Just back from Disneyland

[DisneyJamieCA]

Here is our trip report. I can't post pictures yet, so sorry about that.

Ok, so our cast is DH, myself, DD1 (3.5), DD2 (2 next month), DDad, DStepmom, DSis1, DSis2, DBIL, DNiece1 (6), DNeph, (4), DNiece2 (2 next month).

Thursday Sept. 6th: Left Sacramento at 1pm and arrived at SNA at about 2:30 pm. Got our luggage and easily found the Disneyland Express. We've used it in the past, but always onsite, so I was weary about using it for offsite. It couldn't have been easier. Got on the bus and we were the first drop off. Arrived at our hotel, the Desert Palm Hotel and Suites. This hotel was severely lacking in service, but more on that later. Ask for a crib at check in, go upstairs to freshen up before heading over the parks. It doesn't arrive, so on our way out, we ask they just put in our room while we're gone. The only good thing I can say about this hotel is it's right next door to 7-11, so it's easy to get drinks and snacks.

DH decides it will be better to walk to the back of the parking lot to catch the tram, so we head that way...only to find out the Lion King parking lot isn't being used. So we hike it to the front gate via the parking lot. Get in, take the obligatory photos in front and head straight for Fantasyland. There was not a line for a single thing! We only had about 3.5 hours before park closing, so we didn't think we'd get much done, but we were happily surprised. We started with Dumbo, then did the carousel, Pinocchio, the tea cups, Alice in Wonderland, Autopia, the Matterhorn, the train (the big one around Disneyland), Pirates of the Caribbean, and Indiana Jones. I'm feeling like there was more, but I can't remember now. Left the park at 8pm, which was closing and headed over to the ESPNZone. The wait wasn't that bad - 30 minutes for a table of 8 (DBIL took their kids back to the hotel). The food was great!! Headed back to the hotel after that. When we got back found that there wasn't a crib, but we did have a nice message from the front desk saying they hoped the crib had arrived ok. Called AGAIN and finally got a crib.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I don't have the memory to not post it all now, so I'm going to.

Friday Sept. 7th:

Park opening was at 9am and we got to the gates at 8:45. We did do the "free" breakfast at the hotel, which was horrible! We had tickets to MTTMM, so we headed over that. We were the first people on RRTS (sorry I just realized I didn't abbreviate in the first post...oops). We watch the little welcome ceremony and then tried to take the girls on GGC. The youngest wasn't tall enough even though she got on the Matterhorn ok. Oh well. As we were walking away, Chip and Dale came about and Chip grabbed my oldest's hand and started skipping across Toontown with her. The picture is priceless. So the girls met and had their picture taken with Chip and Dale, Minnie and Pluto. We had PS at Goofy's Kitchen at 10:20, so we started heading towards the monorail to get over to the DLH. We got to sit in the front and back (5 of us up front, 7 in the tail) which was fun. Checked in at Goofy's Kitchen as were sat within in minutes. The food was great and everybody loved it - rare with a group of 12 as picky as we all are! The characters were Aladdin, Baloo, The Mad Hatter, Minnie, Goofy of course...there is one more, but I'm forgetting right now. After breakfast we took the monorail back to the park. We did Innovations and a few others (see my memory sucks!). At this point DH and I took our girls back for naps and left the others in the park.

When we got back to the hotel at 2:30 to find our room hadn't been cleaned yet. We called to find out a time, so we could plan nap time and was told they would send somebody right up. So we decide to take the girls swimming. Get back to the room at 3:10 and it's still not clean. So I call again asking if they can come after 5:30 so we can get the kids down for naps. They say they are all off by 5:30, so they'll come right now. I tell them just getting some fresh towels at this point is enough. I jump in the shower after getting the girls to sleep. DH comes in to tell me the maid came to clean the room and had no idea we only wanted fresh towels.

We get up at 5pm to get ready and head back to the parks in time for the 6:30 Parade of Dreams, my girls favorite! Get great seats outside the ice cream parlor, so we enjoy ice cream while waiting. After the parade, Ddad and DStepmom find us. Side note here: apparently while we were off resting up, they did a few rides and then decided to go over the ESPNZone again. The monorail broke down and then they had a 2 hour wait at the restaurant. Finally get seated to be told the gas is out and they can't eat. Is it bad that I'm LMAO at this? Back to our story now. After the parade, we head towards Adventureland and do the Tiki Room, JC, POTC, Winnie the Pooh. I think we may have done some others, but then we got seats for Remember....Dreams Come True. We've seen these before, but never actually sat in front of the castle. It is worth seeing the right way at least once. They were amazing. After the fireworks, headed back to the hotel to rest up since the next day was EE.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Day 3, Sat. Sept 8th:

So apparently, DH and I (and our girls) were the only ones who got up for EE from our group. Their loss. We decide if we're going to do Nemo, this is the time to try for it, even though I hated the idea of using our EE for it. We got to the gate exactly at 7am (bad, I know) and power walked over there. We walked right on and were on the second set of subs to go out. It was a cute ride and I'm glad we did it. The line on average was about 60 minutes during our stay except for Sunday when it went back up to about 2 hours. After we got off the subs, it was 7:40, so I figured Fantasyland would be crowded, but it was still dead. Completely dead. Eerily dead. We were the only ones on PP, then we did Dumbo, The Carousel, The Teacups, Alice, It's a Small World, BLYAB, and the Rockets. We then headed to the AP office and bought APs DH decided our next trip should be in Dec!! We met the rest of the group in front of DCA to do a day there.

We started at Soarin', and then headed to do Playhouse Disney. From there we did TOT, Monsters Inc., & Muppet 3D. We headed to do California Screamin' and then let the kids play in the water zone. We saw ITTBAB and then did Grizzly 2x. We had dinner at the Winery (not the real expensive one) and the food left a lot to be desired, but we were hungry so it was ok. Most of the group went back to the hotel at this point, but we headed back to Disneyland. Our little one had fallen sleep and the older one was cold, so we got sweatshirts and then just walked around a bit. They wanted to do Dumbo, so we did that, but we didn't want to get stuck in Fantasyland during the fireworks and the girls had been up since 6am without true naps, so we headed back to the hotel and watched the fireworks from there. My Ddad said their hotel room door had been left open after it was cleaned.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Last day , Sun. Sept 9th:

Park opened at 9am, we got there at about 8:30 and hung out on Main Street until rope drop. We like to use the day to let the girls do whatever it is they want. So we went straight to Fantasyland and did Dumbo, the Carousel, MTWR, IASM, BLAB and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Then we got some lunch at Red Rocket's Pizza Port and headed back to the hotel to catch the Disneyland Express back to the airport. It was supposed to pick us up at 12:45, but arrived at 12:30. Luckily DH looked up to see it. We were the only people on the bus and it took us straight to the airport. We arrived at 1pm for a 3pm flight. Got checked in and through security and then sat. We were almost able to give up our seats for a later flight and $250 travel voucher each, but they only needed 2 seats and we had 3 (DD2 is still a lap child). Oh well.

So now we're home and I'm sad. But happy too since DH said we should go again in Dec. I think I've converted him into a Disney Lover!

 

[basketballmom]

Sounds like you had a great trip! We were there too, Thurs.- Sat. Having only been to DL in the middle of summer, I was AMAZED at the lack of lines! I took a picture one time of a 5 min. posted wait time for space mtn. at 1:00!

We also did MTTMM on friday and EE on Saturday!

I am still WAAAAAAAAY too tired to post a trip report. I am impressed with you!

 

[heatherleigh]

I see that you did the Grizzly River ride in CA. How did your kids enjoy it? I have a 3 and 5-year old who are going to DL, and I am curious as to whether or not it would be too scary for them. My 3-year old turns 4 in a couple weeks.

 

[DisDancerina]

Last day , Sun. Sept 9th:

Park opened at 9am, we got there at about 8:30 and hung out on Main Street until rope drop. We like to use the day to let the girls do whatever it is they want. So we went straight to Fantasyland and did Dumbo, the Carousel, MTWR, IASM, BLAB and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Then we got some lunch at Red Rocket's Pizza Port and headed back to the hotel to catch the Disneyland Express back to the airport. It was supposed to pick us up at 12:45, but arrived at 12:30. Luckily DH looked up to see it. We were the only people on the bus and it took us straight to the airport. We arrived at 1pm for a 3pm flight. Got checked in and through security and then sat. We were almost able to give up our seats for a later flight and $250 travel voucher each, but they only needed 2 seats and we had 3 (DD2 is still a lap child). Oh well.

So now we're home and I'm sad. But happy too since DH said we should go again in Dec. I think I've converted him into a Disney Lover!

Congrats!! You are now one of us... Time for the crowning ceremony...(Forming The Secret Ceremonial "Crowned DIS "Potion")