Just got back, some thoughts about our trip...

brenda1966

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Aug 25, 2004
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Just got back. We were in the parks these days:
Saturday afternoon, July 19 in CA
Sunday morning, July 20 in DL
Sunday lunch and evening in CA
Monday July 21 DL all day
Tuesday July 22, DL 9am – 2pm

The parks are HOT and CROWDED! I had forgotten just how congested Adventure Land gets. You can barely walk through there -- just mobs and mobs of people.

Sunday morning, early entry into Disneyland is my favorite time in the parks. That morning it was cool and cloudy and deserted! I’m not sure where all the people were. Did the clouds scare them away? We were in DL from 7 am until 11 am and the place was empty. It was pure heaven. We left DL to go to our Princess lunch in CA and the sun did finally come out and heat the parks up.

Monday morning at 8am, sunny and hot, and DL was packed from the get go. We managed to get on Nemo right away that morning and ride. By 10 am, everything had super long lines. We utilized our fast passes and managed to ride everything we wanted to. Splash lines were up to 75 minutes. Our fast passes weren’t good for it until 5+ hours after we got them.

DD got to ride Indiana Jones for the first time and liked enough to want to ride twice. If I remember correctly we rode Sunday morning without fast pass and then again on Monday with fast pass. I didn’t notice this ride down any of the times we walked by. I can’t say the same for Space Mtn. Twice it was down (Monday and Tuesday). On Tuesday we lucked out as we were standing outside it, trying to figure out what to do, when they starting walking the crowd back in to ride. We were able to get in the standby line and ride right away, saving our fast passes for a second ride.

Toy Story mania is really fun! We loved it and rode it twice, once Saturday afternoon and once Sunday afternoon. We waited about 30-35 minutes each time. The line was long, but it moved. So, I would say a strategy of waiting at CA for opening from 9-9:30 am and then waiting for rope drop at 10am would be a waste of an hour (unless you get to ride multiple times with little wait). I would just endure the 30 minute wait midday and not waste precious morning time waiting for CA to open. Mr. Potato head was working on Saturday, but not on Sunday.

I’ve decided my favorite snack in the parks is the cherry cooler slushy thing. We always get them in the Bug’s Life area. They are not as easy to score at DL. I checked both locations on Tuesday and neither one was open at 11 am. I just don’t understand that. It’s very HOT and those stands are closed until when? Noon? They could have easily been pulling business at 10 or 11 am. I didn’t get to try the Mickey pretzel with cream cheese. I was so disappointed. The stand near Space Mtn was “broken”.

Everything went very smoothly with picking up the Getaway Today park hoppers and Princess meal vouchers. I can certainly recommend ordering from them, especially when the meal vouchers save you a lot during peak menu pricing. The lanyards and pins we received were a huge bonus and caused DD to do her first pin trading. She really enjoyed that process and traded 2 of her pins, but wouldn’t wear the lanyard (I can’t say I blame her as they are heavy when loaded with pins).

Overall it was a fantastic trip. Fast pass came through for us and that cool, quiet Sunday morning in the park was perfect. Oh, and I got to ride Screaming for the first time. I loved it! It is super smooth and fast. I can’t wait until DD is tall enough for it.

I will glady answer any questions I can.

P.S. Can't believe I almost forgot to mention the Hojo's pool! We only used the pirate play area once, but really enjoyed it. I liked the small red slide a lot! Great splash landing. The water was cool and refreshing, but not too cold. The hot tub was super hot and nice on tired legs. They have been closing it at the same time as the pirate ship and I told the front desk I didn't approve of this. :laughing: Some *%&^ parents let their kids on the ship at night when it was closed, so we all get to suffer for their rule breaking. I do hope they figure out a way to keep the hot tub open at night.
 
I hope they fix the pirate ship problem. I hope to use the hot tub at night. "but hay my son may not even want to get wet at night..hum idk something ill have to think about.

Ok so how was the princess lunch? (ive been and didnt like it but wondering if it might have got better or anything)

Did you get the lanyards and pin from getaway today when you got the tickets at the park?

so you went on the slide too i thought it was just kids. (if its both hehe id go on it)
Sounds like you had a good time. ty for the report
 
ooo that slushy sounds yummy! where in DCA exactly did you get that? near the ITTBAB show? and where do you get the pretzel and cream cheese? is it just a normal pretzel and you dip it? im obsessed with cream cheese! :rotfl2: hahaha sorry for all the questions! im glad to hear you had a great trip! i enjoyed reading about it!
 
Thanks for the input on TSMM. I've been wondering how best to approach that come late August, and you've given me food for thought.
 

getaway sends pins and lanyards with trip documents.....and i have to say we loved pins and lanyard also.....they make it such a smooth trip so we use them every year
 
Jade, We enjoy the princess lunch. I find the food satisfactory and I like that they serve you so I can sit and relax and not be running back and forth to a buffet retrieving food for DD. We saw 4 princesses in addition to Ariel at the front door. DD will only be into princesses for a short time, and while she is this is a way to easily meet them without standing in line. I do look forward to the day when we can skip the character meals because I find them time consuming and over priced.

Princess, the cherry slushies are in Bug's Life area, by the caterpillar train. They are $4 and devine. At DL there is a stand on the backside of the Matterhorn. I think there's also one in Toontown but it was closed so I can't confirm. The pretzels are near the Star Traders store near Space Mtn. They are supposedly filled with cream cheese which is why I so badly wanted to try them. Maybe next year. :(
 
ooo that slushy sounds yummy! where in DCA exactly did you get that? near the ITTBAB show? and where do you get the pretzel and cream cheese? is it just a normal pretzel and you dip it? im obsessed with cream cheese! :rotfl2: hahaha sorry for all the questions! im glad to hear you had a great trip! i enjoyed reading about it!

I agree about the slushy !!! The pretzel & cream cheese I know you can get at a cart in Tomorrowland by the big shop. It was gooooood.
 
are the slushys served in a tink cup i got something last year and it was so good idk what it was but pink and in tink suviner cup it was sooo good i found it kinda close to the invintions house. down a bit from the star tours ride. Also where i found the pirate hidden pin i got that was covered and i had no idea if i wanted it but boy did i ever lol
 
are the slushys served in a tink cup i got something last year and it was so good idk what it was but pink and in tink suviner cup

I think you can get them with a souvenier cup, but I'm not sure how much that is because we don't buy the special cups. Just the regular plastic throw away cups are $4 for the slushy.

Seems every where I turn at DL I see the frozen lemonades which is not what I want. I think they need more cherry slushy stands and less lemonade ones! :wizard:
 
brenda - We (my family) started vacation on Friday, the 18th and went to Universal on Saturday. Stayed off-site and arrived at DL on Sunday around 8:05 am. We were shocked. In five summers at DL we have never experienced an environment like that Sunday. We rode everything we wanted to at both parks by 9pm (with a three hour break at the hotel) and had FP's left over. Monday was busy, not as busy Tuesday or Wednesday but got busier today. all in all, the least crowded summer DL vacation for us in five years. We were also dreamed twice but didn't need to use the FP's.
 
I think you can get them with a souvenier cup, but I'm not sure how much that is because we don't buy the special cups. Just the regular plastic throw away cups are $4 for the slushy.

Seems every where I turn at DL I see the frozen lemonades which is not what I want. I think they need more cherry slushy stands and less lemonade ones! :wizard:

Those cherry slushies sound great. I never knew of them, I will be checking them out. When you say in DL near the matterhorn, is it near the place that paints the pictures of names/last names with characters? The same place that sells the Tinkerbell Twist??

I too love cream cheese, just dont like pretzels, so I skip out on those...
 
Those cherry slushies sound great. I never knew of them, I will be checking them out. When you say in DL near the matterhorn, is it near the place that paints the pictures of names/last names with characters?

Yes, it's right next to the place that paints the names.


SanDiego -- Sunday was amazing in the parks! Next time we go I will not schedule my Princess lunch on Sunday and will hope for a repeat! :cheer2: I'm not sure if it was the cloudy skies or what, but the park stayed so empty. It was so odd. I just knew Monday would be mobbed to make up for it, and it was.
 
Princess, the cherry slushies are in Bug's Life area, by the caterpillar train. They are $4 and devine. At DL there is a stand on the backside of the Matterhorn. I think there's also one in Toontown but it was closed so I can't confirm. The pretzels are near the Star Traders store near Space Mtn. They are supposedly filled with cream cheese which is why I so badly wanted to try them. Maybe next year. :(

omg...my mouth just dropped open when i read the pretzels were FILLED with cream cheese. that sounds AMAZING!! i am so excited...i will be devestated if i dont get one!! thanks so much!!!
 
:mad: :mad: No! no! I love the Frozen Lemonades!! They have flavor shots and 1 is Cherry. Frozen lemonade is the ONLY treat I can have :sad1: :sad1: Please don't ban them, please....?:scared1: :scared1:
 
:mad: :mad: No! no! I love the Frozen Lemonades!! They have flavor shots and 1 is Cherry. Frozen lemonade is the ONLY treat I can have :sad1: :sad1: Please don't ban them, please....?:scared1: :scared1:


You'll be pleased to know they seem to be available at every turn! We finally "settled" for one, with a shot of cherry. It's no where as good as the cherry slushies though. :laughing:
 


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