we're back- a few thoughts

[dhlovesbelle]

So we got back last night after 5 days in the park. Which was really more like 4 1/2 days due to the stomach flu that hit our little group aobut 3 hours after we arrived in Anaheim and it's a gift that keeps on giving so my little family is still plagued with it Our 4th night it hit 4 of the 5 adults so the 5th day was mostly in the hotel room, but my kids survived. We were a bit stronger in the afternnon and brought them back over to each ride one more ride each. They were able to ride splash 3 times in a row, there was no line, so that was fun for them. But overall the flu didn't interfere as much as it could of and we got tons of park time.

My thoughts are as follows:
DESERT INN & SUITES: I LOVED the location! So close. Our first night there the fireworks started about 10 minutes after we arrived and we could see them from our hotel room window and it was a nice way to start off the trip. My little 2 year old was mesmorized by them and the next morning the very first thing he did was run to the window to see if the "fireworks were working." The only thing about the location, and this would be true for any of the hotels along that strip of Harbor, are those people who were trying to push the 'free' gift card, lunch, limo ride deal, very annoying to me. The overall room was alright, clean and I thought the beds were comfy. The maid service was patient and kind as was the front desk staff. They were very understanding with the whole sick kid situation and let us check in early on our second day into our 'real' room. The continental breakfast wasn't great. I generally skipped it but the kids liked the pastries, I guess

RIDES: We hit about all the rides, except we totally missed Bugs Land due to illness. But the rides that were really fun for me this time were:
Autopia-I haven't ridden this since I was a little girl and it was so much fun. The details of the ride are amazing. It really feels like a mini freeway I can see why it's a fave.
Splash-just super fun. Always got soaked, and it always provides lots of laughs.
Screamin-I really enjoyed this one this time around. It's a great little roller coaster!
Oh and the Matterhorn-this was the very first time I was able to ride it and it is so fun, especially at night! My 2 year old LOVED it!

FOOD-
We didn't eat a lot in the park but we did have the gumbo in the bread bowl and that was yummy, the bread especially.
Dole whips-now I know this is blasphemous to most of you, but they're not my favorite. They're alright for a sherbert type dessert but nothing I HAVE to have
I did finally have one of those famous corn dogs, again, not the best. They are HUGE, but just okay. Maybe I was in the early stages of the flu and all the food tasted funny, who knows-

It was a good trip despite illnesses and it was nice to have my LGMH, I met cheshirecat (or is it cheshiregirl? sorry.) from Vegas on our first day, within the first 2 minutes of being in the park, so that was fun. It was super fun to experience the park with my mom for the first time in 27 years. She really enjoyed it so much. We are already talking about our next trip in 2010! Thanks to you all for all the great ideas, tips and inspiration (AVALON451 I thought of your story of your sick dh on your first trip when we had the flu. It was nice to know we weren't alone in our experience )

 

[Sherry E]

I am about to go back and read your post in its entirety, but I have been dying to know - how did your kids react when they found out they weren't going to the dentist and were really going to DLR? You took so much time and care to plan a nice trip, with the scavenger hunt and all, and you managed to keep it a secret from them. (That was you, right? I hope I am not confusing you with someone else! ) How did they respond to it all when the secret was revealed?

 

[Sherry E]

I was just explaining A Bug's Land to a friend the other day. This last October trip I made was my first time seeing it. It is definitely very kid-oriented, just as ToonTown is in DL. I was surprised at all the water features in A Bugs Land. Around every turn, it seemed there was another little fountain or huge dripping faucet for kids to run under and get wet. It seems like it would be a great place to be during the hot summer. Also, in DL, there used to be (I don't THINK it is sitll there, but could be wrong) the sound of a bear snoring over in Bear Country. It was kind of piped-in ambient noise, and sometimes you would notice it and sometimes you wouldn't. In A Bug's Land, we were standing next to some plants or bushes or something, and my friend was startled when there was a rustling or chirping bug noise of some kind coming from the foliage! More piped-in ambient noise! It is another one of those Disney details that I love. We were told that on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, you can smell the aromas of watermelon and animal crackers, and that is yet another detail that I love! These are only a couple of the sorts of things that set all the Disney parks so far above every other amusement park and give it charm and character and magic. No other parks can compare to the Disney parks. And that's why they make the BIG BUCKS!!!

I am so sorry to hear about the flu hitting the family on the trip. I guess the only positive spin I can put on it is that at least you had several days to be in the parks, in case a couple of those days needed to be reserved for rest. If you had only planned a brief 2-day trip or something and the flu hit, it could have been a real waste of money and a disaster. We were just discussing that illness topic on another thread - getting hit with a major medical crisis while at DLR. I have been so fortunate that in 35-36 years of going to DLR, I have never had to deal with a HUGE medical issue that ruined my whole trip, although I was in a bit of discomfort on my last trip because of some chronic health stuff. I can't imagine how it feels to have something BIG go wrong, where you have to leave immediately and the whole plan goes down the drain! The flu would be bad enough to deal with because I just wouldn't feel well, and I would really lose interest in doing or seeing much of anything other than the hotel bed, I imagine! DLR suddenly would seem like a hindrance and not a treat!

 

[avalon451]

WOW It sounds like you made the absolute best you could of a flu-ey trip! I'm so sorry your family got hit with the flu bug while there. But I am so glad to hear that you made the best of it and had a good time, anyway! That takes a determined Pixie-dust sprinkler (YOU) to just see the best in the situation and enjoy it anyway. Attitude is everything, and you have a great attitude!

thanks for thinking of me on your trip; on the one hand it sounds like you did better than us because you all made it to the parks and did lots of stuff; on the other hand, you ALL had the flu, not just one, so it sounds worse.

It sounds like you had a nice room and an overall good experience. Too bad you have to wait till 2010 for another go-- but by that time, the kids will be older and it will be all new to them!

 

[mystic_path]

Thanks for sharing your trip report. Its always nice to have another opinion on hotels, and opinions on rides and such. I thought it was cool how you said you rode the matterhorn at night. I dunno why but I have never done that, and the thought never crossed my mind to ever go on that ride at night. But that though sounds SOOO COOL! I am so stoked to have something new to try.

Also it's nice to hear that you made the best out of your vacation dispite the stomach flu. I know there have been Disers who have done a "Make up" trip due to their party being really ill and having to go home early. At least you stuck it out and still pushed through to have fun.

 

[BramsKT]

Sounds like a great trip - we were there (Desert Inn and Suites) at the same time (1-4) but alas, never saw any LGMH's. (We were in room 312 and the wonderful view of the fireworks was definitely an added bonus!!). Never saw too many people pushing deals on the street other than some kind of vacation club next door but we stayed in the parks all day and didn't go back and forth like we had planned.
So sorry you got sick - that is a real bummer but glad you made the best of it!!!

and I agree about the Dole Whips - not gross but I will save my $5 for an extra churro or frozen banana

 

[pixiewings71]

We ended up doing that vacation club deal a in 07 and bought in. LOL We got Disney Dollars for doing it that day and we've had a few free stays since, we did an "explorer club" deal, we bought a certain number of points that have to be used by August of 09 and we won't be buying into it. If we were going to buy into a time share it would be DVC.

I'm glad you had a good trip!! Sorry you were not feeling the best and I hope you're all better soon!! I like how you noted that you weren't feeling great so some of the foods you tried may have tasted funny because of that. I would urge you to try them again on a return visit because you may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[dhlovesbelle]

ok, so I am finally responding to all the nice people who responded to my quick TR from 2 weeks ago. I have been so busy the last 2 weeks getting back in the groove of things because when you are planning a Disney trip it seems to occupy all of your time and thoughts so for me I was letting a lot of things slide. But anyway, thanks for the nice comments! BramsKT-we were in room 323! Right down the hall. We probably saw each other

SherryE-when we woke the kids up and started them on the scavenger hunt of clues to the 'big surprise box' they didn't really get it When my 9 year old got to the clue that said "When-right now! Surprise! No dentist appointment." My son didn't get it and just thought we weren't going to the dentist and he said, "oh, we're not going to the dentist? I get computer first!" Then we coaxed them along to get to the box that had Disney stuff in it. I made (well, ok, I bought the material and my bestest girlfriends made them) halloween pillow cases (we left on Halloween) for them to travel with and their old ears were in there. Here is a picture of them with those right before we headed out:
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/vwvvolvo/P1030218.jpg

And when they got in the car we had the Disney 'Sing-Along Happy Haunting' ready to be watched, which was perfect since it was Halloween and we were going to Disneyland They were pretty excited, none of them but our 2 year old slept on the way down. It was fun! And even with the sickness I'd do it all over again

 

[bonita_babe232]

awwwww so cute!!!!!!!!!! glad u guys had fun other then getting sick!!! also glad to hear u liked deserts inn we are thinking of staying there!!!!

 

[DoomBugger]

It is always great to hear about a trip that went well, in spite of the illness.

I love that you were able enjoy the park with your mom, that is priceless! It is neat especially since the last time you were there together you were a kid!

Me and my parents still go often and we still love it. We went when I was a kid and now, I'm in my 30s (still a kid by many accounts) and the parentals are in their 60s and we go, we enjoy and we'll continue to visit!

It started with my dad's parents, my grandparents who loved Disneyland would come out from Texas often just to take me! Priceless.They brought my dad and his siblings from the midwest in the late 1950s for the first time as my dad still tells me about how they all watched back in Texas on the little black and white TV the televised opening of Walt Disney's magical theme park. I'm afraid it's coded in my DNA!

 

[Sherry E]

ok, so I am finally responding to all the nice people who responded to my quick TR from 2 weeks ago. I have been so busy the last 2 weeks getting back in the groove of things because when you are planning a Disney trip it seems to occupy all of your time and thoughts so for me I was letting a lot of things slide. But anyway, thanks for the nice comments! BramsKT-we were in room 323! Right down the hall. We probably saw each other

SherryE-when we woke the kids up and started them on the scavenger hunt of clues to the 'big surprise box' they didn't really get it When my 9 year old got to the clue that said "When-right now! Surprise! No dentist appointment." My son didn't get it and just thought we weren't going to the dentist and he said, "oh, we're not going to the dentist? I get computer first!" Then we coaxed them along to get to the box that had Disney stuff in it. I made (well, ok, I bought the material and my bestest girlfriends made them) halloween pillow cases (we left on Halloween) for them to travel with and their old ears were in there. Here is a picture of them with those right before we headed out:
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/vwvvolvo/P1030218.jpg

And when they got in the car we had the Disney 'Sing-Along Happy Haunting' ready to be watched, which was perfect since it was Halloween and we were going to Disneyland They were pretty excited, none of them but our 2 year old slept on the way down. It was fun! And even with the sickness I'd do it all over again

That is so great! Nothing like putting on your ears to get in the mood for a DLR trip!!: Well, it sounds like all your time and effort in putting the trip together from beginning to end really paid off - even with that little illness roadblock popping up! I can't wait to see more pictures from your trip!

 

[evilprncess96]

I am sorry about the flu, but so happy that you had a wonderful trip. My DS really wanted to go trick or treating with your DS and it was so funny seeing how crushed he was when I told him where you were. It is going to be great Christmas morning when he opens his tickets and we tell him we are leaving then.

Was there anything in particular that your boys absolutely loved to do?

 

[azdisneylover]

Dhloves belle,
What a great way to surprise your little ones they were going to Disneyland!
(Your children are just so adorable!)
Linda

 

[eeyore3847]

My thoughts are as follows:
The only thing about the location, and this would be true for any of the hotels along that strip of Harbor, are those people who were trying to push the 'free' gift card,

Sorry to hear about the flu.... and I have notcied that the people trying to sell crap is starting to get more annoying everytime. anaheim has to crack down on that crap.
Lori