*****Official February 2015 Thread! Come check in and chat!*****

[Satye1]

I have used a Bagallini, cross body in the past for my things and it is not too bad. Maybe we can just be in charge of our own water although I can see me ending up holding them most of the time already. "Mom hold this". "mommy hold that". LOL.

My DH will wear a backpack-holding water & few small things...we usually get a small locker too for extras shoes, extra sweatshirts, sometimes change of clothes etc.

 

[Larissa]

Here's my trip hope-to-do list:
1. Indiana Jones
2. Small World
3. Radiator Spring's Racers
4. Mickey pretzel
5. Try Dole Whip (if they are open) as I have never had one and everyone here seems to adore them. I'm not convinced I'll like it seeing as how there is no chocolate, but it's worth a go.
6. Get a Silhouette for my scrapbook (or rather, to stick in the back of my photobook. They're such a cool and relatively inexpensive souvenir!)
7. Eat at Flo's for dinner

And I'm going to steal these from lindyv321:

8. Visit City Hall on Main Street to become an official citizen of Disneyland (you can do this?)
9. Visit the Chamber of Commerce in DCA to get a copy of the Buena Vista Bugle (you can do this??)
10. Request a map of the Jungle Cruise (I've heard about this one but have never done it).

Regarding the closures, I'm not smiling ear to ear about them, but I'll deal with it. I figure I'm lucky enough to be able to go to Disneyland. Then again, I have been before so if this was my first trip it may feel different.
Regardless, I'm sure everyone is going to have a good time.

 

[Aladora]

I have used a Bagallini, cross body in the past for my things and it is not too bad. Maybe we can just be in charge of our own water although I can see me ending up holding them most of the time already. "Mom hold this". "mommy hold that". LOL.

I can check later and see if I can find a link to the backpack DS uses. It's really tiny, I think it is officially a toddler backpack from MEC but the straps extend enough to fit me. It has pouches on the side that fit a bottle of water perfectly and inside is big enough for him to carry his Nintendo DS, over the ear headphones (so, not earbud type), a snack and whatever other odds and ends he has decided he must have! It's not heavy so he does not complain and he knows that the rule now is that anything he wants in the park he has to carry himself.

 

[AZMermaid]

This is our last stroller trip (probably)- total mixed bag! I think it will be nice to have it for a winter trip for sweatshirts and stuff. Next time (likely June 2016) my husband and I will prob each carry a backpack. They will be 4 and 5.5 next time, so while not stroller age, probably not backpack age yet either. I got a Disney Vera Bradley backpack for Christmas that should work well. I'm always on the hunt for a good Disney bag!

 

[AZMermaid]

My first graders have these water bottle strappy things that they get at Justice. They are adorable for young girls. They wear them cross body. They'd be perfect for DL. They are very girly though! Lots of sparkle!

 

[Aladora]

Hoping that this link works since I am doing this from my phone but the pack my son carries is similar to this one:

http://www.mec.ca/product/5031-537/littlelife-runabout-daysack-kids/?bc=50084/50042+50084

It's pretty small, only 3L but he even uses it as his carry on for flights so it holds enough!

 

[tygersclaw]

Well being newbies/first timers to DLP, I am hoping that we can take in...

1. Frozen (Anna & Elsa' Royal Welcome, Olaf's Snow Fest)
2. It's A Small World
3. The Dumbo The Flying Elephant Ride
4. Thinking of the Fantasmic! Blue Bayou Dinner/Show
5. At least 1 Character Breakfast (Mickie/Minnie??? not sure which is best...suggestions welcomed)
6. The Little Mermaid (if open)
7. Castle walk-through (if available)
8. Fireworks & Mickey's Parade
9. Alice in Wonderland
10. Monorail (if available)
11. Disney Main Street
12. City Hall
13. Meet as many of the Disney Princesses as we can and get autographs (Fantasy Faire??)
14. Mark Twain Riverboat
15. Tom Sawyer Island at least once
16. Disney's Aladdin Show
17. Downtown Disney
18. Freeze The Night

Plus anything else we can squeeze in over the 3 days we will have the Passes and 1/2 day/evening when we first arrive and will not have a pass.

I know the list is ambitious, but, this IS our first ever trip so if we do not do it all, there will be more to come back to the next time we visit.

 

[KalamityJane]

Middle kid is 41" tall right now... what are the things he can't ride on? Are most things 40" min height? For some reason I had 42" in my head - oldest kid was 42" at 3y4m so I know she could ride just about everything except Screamin.

 

[AZMermaid]

The 42" stuff is

Grizzly (closed)
Matterhorn (closed)
Goofy's Sky School

Indy is 46"
Screamin' is 48"

 

[KalamityJane]

The 42" stuff is Grizzly (closed) Matterhorn (closed) Goofy's Sky School Indy is 46" Screamin' is 48"

Redwood creek (closed) used to haves tire swing thing that was 42" too, I think?

Also thanks! I will distract him from Sky School, he's my daredevil and I'm sure he would want to try it.

 

[AZMermaid]

tygersclaw- your list is super doable in 3 days!

As for Character Breakfast, the only one in the park is Minnie and Friends. People love this one. We had a really awful experience and are super reluctant to go back. But, we learned- 1) go early. You can even go before opening. We were trying to make a early lunch out of it and all the bad reviews I have read involve a similar 10:30 reservation. 2) If they try to sit you outside, tell them you want inside. We were outside near the bushes 3) If no-one else is sitting in that area. Ask to be moved. We were all by ourselves.

We have done and enjoyed Surf's Up with Mickey at Paradise Pier.

We are doing Storytellers this time. The characters aren't as well known (Chip, Dale, Meeko, Koda, Kenai). We wanted the princesses, but Ariel's is closed.

Goofy's kitchen at Disneyland Hotel gets mixed reviews, but better at breakfast. We have never done this one.

 

[KalamityJane]

We did Goofy's Kitchen but that was before they changed it to just 4 characters. We also did Surf's Up and I highly recommend that one! Get a earlier time for it though.

 

[AZMermaid]

We did Goofy's Kitchen but that was before they changed it to just 4 characters. We also did Surf's Up and I highly recommend that one! Get a earlier time for it though.

Which 4 is it? We would have been thrilled with 4 at Minnie's! Well- we ended up with 4 I think, but after over an hour of no-one and having to complain to the person at the front.

 

[Aladora]

We've done all the character meals except the Ariel's Grotto one. So far the only one we have done more than once is the Minnie and Friends at Plaza Inn and we have done that 3 times. The first two were amazing but the last one was pretty terrible but not all of the reasons it was bad were their fault.

Definitely though, if you do the Minnie one, I agree with the pp who said to ask to sit inside. Not only is it likely to be a bit chilly outside but it's easier for some of the characters to miss your table if you are outside.

 

[MG3G]

Hi everyone ---
So we changed our hotel after all we are now staying at the Castle Inn and Suites. Dates remain the same though.

Bit further, bit smaller room, and no breakfast but WAY cheaper then the rate I had at the Desert Inn so hopefully I won't regret that choice!




Oh and I hesitate to bring this up AGAIN - but the "magic" we received wasn't like earth shattering goodies - it was just a small good will gesture. I CERTAINLY never asked for anything and/or went in with an attitude expecting things and I "think" that might be the reason why the CM I talked to was so kind. I contacted them expressly to find out what was happening and how I could make that work still for our trip. I wanted advice, not to complain.

The magic could have been the holidays, OR it could have been the phone tag we played for a week, OR it could be that I am sick, OR it could be that I have brown hair and brown eyes or.... - lol. I'm sorry that some are feeling less heard from Disney but I want to make SUPER, DUPER clear that I was just lucky. If people are still really upset I still maintain it doesn't hurt to call or email and tell Disney but don't go in thinking you are going to "get" something. In the end the "thing" that I got most of out my call was information. Now I know and I can prepare for our trip.

 

[Aladora]

Hi everyone --- So we changed our hotel after all we are now staying at the Castle Inn and Suites. Dates remain the same though. Bit further, bit smaller room, and no breakfast but WAY cheaper then the rate I had at the Desert Inn so hopefully I won't regret that choice!

I'll change the first post when I get home. And if it makes you feel better, you would not want to eat the DI&S breakfast anyway, it is yuck. And the walk from the Castle Inn is definitely longer but it is really not bad. My then 8 year old did the walk to the park and back twice each day without much complaining! And it was in the mid to high 30's (Celsius) when we were there.

 

[MG3G]

I'll change the first post when I get home. And if it makes you feel better, you would not want to eat the DI&S breakfast anyway, it is yuck. And the walk from the Castle Inn is definitely longer but it is really not bad. My then 8 year old did the walk to the park and back twice each day without much complaining! And it was in the mid to high 30's (Celsius) when we were there.

Thanks! Ya I was a bit worried about the breakfast so having none now isn't a huge deal. Someone else I was talking to had a BRILLIANT idea too. If the walk to the hotel is too far at night I can take my scooter back to the hotel (no walking) pop into the rental car and go and pick everyone up - lol

 

[Aladora]

Thanks! Ya I was a bit worried about the breakfast so having none now isn't a huge deal. Someone else I was talking to had a BRILLIANT idea too. If the walk to the hotel is too far at night I can take my scooter back to the hotel (no walking) pop into the rental car and go and pick everyone up - lol

Using Google Maps pedometer, it is 0.5898 miles from the Castle Inn to the center of the plaza before you enter either DL or DCA.

From the DI&S it is 0.3308 Miles so really not too much further from the Castle Inn.

 

[Aladora]

My dad and step mother are Snowbirds and for Christmas they sent us $200 in Disneyland gift cards that finally arrived today! That is going to pay for our BB F! dinner, yay!

Edited to add: the part about dad and step mom being snowbirds is only relevant since you can't get Disneyland gift cards sent to Canada via the DL website anymore. (sorry, get a glass of wine into me and I stop making sense to others...)

 

[jasy]

My dad and step mother are Snowbirds and for Christmas they sent us $200 in Disneyland gift cards that finally arrived today! That is going to pay for our BB F! dinner, yay!

Edited to add: the part about dad and step mom being snowbirds is only relevant since you can't get Disneyland gift cards sent to Canada via the DL website anymore. (sorry, get a glass of wine into me and I stop making sense to others...)

Woo! That's great. My dad was in San Diego over the holidays and brought me back Disney gift cards too!