We are home and already wanting to be back!
We were at the park Monday - Saturday. We drove in late Sunday (early Monday) from Sacramento and avoided a bunch of traffic this way. Our first night was spent at Hawthorne Suites in Orange. I really like this hotel, they offer free HOT breakfast every day. However, we only spent one night here as we had reservations at Paradise Pier for the rest of our stay.
Went and checked in at PP early Monday. It seemed to take a while for us, but we did have a trainee. Found out the pool was down but the slide would be open and we also got keys to the other 2 hotel pools (which we did not use). My only complaint about the hotel would be that our room was not ready for us until after 4pm this day.
Of the days we were in the park, Tuesday was the least crowded - no waits for anything! On Space Mtn. they were sending everyone up the fast pass line even (to avoid the walk). We stayed in DL the whole day Tuesday and park hopped every other day back and forth.
Wednesday seemed to have really long lines in DCA. At 5:30 there was a 90 min wait posted for Soarin. In fact, we used FP and we still had to wait about 30 min.
During the week there were no fast passes for Grizzly in DCA or Tower of Terror. By Friday both of these were back on thank goodness.
The one downer of the trip was that I got sick in Disneyland late Weds. evening. Thankfully I made it to a restroom. The lady cleaning the restrooms was very kind and kept people out of the stalls next to me and even offerred to go get a medic. I told her that was not necessary. My family was all out on rides when it happend, thankfully we all had cell phones so I could call hubby to come get me and walk me back to the hotel. I was fine the rest of the week. I think it was a combination of running like mad that day (we had family up from San Diego for just the day with us) to get as much done and dehydration.
I LOVE my crocs. I'm addicted. I own 7 pair now. I wore them all week. My favorite for my sore feet would have to be my scutes though, they seem to have more padding. Hubby even bought a pair of the new PIRATES crocs the day they put them out in the park.
Loved the Visa meet n greet. It sure was cool to get some alone time with Mickey and Goofy and a cool free picture.
Speaking of pictures, we did a PHOTO PASS the whole week. There is a special in the park right now, you get a CD and THREE 5 x 7 prints for 79.95. We did this on Saturday as we were leaving, but I recommend allowing some time for this. Our 100 plus pictures took like 20 min to burn to their CD. The CM was great though, she got down on the floor and played games with our kids. We were leaving early to drive home and they were a little restless.
Pluto made our kids day in DCA on Friday. A CM came over to us after he had signed their books to tell us he had to leave (with a long line of folks behind us) and that we could not take our picture. He shook his head and finger at her and stayed so we could get a couple of shots.
We met up with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible in the Animation Building in DCA on Weds. They sat with the kids in the Beasts Library and did their "which character are you" with them. It was pretty neat. We also saw Snow White and Belle in her BLUE dress inside. Hard to get any decent pictures in their though with it being so dark.
We did Lilo and Stitch breakfast and Ariel's Princess Lunch. The breakfast was nice, but seemed kind of rushed. Lilo sat down and colored with my daughter. Too cute. We saw Lilo, Stitch, Minnie, Pluto and Max. At Ariels we saw Ariel (when you walk in) Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.
Blue Bayou for lunch was great. We will however do the split plate next time as none of us finished our Monte Cristo. I think we each just got through 1/2 and we had skipped breakfast that day. We had 11:30 priority seating and checked in right at 11:13 so we had waterside seating.
We got to ride Splash before we headed out on Saturday which ROCKED. My DS had been really bummed it was closed, so it was a nice treat on our last day. I am glad we were leaving when we did though, since they started putting up the bleachers for the movie premiere on Friday. That side of the park was hard to navigate with all the people being crammed through tiny walk ways.
Sorry this is so long, we can't wait to go back....we are thinking October for hubby's birthday.
We were at the park Monday - Saturday. We drove in late Sunday (early Monday) from Sacramento and avoided a bunch of traffic this way. Our first night was spent at Hawthorne Suites in Orange. I really like this hotel, they offer free HOT breakfast every day. However, we only spent one night here as we had reservations at Paradise Pier for the rest of our stay.
Went and checked in at PP early Monday. It seemed to take a while for us, but we did have a trainee. Found out the pool was down but the slide would be open and we also got keys to the other 2 hotel pools (which we did not use). My only complaint about the hotel would be that our room was not ready for us until after 4pm this day.
Of the days we were in the park, Tuesday was the least crowded - no waits for anything! On Space Mtn. they were sending everyone up the fast pass line even (to avoid the walk). We stayed in DL the whole day Tuesday and park hopped every other day back and forth.
Wednesday seemed to have really long lines in DCA. At 5:30 there was a 90 min wait posted for Soarin. In fact, we used FP and we still had to wait about 30 min.
During the week there were no fast passes for Grizzly in DCA or Tower of Terror. By Friday both of these were back on thank goodness.
The one downer of the trip was that I got sick in Disneyland late Weds. evening. Thankfully I made it to a restroom. The lady cleaning the restrooms was very kind and kept people out of the stalls next to me and even offerred to go get a medic. I told her that was not necessary. My family was all out on rides when it happend, thankfully we all had cell phones so I could call hubby to come get me and walk me back to the hotel. I was fine the rest of the week. I think it was a combination of running like mad that day (we had family up from San Diego for just the day with us) to get as much done and dehydration.
I LOVE my crocs. I'm addicted. I own 7 pair now. I wore them all week. My favorite for my sore feet would have to be my scutes though, they seem to have more padding. Hubby even bought a pair of the new PIRATES crocs the day they put them out in the park.
Loved the Visa meet n greet. It sure was cool to get some alone time with Mickey and Goofy and a cool free picture.
Speaking of pictures, we did a PHOTO PASS the whole week. There is a special in the park right now, you get a CD and THREE 5 x 7 prints for 79.95. We did this on Saturday as we were leaving, but I recommend allowing some time for this. Our 100 plus pictures took like 20 min to burn to their CD. The CM was great though, she got down on the floor and played games with our kids. We were leaving early to drive home and they were a little restless.
Pluto made our kids day in DCA on Friday. A CM came over to us after he had signed their books to tell us he had to leave (with a long line of folks behind us) and that we could not take our picture. He shook his head and finger at her and stayed so we could get a couple of shots.
We met up with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible in the Animation Building in DCA on Weds. They sat with the kids in the Beasts Library and did their "which character are you" with them. It was pretty neat. We also saw Snow White and Belle in her BLUE dress inside. Hard to get any decent pictures in their though with it being so dark.
We did Lilo and Stitch breakfast and Ariel's Princess Lunch. The breakfast was nice, but seemed kind of rushed. Lilo sat down and colored with my daughter. Too cute. We saw Lilo, Stitch, Minnie, Pluto and Max. At Ariels we saw Ariel (when you walk in) Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.
Blue Bayou for lunch was great. We will however do the split plate next time as none of us finished our Monte Cristo. I think we each just got through 1/2 and we had skipped breakfast that day. We had 11:30 priority seating and checked in right at 11:13 so we had waterside seating.
We got to ride Splash before we headed out on Saturday which ROCKED. My DS had been really bummed it was closed, so it was a nice treat on our last day. I am glad we were leaving when we did though, since they started putting up the bleachers for the movie premiere on Friday. That side of the park was hard to navigate with all the people being crammed through tiny walk ways.
Sorry this is so long, we can't wait to go back....we are thinking October for hubby's birthday.
Maybe we'll see you there!
