agoofylover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2006
- Messages
- 143
We just got back from our trip on Saturday. I have to first say that it was a great time to go, even though my Kindergartener had to miss a week of school! We flew on Alaska and my sons ushered into the cockpit to have their pictures taken with a pilot hat! It was so sweet and cute. I had a back pack with books, coloring, stickers,etc. but they just enjoyed their first plane ride. It was nice having a direct flight! We rented a minivan to get us to our hotel and for our future drive to San Diego. This was all done previously through the WDTC. I wouldn't really recommend their personal car insurrance, because I later found out it is pretty much the same as your own car insurance, and you have to pay first(with a deductable) and then send your claim into the insurance co. The alamo insurance costs more...but you can just walk away without having to worry about deductable or anything. Just an FYI. The airport John Wayne(santa anna) was nice and small and the car rental places were right there too. It only took us about 20 minutes to get to our hotel. We arrived Sunday at the Residence Inn Resort (located 1 mile from Disneyland on Harbor Blvd). We booked a kids suite. It was great! Clean, a seperate room with a bunk for the kids (and their own full bathroom that DH and I used too.) A seperate bedroom and bathroom with a king bed(for Grandpa and Grandma). A living room and full kitchen. Each room had a TV and the kids room had a vcr. Breakfast was included and was decent. No meats, but waffles, pancakes, eggs, yogurt, bagels, toast, etc. Pool was nice and clean(plenty of towels)and opened to 10pm. An evening reception from 5 to 7 during the week...light dinner items and beverages. Don't use laundry room. Dryer didn't dry and cost 1.75. We checked in early at 11am and had no problems. Took the shuttle daily to and from park...picks up right outside hotel. We were kiddie-corner from Target, and next to a starbucks at the Hyatt. Red robin and the Outback were very near too. We had no problem finding parking either (free at the hotel). I had pre purchased each a little something from the disneystore and placed under my boys pillows, while they were distracted. They later thought mickey had tinkerbell place the items there! It was cute.
We had a 3 day DL hopper and later upgraded to a 4 day hopper(please read my recent post on other thread called, "Use caution when booking with WDTC). Our first day was the only day that DL was open late 10pm and DH and I were scheduled for the 9pm fantasmic buffet. We saw the parade, did some rides and then My dad and stepmom took our boys (3&5)back to the hotel to go swim/bed around 6:30pm. DH and I took this opportunity without kids to do some big rides at DCA. We really liked the Maliboomer, Tower of Terror, soarin, Cal screamin'. We went back to DL just before our 8:30 check in and did TMRR, Potc. We loved, loved, loved the buffet. It was some good treats...gourmet, with some fruits and cheese/crackers too. We got right in the front/middle. It still goes by who calls first...and you don't need to be there until the 8:30 check in. After, we did a couple of more rides until the parked closed.
Day 2 we went back to DL and used EE did the FL rides and then EE into toon town went back for a nap around 2:30pm. Grandma and Grandpa stayed at the resort and went to DCA. DH and I returned to the park with boys around 5:30 and did more FL rides, Potc, splash with the boys. DS3 wanted to go on everything, DS5 has gotten pretty shy of rides at this particular age(didn't used to be).We were able to get alot done this eve. Low lines.
We closed the park(8pm) and went to bed.
Day 3 my dad spent the day with his brother (lives in Laguna)and step-mom, Dh and sons upgrade to 4day. We went to DCA and took boys to meet mater and Lightning McQueen from "Cars". Probably their highlight!! We did all the kid rides and soarin. The kids enjoyed the park, but DL much more! We left when DCA closed(6pm) and went swimming at the pool.
Day 4 Ate breakfast at Goofy's. (check shuttle times ours time wouldn't get us to the park early enough for breakfast time...so rescheduled for a little later). Spent day at DL and did Tomorrowland, split up kids (one with us/one with grandparents). Relaxed and let them choose rides. Kids were tired and went back with Grandpa&Grandma aroung 6pm. DH and I did the big rides at both parks that we missed (shopped) until the last minute. (8pm).
Day 5 left hotel at 11am and drove to San Diego (no traffic problems and on a thursday). We arrived around 12:45 and that's with a stop at a rest stop!! Yeh. We stayed in the Embassy Suites Downtown and loved it! Dad and DH went over to the USS Midway(short walk) for a tour, while we napped. From 5:30-7:30pm they have happy hour downstairs. Drinks(even margaritas/Long Islands, etc.)FREE!! Chips, nuts, salsa, nacho cheese, etc. plus other drinks and even stuff to make fun kids drinks!! We walked around Seaport Village(across street) rode the carousel and looked in shops. Nothing spectacular.
Day 6 Hotel was nice. View of Harbor. Only one bathroom, also outside vanity...but mini fridge, microwave, living area and seperate bedroom with two full size beds. Great free breakfast included. Full breakfast with made to order eggs, french toast, etc, etc. Very good. Pool inside and nice (open until 11pm) . Good laundry facility $1 each and great dryer!! Restaurant downstairs..good, but expensive. Starbucks downstairs...and regular prices. Went to Seaworld. Easy 10 minute drive. See the shows first and then do the rest. Closed at 6pm on a Friday and we had plenty of time for all of it.
Came back and at at the hospitality snack hour. (had a late lunch at Seaworld). Did the pool with the boys and put to bed. Grandpa and Grandma too!! We (DH and I) went downstairs to restaurant and had a light late night dinner. Good...but pricey!!
Day 7 Packed up and then went to zoo. It's a 10 minute drive max. It's your zoo, with lots of cool folige(jungle), lots of hills, more spread out. It did have some different animals....Pandas an hour wait.(didn't do). Overall, if you have a decent zoo....it might not wow you. Lot's and lot's of walking. We stayed until 5pm and headed off to return car at airport alamo. It was fast and only took about 30 minutes from the zoo until the time that we arrived by the shuttle from alamo to the airport. We had a little longer wait at the airport...but a nice quiet evening flight back home.
What I would change....Remember going with another person besides spouse will throw monkey wrenches into plans.(they didn't get why we needed to arrive before park openings)
Maybe one more character meal...characters in the parks were scarce...and everytime we found one...they had to leave for a parade or something. I only saw one princess...other than that it was the pooh characters and the ones in toon town. We only have 6 signatures in the autograph books...and that's with a character meal!!
What we did right....hotels, itinary, TIME OF YEAR! (longest wait was 10-15 minutes for peter pan!) Didn't need any fastpasses...
If you have any questions...let me know!
We had a 3 day DL hopper and later upgraded to a 4 day hopper(please read my recent post on other thread called, "Use caution when booking with WDTC). Our first day was the only day that DL was open late 10pm and DH and I were scheduled for the 9pm fantasmic buffet. We saw the parade, did some rides and then My dad and stepmom took our boys (3&5)back to the hotel to go swim/bed around 6:30pm. DH and I took this opportunity without kids to do some big rides at DCA. We really liked the Maliboomer, Tower of Terror, soarin, Cal screamin'. We went back to DL just before our 8:30 check in and did TMRR, Potc. We loved, loved, loved the buffet. It was some good treats...gourmet, with some fruits and cheese/crackers too. We got right in the front/middle. It still goes by who calls first...and you don't need to be there until the 8:30 check in. After, we did a couple of more rides until the parked closed.
Day 2 we went back to DL and used EE did the FL rides and then EE into toon town went back for a nap around 2:30pm. Grandma and Grandpa stayed at the resort and went to DCA. DH and I returned to the park with boys around 5:30 and did more FL rides, Potc, splash with the boys. DS3 wanted to go on everything, DS5 has gotten pretty shy of rides at this particular age(didn't used to be).We were able to get alot done this eve. Low lines.
We closed the park(8pm) and went to bed.
Day 3 my dad spent the day with his brother (lives in Laguna)and step-mom, Dh and sons upgrade to 4day. We went to DCA and took boys to meet mater and Lightning McQueen from "Cars". Probably their highlight!! We did all the kid rides and soarin. The kids enjoyed the park, but DL much more! We left when DCA closed(6pm) and went swimming at the pool.
Day 4 Ate breakfast at Goofy's. (check shuttle times ours time wouldn't get us to the park early enough for breakfast time...so rescheduled for a little later). Spent day at DL and did Tomorrowland, split up kids (one with us/one with grandparents). Relaxed and let them choose rides. Kids were tired and went back with Grandpa&Grandma aroung 6pm. DH and I did the big rides at both parks that we missed (shopped) until the last minute. (8pm).
Day 5 left hotel at 11am and drove to San Diego (no traffic problems and on a thursday). We arrived around 12:45 and that's with a stop at a rest stop!! Yeh. We stayed in the Embassy Suites Downtown and loved it! Dad and DH went over to the USS Midway(short walk) for a tour, while we napped. From 5:30-7:30pm they have happy hour downstairs. Drinks(even margaritas/Long Islands, etc.)FREE!! Chips, nuts, salsa, nacho cheese, etc. plus other drinks and even stuff to make fun kids drinks!! We walked around Seaport Village(across street) rode the carousel and looked in shops. Nothing spectacular.
Day 6 Hotel was nice. View of Harbor. Only one bathroom, also outside vanity...but mini fridge, microwave, living area and seperate bedroom with two full size beds. Great free breakfast included. Full breakfast with made to order eggs, french toast, etc, etc. Very good. Pool inside and nice (open until 11pm) . Good laundry facility $1 each and great dryer!! Restaurant downstairs..good, but expensive. Starbucks downstairs...and regular prices. Went to Seaworld. Easy 10 minute drive. See the shows first and then do the rest. Closed at 6pm on a Friday and we had plenty of time for all of it.
Came back and at at the hospitality snack hour. (had a late lunch at Seaworld). Did the pool with the boys and put to bed. Grandpa and Grandma too!! We (DH and I) went downstairs to restaurant and had a light late night dinner. Good...but pricey!!
Day 7 Packed up and then went to zoo. It's a 10 minute drive max. It's your zoo, with lots of cool folige(jungle), lots of hills, more spread out. It did have some different animals....Pandas an hour wait.(didn't do). Overall, if you have a decent zoo....it might not wow you. Lot's and lot's of walking. We stayed until 5pm and headed off to return car at airport alamo. It was fast and only took about 30 minutes from the zoo until the time that we arrived by the shuttle from alamo to the airport. We had a little longer wait at the airport...but a nice quiet evening flight back home.
What I would change....Remember going with another person besides spouse will throw monkey wrenches into plans.(they didn't get why we needed to arrive before park openings)
Maybe one more character meal...characters in the parks were scarce...and everytime we found one...they had to leave for a parade or something. I only saw one princess...other than that it was the pooh characters and the ones in toon town. We only have 6 signatures in the autograph books...and that's with a character meal!!
What we did right....hotels, itinary, TIME OF YEAR! (longest wait was 10-15 minutes for peter pan!) Didn't need any fastpasses...
If you have any questions...let me know!
I would say that you could still get a good spot 45 minutes prior on this day at Fantasmic. 
