Pre-trip Gramma and the Button do DL July 10-13

[catexer]

In just a few weeks..... less than 4 to be exact Gramma (me) will be taking Button the 5 yr old DGD to Disneyland alone for a girls only trip!!! This is a dream come true for me. Something I've wanted to do since she was born.

So first I guess I should introduce us.

I'm the Gramma, 50 something, Disney nut, who hasn't been able to take a "year off" from visiting the Mouse in either CA or FL for at least the last 5 yrs. Getting go make the pilgramige from WA 3 times last year!! Felt so blessed.

Button... DGD called Button because she is as cute as a button. Truly is being raised right. Having been to DL or WDW every year since she was conceived, went inutero her first time.

This trip will be a surprise for Button, IF I can keep it under wraps. But I think she will figure it out when we arrive at the airport, after all in her world all plane rides end in Disney.

I expect we will spend a lot of time on her favorite rides: Flying & Crazy Train.

As well as meet TinkerBelle her very favorite charactor. When her mother married last year Button declined to be the flower girl, preferring instead to be a "flower fairy" wings had to be procurred so she could fill the flower fairy role, and a darned adorable fairy she was.

 

[catexer]

first let me apologize for my misspelling of the word "due" in my title. although it you think about it Button and I are "due" a trip.

Today I changed our hotel. I'd originally booked the Motel 6 on Disney Drive, this being something of a last minute buget trip, what with going to WDW this coming December. But I decided to move us to the Quality Inn and Suites on Manchester, having stayed there last year, and would rather not do an new to me hotel on my own.

Button and her mom stopped by for a few minutes today, Button was talking about wanting to go to Paris (remember she is 5) because she wants to see where Ratattoulle (sp?) lives, and she needs to buy "Paris clothes".... those would be striped.

In just over three weeks she and I will be heading to our traditional first ride of the trip. Jungle Cruise. So very excited

 

[catexer]

24 days and counting, but who's counting? oh that would be me!!! Seems like all I do is count my life away, 24 days till Disney 11 till the RnR marathon, 174 till WDW. 3 till Saturday etc.

In the next 24 days I will run my second marathon the RnRSeattle, actually that is in just 11 days, hope I've trained enough.

To keep from fretting about the marathon, I'm concentrating on my surprise for Button. I need to get her a new princess gown or fairy dress, can't decide which. All of her current ones have been very well loved, and are showing it. She is currently most in love with Tink so I'm thinking I need to find a fairy dress for our meet n greet with the divine Miss T.

 

[catexer]

so now we are one week from the RnR Seattle Marathon, and 20 days from my big reward for running 26.2 miles in one day as well as all the training runs leading up to the race. ONE more training run tomorrow 8-10 miles, and a week of gentle walks etc... then run run as much as I can.

On to trip planning info. I have made a Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique reservation for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for Button, but I am on the fence about it. I am certain Button would really love the attention, however, trying to keep this trip reasonably priced, I am having to decide between the boutique experience and a character meal. We ALWAYS do a character meal. I'm thinking maybe this time we should visit Ariels Grotto, it has been a couple of years since we did that one.

I suppose I could hit up the dollar store before we go and get some hair foo foo's and so on, and do my own make-over in our hotel.

She will get to do the BBB in WDW when we (all of us her mom, dad, papa and I go to the "big Disney"). And that trip may now include her uncle and little two year old cousin Squirt. Now that would be very cool, and this gramma would love that.

 

[catexer]

Today I went to Costco for a stock up trip... .UGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH

But I found some really cute things for the Button. I got the cutest Tinkerbell T-shirt and skort set for her to wear the day we go to Pixie Hollow. And instead of a new princess gown this trip, I found an adorable sundress. Hopefully it will work for her. I am afraid that a princess dress up gown would be too hot and uncomfortable in July.

The plan dor our departure is coming together. Button's mom is going to be driving "me" to the airport. All of Button's clothes will be in my suitcase, and we will say goodbye to mom at the curb. In Button's young life the only flights she has ever taken have lead to Disney, so I am pretty sure she will guess where we are going when we get into the airport.

19 days and counting......

and six days till the RnR Seattle Marathon.

 

[catexer]

so today I booked the shuttle from LGB to our hotel. Went through my old confirmation e-mails to see who I'd used in the past, Primetime Shuttle seemed to be the one I turn to most often. Didn't see any need to re-invent the wheel.

19 days till Button and I take our traditional first ride of the trip............. for as long as we've been visiting Mickey, we've ridden Jungle Cruise first. Just a few more days until we open the trip right with a visit to Adventure Land and a up close and personal view of the backside of water.

 

[catexer]

added Ariel's Grotto to our itinerary. So Saturday will be get up early for our MM and BBB, with lunch across the esplanade at Ariel's.

DD says I will be bringing home a stinking rotten child . I say not rotten, just well loved.

besides who knows if Button and I will ever get to take a trip like this alone again. AND she is only 5 for a little while. I hope she believes in the magic forever and ever, but right now she truly BELIEVES and I want to enjoy that.

 

[Lisa S.]

Great PTR - you're a fantastic Grandma! You and Button are going to have a great time.

 

[catexer]

5 hrs 11 min 9 seconds! average pace of 11:52. Had a great time, most of the way.... ok the last 6 miles were totally hard, icky, nasty terrible . But like the pain of childbirth the pain of those miles is fading and the memory of the crowds, music, and feeling of completing a difficult seemingly nigh on to impossible task is freaking awesome.

now Button and I are less than two weeks from our big trip, and still she doesn't know!!!!!

The traveling Disney Store outlet store has opened in our local outlet mall, just in time, must find some time next weekend to stop by and see if there is anything we can't live without for our trip...........

also need to go to either the dollar store or Michaels to get some glowy things for our nights in the park. Found my box of "wedding bubbles" so I will toss a couple of the bottles in our bag, for those times when we need to fill some time in line.

yea haw... rocked Seattle and now I get to go to Disneyland!!! Life is good.

 

[catexer]

9 days and counting.... single digits! yea haw.

just have six work days before we get to fly away.

My recovery from the marathon is coming along, blisters on my right foot nearly gone, the ones on the left foot were a bit larger, and are taking longer to heal. Probably won't be running in the local 4th of July foot race, need to have my feet in good shape for the parks!

 

[catexer]

happy 4TH!! As expected I did not run in the local 4th of July foot race this morning. Blisters are healing well, and I probably could have managed it just fine, but I had an opportunity to babysit my 22 mo grandson, so I opted to play with the grandboy instead of run.

6 days just 6 days till Button and I fly away to our happy place. Yesterday I made a trip to the local dollar store for glowy necklaces and bracelets to have for our nights in the parks.

Going to be a very very busy week. Instead of cruising the Dis boards I should be making a grocery list and working on my meeting plan for my two Weight Watchers meetings this week, but I am sitting her surfing while the grandboy naps.

tomorrow I need to go and get my hair cut, need to do that shopping thing and those WW meeting thingybobs. As well as attend a BBQ at my BBF's of 33 yrs house, her eldest is home for a visit and we haven't seen him in a little more than a year.

Monday-Thursday WORK .. Monday and Tuesday both the day job and the WW gig. Thursday we are going to a neighboring town to hear the aformentioned visiting child play music in a local bar ... he is an aspiring musician currently living in LA. OH and Thursday DD wants me to take a yoga class with her......

Friday morning Button and I have to be at the airport at 6 a.m. for our 8 a.m. flight. And it is a 90 min drive to the airport.

oh and YES Button is still in the dark, although it is very hard to not say something to her. I'm doing my best.

 

[QueenDoOver]

first let me apologize for my misspelling of the word "due" in my title. although it you think about it Button and I are "due" a trip.

Today I changed our hotel. I'd originally booked the Motel 6 on Disney Drive, this being something of a last minute buget trip, what with going to WDW this coming December. But I decided to move us to the Quality Inn and Suites on Manchester, having stayed there last year, and would rather not do an new to me hotel on my own.

Button and her mom stopped by for a few minutes today, Button was talking about wanting to go to Paris (remember she is 5) because she wants to see where Ratattoulle (sp?) lives, and she needs to buy "Paris clothes".... those would be striped.

In just over three weeks she and I will be heading to our traditional first ride of the trip. Jungle Cruise. So very excited

Hello from Mukilteo! First Congrats on the Marathon. That is an amazing accomplishment! You do indeed deserve a trip to disneyland!

Hey, I was wondering...Is the Quality Inn on Manchester okay to stay at. Clean, etc?? If you think about it will you take pictures? I would love to see what it looks like. The reviews are so back and forth, but some of the reviews are really old. Also, I am wondering about the walk. Do you have to go up Manchester to the crosswalk, or I guess you could cut across Mimi's? Or is there a shorter route?

Thanks so much, and have a wonderful trip. Just around the corner now.

Tracey

 

[magicallyDisney001]

Congrats on the marathon and your much-deserved Disney trip! Hope you have a great time!

 

[catexer]

Tracey, I've stayed at the Quality Inn twice last year. It is an older hotel, as most of them are around the DL resort. It has been refurbished recently.

It is clean, I found the staff to be helpful/friendly. To get to the park, you walk through the Quality Inn parking lot, there is a short path that gets you to the sidewalk on Manchester (directly across the street from the HoJo's). We always cut through Mimi's parking lot saving 1/2 block or so.

The rooms are SMALL. but again very clean, there is a fridge, microwave, coffee pot in each room. There is a small pool, I have never used it, maybe this time.

There is a continental breakfast, with fresh waffles, & lots of other carb type foods, we only made use of it once during our first visit last year, and my second stay was just for one night and I chose to have breakfast at the Blue Ribbon Bakery that day.

I will try to remember to get some pictures for you. We are supposed to be in a queen room (with 1 bed) Button will insist on sleeping with me no matter the size of the bed we have.

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 3 days!!!!!!!

 

[catexer]

got the brilliant idea to check the AARP/Expedia site for our room at the Quality Inn, and whoo hoo the same room for the same dates was $50.00 less. So being nobody's fool (cept maybe my own) I quickly booked it, so now it is pre-paid and ready to go at only $216.00 for our three nights.

canceled the other ressie soon as I got the confirmation from AARP.

Guess it pays to be a card carrying old phart that $50.00 just about will cover the BBB experience Button is having Saturday morning.

 

[catexer]

I'm so excited, just 24 hrs till Button and I fly out of SeaTac headed to LGB.

I'm nearly packed, have a couple more things to add to the suitcase. Have to get through the day at work UGH

Tonight taking a yoga class with DD this is a new one for me.... I'm not very bendy. I hope I am not terribly sore tomorrow.

And then have to go to listen to my BFF's eldest son play at an acoustical bar for a while. Going to be a very busy evening.

Head for the airport at 4:45 a.m. tomorrow.

Still haven't told Button, and really don't know if I want to tell her, or let her figure it out. I THINK she will guess where we are going when we get to the airport, because in her world the airport is the portal to Disney, the only place she has ever flown is Disney.

 

[magicallyDisney001]

Hooray for less-than-24-hour-countdown! Hope you and Button have a wonderful trip!

 

[catexer]

will start working on the trip report and getting that photobucket thing figured out soon.


came home contented but very very tired, and yes Button was surprised, although didn't get the reaction I'd hoped for.

when we were driving to the airport I asked her if she'd like to go to Disneyland with me, she said "no, I'm supposed to go to daycare today". convinced her it would be ok to skip daycare. silly little button

 

[QueenDoOver]

Welcome back. Can't wait to hear how the trip went.