PTR: December 2012 - Disneyland, LA & Hawaii

[Beee]

Got an email this afternoon saying the passport applications have arrived at internal affairs so we will hopefully have them in a couple of weeks.
Have also printed out $5 off vouchers for the disneyland resort express so we will just pay on the bus for that rather than buying tickets online now. Has anyone caught the amtrak train from anaheim to union station? Was thinking if the mr. is too chicken to rent a car we will taxi to the station from dlh and then taxi from union station to hollywood. otherwise looks like a taxi from anaheim to hollywood is the only other option...and taxi from hollywood to lax seems like a cheaper option than a shuttle for the 3 of us.

 

[Beee]

so a little update on my list:

• passport for me - application sent, credit card charged so counting this as done. Will hopefully receive it sometime next week
• passport for Mr - application sent, credit card charged so counting this as done. Will hopefully receive it sometime next week
• transport - LAX-DLH - discount coupons printed for Disneyland Express, will pay cash on the day
• transport - DL-Hollywood
• transport - Hollywood-LAX - will book taxi through hotel
• order my GF meal on plane
• ESTAs
• take dog for orientation visit to pet hotel - November
• buy universal studios tickets - decided to do Warner Bros tour instead, tickets booked and paid for
• book disney restaurants - BTR BBQ, Carthay Circle, Ariel's Grotto booked, thinking about booking Cafe Orleans and Goofy's Kitchen as well

and added to the list:

• Book Fantasmic dessert package - 30 days out
• figure out what we are doing for the Saturday in LA...
• investigate some kind of pearl harbour tour
• change DLH booking to AP rate - done, saved about $250

So, making progress but still feel like I'm missing something vital off the list and I will end up in a panic a week before we fly out

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sounds like you're getting through the list.

Hopefully you've got nothing missing, which I'm sure you haven't....just that last minute "I think I missed something" feeling.

 

[5ofus]

I have that feeling until I'm on the plane!

Thanks for the reminder though. I need to sort out mine and DH's passports - I think they have both expired. DS3 also needs to get one, but i think we'll have to do his closer to the trip so we have the chance of getting him to sit still for a pic. He's going to be older in his photo than DS2! LOL

 

[Beee]

I have that feeling until I'm on the plane!

Thanks for the reminder though. I need to sort out mine and DH's passports - I think they have both expired. DS3 also needs to get one, but i think we'll have to do his closer to the trip so we have the chance of getting him to sit still for a pic. He's going to be older in his photo than DS2! LOL

yes, hard to keep the little ones still and not smiling in a photo, what do you mean don't smile?? I've been told to smile in front of a camera every other time! DD's passport is 3 yrs old so she is a cute little 9 year old in hers, what a difference 3 years makes!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

That thinking you've forgotten something feeling is the worst. I agree, it's not until I'm on the plane that I relax.

 

[zanzibar138]

Sounds like you're pretty well set Really, the most important stuff is making sure your official documents are in order, flights are booked, and pets taken care of - everything else you can wing if you need to Are you going to have your mail held while you're away? I always forget about that and in Aus they need a few days notice.

 

[Beee]

Yay! our passports arrived this morning so more to cross off the list

• passport for me - done
• passport for Mr - done
• transport - LAX-DLH - discount coupons printed for Disneyland Express, will pay cash on the day
• transport - DL-Hollywood
• transport - Hollywood-LAX - will book taxi through hotel
• order my GF meal on plane
• ESTAs - done
• take dog for orientation visit to pet hotel - November
• buy universal studios tickets - decided to do Warner Bros tour instead, tickets booked and paid for
• book disney restaurants - BTR BBQ, Carthay Circle, Ariel's Grotto booked, thinking about booking Cafe Orleans and Goofy's Kitchen as well
• Book Fantasmic dessert package - 30 days out
• figure out what we are doing for the Saturday in LA...
• investigate some kind of pearl harbour tour
• change DLH booking to AP rate - done, saved about $250

 

[Beee]

Sounds like you're pretty well set Really, the most important stuff is making sure your official documents are in order, flights are booked, and pets taken care of - everything else you can wing if you need to Are you going to have your mail held while you're away? I always forget about that and in Aus they need a few days notice.

honestly, mail had not crossed my mind We get very little in the way of mail these days - 99% of the bills etc get emailed, but given its december and we might get things like cards etc I should investigate, thanks for the reminder! Also need to let the neighbours know closer to the time so they can keep an eye on the house and maybe I can get them to water the garden

 

[australiankaren]

Yay! our passports arrived this morning so more to cross off the list

• passport for me - done
• passport for Mr - done
• transport - LAX-DLH - discount coupons printed for Disneyland Express, will pay cash on the day
• transport - DL-Hollywood
• transport - Hollywood-LAX - will book taxi through hotel
• order my GF meal on plane
• ESTAs - done
• take dog for orientation visit to pet hotel - November
• buy universal studios tickets - decided to do Warner Bros tour instead, tickets booked and paid for
• book disney restaurants - BTR BBQ, Carthay Circle, Ariel's Grotto booked, thinking about booking Cafe Orleans and Goofy's Kitchen as well
• Book Fantasmic dessert package - 30 days out
• figure out what we are doing for the Saturday in LA...
• investigate some kind of pearl harbour tour
• change DLH booking to AP rate - done, saved about $250

hey, where did you get the DL express vouchers????
Also, dining bookings for DLR, is it only 30 days out???
I need to get onto my own DL planing.....

 

[coco392]

hey, where did you get the DL express vouchers????
Also, dining bookings for DLR, is it only 30 days out???
I need to get onto my own DL planing.....

I don't know if its changed- but the dl bus leaves every hour and you can pay at end if the drive at Anaheim

 

[Beee]

hey, where did you get the DL express vouchers????
Also, dining bookings for DLR, is it only 30 days out???
I need to get onto my own DL planing.....

here's the $5 off coupon, they have discount coupons on dining etc too so worth a nosy http://anaheimoc.org/content/disney...rt-transportation-aboard-disneyland-resort-ex

Dining at DL can be booked 2 months out so you can book on the 20th of Oct for dining on the 20th of Dec etc. But fantasmic and I think tours? can only be booked 30 days out.

By the way I showed the Mr the photo of all your bags after your WDW trip and he was terrified that will be us

 

[Beee]

Apparently I am almost a month away, really? how did that happen? My bank account is not looking as healthy as I'd like it to be for so few pay days left to go....

So thought a list update was in order even though I feel like I haven't done much lately

• passport for me - done
• passport for Mr - done
• transport - LAX-DLH - discount coupons printed for Disneyland Express, will pay cash on the day
• transport - DL-Hollywood - have a quote from I think Zippy Shuttles for $90 which I think I will book, just need to decide on a time, there are very few options it seems for transfers from DL - Hollywood.
• transport - Hollywood-LAX - will book taxi through hotel
• order my GF meal on plane
• ESTAs - done
• take dog for orientation visit to pet hotel - November
• buy universal studios tickets - decided to do Warner Bros tour instead, tickets booked and paid for
• book disney restaurants - BTR BBQ, Carthay Circle, Ariel's Grotto, Cafe Orleans and Goofy's Kitchen are all booked
• Book Fantasmic dessert package - 30 days out
• figure out what we are doing for the Saturday in LA - have finally convinced/bullied the Mr into hiring a car for the Saturday & Sunday so we will do Griffith Park, a drive around beverly hills, maybe california science center so he can see the space shuttle and really will take things as they come (I'm not sure the control freak in me can bear nothing set in concrete but I will give it a shot).
• investigate some kind of pearl harbour tour - I have outsourced this job to my mum
• change DLH booking to AP rate - done, saved about $250
• pay deposit for the pet hotel - sent that off yesterday

have also organised my toiletries, little travel sized first aid kit, bought a US adaptor so we can charge our phones, I have my amazon order all ready to go (just waiting for black friday before I order ) and I think that is about it....I feel like I am forgetting to organise something really vital, hate that feeling
On the work front I have a list going with everything I need to do and organise. For the first time ever I have got someone actually sitting in my chair doing my work for me while I'm away instead of dumping it all on the 1 other person I work with - this is actually feeling like way more effort than it is worth as I have been having to train this person for the last 2 months and must write copious amounts of notes to guide them through the 2 busiest weeks of the year....and I am mildly concerned about what state I will find everything in on my return, trying not to think about that .

So, that is where I am at, basically a big ball of stress at the moment which I am hoping will move to calm and collected at some point before we leave (maybe once we get on the plane? )

 

[5ofus]

Be month, that's exciting! I think everybody feels like they have forgotten something when planning a big trip.

Try not to worry about what work will be like when you get back. There isn't anything you can do to change it anyway!

 

[Kangarucci]

I don't know if its changed- but the dl bus leaves every hour and you can pay at end if the drive at Anaheim

After 4:30pm it is every hour. Also, if going for the family rate (up to 5 people) you have to book it online. Cheaper to do this way for a family of 4, even with using the discount coupon. We got caught out.

The company do not reply to emails!

 

[alicia1506]

After 4:30pm it is every hour. Also, if going for the family rate (up to 5 people) you have to book it online. Cheaper to do this way for a family of 4, even with using the discount coupon. We got caught out.

The company do not reply to emails!

that is strange. we used the disneyland resort express (grayline anaheim, now part of coach america) on our trip last year, and we had prebooked our transfers for our dear departed trip this year (oh, the sadness i am feeling. we're almost at our departure date and we aren't going ) and each time i have emailed them, i have had a response within 24 hours.

when we had to cancel our november trip, we received a really lovely email from one of their reps stating that although we couldn't get a refund (we had prepaid while they were still operating as grayline anaheim, and they had been recently bought out by coach america) they were able to hold a credit for us that we could use at any time towards our future trip

i have personally been quite happy at the level of contact from their reps... but maybe i just got a few good ones

 

[Beee]

Be month, that's exciting! I think everybody feels like they have forgotten something when planning a big trip.

Try not to worry about what work will be like when you get back. There isn't anything you can do to change it anyway!

I know I have been telling everyone all morning "I am going to disneyland next month!" Lol, I think they are all sick of me going on about it already haha.

You are right I need to let go of the work stuff, everything will short itself out.

 

[Beee]

i have personally been quite happy at the level of contact from their reps... but maybe i just got a few good ones

Glad to hear they have been good to deal with. you will be fine once you get past your old trip dates, then it will be me with the post trip blues and you will be planning your wonderful 2013 trip

 

[JessL]

Don't do what we did and figure we'd book Pearl Harbour once we got to Hawaii because we weren't sure what order we wanted to do things. They do sell out a few days in advance, particularly in peak times!

If you're interested in surfing lessons while you're there, I can recommend a great place!

Your holiday sounds amazing. I'm desperate to have a Disney Christmas, but I can't seem to convince my husband.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

We went to Pearl Harbor by using the local bus. They are a great and easy way to get around. 2.50 each on arrival you are given a time to take a boat out to the Arizona memorial. The earlier in the day you get there the earlier the launch time and you are also there before the groups. We left around 0830 from Waikiki. There is a short movie you watch before taking the launch. Quite a few museums. To go to the bowfin submarine and I think the newer Missouri museum you can purchase the tickets there. The menfolk took the girls to the bowfin which was about $20. We bussed back to town and stopped at ala moana on the way. The bus. Has a great website with timetables. The stops are really easy to find and the drivers helpful.