pigby
<font color=66CC33>This one might be a little more
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2000
- Messages
- 3,410
Got back last night and then slept for a solid 14 hours! The time difference (and length of the journey) between the UK and California is a killer.
So many highs
The weather was much warmer than suggested on all the weather reports - we appreciated this as we were able to take afternoon breaks around the lovely CCI pool in the mid afternoon and go back at night (DLP open till 12am)
The hotel was wonderful - lovely rooms, friendly staff and that pool - surrounded by trees and flowers - the HoJo pool last year was OK but much 'starker' we thought.
The shuttle to and from the park -and we were the guys saying we preferred to walk - yeah right
Used it most of the time - the driver during the day was a guy called Lee who was really nice and friendly - always a smile on his face
The breakfast at the CCI was great and really sets you up for the day - I had grossly underestimated how useful this would be to us (although twice we did eat elsewhere - once at Riverbelle Terrace and on our first day when we were blocked out on our DAP's we ate at PPH at the Surfs Up breakfast)
The standard of the food at DL parks - sometimes gets bad press but we loved the variety - ate at Hungry Bear, French Market (how good is that?
), Riverbelle, Pacific Wharf, Taste Pilots Grill, Redd Rocketts, Rancho (not as good as last July) plus probably one or two more. ff site we walked to Garden Walk a very short distance from CCI and went to California Pizza Kitchen very good value especially with 20% off with DAP and Bubba Gump
Viewing at Fantasmic and WOC - saw the shows better than last July - saw F! this time from near Golden Horseshoe - we thought most of crowds were around POC ride - I say go to the 'edges' - much less crowded. Last summer we saw WOC in the Priority dining area as we ate at Ariels Grotto - even though we lined up early we didnt get to the front of a rail and had difficulty seeing over peoples heads. This time, we got AP's for second show at 10.15pm at 1.30pm on the day - got 'blue' section and didnt get there early - we were twards the back of the blue section but right in front of a rail and central to the wheel- almost on Paradise Pier itself - in front of the rail were we stood was a little garden so no-one in front plus the area was raised so we had a fine view of the show - IMO this is the way to go.
Lows
I did something to my foot - don't really know what on the second day - thought it might be due to walking in flat shoes but the top of my foot was very painful as though I had sprained it - so limped around for the rest of the stay - thank you to the CCI for that shuttle bus - it sure came in handy
Virgin Atlantic - tried to check in 24 hours before flight home on mobile but wasnt letting us - thought we would find a computer to have a go on that but CCI don't offer facility (as HoJo had last year) so they advised us that Ramada Maingate did along Harbor - you pay $5 for 15 minutes but wasnt working online either - when we got to airport they said that flight was overbooked - why do they do that - we had booked our flights last October. Anyway we ended up sitting on different seats a few rows from each other - it wasn't a disaster but it would have been nice for us to sit together - my DD is 16 so she's OK on her own but another family we spoke to was going to be split up till mom complained - her son was only 4!
Probably a lot more highs than I have mentioned - will post some more reviews on hotel and restaurants - even try to upload some photos (but don't hold me to that one - I am technically challenged)
So many highs
The weather was much warmer than suggested on all the weather reports - we appreciated this as we were able to take afternoon breaks around the lovely CCI pool in the mid afternoon and go back at night (DLP open till 12am)
The hotel was wonderful - lovely rooms, friendly staff and that pool - surrounded by trees and flowers - the HoJo pool last year was OK but much 'starker' we thought.
The shuttle to and from the park -and we were the guys saying we preferred to walk - yeah right
Used it most of the time - the driver during the day was a guy called Lee who was really nice and friendly - always a smile on his face The breakfast at the CCI was great and really sets you up for the day - I had grossly underestimated how useful this would be to us (although twice we did eat elsewhere - once at Riverbelle Terrace and on our first day when we were blocked out on our DAP's we ate at PPH at the Surfs Up breakfast)
The standard of the food at DL parks - sometimes gets bad press but we loved the variety - ate at Hungry Bear, French Market (how good is that?
), Riverbelle, Pacific Wharf, Taste Pilots Grill, Redd Rocketts, Rancho (not as good as last July) plus probably one or two more. ff site we walked to Garden Walk a very short distance from CCI and went to California Pizza Kitchen very good value especially with 20% off with DAP and Bubba GumpViewing at Fantasmic and WOC - saw the shows better than last July - saw F! this time from near Golden Horseshoe - we thought most of crowds were around POC ride - I say go to the 'edges' - much less crowded. Last summer we saw WOC in the Priority dining area as we ate at Ariels Grotto - even though we lined up early we didnt get to the front of a rail and had difficulty seeing over peoples heads. This time, we got AP's for second show at 10.15pm at 1.30pm on the day - got 'blue' section and didnt get there early - we were twards the back of the blue section but right in front of a rail and central to the wheel- almost on Paradise Pier itself - in front of the rail were we stood was a little garden so no-one in front plus the area was raised so we had a fine view of the show - IMO this is the way to go.
Lows
I did something to my foot - don't really know what on the second day - thought it might be due to walking in flat shoes but the top of my foot was very painful as though I had sprained it - so limped around for the rest of the stay - thank you to the CCI for that shuttle bus - it sure came in handy
Virgin Atlantic - tried to check in 24 hours before flight home on mobile but wasnt letting us - thought we would find a computer to have a go on that but CCI don't offer facility (as HoJo had last year) so they advised us that Ramada Maingate did along Harbor - you pay $5 for 15 minutes but wasnt working online either - when we got to airport they said that flight was overbooked - why do they do that - we had booked our flights last October. Anyway we ended up sitting on different seats a few rows from each other - it wasn't a disaster but it would have been nice for us to sit together - my DD is 16 so she's OK on her own but another family we spoke to was going to be split up till mom complained - her son was only 4!
Probably a lot more highs than I have mentioned - will post some more reviews on hotel and restaurants - even try to upload some photos (but don't hold me to that one - I am technically challenged)
