PTR-Cheating on Mickey w/Harry!...OMG! Only a month to go!

[ACDSNY]

Your new schedule for you trip looks fun and I hope your transition with Arline goes well, it's probably wise not to rush into finding another property too soon until you see how it goes.

 

[dgbg100106]

Yeah, I know what you mean on a lot of levels!

 

[Leshaface]

Since you'll be on this thread mostly, i'll ask here. How was the trip back to LB? Is Arline all unpacked and situated yet?

 

[franandaj]

Your new schedule for you trip looks fun and I hope your transition with Arline goes well, it's probably wise not to rush into finding another property too soon until you see how it goes.

Yeah, we'll see how this goes.

Since you'll be on this thread mostly, i'll ask here. How was the trip back to LB? Is Arline all unpacked and situated yet?

Well after you left we worked another two hours. Arline's friend's husband made us dinner and we were comatose in bed by about 10.

The next morning we got started around 10 and had the place done and cleaned by 1PM. I celebrated with fajitas, queso, and a couple of skinny patron margaritas. We spent the rest of the day waiting for it to getcool enough to brave the pool (Jim, Darcy and I), Fran stayed in the room. We got a few hours in before the kids in the SLO softball league staying at the hotel overran the place! We were all in bed by 9:30.

Jim and Darcy were on the road by 8AM. We were on the way by 10AM. Sunday we inloaded with help from her new neighbors. A lot of her furniture is in place, we have to get some put of storage, and she has a ton of boxes to go through. We need to make sure the bathroom is HA so we need to replace the toilet before she can start staying there. Plus we need to put in a ramp.

 

[franandaj]

Well I just watched the Magical fireworks from the Concierge lounge at the GCH. Glass of cabernet in hand and plenty of sweet treats to accompany. Life is good!

 

[ACDSNY]

Sounds like a well deserved break. Have fun!

 

[kmedina]

Well I just watched the Magical fireworks from the Concierge lounge at the GCH. Glass of cabernet in hand and plenty of sweet treats to accompany. Life is good!

Awesome. Your preview is almost there too. How exciting.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Nice to hear that you watch Magical from the concierge. Just a few more days until the preview of CL & BVS. It is so nice to hear that that there will be photography allowed during the preview.

 

[franandaj]

Sounds like a well deserved break. Have fun!

Thanks, we have absolutely no plans other than I am using the jacuzzi tub. I'd like to get a lamburger at Catal/Uva Bar but that's it.

Awesome. Your preview is almost there too. How exciting.

These few days are about relaxing. Fran DIDN'T want to go. She dragged her heels so long we didn't check in until quarter to seven. However we waved her special card and the CM said, "Let me check with my lead". She couldn't change our room (and I wouldn't have wanted her to), but she was able to upgrade us to Concierge! That's what we wanted!

By the time we checked in they were done with the appetizers in the lounge. We weren't counting on the concierge so I had purchased everything at the grocery store to make Joan Bergner's sausage casserole. I have no idea who Joan Bergner was but she was a neighbor of Fran on her youth and evidently she really like this casserole.

We had to pick up some medication for Arline at the grocery store/pharmacy and we decided that based on how late it was that it was better to make something easy in the room than try and go out. I hummed and hawed over steaks,but there were no good cuts. The casserole worked out well and we were done with dinner around 9:00PM.

I was a bad TR writer because I did not bring my camera to the CL. I knew I couldn't take decent fireworks shots I didn't bother to take the camera. However I forgot about the food porn in the CL. It was very good, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies and some cheesecake with a raspberry on top, a pice of chocolate pate (which I learned about making in the Napa Rose cooking school) and a bunch of chocolate strawberries. I had a half a shot of Amaretto and a glass of wine with dessert while we watched the fireworks. It was cool. They piped in the music.

Once we got back I tried to watch WoC, but we're in 3514, all the 14 rooms suck, but I could see almost nothing if I craned my neck. The trees were in the way of most id our viewing. I am going to call tomorrow and find out if Arline and I can get a VIP viewing for tomorrow night since they have added something new on the coaster, a video ring where the Mickey head used to be.

Nice to hear that you watch Magical from the concierge. Just a few more days until the preview of CL & BVS. It is so nice to hear that that there will be photography allowed during the preview.

So I'm guessing you have received a complete answer that photography is available?

 

[kmedina]

Sounds like you had an awesome day. I am glad you got the upgrade to CL. I remember you mentioning they did not offer it to DVC members, so it is a good thing they overlooked the DVC points and saw the special card. Hopefully, you get the VIP viewing for World of Color. You deserve a great Disney time, and I know that will help make the trip for you.

As far as the camera goes. No biggie. We've forgotten to take many pictures we should of. What can you do other than enjot the moment sans camera?! Your writing is pretty descriptive anyway, so I can picture all of the yummy food.

 

[PrincessInOz]

YAY for photography being allowed!!! I just caught up on Bret's thread before this one.......so I am really pleased to find out that photography is possible.
I can live vicariously!

 

[rentayenta]

I'm here, reading, and glad you're enjoying yourself.

 

[franandaj]

Sounds like you had an awesome day. I am glad you got the upgrade to CL. I remember you mentioning they did not offer it to DVC members, so it is a good thing they overlooked the DVC points and saw the special card. Hopefully, you get the VIP viewing for World of Color. You deserve a great Disney time, and I know that will help make the trip for you.

As far as the camera goes. No biggie. We've forgotten to take many pictures we should of. What can you do other than enjot the moment sans camera?! Your writing is pretty descriptive anyway, so I can picture all of the yummy food.

I guess the way they worded it was to get "guaranteed" CL with your stay you need to book through club member services, however that requires money and I haven't kept track of the exact costs, but I didn't pay close to $70K so that I would ever have to shell out money to stay at a Disney resort ever again! She said we can always ask at check in of there are any upgrades available and there were! We'll see about in a week!

YAY for photography being allowed!!! I just caught up on Bret's thread before this one.......so I am really pleased to find out that photography is possible.
I can live vicariously!

I have a few that are not too exciting but at least they are new stuff that I will post when I get back home or maybe tonight.

I'm here, reading, and glad you're enjoying yourself.

i have been. More details to come!

 

[franandaj]

So check it out everyone! This was us today!

Union Station at LA Pride Parade

 

[PrincessInOz]

So check it out everyone! This was us today!

Union Station at LA Pride Parade

The band looks great and the sound swings!

Pity that you and Fran are on the opposite side.

 

[Pinkocto]

So check it out everyone! This was us today!

Union Station at LA Pride Parade

Sounds great! I wish the clip was longer. Looks like a lot of fun

 

[franandaj]

The band looks great and the sound swings!

Pity that you and Fran are on the opposite side.

Sounds great! I wish the clip was longer. Looks like a lot of fun

Hey! I'm just happy that someone actually took the time to record it and post it! This is the only sound recording that we have from a parade so far.

Thanks! I'm really tired now, but will have some updates from the past week and yesterday.

 

[franandaj]

As you know we were out at the park Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I already told you about Tuesday. Wednesday we went into DCA because Fran was looking for some particular artwork. I was also on a mission for Brandi. Plus I wanted to see what we could of the new construction (which wasn’t much). Rather than dawdle talking about the stuff we did, I’ll just get down to posting the pictures.

Menu for the Cathay Circle Restaurant

Some things that I could see over the construction walls

And the newly remodeled La Brea Bakery Express

By the time we finished rides, it was well past lunch time. Fran declined as she said she wasn’t hungry and we went to Catal and split a lamburger. They changed their menu since the time we were there last month. I liked the old one better, but at least this item was still on the menu.

Then we went back to the room and took a nap. I never fall asleep in the middle of the day, and I went out like a light. We woke up around 5:30PM and decided that this would be a good time to head out for some dinner. We went back to DCA and I took a few more shots

I was envying these people.

And these people too (the ones dining in the restaurant)

This was all that I was seeing of Carsland today.

So we had a glass of wine at the winery and then we went by the new Ghiradelli place

But eventually ended up at the Garden Grill for dinner. This was a Beef Kefta Kebab with Tzatziki Sauce. Very tasty and plenty for two.

We headed to the Hearthstone Lounge and I had a Martini while Arline enjoyed some Iced tea, and then we stopped by the CL to get Fran something for dinner. She had an uncrustable, some cookies and chocolate covered strawberries. After a little while we decided to go find our places for the 10:15PM WoC showing. We had the VIP section all to ourselves.

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

My little P&S doesn’t do justice to this show, but I was too lazy to get the DSLR out of my suitcase!

They’ve added something new to the show, now towards the end this little sign on the Coaster starts to light up and display characters, I was lucky to get one decent shot.

After the show we headed up to the room and I took another spin in the awesome Jacuzzi tub. Sleep came almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Since we knew that the CL served breakfast until 10AM we didn’t hurry to get out of bed, but I did start to pack things up so that by the time we headed up to the lounge almost all the luggage was secured. I really like having that perk, so I hope that the pixie dust continues to sparkle for us even though DVC members aren’t supposed to technically get it. We checked out even before 11AM and got on the road home. We stopped at the bank to deposit the rent checks and by Arline’s place because on the way to the park we had set off Roach bombs, just in case there were some stowaways in her boxes. We needed to air out the place. Since we found a couple dead roaches in her place when cleaning it, we thought better safe than sorry!

OK so that little part over. Funny that was about 40 hours and it could almost be contained in one little post. The next part only covers about seven hours and I took over 260 pictures. Of course I won’t be showing them all to you because some of the didn’t come out. But I tried!

So here goes, we had tickets to the Carsland Preview on Saturday June 9, from 1PM to 5PM. I knew getting in there would be a big long line, so I wanted to get there early. We parked at the Grand Californian and the place was a zoo. Normally I have a Valet who is willing to help me with the scooters, but it wasn’t until I was unloading the last one that someone spied us and came running to help. As we headed to DTD I saw this. Now don’t think I got a great shot of the monorail heading through the hotel. There were people sticking their heads and arms out of the window of this completely stopped monorail. I hope they weren’t like this for too long!

We were on the Esplanade ready to go at 11AM, but we had to wait for John and Suzie, the whole party needed to be present and they ran a little late and weren’t there until 11:30. We had heard from a friend who was also attending the preview that you could go into BVS for shopping as soon as had your wristband (Good thinking Disney!).

Wristband….check!

so we went right on in. Immediately I started snapping pictures.

And posing for them

I imagine that once the barriers are down this will transport you over to the ToT since they laid all those tracks over the past two years.

This is the Hyperion Bridge (or a replica thereof), it’s an old LA Landmark that we drive underneath every week on our way to band. It was kind of cool to have them recreate it here, although the Golden Gate was cool, but it’s not in LA.

Elias and Company is a little like the “Emporium” of DCA, it’s really nice and classy inside. I have pictures from later.

Now it was somewhere around here that John exclaimed “Starbucks?” in a most indignant and bothered voice. He’s a Peet’s Coffee Kind of guy.

We entered the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café to check out the menu. I was hungry, but alas, I was not really going to get anything to eat for another 8-9 hours.

Nothing really appealed to me here, but as I look back, I think I would like the Roast Beef Sandwich.

Here are some shots of the restaurant

And with that we headed off to our 1PM Preview, to get in a very long long line.

Next up, we actually get into Carsland!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Shots look great! Nice to at least get a view of the new places sitting so far away this side of the pond. Thanks for sharing. And I'll have the roast beef sanger too.

Looking forward to CL.