"Let's See What We Can See!"- Surviving WDW With Three Under 3! - And now... A CRUISE?! Updated 4/19!

[ambula603]

That breakfast sounded divine! We took the Skyliner once from our room at Boardwalk to eat at Primo Piatto for lunch and it was delicious. But I agree with your description of the hotel. Very nice, just not my favorite.

I do love the look of that CBR lobby! We stayed there when I was in high school and it was not my favorite, due to how spread out it was. But I can see the appeal with the transportation options now. We had it booked recently as a night before our cruise but ended up finding a cheaper DVC rental option. But maybe someday I will stay there!

 

[alohamom]

Have a wonderful time in Disneyland Molly! There is nothing like the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion overlay at this time of the year.

 

[Jabroniville]

haha, love the smiley baby picture. It's so cute when the little ones do that. They're so genuine!

Meeting the Evil Queen sounds fun. She's one of the only "dining only" characters, along with the Dwarfs. I've never seen her doing a meet & greet in the parks at all.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Love the almond cold brew with homemade honey whipped cream

 

[cindianne320]

Ooh- I've never tried the Almond Cold Brew! Next time. We tend to stay at CBR a lot, since they have the 5 person rooms, unlike POFQ. (We stayed there before we were 5.)

Have so much fun on your next adventure!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Hope you're enjoying an amazing visit to Disneyland!!! Excited to hear all about it when you return.

 

[CariadMartin]

Wow over 2 hours is a looong meal with lots of little ones! Hopefully they weren't too restless!

 

[Mollydolly334]

That breakfast sounded divine! We took the Skyliner once from our room at Boardwalk to eat at Primo Piatto for lunch and it was delicious. But I agree with your description of the hotel. Very nice, just not my favorite.

I do love the look of that CBR lobby! We stayed there when I was in high school and it was not my favorite, due to how spread out it was. But I can see the appeal with the transportation options now. We had it booked recently as a night before our cruise but ended up finding a cheaper DVC rental option. But maybe someday I will stay there!

There are definitely better resorts (in my opinion), but CBR worked for that trip and for what we did those days!!

Have a wonderful time in Disneyland Molly! There is nothing like the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion overlay at this time of the year.

Thank you so much!! We LOVED Haunted Mansion Holiday SO MUCH!!!! It was honestly a highlight of our trip

haha, love the smiley baby picture. It's so cute when the little ones do that. They're so genuine!

Meeting the Evil Queen sounds fun. She's one of the only "dining only" characters, along with the Dwarfs. I've never seen her doing a meet & greet in the parks at all.

Ethan is such a smiley boy!! We were so lucky that he was so chill and happy during the trip!

We were lucky to see the Evil Queen on a treat trail at MNSSHP, but I've never seen her in the parks before that either! We did see her over at DLR last week in Fantasyland!

Love the almond cold brew with homemade honey whipped cream

The best!!!

Ooh- I've never tried the Almond Cold Brew! Next time. We tend to stay at CBR a lot, since they have the 5 person rooms, unlike POFQ. (We stayed there before we were 5.)

Have so much fun on your next adventure!

Ahhhh, you have to try the Almond Cold Brew- especially staying at CBR; it's so convenient!!

Hope you're enjoying an amazing visit to Disneyland!!! Excited to hear all about it when you return.

Thank you so much!! We had such a great time and I'm hoping to do a few posts in our trip in the next couple weeks

Wow over 2 hours is a looong meal with lots of little ones! Hopefully they weren't too restless!

They did fantastic actually; the characters helped a lot!! I was definitely the most impatient one, I was ready to get to MK!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 8 (The One With All of the Sunshine, Pool Time, and Cookie Dough Balls, But NO Diapers To Be Found!) - Part 2


Hi everyone! Jake and I returned home from California on Sunday, and it was such a great trip. We were away for 9 nights in total, which really felt nice and long! We also got TONS of time at Disneyland (due to some last-minute changes to the plan), so we left feeling super satisfied and grateful that we got to do everything we wanted and more. I felt some Post-Disney Depression yesterday, but I got fully up and running back at work today and am feeling really good to be back in my routine again!

I’m in the process of writing a few posts to summarize our California Adventure, which I’m hoping to get up in the next few weeks or so. Until then, I’ll continue with my May TR!

Where I last left off, we had just finished enjoying a lovely breakfast at Disney’s Riviera Resort and were ready to hit the pool at CBR! We set up camp by the kid’s splash pad, and were in the water by 12:00!



The clouds from earlier had officially parted, and it was sunny and HOT!

We bought Evie and Ollie a new set of Frozen bath toys, and those were a huge hit today! The kids loved splashing them around in the water!







Ethan loved the warm weather all week! We joked that he was a Florida baby at heart.



Around 1:15, we were getting pretty hot, and decided that a frozen treat was in order. Cici offered to make some trips up to Banana Cabana to get us some drinks, which was so sweet! I decided to get a Pink Guava Colada!



This was basically a pina colada with a splash of guava flavoring. It was sweet and refreshing but I definitely could have used a lot more guava. Hawaii really made me fall in love with this fruit- it's like a sweeter strawberry!

A little girl around 8 years old or so spotted Evie and Ollie’s Frozen toys, and confidently marched up to them and asked to play! It was so cute; you could tell that she had little siblings, and she was so patient and kind with them.



Eventually, she realized their difference between verbal skills, and ran off with other little ones that were closer to her age. She was so sweet, though!




It was a great time relaxing in the shade with the fam.





We were running in and out of the pools for most of the afternoon. The kids loved putting on their water wings and trying out the main pool as well!

Around 3:30, we were all getting pretty warm (it was an absolute perfect pool day- high 80s and super sunny)! Haley, Ryan, Nana, the kids, and I decided to go back to our rooms to take a break in the AC and give the kids a proper nap.





Looking back at pictures, I’m second-guessing why CBR didn’t give me the warm fuzzies in person. It’s really a photogenic resort and I love the bright colors!



Ugh, seriously, how can you resist this face??

When the kids got all settled in, I was feeling a little hungry. So, I decided to walk back over to the main area for a late lunch! Nana stayed back in our room to chill, and said that she would meet me in a bit.





I milled about Centertown Market; there was a curry chicken salad that looked pretty good, but it was pre-made, and I was in the mood for something fresh and light. I grabbed a pastry and a bag of chips from the QS, filled up my resort mug, then snagged a barstool over at Banana Cabana to order my meal!

Cici and Kahla showed up almost immediately afterward; they both had the same idea as I did!! And Nana wasn’t far behind!

Pretty soon, we all got our meals. We all got lighter options, since we had a buffet dinner at Cape May Cafe scheduled for 9:00 PM. I decided on the Calypso Salad with Jerk Chicken. I had gotten some BBQ Lays over Centertown Market as a side, as well as a Lemon Meringue Croissant for dessert!





The croissant was AMAZING. I’m normally not really a croissant person; give me a donut or muffin instead any day! But this was so flakey and soft, and jam-packed with a really nice and sweet lemon curd on the inside. The outside meringue was also so gooey and marshmallow-y. I was in dessert heaven!!! If you find yourself at CBR- definitely get this! Disney is getting on-board with the croissant trend; they have a bunch more different flavored croissants around the other resorts too! The cookie dough croissant intrigues me.

I’m glad I got the croissant, because I didn’t eat much of my salad! A salad with chips or fries is one of my go-to meals at home, but I was disappointed by this. The salad itself was fine, but the chicken was definitely NOT “jerk” flavored. It wasn’t even spicy at all; it honestly tasted like plain grilled chicken. And, let’s face it, I can get a grilled chicken salad anywhere.

I think this was a case of just “ordered the wrong thing.” When I’m looking at the menu now, EVERYTHING else sounds better than that salad. People tend to really like the food at Banana Cabana, so I’m chalking it up to that! Lesson learned- vacation is NOT the time for salad.

Mom, Kahla, Cici, and I sat at the bar for a good hour plus, just gabbing about the trip and life in general. This was a GREAT time and one of the highlights of the day... I loved chatting with these ladies and the time flew by!

We also made good friends with the bartender! He was young, probably no older than 26, and he had a larger-than-life personality! He was super silly and you could tell that he loved his job. He asked if he could make me his “specialty drink”- how could I say no to that??



Honestly, I’m not really sure what was all in this; It was some sort of lemonade with flavored vodka and maybe some Prosecco I think? It was pretty good and not too sweet either!

Around 5:20 PM, we headed back to the room, with strict orders to be ready by 7:00. We wanted to explore the Boardwalk area and give us plenty of time for the big “Thomas and Mel reveal” before dinner!




​

 

[cindianne320]

What a fun, relaxing day at the pool! I can't wait to hear how the surprise went over!

 

[missjackiemcg]

This pool day sounds like a perfect break in the middle of a busy trip. I'm intrigued by the bartender's signature drink he made for you! That sounds so refreshing and tasty. I might have to get my resident bartender to try mixing me up one of those!

 

[ambula603]

Oh, that croissant sounds delicious! I agree, the resort is bright and cheerful and that shines bright on a sunny day!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

What a perfect pool/resort day!

 

[vamassey1]

We'll be staying at CBR in January so I will be looking for the Lemon Croissant.

This day was the perfect way to relax and recharge for everyone.

 

[Mollydolly334]

What a fun, relaxing day at the pool! I can't wait to hear how the surprise went over!

It was a perfect pool day and we lucked out with great weather too!

This pool day sounds like a perfect break in the middle of a busy trip. I'm intrigued by the bartender's signature drink he made for you! That sounds so refreshing and tasty. I might have to get my resident bartender to try mixing me up one of those!

It was just what we needed!! And yes it was a tasty drink- not too sweet but it was fruity and refreshing

Oh, that croissant sounds delicious! I agree, the resort is bright and cheerful and that shines bright on a sunny day!

It was SO good!! Makes me want to try all the other croissants there too (I keep meaning to try the Creme Brûlée croissant at Gaston's Tavern)!

What a perfect pool/resort day!

It was just the relaxing and slow-paced day we needed!

We'll be staying at CBR in January so I will be looking for the Lemon Croissant.

This day was the perfect way to relax and recharge for everyone.

Oooo yes! It was so yummy and I'm pretty sure it was still there the last time I checked!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Our California Adventure- Part 1!


Hi everyone!! I’m so excited to review our California trip! I'm going to do this in bits and pieces over on this thread, since I didn't take notes and don't feel like making a whole separate TR thread.

This was our one-year anniversary trip, and took place October 26th- November 3rd, 2024. We were planning on spending 1 night in West Hollywood, 2 nights in Catalina Island, then 5 nights in Disneyland at the Grand Californian. However, we had to be flexible, as we had some very last-minute changes to the plan and our trip ended up getting rearranged a bit! Despite some stressful moments, It was truly such a fun and great trip. It felt soooo long and it was amazing to be away from work that long and spend all that time together just us two.

Day 0:

Technically, the trip started for us on Friday, October 25th. Jake worked all day, but I just had one meeting in the morning and then I was free! I got my nails done, went to the gym, and showered up while waiting for Jake to come home.

I decided on a psychedelic silver chrome color- I felt like it was perfect for Halloween!



Jake and I live in the Milwaukee area, but decided to fly out of Chicago O’Hare Airport because they had direct flights to LAX at good times and at a decent price! We drove to Rosemont, Illinois on Friday at about 6:45 PM, stopping at a Chili’s for dinner on the way.



You know it’s vacation time when you get a cookie skillet for dessert!

We stayed at the Sheraton Suites Chicago O’Hare for the night (we stayed here for one night back in July, so I knew that it would be a nice hotel). The room was huge and very comfortable, plus we were able to park our car at the hotel for the duration of our trip and take the free shuttle to/from O’Hare. O’Hare is an absolute MONSTER of an airport, so it was super convenient to not have to deal with parking! We went to bed around 11:30, with our alarms set for 4:00 AM.

Day 1:

We were awake at 4:00 AM for our early flight! We shuttled to O’Hare and got through security without any issues, took off right on time at 7:00 AM, and landed at LAX by 9:30 AM!! How’s that for efficiency??



Jake and I immediately caught a Lyft to our destination for this first night- 1Hotel West Hollywood!





We didn’t want to deal with a car rental/driving in LA traffic for this trip, so we only used Uber/Lyft. Definitely more expensive, but also way more convenient and less stressful!

Jake and I stayed at 1Hotel West Hollywood this first night to be in proximity to all of our fun plans this evening! We stayed at the 1Hotel on Kauai during our honeymoon and absolutely fell in LOVE with this hotel chain. It has such relaxing and earthy vibes but is incredibly posh and trendy at the same time. Our room was so gorgeous, and the bed was THE most luxurious bed that either of us have ever slept in!







We were in the mood for something low-key after our early morning, so we just spent about 4 hours by the pool. It was a bit foggy (something that is common in LA I guess), but it was perfectly warm and still pretty sunny. We spent some time reading, listening to music, and swimming. It was super quiet and calm by the pool which felt HEAVENLY after our busy work week. We both even got some sun!





1Hotel had this table set up in their lobby with free fresh produce throughout the day that you could munch on. They had a whole platter of Medjool dates, and OMG these were incredible. Nature’s candy! I ate sooo many during our short 2 days here.



We had some cocktails and a little lunch by the pool- their roasted Brussels sprouts with chili oil were insanely delicious!





Then, we just chilled/got ready in our beautiful room until we headed out at 5:00. Our first stop was the Beverly Hills Hotel!



By reading my past TRs, you know that I love me a fancy hotel, so this was definitely a bucket list item for me. I especially wanted to see this place in-person after seeing it in scenes of one of my favorite Disney movies, Saving Mr. Banks!

This hotel reminded me of the Royal Hawaiian hotel in Waikiki with its pink and girly vibes!





Jake and I grabbed a drink at the Polo Lounge. I got a really yummy cocktail called the “Pretty in Pink,” with Grey Goose Citron, club soda, and muddled raspberries and dragonfruit!



This hotel was gorgeous and quiet, but it definitely gave me a “stuffy” feel, and we felt a little out of place. This was WAY out of our price range to stay here for the night, so it was nice just to walk around and explore! No celebrity sightings, sadly (that would come later ).

Despite only having one night in the LA area, we knew we didn’t want to stay near downtown or do any of the “touristy” things such as Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood Sign, the Chinese Theatre, etc. It would have just been way too overwhelming to try to do and see ALL the things! The only things that were on our must-do list were… drumroll… visit the restaurants from Vanderpump Rules.



I’ve talked about this a lot on my past TRs, but Jake and I are huge fans of this show. We were able to try out Vanderpump Cocktail Bar in Las Vegas a couple years ago, but we desperately wanted to dine at the restaurant that made this show famous- SUR in West Hollywood!

Despite this being the very restaurant that inspired the TV show, we had heard mixed reviews of their quality of food, so we had a reservation booked at TomTom for 7:00 PM. TomTom is another Vanderpump restaurant that was opened by two stars of the show a few years ago, so we were really trying to do the whole restaurant tour! This restaurant was super cool on the inside with a “steampunk” vibe.



We got seated very promptly! First, we grabbed drinks- I got the classic PumpTini!



Then, we shared some fried Goat Cheese Balls for an appetizer. This is their signature dish, and they were DELICIOUS!



To eat, I got the Ahi Tuna Tacos and Jake got the Gnocchi Mac and Cheese. Honestly, we were super surprised at the quality of this food. We figured that it would be fun to come here just for the experience, but the food was actually amazing too and we left feeling so satisfied!!!





Overall, 5 stars for TomTom. We had great service and yummy food and drinks. Plus, it was SUPER easy to make a reservation here and it never felt too crowded or crazy, despite being a Saturday night on Halloween weekend!

The streets of WeHo were definitely poppin’ for Halloween. SUR Restaurant was just a short walk away; we also passed by Something About Her on the way over (Ariana and Katie’s new sandwich shop)!!



We had previously made reservations at SUR for 9:15 PM, figuring we’d get drinks and dessert, but it was only about 8:00 and the early morning was catching up to us. So, we managed to snag some seats at the bar instead!



I ordered a sparkling mocktail, and Jake got a Mai-Tai! This is where its reputation came true… Jake reported that this was the worst Mai-Tai he's had in his life!!



It was fun to sit at the bar and take everything in. The energy was electric in there! They also had old episodes of Vanderpump Rules playing on the TV, which was super fun to watch!



Jake and I were getting sleepy, so we finished our drinks quickly. We did want to take a peek around the entire restaurant, so we got up and started exploring.

We strolled into the next room over… and walked SMACK DAB into LISA VANDERPUMP HERSELF having dinner.



You guys. You know how in an emergency, you either have a “fight or flight” response? Well, tonight I learned that I am definitely “flight”... I literally fled the premises.

I was so nervous about her thinking that we were following her or something, that I took one look at her, and turned and walked away!!!

Lisa and Ken were having dinner with two other individuals at a table right in the middle of the restaurant! Of course, she was just as stunning and beautiful in person as she is on TV. Jake and I were absolutely GEEKING out! What a start to our trip!! We couldn't stop laughing at how nerdy we acted. Apparently I am NOT one to play it cool.

How do you celebrate a celebrity sighting?? Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread Ice Cream from Salt and Straw!



As I enjoyed my ice cream, we strolled the streets and people-watched (there were so many people in crazy extravagant Halloween costumes)! We were back at the hotel by 9:15 PM; not too shabby for waking up at 2:00 AM PST!

Before bed, we watched a little TV, and Jake was DELIGHTED to see THIS playing on Freeform…



The Adventures of Mr. Toad! Jake became obsessed with Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on our first Disneyland trip in April 2023, and LOVED the short film when we watched it earlier this year. He thinks it’s absolutely chaotic and hilarious. It was definitely a preview of all the Halloween fun we were going to experience! We were asleep by 9:45, excited to hit the ground running and reach our second destination tomorrow!



​

 

[missjackiemcg]

You and I have already geeked out together over this amazing excursion, but still AAAAAAHHHH reading about it all over again!!! I absolutely love that you scheduled this into your trip. Thanks for sending me the sneak peeks at the pics, too. I would have absolutely done the same and run out of the area if I'd walked upon Lisa and Ken having dinner LOL.

Also, PS, next time you're flying out of O'Hare--we literally live 15 minutes away! You can park your car and sleep here for free

 

[ambula603]

I don't watch the Housewives but what a cool spotting! That hotel sounds so dreamy!

Sounds like a perfect start, can't wait to hear more!

 

[piglet1979]

OMG! I am horrible when I meet a celebrity as well. I met Monica Potter (she was on Parenthood) once at a craft fair and I was so awkward. I stood in line to meet her and didn't even know what to say when I got to her. I like froze. You think I would be used to this after meeting so many Disney Characters. I am the same way just meeting local celebrities.

Sounds like you had a great start to your vacation.

 

[suse66]

We CANNOT WAIT and have been counting down the days since we booked this back in January! We are so excited to see all of the fall/Halloween festivities at both Disneyland and all around Southern California! Although we had an amazing time at WDW back in September, this will definitely feel more like a vacation than a trip, and we are really looking forward to having some relaxing and romantic couple time.

Nothing like a sweet trip planned for the two of you!

Hi everyone! Jake and I returned home from California on Sunday, and it was such a great trip. We were away for 9 nights in total, which really felt nice and long! We also got TONS of time at Disneyland (due to some last-minute changes to the plan), so we left feeling super satisfied and grateful that we got to do everything we wanted and more. I felt some Post-Disney Depression yesterday, but I got fully up and running back at work today and am feeling really good to be back in my routine again!

I loved following along with your trip on FB! Definitely taking notes for when we get to Disneyland one day!

Pretty soon, we all got our meals. We all got lighter options, since we had a buffet dinner at Cape May Cafe scheduled for 9:00 PM. I decided on the Calypso Salad with Jerk Chicken. I had gotten some BBQ Lays over Centertown Market as a side, as well as a Lemon Meringue Croissant for dessert!

I actually really love that salad. But I am one of those people who has to have something green every day or I feel terrible.

This was our one-year anniversary trip, and took place October 26th- November 3rd, 2024. We were planning on spending 1 night in West Hollywood, 2 nights in Catalina Island, then 5 nights in Disneyland at the Grand Californian. However, we had to be flexible, as we had some very last-minute changes to the plan and our trip ended up getting rearranged a bit! Despite some stressful moments, It was truly such a fun and great trip. It felt soooo long and it was amazing to be away from work that long and spend all that time together just us two.

Such a fun trip!

Jake and I stayed at 1Hotel West Hollywood this first night to be in proximity to all of our fun plans this evening! We stayed at the 1Hotel on Kauai during our honeymoon and absolutely fell in LOVE with this hotel chain. It has such relaxing and earthy vibes but is incredibly posh and trendy at the same time. Our room was so gorgeous, and the bed was THE most luxurious bed that either of us have ever slept in!

Gorgeous hotel!

Jake and I grabbed a drink at the Polo Lounge. I got a really yummy cocktail called the “Pretty in Pink,” with Grey Goose Citron, club soda, and muddled raspberries and dragonfruit!

Yum!