The Twinsies Are Going West! A May 2014 PTR

[luulu1999]

Heck were not leaving for 71 more days and I have already started packing stuff

 

[MommyJKM]

We originally had the WoC dining package with dinner at Wine Country Trattoria. However, they've recently greatly reduced the menu to a whopping four choices of entrees. I've also done more research on WoC viewing spots and I'm 99% positive we can get good seats with the FPs and showing up mega early. So we canceled the WCT ressie and decided to try PCH Grill at Paradise Pier-way more variety and definitely a bit cheaper as well! We can have a leisurely dinner, maybe even stop in at the Wine & Cheese reception in the concierge lounge, before heading back over to DCA around 7:15 again to see the show, again at 8:45. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

It's a shame WCT changed the menu because it used to be great. I've seen WOC probably 15 times with the dinner package spots and ONCE with a regular FP and it is SO WORTH it to do the dinner package! You waste time waiting and people arrive and smash in front of you and you never know if you're able to see properly.
We do the Carthay Circle menu plan and there are great things on the menu. And if WOC starts at 9:30 you can show up at 09:10 into that VIP section and have a great spot. My husband is 6'6" tall so he can see no matter what but I am 5'1" and need that extra height the VIP section provides.
It is totally worth it IMHO
Plus then you get to experience the cheesy bread and duck wings...

 

[bellebookworm9]

It's a shame WCT changed the menu because it used to be great. I've seen WOC probably 15 times with the dinner package spots and ONCE with a regular FP and it is SO WORTH it to do the dinner package! You waste time waiting and people arrive and smash in front of you and you never know if you're able to see properly.
We do the Carthay Circle menu plan and there are great things on the menu. And if WOC starts at 9:30 you can show up at 09:10 into that VIP section and have a great spot. My husband is 6'6" tall so he can see no matter what but I am 5'1" and need that extra height the VIP section provides.
It is totally worth it IMHO
Plus then you get to experience the cheesy bread and duck wings...

Way back when we first started planning, we were going to do the dinner package at WCT and the lunch package at CCT-dinner there was automatically way too expensive for us. Then we decided we wanted to do a few nice meals but not every day, so we cut the lunch, particularly when they also started the prix fixe menu as opposed to the "anyone who purchases an entree with an app or dessert" gets a spot.

I've also done quite a lot of research on viewing spots on the DIS and through RideMax. Since we'll have completed everything we want to do for the day by the time 7:15ish rolls around, I don't really consider it wasting time to get our good spot. If all goes as planned, we will be *right* on the rail, and I will fight off anyone who tries to get in front of me!

 

[MommyJKM]

Way back when we first started planning, we were going to do the dinner package at WCT and the lunch package at CCT-dinner there was automatically way too expensive for us. Then we decided we wanted to do a few nice meals but not every day, so we cut the lunch, particularly when they also started the prix fixe menu as opposed to the "anyone who purchases an entree with an app or dessert" gets a spot.

I've also done quite a lot of research on viewing spots on the DIS and through RideMax. Since we'll have completed everything we want to do for the day by the time 7:15ish rolls around, I don't really consider it wasting time to get our good spot. If all goes as planned, we will be *right* on the rail, and I will fight off anyone who tries to get in front of me!

I recently (Dec) asked sweetly at Carthay Circle at lunch time if we could have WOC passes and they were easily giving them out. I did like the "entree and app" system a whole lot better than the prix fixe!

 

[DisneyWarriorB]

I'm so jealous you'll be in DL soon! We're going in Dec & I can't wait

We used touring plans for our honeymoon in Sept of last year & loved them! They were really accurate and helpful. I'm curious what RideMax is though? Is that another type of planning tool?

 

[bellebookworm9]

I'm so jealous you'll be in DL soon! We're going in Dec & I can't wait

We used touring plans for our honeymoon in Sept of last year & loved them! They were really accurate and helpful. I'm curious what RideMax is though? Is that another type of planning tool?

Yes, Ridemax is similar to the new custom Touring Plans. I don't think TP had that back in 2010, which is how I heard about RM in the first place. Also, I recently read on one of HydroGuy's threads that RM tends to be more accurate about DL wait times, having been established there longer.

 

[bellebookworm9]

Since PB is already in the air on his way to Los Angeles and I leave tomorrow morning, I guess I should wrap this up!

I checked in for my flight this morning, and got A45 for my Buffalo to Phoenix leg and A29 for my Phoenix to LA leg. I'm very pleased with these boarding pass numbers, means I should have my pick of seats on the plane.

So our last day happens to fall on the "Rock Your Disney Side" 24 hour event. This was totally coincidental and our trip was planned way before it was even announced. We don't plan to partake in many of the events but will go about our day as normal.

First off is to drop our bags with Bell Services, then we're going to Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian. This was the one character meal we decided to keep from our original blue sky planning. That's at 9:30, so no, we will not be those crazy people at the parks at 6am for the 24 hour thing.

After breakfast, we'll stop into California Adventure to grab FPs for Tower of Terror before heading over to Disneyland. Pirates and Small World will finally be open today, so we definitely need to hit those! I'm sure we'll play another round on Buzz Lightyear, and try the singles line for both the Matterhorn and Indy.

Then we'll hop back to DCA to use our Tower FPs, do another round on Screamin' via the singles line, and maybe try RSR riding single, depending on the wait. I think we may grab lunch at the Corn Dog Castle-need to try one of those before we leave for sure!

Finally, we'll do some last minute browsing in DTD and grab an early dinner from La Brea Bakery Express (the grilled chicken sandwich sounds delish!). The last Disneyland Resort Express now leaves at 5:48pm from Paradise Pier, so we should get to LAX around 7. That works great for PB, whose flight leaves at 9:30ish or so, but not so wonderful for me, who's stuck until 11:30.

So, my flight on JetBlue leaves at 11:30pm and is a red-eye to Boston, arriving at 8:04am. I have about two hours there, leaving Boston at 9:57 and landing back in Buffalo at 11:25am. I've managed to get a window seat on both flights, and the BOS-BUF leg, I'm in the third row, making for a hasty exit!

That's all I've got. Thanks for reading and commenting! I'll be sure to post a Trip Report link here when I start that!

 

[Rubygoose]

Hope you have a safe flight and can't wait to hear about your trip when you return!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Trip report is started: Why is EVERYTHING better here?"