Avery's mom
DIS Veteran
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- Mar 2, 2006
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I wanted to jot down some observations from our recent stay at the DLR for those who may find them helpful. I will paste specific sections to the Halloween thread to those interested.
Hotel Experience at CGH
We stayed at the GCH for 4 nights 10/7 – 10/11. We had never stayed Concierge before so we decided to try it, as we love it on Disney Cruise Line. We always try to do something different each trip, and this was the big ‘different thing’ for us. We also booked a Theme Park View room since we normally choose a standard view at DLH or PPH and thought we’d see if it made a difference to us. As I had posted here a while back, I was not impressed with the pre-arrival assistance I had requested, but was willing to try anew once I arrived at GCH.
We did have a great check-in experience, as we were met outside the hotel by a cheerful CM who whisked us up to the Lounge to check us in. We went over my requests for bunk beds, as I had 2 girls who were looking forward to them. However, we were told that they don’t like to give them to kids over the age of 9. Well, okay…so we went with 2 queen beds. I also reiterated my request for a room near the Napa Rose elevators with a park view. Well, that wasn’t happening either. We were assigned 6226, which was (imho) a pool view, even though we could see ToT and GRR as well, it was not what I would have thought was a Theme Park View room. However, I wasn’t there to quibble – we were there to have a good time. My DD was happy to see ToT, so that was good enough for me.
In the end, this room did work well for us, as we were close to the DVC wing elevator and the WOC Viewing Terrace. We were not too far from the Lounge, and used it daily. We didn’t find it too small – even with 5 people (and a Pack-N-Play). We liked the balcony, and perhaps the way the room faced, we didn’t find it too dark either. We stayed at the GCH in 2004 and did think our room was dark, so this might depend on the way the room faces the light.
We found the Craftsman Club Lounge to meet our needs pretty well. We stopped there for breakfast each day, and we all found something to tide us over until lunch. Loved the Pumpkin Spice flavoring for my coffeeJ We also stopped by for Afternoon Tea (loved the smoked salmon sandwiches), evening apps and the dessert offerings throughout the stay. The Lounge was never crowded, tables were cleared quickly, and the staff was friendly. Overall, the Lounge was a wonderful feature that we really enjoyed.
When I went to speak the staff at the Concierge Desk, I often found long waits. I was able to reserve a cabana for a second day (since it was SO hot, we spent hours each day at the pools) but it seems as if I should have bent over and kissed her feet in appreciation. I also asked if there had been any cancellations/openings for 2 tours we were interested in, and I was given a phone number to call. Uh, isn’t that what they are supposed to do? In any event, I learned not to expect too much in the future from the desk staff.
Our 2 days in the cabana were enjoyable – we had Cabana 3 on both days. Service was acceptable, but not overly efficient. If they are going to offer a fruit platter – the fruit should be ripe or at least somewhat edible. The grapes and strawberries were great – my DS was very happy with that. My DS also loved the little slide – and we spent a lot of time there. We were at the pools 4 days in a row, for several hours each day. Loved the abundance of towels, swim diapers that were available (we always bring our own, but it was nice to have them as an option), lots of comfy loungers and tables and chairs, if you wanted to eat by the pool.
Housekeeping was acceptable, but not overly efficient. We often came back to our room at 2ish and the room hadn’t been made up yet. Turn down service was nice, but the ice bucket was not emptied, nor was the plastic bag replaced regularly. My DH liked to ice his knee each night and without a bag, he had to improviseJ
At this point, it may sound like we were not happy with the hotel – but we really were. We loved how close it was to the parks in the heat. We loved the pools, the beds, the Lounge, the balcony, the A/C worked great and it met all our basic needs. My DD, who loves the DLH, said that she really liked the GCH (as we all did) and we would look into it for our stay next spring.
Wednesday, October 7th – Halloween Party with Mystical Spirits of the Blue Bayou
Our arrival day had us dining at RFC for lunch, cabana in the afternoon, then the Halloween Party that night. The Halloween Party was a nice surprise for me, as only my DD and DH had been before. Even though it was a sold out party, I didn’t find it to be too crowded at all. We arrived about 5:30 and got in easily. We picked up maps, wristbands and candy bags and went off in search of adventure! My DH exchanged our PhotoPass voucher and I went to check us in to the Blue Bayou for the Mystical Spirits Dinner. After we did that, we went down the Treat Trails in NOS and Critter Country while the girls (my DD brought her best friend on our trip) rode Indy 2 times with no wait! When it was time, we lined up at the BB, and were seated about 10 minutes later. We had a decent table 1 row from the water and about 5 back from the stage. Our server was wonderful – very friendly and efficient. They confirmed our dinner orders and they were all correct. We all loved the juice on the table and had no need for anything else to drink. Between all 4 of us, we tried everything on the menu. The only thing that wasn’t enjoyed was the Goat Cheese Tart, as my DH said it was like licking his hands after he visited a petting zoo. He was not pleased. But, he also hates crab cakes, so he was in a no-win situation there.
After apps, we had a bit of lag time between courses, but we all loved the Cadaver Dans! We also caught them performing in the CGH lobby before the party. Entrees were great – we all enjoyed our meals. Just as an FYI for anyone bringing an under 3 child, as we did, we had to share with him, as there was no option for anyone who didn’t pay the $150 entrance fee. It’s a good thing that he will eat a lot of things.
Between courses, Dr. Facilier came out and performed. He mingled between tables and took photos with anyone who wanted them. We all thought he was talented and charming. He took photos with the girls and moved on. The pirates performed during dessert (or right after, I forget) and passed out very full candy bags. Then Dr. Facilier came out again and we knew it was time to leave. We quickly made our way to the exit, as I wanted to make sure we were in the north section of the hub. We each received a lithograph and lined up behind a lit lantern outside the restaurant. We waited there for about 5-6 minutes, and then were led to the north section of the hub. I looked and there were NO benches set up behind the partner’s statue – yippee! We grabbed a bench in the 3rd, on the right side for an absolute perfect viewing of the Halloween Screams fireworks. I was so, so thrilled with the spots and thought that I would gladly pay the $$ to have such great spots again. If only it were an option for other firework shows! After the fireworks were over, we hit a couple more treat trails in Tomorrowland/Fantasyland and then hit the rides – Matterhorn, Nemo, and Big Thunder twice. We normally will not wait for Nemo but it was a walk on and my DS had never ridden it. He loved it – so I was glad to have done it with him without having to wait in line. We walked out of the park a smidge after 11pm and we were all very happy with the experience. There were far fewer crowds than we imagined, we had a great dinner/entertainment event/ spectacular fireworks viewing/ trick or treats and a couple walk on rides – just great! We didn’t have anyone who really wanted/needed to see/meet characters, so that wasn’t a priority for us.
Thursday, October 8th – DCA + River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Dinner and Fireworks
We decided to sleep in a little the next day – hit the lounge and then entered DCA about 9:30am. We hit all the usual suspects on the PP side of the park– Ariel’s, GRR, Goofy’s, Soarin’ then went over to ToT and did that once or twice! By this point it was getting hot – heck – it had been hot for a while. So, we decided to call it a morning and went back to the CCH. Loved being so close to the A/C! No one was really hungry, so we made do with the tea sandwiches and cold drinks in the lounge. Perfect for us!
We spent the afternoon at the pool and then cleaned up to go to Disneyland for our River Belle Terrace dinner. We checked in for our dinner and then waited, and waited about 30 minutes past our reservation time to be seated. Naturally, they sat us on the patio, instead of inside where it was cooler. So, that was a strike against the RBT dinner vs the BB dinner. Also, the tables on the patio have no light – I don’t like sitting in the dark while I eat. The tables by the railing had lampposts but that light didn’t make it past the first table. The service was rushed, which I didn’t mind, since we waited so long for a table. The corn chowder was quite good, but the New York Strip was not so good. The side dishes it came with were yummy, and I was ok with that – but for $42 per person, I would hope the steak would be edible. The apple pie crumble was deliciousJ My DD had the pasta and her friend had the chicken. Nobody seemed dissatisfied except me, so perhaps it was a fluke thing. Anyway – we got our FPs and we went on our way. We went and rode the Jungle Cruise before it was time to claim our seats.
The tickets say to show up between 8:30 and 9pm. Well, we went at 8:35 to find CMs telling us that our section was full. Uh, no? I could clearly see that the entire riverfront was very, very crowded. However, if they are going to sell Fantasmic! packages, then there had darn well better be spots for people to sit in their allotted section. I very nicely told them that I was sure we could find spots for us to sit. So, we squeezed in at the rope line in the center of the seating area for BB/RBT. I really wonder what happened to people who showed up later and were turned away. When we did the BB package in February, we showed up 5 minutes to 9pm and had our choice of spots. This experience was night and day to that. We brought our F! cushions from February and used them, but barely had enough room to put all 4 cushions down. I was very, very grateful when some people moved after F! and didn’t stay for the fireworks.
Speaking of fireworks – we were sat in the back row of the F! seating. I loved the screen projections for the fireworks, and we enjoyed being able to sit down for the show. There were people who obviously wanted to stand for the fireworks – right in front of all of us who were sitting. We asked them all to sit - but were ignored. This was about 15-20 people right in front at the rail line who would not move or sit down, thus blocking the view for the many, many others behind them. It was the only” inconsiderate people” experience of the trip, so I should count my blessings. The woman next to me was very mad and was trying to hold her son up to see the projections.
After the fireworks, we rode Splash, HM and Pirates and called it a night.
Friday, October 9th – Big Thunder BBQ lunch and DCA evening
Friday was an 8am opening for DL, so we were at Gate 13 by 7:30. We had visited the Lounge for breakfast and finished our coffee while we waited for the gates to open. It was wonderful not having to stand in a long Starbucks line in the morningJ. We made it to first row of the rope drop and made it to PP by 8:01am. We waited 24 minutes, which we figured was pretty good. Once that was done, I was the FP runner for Space/Star Tours while they others did Mr. Toad’s. We met back up for Alice, the Tea Cups and Casey Jr. Then we made our way to Tomorrowland. We baby swapped Star Tours and rode Buzz in the meantime. Then we sent the others to Space, while we swapped and did Autopia. By this time we were ready to head to Big Thunder ranch BBQ for our lunch reservation.
I made reservations here because the family loves it and it’s going away in January for good. Well, I didn’t plan for it to be 100 in the shade while we dined outside! The tables all had some shade, but some had more than others. Our table was half and half. The butter wouldn’t stay on the knife, so had to dip our cornbread in melted butter! By the end of the meal, we were all in the sun, and we were miserable. I was so miserable that I swore we’d never eat outside the rest of the trip! I over tipped the server who was wearing long sleeves and long pants and I told him that I hoped he had a break soon!
After lunch, where did we go? You betcha we went back to the pool! We were able to get a cabana for another half day and made good use of its shade for the next few hours. We all enjoyed some fruity cocktails and mocktails by the pool while we cooled off. Grudgingly, we went to clean up to back into DCA because we had a date with a flying carpet.
Now, we knew that DL had another Halloween Party this evening, and we knew that DCA would be busy, so planned to take it easy and just go to see the show. So glad we hadn’t planned on much that evening, as DCA was a madhouse! We made our way to the Hyperion Theater and had great mezzanine seats. As this will be leaving before we return in the spring, we wanted to make sure to see it one last time. The show was great, and even my DS sat for it, which is pretty amazing considering he isn’t quite 2 years old.
After the show, I checked the DL App and saw that we had no chance of riding much of anything without a serious time commitment. But, we snagged a 15 minute wait at Monsters Inc, and called it a night. We ate lightly at Whitewater Snacks and then grabbed some desserts up at the Lounge. Fortunately, the WOC viewing area is right by our room, so we went up there, saw it was pretty packed for the 9pm show, and went back for the 10:15 show and had the place to ourselvesJ We called it a night after that!
Saturday, October 10th – EMH at DCA + Flo’s lunch and PtN at DL evening
Saturday was 7am EMH at DCA, so I went to snag a decent spot at the entry gates, while the rest of the family went to the Lounge. They were nice enough to bring me a coffee and blueberry muffinJ However, RSR was down and would be for several hours, so we went to PP and rode TSMM and CS. We then went back to Carsland, but no luck yet! So, we rode my DS’s favorite – Mater’s before heading to ToT yet again. We swapped ToT and rode all of Bugsland rides, then saw RSR was open, so I ran for FPs. We decided to try the Animation Academy next, since it has A/C and we hadn’t done it in a while. We learned how to draw Jack Skellington, and we were all pleased with our work! We ate lunch at Flo’s since we hadn’t tried that yet for lunch, just for breakfast. Plus, it had the one thing that we really wanted – inside seating!! The food was pretty good – my favorite was the Roast Beef Sandwich. After lunch, we used our FPs for RSR and then called it a day. We went back to the GCH pool to cool off, yet again.
Several hours later we grabbed a Naples pizza dinner and then went back into DL, as it was open until midnight and we wanted my DD’s BFF to see the PTN parade. We hit up the Tiki Room and enjoyed some Dole WhipsJ. However, at this point the crowds were very thick and since we didn’t have any FPs for anything we were hard pressed to find something we wanted to wait forL. The crowds were really, really heavy. For me it seemed as crazy as Thanksgiving week. I was not pleased. It was hot and crowded and my DH was getting Grumpy. So, we went to Fantasyland, grabbed a glowing blue frosty drink and went to catch ToonTown before it closed for the night. The girls rode GGC a couple of times while we sat and drank our glowing yumminess. After ToonTown closed for the night we went over to Fantasyland and waited for the fireworks. We had a place to sit and cool down, so that was ok with meJ Personally, the fireworks weren’t great from here – except for watching Tinkerbell and Nemo fly. That was excellent! After the fireworks finished, I made a beeline to the Alice bathrooms for the benches that line the walkway between the restrooms and the hub. I grabbed a bench across from the Matterhorn and waited for my family (who moves slowly with the stroller through the crazy crowds) to join me. This was the score of the night! We grabbed some popcorn and drinks and waited about 40 minutes for the PTN parade. We had a front row seat with only one line of people sitting on the ground ahead of us. Also, the pathway here is narrow, so the floats passed right in front of us, making for a better view. We had a lot of character interaction here – it was so great.
After the parade we rode IASW and we got off right at midnight. We staggered back to the GCH and passed out!
Sunday, October 11th – CHOC Walk Madness + Time to leave
Sunday was the day we were all dreading – time to go home. But we can never leave without a morning in the park. So, we packed up, left our luggage with bell services, grabbed a quick bite in the lounge and headed out to catch the last 30 minutes of EMH at DL. Well, that didn’t happen, as it took us 30 minutes to get from the Grand’s exit to the inside gates of DL. The CHOC crowds were so large that the security lines were not lines at all. It was a sea of humanity all the way from the Starbucks in DTD until we were all funneled to the security check. I was kicking myself for not going through the Grand’s entrance into DCA, but they weren’t even open yet, so I didn’t know how it would have helped much.
Once we were in DL, EMH was over and we hightailed it to the Matterhorn/Fantasyland for some baby swapping. We grabbed FPs for Space, and then we headed to Frontierland for Big Thunder Mountain baby swapping with the Mark Twain. Since it, too will be down for a while, we wanted to make sure to catch it before it stops sailing in January. I love the view of NOS from the river!
Lastly, we headed over to Splash and baby swapped with Winnie the Pooh. Crazily enough, after Splash, my DD wanted to paddle the canoes! In this heat! So, we waited it out in the Hungry Bear shade while the girls paddled their hearts out. We trudged over to Tomorrowland for our Space FP as our last ride of the day. By the time we got there, I was very glad to make it the last ride of the day as I was melting. The combination of the crowds and 5 days of heat were taking its toll.
I was looking forward to our last meal at the DLR – Jazz Brunch at Ralph Brennan’s! However, our escape plan was foiled as the monorail was downL So, now we had to make the long, sad walk down Main Street to get to the Jazz Kitchen. I was over the moon that they could seat us inside, so we enjoyed a couple cocktails and brunch with some great jazz. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful trip.
The rest of the day was the same as it always is – stop into Marceline’s for a stash of caramel apples and into WoD for last minute things we’ve been coveting all trip. We got our luggage and our car from the valet at the GCH and were on the road by 4pm. It was a quick 5 hours home and we’re back into reality todayL
My main takeaways from the trip are:
1) We loved a 4 night trip. We usually stay 2 or 3, but 4 nights was perfect!
2) We loved the GCH. I know everyone loves it for the holidays, but its proximity is even better when your skin is melting off. It will be hard to go without the Lounge. It worked wonderfully for us.
3) We loved the PtN parade from the Alice bathrooms. Will do this from now on.
4) The Halloween Party was worth it for us – especially because of the Mystical Spirits Dinner.
5) Disney needs to do more for guests when there is a heat advisory. Put more drink carts out, pass out trays of water, get some misters in lines, put umbrellas and benches out, I don’t know. It was dangerous in the parks with continuous days of 100+ weather.
6) The Disneyland App is a lifesaver – especially now that it has FP return times.
7) Disney doesn’t need to invest in more rides. Just add more Starbucks – that will draw them in like flies! The line for Starbucks in DCA was longer than Soarin! My DD got off Soarin and back to me before I was even to the front of the Starbucks line. Any time, night or day – lines were out the door.
8) Whatever we do for HalloweenTime next year, we will avoid the CHOC Walk like the plague.
9) We will gladly pay for another Premium Experience, such as the Mystical Spirits Dinner since this one was done very well. The fireworks seating alone was priceless to our family!
10) If it is going to be over 90 degrees, make a lunch reservation or plans for inside seating. It really made for an uncomfortable meal when we dined at the BBQ in the hot sun. I know that particular location won’t be there in the future, however, it was a night and day situation from eating there and our lunch at Flo’s, where we sat inside and were comfortable and cool.
That’s it (thank goodness, right?). Please let me know if anyone has questions!
Hotel Experience at CGH
We stayed at the GCH for 4 nights 10/7 – 10/11. We had never stayed Concierge before so we decided to try it, as we love it on Disney Cruise Line. We always try to do something different each trip, and this was the big ‘different thing’ for us. We also booked a Theme Park View room since we normally choose a standard view at DLH or PPH and thought we’d see if it made a difference to us. As I had posted here a while back, I was not impressed with the pre-arrival assistance I had requested, but was willing to try anew once I arrived at GCH.
We did have a great check-in experience, as we were met outside the hotel by a cheerful CM who whisked us up to the Lounge to check us in. We went over my requests for bunk beds, as I had 2 girls who were looking forward to them. However, we were told that they don’t like to give them to kids over the age of 9. Well, okay…so we went with 2 queen beds. I also reiterated my request for a room near the Napa Rose elevators with a park view. Well, that wasn’t happening either. We were assigned 6226, which was (imho) a pool view, even though we could see ToT and GRR as well, it was not what I would have thought was a Theme Park View room. However, I wasn’t there to quibble – we were there to have a good time. My DD was happy to see ToT, so that was good enough for me.
In the end, this room did work well for us, as we were close to the DVC wing elevator and the WOC Viewing Terrace. We were not too far from the Lounge, and used it daily. We didn’t find it too small – even with 5 people (and a Pack-N-Play). We liked the balcony, and perhaps the way the room faced, we didn’t find it too dark either. We stayed at the GCH in 2004 and did think our room was dark, so this might depend on the way the room faces the light.
We found the Craftsman Club Lounge to meet our needs pretty well. We stopped there for breakfast each day, and we all found something to tide us over until lunch. Loved the Pumpkin Spice flavoring for my coffeeJ We also stopped by for Afternoon Tea (loved the smoked salmon sandwiches), evening apps and the dessert offerings throughout the stay. The Lounge was never crowded, tables were cleared quickly, and the staff was friendly. Overall, the Lounge was a wonderful feature that we really enjoyed.
When I went to speak the staff at the Concierge Desk, I often found long waits. I was able to reserve a cabana for a second day (since it was SO hot, we spent hours each day at the pools) but it seems as if I should have bent over and kissed her feet in appreciation. I also asked if there had been any cancellations/openings for 2 tours we were interested in, and I was given a phone number to call. Uh, isn’t that what they are supposed to do? In any event, I learned not to expect too much in the future from the desk staff.
Our 2 days in the cabana were enjoyable – we had Cabana 3 on both days. Service was acceptable, but not overly efficient. If they are going to offer a fruit platter – the fruit should be ripe or at least somewhat edible. The grapes and strawberries were great – my DS was very happy with that. My DS also loved the little slide – and we spent a lot of time there. We were at the pools 4 days in a row, for several hours each day. Loved the abundance of towels, swim diapers that were available (we always bring our own, but it was nice to have them as an option), lots of comfy loungers and tables and chairs, if you wanted to eat by the pool.
Housekeeping was acceptable, but not overly efficient. We often came back to our room at 2ish and the room hadn’t been made up yet. Turn down service was nice, but the ice bucket was not emptied, nor was the plastic bag replaced regularly. My DH liked to ice his knee each night and without a bag, he had to improviseJ
At this point, it may sound like we were not happy with the hotel – but we really were. We loved how close it was to the parks in the heat. We loved the pools, the beds, the Lounge, the balcony, the A/C worked great and it met all our basic needs. My DD, who loves the DLH, said that she really liked the GCH (as we all did) and we would look into it for our stay next spring.
Wednesday, October 7th – Halloween Party with Mystical Spirits of the Blue Bayou
Our arrival day had us dining at RFC for lunch, cabana in the afternoon, then the Halloween Party that night. The Halloween Party was a nice surprise for me, as only my DD and DH had been before. Even though it was a sold out party, I didn’t find it to be too crowded at all. We arrived about 5:30 and got in easily. We picked up maps, wristbands and candy bags and went off in search of adventure! My DH exchanged our PhotoPass voucher and I went to check us in to the Blue Bayou for the Mystical Spirits Dinner. After we did that, we went down the Treat Trails in NOS and Critter Country while the girls (my DD brought her best friend on our trip) rode Indy 2 times with no wait! When it was time, we lined up at the BB, and were seated about 10 minutes later. We had a decent table 1 row from the water and about 5 back from the stage. Our server was wonderful – very friendly and efficient. They confirmed our dinner orders and they were all correct. We all loved the juice on the table and had no need for anything else to drink. Between all 4 of us, we tried everything on the menu. The only thing that wasn’t enjoyed was the Goat Cheese Tart, as my DH said it was like licking his hands after he visited a petting zoo. He was not pleased. But, he also hates crab cakes, so he was in a no-win situation there.
After apps, we had a bit of lag time between courses, but we all loved the Cadaver Dans! We also caught them performing in the CGH lobby before the party. Entrees were great – we all enjoyed our meals. Just as an FYI for anyone bringing an under 3 child, as we did, we had to share with him, as there was no option for anyone who didn’t pay the $150 entrance fee. It’s a good thing that he will eat a lot of things.
Between courses, Dr. Facilier came out and performed. He mingled between tables and took photos with anyone who wanted them. We all thought he was talented and charming. He took photos with the girls and moved on. The pirates performed during dessert (or right after, I forget) and passed out very full candy bags. Then Dr. Facilier came out again and we knew it was time to leave. We quickly made our way to the exit, as I wanted to make sure we were in the north section of the hub. We each received a lithograph and lined up behind a lit lantern outside the restaurant. We waited there for about 5-6 minutes, and then were led to the north section of the hub. I looked and there were NO benches set up behind the partner’s statue – yippee! We grabbed a bench in the 3rd, on the right side for an absolute perfect viewing of the Halloween Screams fireworks. I was so, so thrilled with the spots and thought that I would gladly pay the $$ to have such great spots again. If only it were an option for other firework shows! After the fireworks were over, we hit a couple more treat trails in Tomorrowland/Fantasyland and then hit the rides – Matterhorn, Nemo, and Big Thunder twice. We normally will not wait for Nemo but it was a walk on and my DS had never ridden it. He loved it – so I was glad to have done it with him without having to wait in line. We walked out of the park a smidge after 11pm and we were all very happy with the experience. There were far fewer crowds than we imagined, we had a great dinner/entertainment event/ spectacular fireworks viewing/ trick or treats and a couple walk on rides – just great! We didn’t have anyone who really wanted/needed to see/meet characters, so that wasn’t a priority for us.
Thursday, October 8th – DCA + River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Dinner and Fireworks
We decided to sleep in a little the next day – hit the lounge and then entered DCA about 9:30am. We hit all the usual suspects on the PP side of the park– Ariel’s, GRR, Goofy’s, Soarin’ then went over to ToT and did that once or twice! By this point it was getting hot – heck – it had been hot for a while. So, we decided to call it a morning and went back to the CCH. Loved being so close to the A/C! No one was really hungry, so we made do with the tea sandwiches and cold drinks in the lounge. Perfect for us!
We spent the afternoon at the pool and then cleaned up to go to Disneyland for our River Belle Terrace dinner. We checked in for our dinner and then waited, and waited about 30 minutes past our reservation time to be seated. Naturally, they sat us on the patio, instead of inside where it was cooler. So, that was a strike against the RBT dinner vs the BB dinner. Also, the tables on the patio have no light – I don’t like sitting in the dark while I eat. The tables by the railing had lampposts but that light didn’t make it past the first table. The service was rushed, which I didn’t mind, since we waited so long for a table. The corn chowder was quite good, but the New York Strip was not so good. The side dishes it came with were yummy, and I was ok with that – but for $42 per person, I would hope the steak would be edible. The apple pie crumble was deliciousJ My DD had the pasta and her friend had the chicken. Nobody seemed dissatisfied except me, so perhaps it was a fluke thing. Anyway – we got our FPs and we went on our way. We went and rode the Jungle Cruise before it was time to claim our seats.
The tickets say to show up between 8:30 and 9pm. Well, we went at 8:35 to find CMs telling us that our section was full. Uh, no? I could clearly see that the entire riverfront was very, very crowded. However, if they are going to sell Fantasmic! packages, then there had darn well better be spots for people to sit in their allotted section. I very nicely told them that I was sure we could find spots for us to sit. So, we squeezed in at the rope line in the center of the seating area for BB/RBT. I really wonder what happened to people who showed up later and were turned away. When we did the BB package in February, we showed up 5 minutes to 9pm and had our choice of spots. This experience was night and day to that. We brought our F! cushions from February and used them, but barely had enough room to put all 4 cushions down. I was very, very grateful when some people moved after F! and didn’t stay for the fireworks.
Speaking of fireworks – we were sat in the back row of the F! seating. I loved the screen projections for the fireworks, and we enjoyed being able to sit down for the show. There were people who obviously wanted to stand for the fireworks – right in front of all of us who were sitting. We asked them all to sit - but were ignored. This was about 15-20 people right in front at the rail line who would not move or sit down, thus blocking the view for the many, many others behind them. It was the only” inconsiderate people” experience of the trip, so I should count my blessings. The woman next to me was very mad and was trying to hold her son up to see the projections.
After the fireworks, we rode Splash, HM and Pirates and called it a night.
Friday, October 9th – Big Thunder BBQ lunch and DCA evening
Friday was an 8am opening for DL, so we were at Gate 13 by 7:30. We had visited the Lounge for breakfast and finished our coffee while we waited for the gates to open. It was wonderful not having to stand in a long Starbucks line in the morningJ. We made it to first row of the rope drop and made it to PP by 8:01am. We waited 24 minutes, which we figured was pretty good. Once that was done, I was the FP runner for Space/Star Tours while they others did Mr. Toad’s. We met back up for Alice, the Tea Cups and Casey Jr. Then we made our way to Tomorrowland. We baby swapped Star Tours and rode Buzz in the meantime. Then we sent the others to Space, while we swapped and did Autopia. By this time we were ready to head to Big Thunder ranch BBQ for our lunch reservation.
I made reservations here because the family loves it and it’s going away in January for good. Well, I didn’t plan for it to be 100 in the shade while we dined outside! The tables all had some shade, but some had more than others. Our table was half and half. The butter wouldn’t stay on the knife, so had to dip our cornbread in melted butter! By the end of the meal, we were all in the sun, and we were miserable. I was so miserable that I swore we’d never eat outside the rest of the trip! I over tipped the server who was wearing long sleeves and long pants and I told him that I hoped he had a break soon!
After lunch, where did we go? You betcha we went back to the pool! We were able to get a cabana for another half day and made good use of its shade for the next few hours. We all enjoyed some fruity cocktails and mocktails by the pool while we cooled off. Grudgingly, we went to clean up to back into DCA because we had a date with a flying carpet.
Now, we knew that DL had another Halloween Party this evening, and we knew that DCA would be busy, so planned to take it easy and just go to see the show. So glad we hadn’t planned on much that evening, as DCA was a madhouse! We made our way to the Hyperion Theater and had great mezzanine seats. As this will be leaving before we return in the spring, we wanted to make sure to see it one last time. The show was great, and even my DS sat for it, which is pretty amazing considering he isn’t quite 2 years old.
After the show, I checked the DL App and saw that we had no chance of riding much of anything without a serious time commitment. But, we snagged a 15 minute wait at Monsters Inc, and called it a night. We ate lightly at Whitewater Snacks and then grabbed some desserts up at the Lounge. Fortunately, the WOC viewing area is right by our room, so we went up there, saw it was pretty packed for the 9pm show, and went back for the 10:15 show and had the place to ourselvesJ We called it a night after that!
Saturday, October 10th – EMH at DCA + Flo’s lunch and PtN at DL evening
Saturday was 7am EMH at DCA, so I went to snag a decent spot at the entry gates, while the rest of the family went to the Lounge. They were nice enough to bring me a coffee and blueberry muffinJ However, RSR was down and would be for several hours, so we went to PP and rode TSMM and CS. We then went back to Carsland, but no luck yet! So, we rode my DS’s favorite – Mater’s before heading to ToT yet again. We swapped ToT and rode all of Bugsland rides, then saw RSR was open, so I ran for FPs. We decided to try the Animation Academy next, since it has A/C and we hadn’t done it in a while. We learned how to draw Jack Skellington, and we were all pleased with our work! We ate lunch at Flo’s since we hadn’t tried that yet for lunch, just for breakfast. Plus, it had the one thing that we really wanted – inside seating!! The food was pretty good – my favorite was the Roast Beef Sandwich. After lunch, we used our FPs for RSR and then called it a day. We went back to the GCH pool to cool off, yet again.
Several hours later we grabbed a Naples pizza dinner and then went back into DL, as it was open until midnight and we wanted my DD’s BFF to see the PTN parade. We hit up the Tiki Room and enjoyed some Dole WhipsJ. However, at this point the crowds were very thick and since we didn’t have any FPs for anything we were hard pressed to find something we wanted to wait forL. The crowds were really, really heavy. For me it seemed as crazy as Thanksgiving week. I was not pleased. It was hot and crowded and my DH was getting Grumpy. So, we went to Fantasyland, grabbed a glowing blue frosty drink and went to catch ToonTown before it closed for the night. The girls rode GGC a couple of times while we sat and drank our glowing yumminess. After ToonTown closed for the night we went over to Fantasyland and waited for the fireworks. We had a place to sit and cool down, so that was ok with meJ Personally, the fireworks weren’t great from here – except for watching Tinkerbell and Nemo fly. That was excellent! After the fireworks finished, I made a beeline to the Alice bathrooms for the benches that line the walkway between the restrooms and the hub. I grabbed a bench across from the Matterhorn and waited for my family (who moves slowly with the stroller through the crazy crowds) to join me. This was the score of the night! We grabbed some popcorn and drinks and waited about 40 minutes for the PTN parade. We had a front row seat with only one line of people sitting on the ground ahead of us. Also, the pathway here is narrow, so the floats passed right in front of us, making for a better view. We had a lot of character interaction here – it was so great.
After the parade we rode IASW and we got off right at midnight. We staggered back to the GCH and passed out!
Sunday, October 11th – CHOC Walk Madness + Time to leave
Sunday was the day we were all dreading – time to go home. But we can never leave without a morning in the park. So, we packed up, left our luggage with bell services, grabbed a quick bite in the lounge and headed out to catch the last 30 minutes of EMH at DL. Well, that didn’t happen, as it took us 30 minutes to get from the Grand’s exit to the inside gates of DL. The CHOC crowds were so large that the security lines were not lines at all. It was a sea of humanity all the way from the Starbucks in DTD until we were all funneled to the security check. I was kicking myself for not going through the Grand’s entrance into DCA, but they weren’t even open yet, so I didn’t know how it would have helped much.
Once we were in DL, EMH was over and we hightailed it to the Matterhorn/Fantasyland for some baby swapping. We grabbed FPs for Space, and then we headed to Frontierland for Big Thunder Mountain baby swapping with the Mark Twain. Since it, too will be down for a while, we wanted to make sure to catch it before it stops sailing in January. I love the view of NOS from the river!
Lastly, we headed over to Splash and baby swapped with Winnie the Pooh. Crazily enough, after Splash, my DD wanted to paddle the canoes! In this heat! So, we waited it out in the Hungry Bear shade while the girls paddled their hearts out. We trudged over to Tomorrowland for our Space FP as our last ride of the day. By the time we got there, I was very glad to make it the last ride of the day as I was melting. The combination of the crowds and 5 days of heat were taking its toll.
I was looking forward to our last meal at the DLR – Jazz Brunch at Ralph Brennan’s! However, our escape plan was foiled as the monorail was downL So, now we had to make the long, sad walk down Main Street to get to the Jazz Kitchen. I was over the moon that they could seat us inside, so we enjoyed a couple cocktails and brunch with some great jazz. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful trip.
The rest of the day was the same as it always is – stop into Marceline’s for a stash of caramel apples and into WoD for last minute things we’ve been coveting all trip. We got our luggage and our car from the valet at the GCH and were on the road by 4pm. It was a quick 5 hours home and we’re back into reality todayL
My main takeaways from the trip are:
1) We loved a 4 night trip. We usually stay 2 or 3, but 4 nights was perfect!
2) We loved the GCH. I know everyone loves it for the holidays, but its proximity is even better when your skin is melting off. It will be hard to go without the Lounge. It worked wonderfully for us.
3) We loved the PtN parade from the Alice bathrooms. Will do this from now on.
4) The Halloween Party was worth it for us – especially because of the Mystical Spirits Dinner.
5) Disney needs to do more for guests when there is a heat advisory. Put more drink carts out, pass out trays of water, get some misters in lines, put umbrellas and benches out, I don’t know. It was dangerous in the parks with continuous days of 100+ weather.
6) The Disneyland App is a lifesaver – especially now that it has FP return times.
7) Disney doesn’t need to invest in more rides. Just add more Starbucks – that will draw them in like flies! The line for Starbucks in DCA was longer than Soarin! My DD got off Soarin and back to me before I was even to the front of the Starbucks line. Any time, night or day – lines were out the door.
8) Whatever we do for HalloweenTime next year, we will avoid the CHOC Walk like the plague.
9) We will gladly pay for another Premium Experience, such as the Mystical Spirits Dinner since this one was done very well. The fireworks seating alone was priceless to our family!
10) If it is going to be over 90 degrees, make a lunch reservation or plans for inside seating. It really made for an uncomfortable meal when we dined at the BBQ in the hot sun. I know that particular location won’t be there in the future, however, it was a night and day situation from eating there and our lunch at Flo’s, where we sat inside and were comfortable and cool.
That’s it (thank goodness, right?). Please let me know if anyone has questions!
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I'll be the one with the Aussie accent 
Wonderful trip report, I loved reading it all. Can't wait to fly out in a few days time.
