The Oregonian birthday trip report!

[HeatherAnn23]

We found the treasure!!!

Then we headed over to the Tiki Room for the last Dole Whips of the trip. It actually ended up being my only Dole Whip!

Then we headed out to do some shopping at World of Disney, and catch the Disneyland Express back to the airport.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

We got back to the GCH and had the bell desk retrieve our bags.

We waited for our bus to the Orange County Airport. Our flight leaves at 6:30,and we were catching the 3:45 shuttle from the hotel.

I had to say goodbye again to my favorite hotel, and a great vacation.

When we got to the airport to check in for the flight, they told us that our broken suitcase (which we had taped closed ) was too heavy. They wanted $50. So, we proceeded to cut the tape and repack our suitcases in the middle of the airport. It was a proud moment.
So, we took it back up to the desk and it was fine - but our other suitcase was too heavy by 3 pounds! We repacked that one putting clothes in all of our carry ons! Finally everything was ok, and we got the bags checked.


Everything went smoothly for the rest of the trip, including our flight, shuttle to pick up our car in Portland, and the drive home to Salem. We got home exhausted at about 11:00 with mountains of laundry waiting for us!

Hope everyone enjoyed the report! If you have any questions feel free! Now I just have to decide if I will buy the 21 photo photopass cd (it was hard to find them!!) and what company I will use to print the photos or make a photobook. Hmmmmm.

THE END!!

 

[vettegirl]

Great report, the GCH is such a beautiful hotel!

 

[LuLusApple]

just read your entire trip report! It was great
loved the elusive green puffle thing! Lol
this was the first trip report I ever read, I think I might get addicted to these I am off to read another. Thanks for the great read

 

[teatime]

I loved this trip report!!!!!!!!!!! and the food yummy!! how was the ribs at the rainforest cafe?? we are going there to

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Thanks for all of the positive feedback!

Kevin said the ribs at Rainforest were really good, but a little fatty for him. When he was done it looked like his plate had been through the garbage disposal but he enjoyed them! We also really enjoyed the fries funny enough. They are very thin and cooked perfectly - they have a great texture and weren't too greasy.

I hope you enjoy yourself there (and bring a coupon or the downtown Disney fun card with you!).

 

[tammie33]

Thank you for posting! It sounds like you all had a magical trip.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

Thank you for sharing your trip! I really enjoyed hearing about your experiences. The information about the Magic tour was especially helpful. Knowing more the just the gist of the tour will help to decide if it will work for my 6/7 and 3 year old DDs.

 

[tatehermosa]

Great trip report, glad your kids had fun.

So I'm still wondering about the "Secret Staircase". What does it lead to and why is it such a secret?

Thanks,

Tate

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Lol, the secret staircase isn't really a secret. It's a staircase in the GCH that is a great shortcut to Downtown Disney if you're headed to Disneyland. The main entrance to Downtown Disney is all the way by Studio 365 and Sephora, if you travel inside the hotel to this staircase and go down if puts you between LaBrea and World of Disney - MUCH closer to the security checkpoint.

I'm glad you enjoyed the report!!

 

[Hawleys]

Hi HeatherAnn23. I really enjoyed your report. Hunter is quite the character and I had fun "traveling" with you guys.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Thank you! Hunter *is* a piece of work I'll tell ya. I always tell people that if he had been first he'd be an only. Of course, my parents adore him, because I was exactly the same. Karma ya know! We were sure the TSA was going to think we were kidnappers the way he kept yelling "I don't want to go!!!!!!!!!!!!" Well, we made it anyway, of course we have the daily, "I WANT TO GO TO DISNEYLAND NOW!!" tantrums........how many days until school starts??????
Thanks again!

 

[TnMaryJo]

I Love your report! I will be at DL in 2 weeks. Part of the trip, we will be at GCH (5 nights). So, it was exciting to get to see the secret stairwell. I will try to find that for sure.
Your family is wonderful and the trip seemed just awesome. All the birthday cakes (volcano and treasure chest) seemed like a perfect way to celebrate.

 

[QueenDoOver]

I really enjoyed your trip report. I loved reading about the tour. I was scheduled with that with my 5 year old, and we missed it! I swear, the gal on the phone gave us a different time, and when I picked up my tickets that morning they did not mention the time again, nor did the tickets have it printed. Really strange! So, I was going by my itinerary based on the phone conversation when I made the reservation. They also had told me no refunds, but I have to say, when I showed up with my boys and started crying in my frustration (husband also was at the ER getting treated for an ear infection that morning, so my tolerance was way down), the CM was so nice. He did refund our money and he sat and chatted with my boys about how to discover our own magic, and he gave them the pins for the tour, several fast passes, and special parade seating. I couldn't believe it! It turned out to truly be a magical moment.

Thanks for the great trip report!

 

[cap'njack.]

Great trip report. I've throughly enjoyed reading it, thanks for sharing.

 

[cinderella-princess]

Great trip report! It looks like you guys had a wonderful time and I really enjoyed reading about your adventures in the parks. It's reports like yours that make me want to have kids right now so we can experience those magical moments with them! Sadly, that will have to wait for a few more years...

 

[mnmrmustard]

Hello Heather from a fellow Oregonian! First off I’m a little crazy in long, rambling replies and I don’t expect a detailed response to all of this ;-]

Great first TR – wonderful pictures and well-told story of your journey How great that you were able to make it down there for your son’s b-day. My wife and both of my daughter’s b-days are during summer but I’m too chicken to go during peak season

Gotta love those long first days, aye? Glad the flight went off well (other than the poor Samsonite and forgotten stroller Nice that you got a cool ME driver …and I was born in Georgia/still have family back there. Maybe we’ll get Jeff next month! If so, I’ll say “hi” from y’all

Very cool staying at GC, and kudos for wrangling the pool view upgrade Foooodddd! That’ll be where are minds will be at when we get there too. I have a reservation set for the Rainforest Café since we’re staying at DLH. Not that I’m knockin’ the corn dogs – love those things

Nice start with Pirates, arrrggghhhh! You guys did a lot in that afternoon, but great that they finally got your room ready for you. And I know I’ll be doing the same thing you did …DISing and messing with pictures on the laptop while everyone else naps We’re doing a Goofy’s Kitchen dinner too …hope the food is a bit fresher for us Never ride the monorail??? Ah well, at least you got to this time. Although y’all looked pretty shell-shocked by the long day.

Nice way to start day 2/Cody’s b-day with the classic Fantasyland rides I wish my younger one’s favorite ride was something low impact like Pooh, but I have a daredevil …rode ToT 5 times in a row at the age of 5 …an d last year at WDW rode it 8 times at the age of 8. And she’s 10 for this trip so guess what we get to do?

Nice bunch of rides there and good call heading to CA, Hunter looked like he was really having fun at Playhouse Disney. Rainforest Café too aye? Well I know what you mean about the service, food, and price …but we do what we have to for the kids and they just love the atmosphere. Glad the service and food was better than average – hope we have the same success. Bummer that Cody wasn’t feeling so hot, but glad the VOooollllcaaaanooooo turned it around for him

More food??? Well you’re certainly a family after my heart, or stomach. Funny about the parade antsyness and your husband’s understanding. Wow, two big desserts in one day – Whoohoo. Bummer about the crowds at night, must have been complete bedlam.

ROFL! That was funny that Hunter was ready at 7:30am on your “sleep in” morning. But great that y’all were already up when the fire alarm went off. Good deal about getting in early at Minnie’s and great pics with the characters. That is so funny about the “Skipper Dan” reference for the Jungle Cruise. We had a great experience when my younger daughter “drove the boat” last time and the guide was really fun, but yeah – gotta get old for them.

Good that you got some rest and interesting that the Costco priority seating put you in the nosebleeds. Yay that the whole fam rode ToT!

Next day …I can see you have that DISer stamina. Too bad we can’t gift that to other family members, aye? TSM! We’ve never rode that one, glad to hear you had fun on it. Nice time at Bug’s and very funny that Hunter hides from all of the Villians. Guess Halloween time wouldn’t be a good choice for him at DLR then?

Great review/pics of Celebration BBQ, we may give them a go this time as we are all BBQ lovers. Very funny about Cody’s puffles fixation – nice catch with him trying to hide the bag.

Good start to the next day with no real lines for Nemo or the Matterhorn. Big LOL about Hunter and his Cars shirt – yup, it’s Disney! That’s too bad that the other family didn’t make the Discover the Magic Tour …but great that your fam got a personalized tour. It looked like great fun and so very cool that Mickey helped with the puzzle

Good call going back to rest. Gotta recharge those batteries. Nice pics of the parade. Whoohoo! Nick Cage sighting! Great that you finally got to see Fantasmic. Just wish there was a more comfortable way to see it without shelling out major bucks.

Sorry you didn’t get a waffle on your last day. Great shot of the boys laying on the treasure …Hehehe.

Awww, the trip is over – they always go so fast. What a mess with the suitcase …they need scales in the rooms so you can check before packing them/checking out. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us – it was a lot of fun!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Wow - thanks so much for the detailed report on the report! I don't stop by here as often when there is no trip in the works......I'm not very good at being happy for others sometimes and reading about all of the cool trips just starts that Mickey fever!
We had a great trip, and it was such a good time to take the kids. Hunter already seems years older than he did this summer, and I'm glad we enjoyed that time before he was a jaded preschooler.
We got home today to a box from the Disneystore.com on our doorstep and I had to pick his jaw up off of the floor. "It's a box from DISNEYLAND!!"
It was his Woody costume, it's going to be a fun Halloween!

 

[mnmrmustard]

Wow - thanks so much for the detailed report on the report! I don't stop by here as often when there is no trip in the works......I'm not very good at being happy for others sometimes and reading about all of the cool trips just starts that Mickey fever!
We had a great trip, and it was such a good time to take the kids. Hunter already seems years older than he did this summer, and I'm glad we enjoyed that time before he was a jaded preschooler.
We got home today to a box from the Disneystore.com on our doorstep and I had to pick his jaw up off of the floor. "It's a box from DISNEYLAND!!"
It was his Woody costume, it's going to be a fun Halloween!

You're welcome! I know it is hard to keep the Disney groove going when you don't have an active trip planned. And reading the TRs certainly brings out the feeling of wanting to go back yourself.

I'm glad y'all had such a good time and made some great memories. How cool, your package came in the same day that we made it to DLR ourselves

I'm sure he'll be a great Woody Have a great day!