing the World of Color Show. It is amazing!!