The Oregonian birthday trip report!

[HeatherAnn23]

Yep, still more coming!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Hunter also played and danced with Gepetto during a song. He was very sweet! We also saw Captain Hook, but Hunter crawled under the table when he headed out the door behind us! I think he took the hint!

After a very yummy breakfast of too many Mickey waffles (I should have put some in my backpack for later - I just can't get enough of them!) we went over to get the BTMRR fastpasses so we could plan on riding it that night. Cody wasn't going to let me forget that one!

Then it was over to the Jungle Cruise! Yipee! I love this one....but I had a hard time getting that Wierd Al song out of my head.

Once again, the park was getting too crowded for us, so we decided to hop over the California Adventure.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

We thought this would be a good day to catch Aladdin, but we had a little bit of time to kill - so we went over to walk on Monsters Inc. again. We also ran over to get fastpasses for Tower of Terror...I wonder if Hunter will ride? Hmmmmmm.

We booked through Costco/Walt Disney Travel, so we had the special seating vouchers for the show. We showed up about 30 minutes before the show and waited in the special line. Once in, we were in the back of the orchestra section on an aisle so Hunter could see the performers walk around. We're usually up in the nosebleed seats, so we were looking forward to a new perspective. It was a great show, and Hunter fell asleep about 5 minutes in.

After the show it was time for lunch, so we went throught he GCH entrance to Whitewater Snacks.

I had a pizza/salad , Kevin had those incredible nachos, and Hunter and Cody had an uncrustables meal.

Sorry no nacho pictures, I think maybe I was afraid to get between the man and his meal!

Today was my turn for a break, so the boys headed up to the room for a nap, and I ventured out on my own. First stop, find the secret stairway shortcut at the hotel.

It was actually pretty easy after the evacuation that morning. I wandered to where I thought it should be, and lo and behold!
Here is a picture of the marker, this was the one on the first floor, each floor should have it's own.

The tricky part is that when you get to the bottom of the stairs you have a couple short hallways (and it smells really bad!) but it's a great shortcut. When you get to the bottom it puts you right here:

It's right next to the World of Disney and La Brea. I feel so successful!

 

[Oshawa]

I'm loving your trip report. Great pictures!! I hope you post more!
We will be there in 21 days for our first ever trip to Disneyland. Staying at GC.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Nobody woke up from naps until after 7, so we skipped dinner tonight and planned on snacking if we got hungry. First thing we decided to go use the Tower of Terror fastpasses.
Cody rode this once on our last trip, two years ago, and it really freaked him out. He said he was ready to try it again, so he was in. Hunter just wasn't sure yet. He was tall enough, and we explained to him that it was an elevator that bounced like Tigger! (Yes, we're horrible ) He decided to try it. About halfway through the line, I noticed he was trembling! I picked him up and made sure he still wanted to do it - and he said yes.

Well, we all made it. (I LOVE this ride, and could do it all night!) Hunter was thrilled to be off of it, and said he loved it - but once again, said NO WAY would he ride it again. We decided this might be a good time to buy him the lollipops he'd be begging for since we got there!

Next we hustled over to Disneyland and rode BTMRR at night. Hunter wanted no part of it, and was very happy to sit in his stroller and wait with me. We sang our favorite Disney songs and people watched.

When Kevin and Cody finished we went over to ride Casey Jr. This is a ride we always skip because the line moves so slowly. We're line weenies.
It was a short wait, Hunter was so excited, and we got the Monkey cage!! (This will be important later!)

After that it was time to head home - yes, my napping crew lacks serious stamina , but I love them anyway!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

I'm crazy enough to be hosting a sleepover with 5 boys tonight, so with no sign of sleep in sight, I thought I might as well keep reporting!!

Yes, my boys were getting worn out - I hadn't napped yet and could have kept on going forever!

Today's mission was to be at the opening of California Adventure so we could finally try Toy Story Midway Mania! We headed down to Whitewater Snacks for a quick bite. Sorry no pictures (I warned you that I lose attention to detail over the course of a vacation!) Kevin and I had the breakfast biscuit (we should have shared, it was ridiculously large and greasy) and Cody had the french toast sticks, and Hunter had (wait for it) chocolate milk and cereal.

We went throught he GCH gate to California adventure at about 9:35 and headed over to the rope at the plaza. For some reason we thought this would be closer, but I've read some reports that they drop the GRR rope earlier.

Cody and Kevin spent some time before opening doing some pin trading, and then they counted down to opening and we were on our way.

We basically walked right on Toy Story, we liked it - but I'm glad we didn't wait long.

Next we headed over to Mickey's Fun Wheel - where we got a second opportunity to think about our breakfast choices.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Next we went over to Mulholland Madness. Our kids love this ride...I don't get it!

It was getting a little warm for us, so we thought it would be a good time for Bug's Land!

First up was Heimlich

We rode this twice in a row. This is another one that my kids just adore when they are preschoolers. "Smells so yummy in here!"

Next up Tuck and Roll

Ladybug Boogie!

and Flik's Flyers. Cody refused to ride with us on this one! He wanted to be alone in the chinese food box!

Hmmm, I wonder what we will do next.....oh yeah...park hop!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

We went back over to Disneyland, and decided to ride a full circuit of the train. It was hot, getting crowded, and Hunter loves the trains. We also wanted him to see the inside of Splash Mountain to see if he might want to ride, and of course we had to see Primeval World!!

We got off in Toontown, got fastpasses for Roger Rabbit and walked over to Fantasyland. We were kind of looking for a place to eat dinner, and Hunter wanted to see the castle. We did the Sleeping Beauty walkthrough and then walked over to make wishes in the well. The Wicked Queen strolled by, Hunter hid behind the well.

Then we went back to ride Roger Rabbit.

Now we were really getting hungry, so we started thinking about dinner. We had originally planned on eating at the Celebration BBQ for lunch today, but then they changed the venue and took away the characters. Kevin is from Georgia and a real BBQ lover, so we thought we'd stroll over there and see if they could get us in without a priority seating (ours was for 12:30!).

 

[HeatherAnn23]

We checked in at the Celebration BBQ and they said it would be about a 15 minute wait. About 20 minutes later we got a table, and another 10 minutes later a server showed up to take drink orders and explain the menu. She asked if we had any food allergies that she should be aware of, and I let her know that I was allergic to MSG. She said that she would send a chef out to talk to me before the meal.

We immediately saw that we didn't get the best server of the crew. We noticed other tables getting some fun conversation and interaction with their server, and ours was just......gone. It looked like we were the only table she had left, but she would go into the kitchen and disappear for 5 -15 minutes at a time. Not a big deal once we had drinks and food, but it was a spendy meal, and we were jealous of the other tables!!

The entertainment was good, but we were seated at the very back of the restaurant, and missed a lot of what was going on. We were also there long enough to see many numbers repeated (and we were there less than an hour total).

Ok, so here's what you really want to know, right!?

The food!
cole slaw - good - and I HATE coleslaw!!

corn on the cob "wagon wheels" - Yummy! My kids were funny about them though.

bucket o' meat - ribs and chicken, yummy! There was a TON of meat in our bucket, we never needed a refill and three of us were eating them.

cornbread - yummy, kids were a little freaked out that there were whole pieces of corn in it.

sausage - I didn't eat it, the chef said it was the only menu item with MSG. My kids initially thought they were hot dogs and snapped them up,(we don't eat sausage at home!) but weren't impressed and didn't eat them. They brought two pieces for our table.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

beans - really yummy, but a little spicy. The kids didn't like them.

We finished up here. Be-bopped around Disneyland a little bit more, then headed back. I'm thinking that we rode Star Tours and Buzz again, and watched pieces of Fantasmic - but no pictures. We got back to the hotel about 10:30 for bed.

On a funny side note, Cody plays Club Penguin and collects puffles. We have always loved teasing him about booking him in Bibbity Bobbity Boutique or Club Libby Lu, and on the way back tonight we saw Club Penguin toys through the window at Club 365. I think Cody stood at the window of that store for 5 minutes trying to decide if the elusive green puffle was worth a trip into that store. He finally braved it, and armed with his fun card grabbed what he needed and ran for the register. He didn't even want to be seen carrying the bag! Of course, I have a picture!

Tomorrow was another Magic Morning, and we were planning on knocking out Nemo!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Good Morning! Magic Morning starts at 7:00, so I woke up the kids (and the husband!) at 6:30.

They were definitely starting to drag!

We walked straight back to Nemo, and probably waited 4-5 minutes to load into a sub.

After Nemo we headed over to the Matterhorn, where Hunter walked happily, until we got to the turnstyles. At which point, he dug in like a cat going into a bath! So, we quickly separated and Kevin waiting with Hunter while Cody and I rode. Then we switched - with less than a five minute wait it was very easy.

When Kevin and Cody were on the Matterhorn, Hunter and I rode Alice and the Teacups.

Today was the day of the Discover the Magic Tour - so we had to be at the Tour Garden by 10:00. We rode Buzz, and Star Tours, then we headed to Riverbelle Terrace for a semi-quick breakfast. We all ordered the same things as before, so I didn't take pictures again.

With a minor bump in the road (long slow line, and Kevin accidentally dropping a tray of food ) we hustled down main street to the tour garden.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

You'll probably notice at this point that Hunter is refusing to that the Cars shirt off - he wasn't too stinky - and it wasn't worth the battle. It's Disneyland!

So here is a few pictures of us waiting for the tour at the tour garden. If you want to do this one day, this is your chance to skip some spoilers! Don't say you weren't warned!!

We got there about 5 minutes before 10:00. Our tickets suggested getting there between 10-15 minutes early. We got special tags to put on that noted us as part of a tour then we were asked to go to the back and wait. After about 10 minutes they told us that there was another family registered for the tour that they were trying to wait for. I felt bad for them - they made it VERY clear to me on the phone that there were no refunds or exchanges.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

At about 10:15 our tour guide, Chandra came out. She told us that we would get started as soon as she finished up her work. She brought out a treasure chest and told us that it was her job to clean it up before we went on our tour. Then she found the treasure map! We all looked at the map and the loot and figured out our first steps!

We determined that we needed to get on the train, and look for some palm trees and a pirate ship.
Chandra walked us to the exit at the train, and we were let on first when the train pulled in.

We passed some palm trees (maybe?) and got off the train in New Orleans Square. Chandra asked us to look around for the pirate ship clue and ahoy!

We followed the ship on top of the roof to a hidden corner and yikes! A pirate flag!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Chandra (the tour guide cm) climbed up and found another chest behind the flag! She brought it down and we looked for the next clues!

We put the other half of the map together, and we got a puzzle piece with a clue on the back. It told us to ride Pirates and count how many hats a certain pirate was wearing. Hmmm. Off we went through the exit of Pirates to get placed on our very own boat!

Well we found the answer (5!) and then we went to a friend of Chandra's to get the next clue. He speaks very quietly so that only Chandra can hear him. He said that his friends name is Cinqo, and said that the next chest is hidden in that room!

We found the chest and another puzzle piece. We determined that our next destination was Tarzan's Treehouse.

Guess what we found at the end? The chest!

We got another clue on the back of the puzzle piece that led us to Buzz Lightyear. We also had to learn the salute! To infinity, and beyond!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

We went through the fastpass line at Buzz after presenting the CM at the entrance with the salute, and at the end of the ride found.......

Yup, another chest and a puzzle piece. This time the clue led us to the Carousel. We were taken to the wheelchair ramp to board the next round, and took a ride. Hunter fell on the way on, but he recovered!

This clue said something about villians watching us while we were on the carousel, so after the ride we looked around Fantasyland for a villian that might be watching us. When we looked at just the right time you wouldn't believe who we saw peeking out of a window up high! So, we snooped around Snow White and found another chest with a puzzle piece!

We now had all of the pieces, so we put together the puzzle. It said something about visiting a friend with a treasure for us....hmm.....what shape does this puzzle make......

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Chandra decided that we were very thirsty by now, so she led us to the frozen drink cart under the monorail for a drink. The ODV CM had no idea who we were, or what he was supposed to do, so it took a few minutes to find our tiny cups and get us our frozen apple juice.

After we got that, we headed to Toontown. Guess who was waiting for us?

So after some autographs and pictures, Mickey got down and helped us figure out the puzzle.

It turns out that Mickey had been very brave and pirates had come to take his treasure, but had failed. We were asked to close our eyes, and magically Chandra brough out our Discover the Magic pins that were our treasure!

We're pin collectors, so this was pretty cool. I'll try to update with a picture of the pin later - of course I didn't take one!

As we walked out of Mickey's house Chandra was stopped by a guest to tell her that someone had broken a heel on her shoe and fallen down. Chandra became pretty distracted, told us "see ya!" and ran to get help.


It was a fun tour, with an abrupt end!

 

[HeatherAnn23]

After the tour we took some photos in Toontown.

Then he headed back to the room for a rest via California Adventure.

and a quick stop in the toy store.

We went for a quick swim, then napped for awhile. Again.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

After the rest, we went to go watch the Pixar Play Parade in California Adventure. Hunter is a big fan, and Cody is too - even if he's too big now to admit it!

We were so excited to see the Ratatouille float - that's Hunter's very favorite and we were told it wasn't in the parade anymore.

We got a little wet - and loved it!

After eating at Taste Pilots (sorry no pictures!) we went BACK over to Disneyland to ride a few rides and planned on seeing the fireworks tonight.

First we swung by and got fast passes for BTMRR then we went around the back to Fantasyland. As Kevin stopped for a frozen drink, I noticed a plaid in line for Casey Jr. with a group. I'll be honest, I looked at the whole party and couldn't figure out if it was someone important or not. When Kevin got his drink I asked him if he recognized anyone, and he didn't think he did either. At that point a woman came up to him (Kevin!) and exclaimed, "It's Nick Cage!"

I wasn't sure. The guy was wearing a Goofy shirt, hat, and was VERY think. I also noticed that the back of his hair was greenish. I thought maybe he was in a band or something I didn't know. But, we hung out for a couple of minutes, and when he turned around I saw his face. Yep, Nick Cage with his son. Cody had just watched Knowing with us the week before, so he was pretty excited that he was riding in the same cage we did the night before!

Sorry about the bad picture - I didn't want to be too creepy!

We still had some time to kill before fireworks, so we headed over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience.

Who knew they still did that show? The kids liked it, but my seat was broken - no effects at all.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Now we headed over to the hub to get a spot for fireworks. We ended up in the street in front if the entrance to Frontierland. It was a good spot, but Kevin sure doesn't like being smashed in a crowd like that.

It was a fun but sad last night for me. We went back to the room for bed. We planned on getting up and packing in the morning, checking out, then playing in the parks until about 3.

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Ok, we slept until about 9:00 today, then got packed up for home. We got downstairs at about 10:30, checked out and had them store our luggage.

Once we got things checked in we were bound for Disneyland for the last time.

We were starving of course, so initially we thought we would go get some breakfast. I really wanted waffles for our last day, but we didn't want to pay for Minnie's again. We asked several cast members, who all pointed us towards Riverbelle Terrace .... Then someone suggested Carnation Cafe so we went to check that out.

In our pre-breakfast journey, we saw some filming going on.....

Who was that guy? (Disneyland president Ed Grier)

We made it to Carnation and they seated us within 5 minutes. Again, no pictures - so sorry!! Kevin had the apple pancakes, Hunter had Mickey waffles, and I made a crazy decision to have the cinnamon roll french toast with Cody. Big Mistake. I love french toast though........ugh. I should have done the waffle. Basically it was just one of their HUGE cinnamon rolls warmed up. I couldn't see any evidence of frying it with egg batter....it was yummy of course, just not as fabulous as a waffle would have been.
Rant of dissapointment over.

Next we rode Pirates again, because we love it!

Then we headed over to Tom Sawyer's island - Cody had been dying to head over there the whole time.