I'm still here - I was trying to catch up and read the rest of your report along with the great pics! I noticed at WDW that there didn't seem to be as many decorations as I remembered when I went in 2007. It's a bummer because I really enjoy all the decorations. I agree the DLH trees were kind of wimpy. I see alot of Christmas merchandise in your pics that I did not see at WDW - and believe me we visited almost every shop. Epcot does have its speciality shops in each country, so of course DL doesn't have those items, but the regular Disney items I saw more in your pics. Not to say WDW didn't have alot of Christmas stuff, they even have a huge Christmas shop in DTD, but there were some items I didn't see.
My love for Disney started in the 70's too when my cousins came back from a trip to this great place called
Disneyland and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. They made it sound so exciting and we couldn't wait to visit. Of course, we couldn't afford the DLH and stayed at one of the motels around the area. I stayed at DLH once in the 80's and once in the 90's and have fond memories; with the pics on the construction site, I hope they bring back some of that retro feel. I don't like that you can't catch the monorail directly from the hotel anymore-that was always the fun part going back to the park in the afternoon or evening!
I love entering through Main Street - I get this excited feeling and feel like skipping down the street - in fact, I saw my daughter dancing down Main Street when we were at the Magic Kingdom in WDW. Gotta keep the magic going.
Sherry, you would go crazy in WDW - talk about pictures! You'd have tons. This was my 3rd trip and we only went for 5 days this time - but we could have stayed 5 more days and still not seen everything! It always gives me the excuse to go back. At Hollywood Studios they have the history of Disney with a museum and a movie. It got me excited to go back to Disneyland where it all started - I haven't been since 2006. I was thinking about going in August, but now I'm thinking maybe another December trip. When we went in 2006, we stayed at the CCI. I'm going to start checking around and maybe try your PIN idea to see what I can afford - I'd like to stay at least 3 or 4 nights.
I can't believe you go so long without eating! Is the Jazz Kitchen Express still there in DTD? When I was there in 2006 they had delicious breakfast sandwiches. You should think about that next time for a quick, inexpensive protein start to your day.
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your trip report - it's been fun reading about your adventures and seeing all the pics!
Estella - It's funny you mention the Christmas store in WDW (DTD). That's one of the things I miss at DLR. There used to be a cute little year-round Christmas shop tucked away in the Castle at DLR. Ever since it closed, it hasn't been the same. They've tried to have other shops that fill the year-round Christmas void (such as the shop, L'Ornement Magique, in New Orleans Square), but it's kind of lacking, somehow. I think the Castle was the perfect place for it.
Anyway, that's interesting to hear that you notice some Disney holiday merchandise in my DLR pictures from what's at WDW. I would have thought that WDW had all of what DLR has...times one thousand!
Yep, the 3 DLH towers' Christmas trees were lacking in comparison to the other 2 hotels' trees. I was really surprised. I'm glad to see that there are a few of us who agree with that opinion.
And as Sherri confirmed a while back in this thread, the PPH tree really looks so much more beautiful in person, where the blue/green lights really stand out and catch your eye. The lights just don't translate in photos very well.
Plus, and I think this is important to mention - the PPH tree is much taller than anything at the DLH!
It towers above you when you enter the lobby. We already know the GCH tree is very tall - that's even evident in photos. But I would have expected at least one of the DLH towers' trees to be gigantic. And it just wasn't. What was up with that?
DLH is often labeled as being the hotel with the most Disney touches out of all 3 DLR hotels. But they fell short with their Christmas trees! Only the DLH Santa photo display wins them some points...the other 2 hotels don't have that kind of Santa set-up.
Ahhh...the DLH in the '70s. I remember seeing the DLH off in the distance from DL, and it seemed so far away, didn't it? I couldn't have ever imagined staying there at that time. Like you explained, it wasn't anything that was affordable. Plus, we lived in L.A. so it was expected that we would just drive home (now it's a quick 40 or 45-minute drive from L.A. to Anaheim and vice versa; in the old days, it seemed like it was 90 minutes). It must have been many years before we even started taking the Monorail to the hotel, and at that time I think it was because someone parked there. I can't recall what prompted us to finally get out and start walking around the DLH, but I was glad we did. There were so many restaurants and shops at that time.
I agree - I wish the Monorail was still going directly to the DLH. I honestly don't like the set-up now. The only thing that made it seem super convenient was to take the Monorail directly from the DLH into DL, and directly back to the hotel. Now, by the time you walk to the Monorail station in DTD and wait to board, you may as well just walk to the front entrance of DL.
The again, I wish they'd never hacked off a whole big chunk of the DLH and now done away with the waterfalls and koi fish.
Oh, goodness! I know I would go crazy with photos at WDW. I'm sure I could spend one whole week just wandering around the hotels, never even going into the parks. If I can crank out as many pictures as I get when I go to DLR, my head would be spinning at WDW. And imagine all the trouble I'd have with Photobucket after that trip!
You definitely should go to DLR in December! Not that August wouldn't be fun, too, but I think December is better.
Try the PIN code trick - I wouldn't try it until you have some dates narrowed down, because they might send you a PIN that expires soon. Just use whatever discount they may be advertising on the DLR website as your starting point. Use that rate and plug in your dates at that rate for the hotel you want, and then save them in your Saved Offers section. Then wait. Hopefully they will send you an email with a better offer a few days later. If it works like it did for me (and when I did it, I was not even trying to get a PIN - I was seriously just saving the offer until I made up my mind as to whether or not I could afford it), they will send you a 'We see you're considering a stay at the [fill in the blank] Hotel..." e-mail with a PIN code (in tiny print). And there are limited windows of time in which the PIN can be used.
Jazz Kitchen Express is still there! I really know better than to go so long without eating. That's just asking for trouble with my blood sugar. I know when to eat and what to eat when I'm at home. I eat at DLR when I'm with friends. But, for some reason, the combo of being
alone and at DLR is counter-intuitive to my eating properly in the morning, and I skip it when I get on a roll with photos. It's not good for me to do that.
Thank you for following along with my TR (and what's left of it from here)! I'm really glad you appreciate it and enjoy it.
...Isnt it amazing just how long it takes to actually make some progress on those check lists. I always have one a mile long! I usually mark off quite a few items every year but I always seem to find something else to add by the next trip.
How cute of them to come wave at you! I need to get over there and try that character meal!
YAY! Sherry got to meet another TKer! There's been a lot of that going on lately!
How lucky to find him alone and get to spend some quality time with him! Your aimless wandering really paid off! You've shared some great pictures with us. I'm not one to wander around the hotels but thanks to you now I have been able to see some of what lies beyond the park.
Wow! What a beautiful backdrop for photos! You have inspired me to get down to the hotel and see their Santa next time we are there during the holiday season. Not sure it will be this year. DH made some mention of a conference he has in Utah in September so he was thinking we might want to get in our DL trip during the same trip. We'll have to discuss it further before I make any definite plans. Can you believe that my DS has already asked me "How many days?"? He's such a good boy!
How lucky to stumble upon them! I would love to catch them one day. Must put that on my list! Find Mary and Bert! Glad you were able to avoid the parade next and make it back to Toontown. All the pictures were well worth another attempt!
Hmmmm..... I know where this is at but apparently I've overlooked seeing it! It's roped off. What do they have going on in this area?
It sounds like your first solo dining experience was indeed unique! Tales of disappearing gingerbread houses, children conking themselves on your chair, angry looking grandmas. Going to be hard to top all that on your future solo trips!
Thankfully the food was as expected. The picture looks really yummy but I do have to say that I have never heard of carrots in spaghetti sauce. Still the photo looks good enough that I am going to add it to my "to try" list.... even with the carrots.
I hope you realize that the more you post the longer my list is getting! 
Marie - The carrots in the spaghetti sauce at Storytellers were not huge chunks. Just little chunks! They don't overwhelm the sauce. I am not a big cooked carrots person (I'll eat them raw, but don't care for cooked at all), so if they had been large I would not have been able to get through it. For some reason, it all makes sense when you see it. It adds to the sort of 'from the garden' freshness idea that is nice for sauces - fresh herbs, fresh onions and garlic, fresh tomatoes...and fresh carrot bits!
I still wonder what happened to the gingerbread house at Storytellers!
The photo op that you overlooked is near IASW Holiday. To be honest with you, I'm not sure if it was there in November when you were at DLR. I don't think I recall seeing it then. It may be something they rolled out after Thanksgiving?
The thing is, when the crowds are heavy (like what amamax2 was describing earlier) you can't even get to that area, let alone see the photo displays. So you have to hit that spot at a time when it's not packed with people, as well as when the photo ops are actually up and out!
You never saw Mary and Bert during the 2 weeks you were at DLR? Wow!
Good question your son had - if you do a September DLR trip (the first non-holiday trip to any Disney park in years, isn't it?), which dates would you go and for how long? Halloween Time (which I know you're not a big fan of) will begin in September. The thing is, I suspect it may start later in September this year than it has the last 2 years, so you may miss it if you go early enough - but Haunted Mansion will be closed. Halloween Time will probably begin on September 23. That's my guess/hunch. Halloween Time always starts on the next to last Friday of September
or the last Friday of September...which would make it 9/23 or 9/30 this year. They
could start it on September 16th, but that would be the earliest in the month it's ever started based on their usual Friday patterns. We will see. So you will either miss HalloweenTime (which I'm sure you don't mind) and get there when Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, etc. are down...or you will end up being there for HalloweenTime!
You should wander around the hotels - especially when you stay for 2 weeks! There's lots to see! The Surf's Up with Mickey meal at the PPH looks like a lot of fun.
Yep, I met Jazz (Belle Ella) last week when she dropped by my 'hood. I just happened to meet a bunch of DIS'ers back to back, in November, December and January, but I don't expect that streak will continue. I probably won't make it back to DLR until Halloween Time, most likely. At least, Halloween is my next major time of interest (since I had to miss it last year). I'd like to do the Halloween party in DL just once. And then I hope to make my big holiday trip - and take advantage of that free PPH night and the $99 per night rate - after that. I used to always want to go to DLR on my birthday in July - and in the old days, I always made summer trips to DLR - but I just can't do those summer trips anymore. The heat does me in!
I barely make any progress on the checklists. I have the 'must do,' 'must eat,' 'must buy,' 'must photograph' lists and barely scratch the surface! You'd be amazed at some of the things on my lists that I just never got to - things that were simple to do (like stop in at the WDTC and pick up brochures), and I just never had the time or inclination to do them at that moment. But at least it always leaves me with more thigns to do on future trips, right?
Gotta love George, he makes a mean grill.
Michele - I don't think I could live without George. I think that the tiny, aqua-colored counter-top grill that I have is my most used/most loved kitchen item (well, that and the coffee maker). I'll probably have that grill buried with me in a casket when I 'go'! I have a slightly larger George model too - one that does pancakes and has various cooking plates that can be switched out - but even that's too complicated for me. I like the mini-one that I have because there's nothing to swap or switch. I use it for all my chicken and burgers.
Works for me Sherry! I'll just hunker down here and wait.
Who knows? Maybe another Sunday afternoon party!
I missed the last one.
Just gives me another good reason to postpone my TR!
Marie - If I'm behind on getting my TR finished, you're really, really behind! You had a 2+ week DLR extravaganza in November and still have not started that TR yet!
Sherry, I am still here. I have been keeping up with your TR between getting used to the kid's schedule (going to bed and falling right to sleep as soon as they started school. It doesn't make sense, but what does now a days) and putting way Christmas decor (this weekend). I have also decided to take a photo of all my Disney ornaments to be sure that I stop buying duplicates! That task has slowed me down a bit.
Tania/tdashgirl asked me to post a photo of the floor. I have been searching for it, but DH told me that it was one of the files that got lost when our computer crashed last August
So I will have to take another one. We will be staying in a studio Feb 5, but we may not have time to get into DL. DD(13) has a volleyball tourney and DD(15) and I will be attending a horse trade show. Of course, DL is no where near these activities but I originally had the reservation for a DH and I get away. Hijacked by the kids again! I have already booked a weekend for July for the get away.
Anyway, Sherry I'm still here and reading your TR with great interest.
Hi, Liza!
That's a great idea - to take photos of the ornaments so you don't keep duplicating them. I would bet that we all have that issue with certain things we accumulate a lot of - we forget exactly what we have over time. It's a great, organzied idea to document all of them with photos. Really, it's a great idea to document all possessions of any value (monetary or sentimental) for a number of reasons. (The thing is, how many of us can actually find the time to do that? Probably none of us!) Lots of women who have huge shoe collections do that - they take a photo of the shoes and put it on the end of the box, so when they hit the closet in need of the perfect pair, they see the photos and can quickly select the pair they need. And the shoes stay protected in their boxes that way.
So your February trip for just you and DH has been hijacked by the kids! That's too bad. Hopefully you will be able to set up another trip for just you and DH.
I think Sherry and that really good burger ran away 2gether LOL
Sherri -
Luckily I didn't missed much on the boards since I worked all weekend at an Anime Convention in Sacramento. It's been so busy and very exhausted after the long weekend of dealing with a lot of teenagers dressed up in Anime costumes. There were some teenagers dressed up as Disney characters during the event. I believe I saw Belle at the convention. I wished I brought my camera so I can share it to everyone on the boards. I would expect that it would be a crazy day when I go to Bakersfield in two weeks. But I will enjoy a nice time at DL before I head to Bakersfield for the Anime Convention. It will be interesting to see another person dressed up as a Disney character at the Anime Convention.
You know that I will be still on your TR and can't wait to see the last part of it.
Hi, Bret! I can imagine that the whole Anime convention was probably a madhouse, like those Comicon conventions are. Was it fun for you, or was it all exhausting?
Anyway, thanks so much for staying tuned in to this TR!
Yay, peeps!
