Wonder West Coast B2B May 2014 Concierge - COMPLETED!
- Thread starter disnygirl55
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disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Day 2 Disneyland Day 2 Part 1
Today was early entry at Disney California Adventure. Usually, it would have been Disneylands EE, but with Grad Nite happening the following day, they flip-flopped the early entry schedule. Since were early risers, we were up way before early entry time of 9:00, and we took the opportunity to buy beignets for the whole family from Ralph Brennans Jazz Kitchen Express at Downtown Disney, and caffeinated beverages from the Starbucks, which was not there during our last visit to Disneyland. We got a large order and a small order of beignets for the six of us, not knowing what everyones appetite would be, and it was just about right. We had one beignet left over. They are pretty good sized, with lots of powdered sugar. We took the drinks and treats up to the room and had breakfast on the balconies. It was a beautiful cool morning. I called the Rainforest Café shortly after 8:00 AM (lo and behold, they answer their reservations line that early!) and got us a lunch reservation for noon. We had decided that it is an interesting, good place to eat with young children, so we were happy to do that rather than eat in the park. After dividing the breakfast treats, we also split up, and DH and DS went on ahead to DCA without the four girls. Even though the ladies took longer to get everyone ready to go, we still made it into the park in plenty of time to enjoy early entry. We went right to Toy Story Midway Mania, which was a good choice, as the line got quite long later on. Here is my Mom, sister, and niece ready to ride.
While we were in line, the guys texted to find out where we were, and came over to check in. They had just gotten off TSMM themselves, and were ready to head over to Disneyland as soon as it opened (at 10:00). Mission: Matterhorn! The ladies plan of attack was to rent a stroller for darling niece, and get to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for our nieces appointment at 10:10. I got them in line at the park turnstiles while I went to rent the stroller. I also looked into getting an ECV (scooter) for my Mom because of her leg pain, but it was $50, and I knew we probably wouldnt be in the parks THAT much on this day, due to our lunch reservation at the Rainforest Café and dinner plans at Napa Rose at 5:30.
Since cast members were allowing people in through the turnstiles already, I sent my Mom, sister, and niece to make their way to the boutique, and I would follow once the stroller was procured. I figured, how could they miss it? Its right on the other side of the castle walkway. Well, the family joke is that my Mom and sister could get lost in a bathtub. Even my other sister back home who didnt join us said something later like, You let them try to find it themselves??!! But at any rate, they werent lost for very long, they arrived right on time after circling the castle only a few times, I presume, and I was only a couple of minutes behind. My sister was a little concerned about the stroller, and what would happen if someone took it, but I assured her that in all of our years of stroller-renting while our DS was young, it had only disappeared once, and was probably due to being parked in the same place too long. And it was so easy to replace it with our receipt for the day. Sister wasnt sure that the little one would agree to be in a stroller, but we all played it up, telling her that it was her royal princess carriage, and she could sit in it once she had her princess dress on.
I had convinced my sister that it would be worthwhile to do the Castle package at BBB, after reading all the reviews. It was more expensive (around $200), but it would include a new princess dress, tiara, sash and wand, makeup with a face jewel, fingernail polish, gloves, a little purse and (most valuable of all) front line access to the Royal Hall to meet the princesses. I knew once she saw those beautiful dresses hanging on the wall, she would insist on a new princess dress anyway, so we avoided temper tantrum #3 by building the price into her Christmas gifts last December. Although I didnt take a picture of the costume wall, it is set up in sections according to princess. There was not a section for Anna or Elsa, for those of you who are curious, but they had some accessories for them on a miscellaneous wall.
After perusing the dresses, darling niece decided that she wanted to dress as Ariel. She wanted a second crown (Elsa, I think); but her Mom again redirected her attention, and thus avoided a scene. After a short wait (well designed by the good folks at Disney to give the children more time to play the gimme gimme game in the store), our nieces fairy godmother-in-training came out to greet her and lead her over to her transformation station. First, we sat on a little bench next to two small dressing rooms, where the costume of choice was waiting to be tried on. Once dressed, our niece was led over to the styling area. Behind the styling chair was a large oval mirror, covered by a curtain with two little birds from Cinderella. These mechanical birds would later draw the curtain aside for the grand reveal at the end. In front of the station, wooden benches were arranged, so that family members could sit. The benches were plenty large for two adults, so I either sat at an unused station or stood behind the bench.
I was so impressed with our nieces behavior. She was entranced by the whole process of getting her hair done (she was given a laminated card to choose from about 5 or 6 different hairdos and I was grateful that she chose the traditional bun on top of her head. It looked so cute on her and honestly, there were a couple hairdos I thought were slightly hideous.) Here are some pics of the transformation in process, including blowing on her fingernails to dry the polish. Pretty adorable.
The look on her face when the curtain was drawn aside (and the magical sparkles went off in the mirror) is why all of this was worth it. And she truly acted like a princess throughout the appointment, which took a bit over an hour, if I remember correctly.
Once she was completely made over, it was time for photos in the carriage hall, located off to the side by the two dressing rooms. While we waited for the photos on the same bench we sat at before the styling commenced, the bill came, and there was an opportunity to leave a tip to charge to the room but my sister opted to give a cash tip to the fairy godmother in training in person, so another cast member summoned her over to us, and the deed was done. The photographer took several photos, and my sister received a folder with the best photo. Im sure she had the opportunity to buy the others at a later time, as they were attached to a Photopass card.
Another fairy godmother in training took darling nieces hand and led us all outside, announcing the newest princess to a few princes and pages lining the walkway on the way to the Royal Hall just a short distance away. By this time, the sun was coming down pretty strongly again, and all I could feel was sympathy for those poor young men standing in the sun in their costumes and capes. Luckily, the princesses I believe they were Aurora, Tiana, Cinderella, Belle and Ariel, were in a beautiful air conditioned building. Each princess was walled off from the next one, so we walked from room to room, greeting each princess and receiving a hug, a quick chat, and an autograph from each. Our niece informed Belle that she was her favorite princess. The best encounter, however, was from Ariel, who was the last princess we met. She commented on our nieces beautiful dress (of course since it was nearly identical to the one she was wearing) and also remarked on her beautiful human legs. She was very sweet to her, and looked and sounded so much like the cartoon Ariel.
At that point, it was a little after 11:30, so we decided to catch the monorail to Downtown Disney for lunch at the Rainforest Café. The guys had texted us that they had already left the park via monorail and went to a few stores at Downtown Disney (the Lego Store, Trend D, etc.) and would meet us at the Rainforest Café for our noon reservation. Yowsa it was really hot now and my Moms leg was really hurting again. When we got to the monorail entrance, a cast member was there and informed us that the monorail had just closed and was DOWN for a few hours. I could have cried. We began to hike back to Main Street and the exit to DTD. We had to stop at the circular plaza by City Hall so that Mom could rest her leg and get some shade. I was REALLY regretting the decision not to get her an ECV, even though she could not have taken it through Downtown Disney, and would have had to leave it by the security checkpoint. Note to self: Next time we go to Disneyland, rent one of those cute red Apple Scooters that I saw so many people with. You can take them anywhere and even back to the hotel!
I texted my DH, letting him know the situation and that we might be a few minutes late. It was all good. He and DS were each having a drink in the bar area at the Rainforest Café, and enjoying some male bonding time over a mango margarita (for DH) and a smoothie (for DS).
After a couple of minutes, Mom was ready to go a bit further, so we left the park and headed through Downtown Disney toward the Rainforest. It seemed like one of the longest walks Ive ever taken worried about Mom and the unbearable heat that was only making her leg feel worse. Eventually we saw the sign up ahead (right next to the non-operational monorail, thank you very much) and stumbled into the cool and dim wonderfulness of the Rainforest Café. We all ordered drinks to cool off and were shown to a table right away. It wasnt in the jungle area of the restaurant, but was next to one of the large aquarium tubes, so we were amused watching the fish swim around and hide in the coral. It was a very satisfying lunch, and we all soon felt refreshed and rejuvenated.
With the heat the way it was, we decided that wed really had enough time in the parks that day, even though we hadnt done much. My sister decided to take the two kids to the hotel pool for an hour or so, and everyone else was grateful to go back to the cool of the room and relax and take naps. We passed by Whitewater Snacks at the hotel, as it was Moms plan to take the kids to dinner there while DH, my sister and I went to Napa Rose at 5:30. We made sure DS could navigate from our room to Whitewater Snacks, since (knowing my Moms sense of direction) he would likely be in charge of leading the way.
Next Up: Day 2, Part 2 Napa Rose Chefs Counter Meal!
Today was early entry at Disney California Adventure. Usually, it would have been Disneylands EE, but with Grad Nite happening the following day, they flip-flopped the early entry schedule. Since were early risers, we were up way before early entry time of 9:00, and we took the opportunity to buy beignets for the whole family from Ralph Brennans Jazz Kitchen Express at Downtown Disney, and caffeinated beverages from the Starbucks, which was not there during our last visit to Disneyland. We got a large order and a small order of beignets for the six of us, not knowing what everyones appetite would be, and it was just about right. We had one beignet left over. They are pretty good sized, with lots of powdered sugar. We took the drinks and treats up to the room and had breakfast on the balconies. It was a beautiful cool morning. I called the Rainforest Café shortly after 8:00 AM (lo and behold, they answer their reservations line that early!) and got us a lunch reservation for noon. We had decided that it is an interesting, good place to eat with young children, so we were happy to do that rather than eat in the park. After dividing the breakfast treats, we also split up, and DH and DS went on ahead to DCA without the four girls. Even though the ladies took longer to get everyone ready to go, we still made it into the park in plenty of time to enjoy early entry. We went right to Toy Story Midway Mania, which was a good choice, as the line got quite long later on. Here is my Mom, sister, and niece ready to ride.
While we were in line, the guys texted to find out where we were, and came over to check in. They had just gotten off TSMM themselves, and were ready to head over to Disneyland as soon as it opened (at 10:00). Mission: Matterhorn! The ladies plan of attack was to rent a stroller for darling niece, and get to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for our nieces appointment at 10:10. I got them in line at the park turnstiles while I went to rent the stroller. I also looked into getting an ECV (scooter) for my Mom because of her leg pain, but it was $50, and I knew we probably wouldnt be in the parks THAT much on this day, due to our lunch reservation at the Rainforest Café and dinner plans at Napa Rose at 5:30.
Since cast members were allowing people in through the turnstiles already, I sent my Mom, sister, and niece to make their way to the boutique, and I would follow once the stroller was procured. I figured, how could they miss it? Its right on the other side of the castle walkway. Well, the family joke is that my Mom and sister could get lost in a bathtub. Even my other sister back home who didnt join us said something later like, You let them try to find it themselves??!! But at any rate, they werent lost for very long, they arrived right on time after circling the castle only a few times, I presume, and I was only a couple of minutes behind. My sister was a little concerned about the stroller, and what would happen if someone took it, but I assured her that in all of our years of stroller-renting while our DS was young, it had only disappeared once, and was probably due to being parked in the same place too long. And it was so easy to replace it with our receipt for the day. Sister wasnt sure that the little one would agree to be in a stroller, but we all played it up, telling her that it was her royal princess carriage, and she could sit in it once she had her princess dress on.
I had convinced my sister that it would be worthwhile to do the Castle package at BBB, after reading all the reviews. It was more expensive (around $200), but it would include a new princess dress, tiara, sash and wand, makeup with a face jewel, fingernail polish, gloves, a little purse and (most valuable of all) front line access to the Royal Hall to meet the princesses. I knew once she saw those beautiful dresses hanging on the wall, she would insist on a new princess dress anyway, so we avoided temper tantrum #3 by building the price into her Christmas gifts last December. Although I didnt take a picture of the costume wall, it is set up in sections according to princess. There was not a section for Anna or Elsa, for those of you who are curious, but they had some accessories for them on a miscellaneous wall.
After perusing the dresses, darling niece decided that she wanted to dress as Ariel. She wanted a second crown (Elsa, I think); but her Mom again redirected her attention, and thus avoided a scene. After a short wait (well designed by the good folks at Disney to give the children more time to play the gimme gimme game in the store), our nieces fairy godmother-in-training came out to greet her and lead her over to her transformation station. First, we sat on a little bench next to two small dressing rooms, where the costume of choice was waiting to be tried on. Once dressed, our niece was led over to the styling area. Behind the styling chair was a large oval mirror, covered by a curtain with two little birds from Cinderella. These mechanical birds would later draw the curtain aside for the grand reveal at the end. In front of the station, wooden benches were arranged, so that family members could sit. The benches were plenty large for two adults, so I either sat at an unused station or stood behind the bench.
I was so impressed with our nieces behavior. She was entranced by the whole process of getting her hair done (she was given a laminated card to choose from about 5 or 6 different hairdos and I was grateful that she chose the traditional bun on top of her head. It looked so cute on her and honestly, there were a couple hairdos I thought were slightly hideous.) Here are some pics of the transformation in process, including blowing on her fingernails to dry the polish. Pretty adorable.
The look on her face when the curtain was drawn aside (and the magical sparkles went off in the mirror) is why all of this was worth it. And she truly acted like a princess throughout the appointment, which took a bit over an hour, if I remember correctly.
Once she was completely made over, it was time for photos in the carriage hall, located off to the side by the two dressing rooms. While we waited for the photos on the same bench we sat at before the styling commenced, the bill came, and there was an opportunity to leave a tip to charge to the room but my sister opted to give a cash tip to the fairy godmother in training in person, so another cast member summoned her over to us, and the deed was done. The photographer took several photos, and my sister received a folder with the best photo. Im sure she had the opportunity to buy the others at a later time, as they were attached to a Photopass card.
Another fairy godmother in training took darling nieces hand and led us all outside, announcing the newest princess to a few princes and pages lining the walkway on the way to the Royal Hall just a short distance away. By this time, the sun was coming down pretty strongly again, and all I could feel was sympathy for those poor young men standing in the sun in their costumes and capes. Luckily, the princesses I believe they were Aurora, Tiana, Cinderella, Belle and Ariel, were in a beautiful air conditioned building. Each princess was walled off from the next one, so we walked from room to room, greeting each princess and receiving a hug, a quick chat, and an autograph from each. Our niece informed Belle that she was her favorite princess. The best encounter, however, was from Ariel, who was the last princess we met. She commented on our nieces beautiful dress (of course since it was nearly identical to the one she was wearing) and also remarked on her beautiful human legs. She was very sweet to her, and looked and sounded so much like the cartoon Ariel.
At that point, it was a little after 11:30, so we decided to catch the monorail to Downtown Disney for lunch at the Rainforest Café. The guys had texted us that they had already left the park via monorail and went to a few stores at Downtown Disney (the Lego Store, Trend D, etc.) and would meet us at the Rainforest Café for our noon reservation. Yowsa it was really hot now and my Moms leg was really hurting again. When we got to the monorail entrance, a cast member was there and informed us that the monorail had just closed and was DOWN for a few hours. I could have cried. We began to hike back to Main Street and the exit to DTD. We had to stop at the circular plaza by City Hall so that Mom could rest her leg and get some shade. I was REALLY regretting the decision not to get her an ECV, even though she could not have taken it through Downtown Disney, and would have had to leave it by the security checkpoint. Note to self: Next time we go to Disneyland, rent one of those cute red Apple Scooters that I saw so many people with. You can take them anywhere and even back to the hotel!
I texted my DH, letting him know the situation and that we might be a few minutes late. It was all good. He and DS were each having a drink in the bar area at the Rainforest Café, and enjoying some male bonding time over a mango margarita (for DH) and a smoothie (for DS).
After a couple of minutes, Mom was ready to go a bit further, so we left the park and headed through Downtown Disney toward the Rainforest. It seemed like one of the longest walks Ive ever taken worried about Mom and the unbearable heat that was only making her leg feel worse. Eventually we saw the sign up ahead (right next to the non-operational monorail, thank you very much) and stumbled into the cool and dim wonderfulness of the Rainforest Café. We all ordered drinks to cool off and were shown to a table right away. It wasnt in the jungle area of the restaurant, but was next to one of the large aquarium tubes, so we were amused watching the fish swim around and hide in the coral. It was a very satisfying lunch, and we all soon felt refreshed and rejuvenated.
With the heat the way it was, we decided that wed really had enough time in the parks that day, even though we hadnt done much. My sister decided to take the two kids to the hotel pool for an hour or so, and everyone else was grateful to go back to the cool of the room and relax and take naps. We passed by Whitewater Snacks at the hotel, as it was Moms plan to take the kids to dinner there while DH, my sister and I went to Napa Rose at 5:30. We made sure DS could navigate from our room to Whitewater Snacks, since (knowing my Moms sense of direction) he would likely be in charge of leading the way.
Next Up: Day 2, Part 2 Napa Rose Chefs Counter Meal!
pepe3penelope
Princess Ariel at Heart
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2013
- Messages
- 1,441
Loving your TR again! I love the pix of your niece as Ariel. She the fave princess of mine and DD!!! She's beaming!
Your poor mother and the pain! That sucks about the monorail! That's great that your DH and DS were able to do the male bonding while the ladies bonded!
Your poor mother and the pain! That sucks about the monorail! That's great that your DH and DS were able to do the male bonding while the ladies bonded!
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Thanks so much for following along. It really was an awesome moment to see that joy on her face when she saw herself in the mirror. Now that DS12 is older, it is fun for the guys to do their own thing. I warned DH that I'd probably spending a lot of time with my Mom, sister and niece, since it was their first trip to Disneyland (for sister and niece) - and I really wanted to see it through their eyes. There is a lot we didn't get to do because of the heat, and the crowds on Friday, but it was a good first trip for them. Once our niece is 40 inches tall, we'll have to try it again. There was a lot she wanted to do that she wasn't tall enough yet for. And as she's growing up a little, she's more fun to be around. LOL!
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Day 2 Disneyland Day 2 Part 2
When everyone came back from swimming, and naps were done, we all took showers and prepared for our dinner at the Chefs Counter downstairs at the Napa Rose restaurant. DH and I had eaten at Napa Rose a few years ago, and it was an excellent meal, with which we had the wine pairings.
I read that the restaurant offered a Chefs Counter experience, and we decided that it would be a fun treat for us, and invited my sister to join us. As mentioned before, we were able to make the reservation about 2 ½ months ahead. There are about 12 seats in total available 8 really good ones with views of the ovens and food stations, and another 4 seats close to the dessert station, with a limited view of the overall kitchen. On this particular evening, the seat next to me remained vacant, but all others were taken. A family of four with two young children (like around ages 3 and 5) sat in the seats by the dessert station. I dont like to judge, but I just dont think the kids got a lot out of the experience. Napa Rose is not exactly a kid-centric place to eat. But oh well different strokes for different folks, and Ive read that children are welcome at the Chefs Counter or at any seat in Napa Rose, as long as you are willing to pay the price.
The sommelier came over first to ask us if we were going to have wine pairings, which we all were. Then Chef Gloria came over to find out what our plans were for dinner. All three of us opted for the Chefs tasting menu, as we are mostly adventurous eaters. Chef Gloria asked about any particular likes and dislikes. DH and I asked for no sweetbreads or organ meats. Chef Gloria said that today was a good day for that, as the next nights menu had sweetbread specialties. My sister asked for no fish, but told Gloria that she liked other types of seafood and shellfish. I wish they had presented us with souvenir menus, as I have a tough time remembering exactly what we had to eat. With only a couple of exceptions, all 3 of us had different things to eat, and therefore different wines. We had things like lobster, scallops, duck, rabbit, lamb, beef, chocolate, mushrooms there was not a thing served to us that wasnt delicious. Id never had rabbit before in my life, but DH received it for one of his courses, and it was one of the best things Ive ever tasted. Really!!
Chef Gloria came over and explained each course to us as it was served, and we were also able to ask a few questions of the other sous chefs and the pastry chef, who was working on some specialty ice creams at the dessert counter. Chef Sutton was either off that night, or working at one of his other restaurants on property. Chef Gloria told us that he might pop in, but we never did see him. Gloria was amazing, and everything clicked right along. Much less chaotic than you would see on Hells Kitchen or another similar show. We could tell this team was used to working together. We only saw one plate of food turned away at the pass for not meeting Glorias standards. The pours of wine were generous, but none of us got very tipsy, as we had a lot of food in our stomachs. At the end, we were presented with a nice box of chocolates to go, which we took upstairs and doled out to the rest of the family. Here is a sampling of different courses we were served.
Prior to our dessert course, we were asked if there was anything in particular we wanted. My sister said, Anything that goes with Merlot, and we all got a good chuckle out of that. So she wound up with a rich chocolate dessert and the wine of her choice.
After dinner, we had another quick cocktail at the Hearthstone Lounge, and then turned in for the night.
Next Up: Day 3 Final Day at Disneyland!
When everyone came back from swimming, and naps were done, we all took showers and prepared for our dinner at the Chefs Counter downstairs at the Napa Rose restaurant. DH and I had eaten at Napa Rose a few years ago, and it was an excellent meal, with which we had the wine pairings.
I read that the restaurant offered a Chefs Counter experience, and we decided that it would be a fun treat for us, and invited my sister to join us. As mentioned before, we were able to make the reservation about 2 ½ months ahead. There are about 12 seats in total available 8 really good ones with views of the ovens and food stations, and another 4 seats close to the dessert station, with a limited view of the overall kitchen. On this particular evening, the seat next to me remained vacant, but all others were taken. A family of four with two young children (like around ages 3 and 5) sat in the seats by the dessert station. I dont like to judge, but I just dont think the kids got a lot out of the experience. Napa Rose is not exactly a kid-centric place to eat. But oh well different strokes for different folks, and Ive read that children are welcome at the Chefs Counter or at any seat in Napa Rose, as long as you are willing to pay the price.
The sommelier came over first to ask us if we were going to have wine pairings, which we all were. Then Chef Gloria came over to find out what our plans were for dinner. All three of us opted for the Chefs tasting menu, as we are mostly adventurous eaters. Chef Gloria asked about any particular likes and dislikes. DH and I asked for no sweetbreads or organ meats. Chef Gloria said that today was a good day for that, as the next nights menu had sweetbread specialties. My sister asked for no fish, but told Gloria that she liked other types of seafood and shellfish. I wish they had presented us with souvenir menus, as I have a tough time remembering exactly what we had to eat. With only a couple of exceptions, all 3 of us had different things to eat, and therefore different wines. We had things like lobster, scallops, duck, rabbit, lamb, beef, chocolate, mushrooms there was not a thing served to us that wasnt delicious. Id never had rabbit before in my life, but DH received it for one of his courses, and it was one of the best things Ive ever tasted. Really!!
Chef Gloria came over and explained each course to us as it was served, and we were also able to ask a few questions of the other sous chefs and the pastry chef, who was working on some specialty ice creams at the dessert counter. Chef Sutton was either off that night, or working at one of his other restaurants on property. Chef Gloria told us that he might pop in, but we never did see him. Gloria was amazing, and everything clicked right along. Much less chaotic than you would see on Hells Kitchen or another similar show. We could tell this team was used to working together. We only saw one plate of food turned away at the pass for not meeting Glorias standards. The pours of wine were generous, but none of us got very tipsy, as we had a lot of food in our stomachs. At the end, we were presented with a nice box of chocolates to go, which we took upstairs and doled out to the rest of the family. Here is a sampling of different courses we were served.
Prior to our dessert course, we were asked if there was anything in particular we wanted. My sister said, Anything that goes with Merlot, and we all got a good chuckle out of that. So she wound up with a rich chocolate dessert and the wine of her choice.
After dinner, we had another quick cocktail at the Hearthstone Lounge, and then turned in for the night.
Next Up: Day 3 Final Day at Disneyland!
jedijill
Chiefs fan living in Bronco country
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2005
- Messages
- 7,338
Yum! I did the Chef's Tasting at Napa rose in April and it was fantastic. I asked for menus at the end of the meal and they graciously shared them with me and circled which dishes I had and wrote the wine information along with the course.
I will definitely be back to the Chef's Counter!
Jill in CO
I will definitely be back to the Chef's Counter!
Jill in CO
rentayenta
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
- Messages
- 27,424
Subbing in and loving it so far. 
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Welcome all, and thanks for following along! I've really enjoyed reading your trip report also, rentayenta!
I wish I'd thought to do the same, Jill - great idea!
I wish I'd thought to do the same, Jill - great idea!
pepe3penelope
Princess Ariel at Heart
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2013
- Messages
- 1,441
Wow! Your experience at Napa Rose sounds fantastic! My DH and I hope to go someday. We will probably wait until the younger one is old enough to be at Pinocchio's Workshop (he's almost 3 and he has to be 5). Would rather have them at the workshop than have inroom babysitting.
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Day 3 Disneyland Day 3
We skipped the beignets this morning, and while I remember that we went to Starbucks, Im not sure what we actually ate for breakfast. It was Disneyland Early Entry, so we had a lot to do on this final day. I was already getting pretty excited about the cruise!!
I went ahead of the rest of the group through the bag check, so that I could get Moms ECV from the rental kiosk. They gave me a quick lesson on how to work the ECV how to handle the speed controls, how to move forward and backward, and where to park it (basically anywhere strollers were parked, we just had to remember to remove the key after parking it, so no one else could use it). It was all very simple, and it was fun to drive it over to the bag check area and wait for the rest of the family to arrive from the breakfast stop at Starbucks. My Mom was concerned that she was going to run people over, but she neednt have worried. The little scooter stopped on a dime, and maneuvered really easily. She was immediately comfortable in handling it. I know she probably felt really silly, and like an invalid at first, but she grew to really appreciate having it, because we did a lot on this final day at the park.
First off, we had to make a stop to see Pluto, who was greeting fans just inside the main entrance on Main Street USA.
Next, we all headed to Fantasyland, making our first stop Peter Pans Flight, as I knew the line would only get longer as the day progressed. Next we went to Mr. Toads Wild Ride, one of DHs and my favorite attractions unique to Disneyland and we are big fans of the cartoon from way back, so its always a treat to be Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily On Our Way to No Where in Particular! Here is DH with his favorite amphibian, and the rest of the family ready to ride:
While standing in line for Toad, I looked at my Disneyland Wait Times app, and Small World was showing a wait time of 5 minutes. I was very excited, because it was supposed to be closed for renovation until the following week. I was thinking that maybe it was having a soft opening? So after Toad, we hustled over toward Small World, but sadly, it was still closed. Either it was a glitch in the app, or someone thought it was funny to report a wait time. Booooo!! But, onward we went to the Teacups instead, where there was no wait, and DH and I watched and took photos while the rest of the family rode. The Teacups are fun, but weve done them multiple times, so we were happy to sit it out.
After Teacups, DH and DS wanted to take my sister and Mom on Space Mountain, so we walked that direction and then split up so I could take our niece to Autopia. She didnt have interest in driving, but she still had a good time with her Auntie. Unfortunately, I had let DS take my phone so that he could snap a photo of a funny sign regarding the closed Nemo ride:
Its unfortunate, because 12 year olds never give up a smart phone voluntarily once youve loaned it to them
, and I forgot to ask for it back before we split up. Once I realized I had no camera or phone, I spent most of the Autopia ride hoping that he wouldnt lose my phone on Space Mountain. After Autopia, darling niece and I struck out for Space Mountain to meet the rest of the party at the exit, but we had to stop by the water / fresh fruit stand to get a couple large bottles of water. Yep, you guessed it it was getting really warm again by this time, although it was probably only around 9:00 AM. The family (and my phone) came off of Space Mountain in one piece. Phew! 
Everyone then headed over to DCA and DH, Sis and I rode California Screamin while Mom and the kids waited for us at Fliks Fun Fair. The wait wasnt long, so we shortly made our way back to the Fun Fair to pick up the rest of the family so we could ride Little Mermaid. We walked the long way around Paradise Pier, because DH had his heart set on a hand-dipped corn dog from the Corn Dog Castle. He pronounced it delicious. Our niece had had a meltdown at the Fun Fair while we were gone, and was missing her Mom, but all was well once they were reunited, and we headed over to Little Mermaid. I couldve ridden that three times in a row. It was cool in the fathoms below, and a beautiful ride besides. Perfect for a hot day. We ate lunch in the Pacific Wharf food court area on picnic tables underneath big shade umbrellas. Mom and I chose our meal from the Pacific Wharf café (sandwiches on sourdough yum!) and my sister and DS went for Mexican food at Cocina Cucamonga. Niece was hungry, and ate a lot of her Moms food. I wound up splitting my sandwich with DH, as it was huge, and he was still a bit hungry. We ended the early part of the day with a swingin' time on Tow Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.
We had a pool cabana rented for the afternoon hours at the Grand Californian, and it was money well spent. The Cabana has two couches, a coffee table, fridge, and safe inside the Cabana itself. The sides were able to be tied down to provide shade and privacy, or up to allow for a view and some sunshine. There was a TV mounted in the corner ceiling, and a fan to provide a breeze. It was a nice place to hang out. In front of the cabana were two loungers for our use, and plenty of towels. The cabana host had also left us a bowl of fresh fruit to nosh on. During our time there, I think each of the adults ordered a couple of drinks, and the kids were able to get a kids' drink as well. DS and Niece spent a lot of time in the pool, but DS wasnt interested in swimming with his cousin (typical 12 year old), so my sister and I took turns swimming with the three-year old, and throwing a dime into the far end of the pool for DS to find underwater. It was a nicer afternoon than we would have had fighting the heat.
Our cabana rental was from 2:00 PM 6:00 PM, which was perfect. Earlier, we had picked up RSR Fastpasses for everyone except our niece for the 6:30 7:30 time period, and our dinner at Ariels Grotto was scheduled for 7:00 PM, so we made sure we were in Radiator Springs by 6:30, ready to ride. Half of the group went first, and our niece fell asleep in the stroller while they were riding. It was a good thing, especially since she wanted to go on the Racers BADLY, and she made sure that we understood how upset she was. With Fastpasses, they were done in ten minutes, and the rest of us went. We went over to Ariels Grotto quickly after that, and had our World of Color dining package meal in the lower level. Our waitress was superb, and the food was delicious. Even though our niece was three, and should have been charged a meal fee for the dining package, the waitress understood that she was not hungry for a meal of her own (especially after taking most of her Moms lunch from Cochina Cucamonga), and didnt charge us for the 6th ticket. Our niece was content to eat little bits from her Moms plate. The dessert at the end was fabulous. We all enjoyed our food so much, and our server gave us our passes to the WOC reserved viewing area when the meal was done.
After dinner, it was too early to line up for WOC, so we walked the long way around Paradise Pier again, with the idea that we would get on Mickeys Fun Wheel for a spin. Unfortunately, we were a bit too late, and theyd closed the line in anticipation of WOC. Oh, well. So then we thought wed take another swim under the sea with Ariel at the Little Mermaid. DH decided to sit it out and find the line entrance for WOC dining package guests. He texted me while we were in line to tell me that it was getting crowded, and I should let the rest of the family ride while I came and stood with him so we could save spots for the family in the best area. We got spots with a terrific view, right behind the rope on the elevated section. It was still a very long wait after the rest of the family joined us, and my Mom couldnt stand that long, so she sat on the steps behind with my sister and our niece, who wanted her Mom to pick her up and carry her. It was too warm and my sister was too tired to do that, so they sat with my Mom on the steps. The people around us were nice enough to let them join us again right before the show started, so it turned out OK. It was an awesome show, and Im glad we saw it. Would I stand that long again? Not so much but it was fine to do it once for the best view in the house.
It was a madhouse after the show, of course wall to wall people. We slowly made our way toward Little Mermaid, where the ECV and stroller were parked, and headed up the side street toward the Grand Californians private entrance. DH and I took the ECV back to the esplanade to turn it in, and the rest of the family peeled off and went back to the room.
So that was our time in Disneyland. If it had been the only part of our vacation, I would have been disappointed. We didnt ride nearly as many rides as we had planned on, and the heat really slowed us down, but we had the cruise to look forward to, so I didnt waste any time on regrets. I only wish my familys first Disneyland experience could have been a little easier. Next time, well go in the Fall perhaps, once our niece has grown another inch or two, and things will be better.
Next Up: Day 4 Port of San Diego and the Wonder!
We skipped the beignets this morning, and while I remember that we went to Starbucks, Im not sure what we actually ate for breakfast. It was Disneyland Early Entry, so we had a lot to do on this final day. I was already getting pretty excited about the cruise!!
I went ahead of the rest of the group through the bag check, so that I could get Moms ECV from the rental kiosk. They gave me a quick lesson on how to work the ECV how to handle the speed controls, how to move forward and backward, and where to park it (basically anywhere strollers were parked, we just had to remember to remove the key after parking it, so no one else could use it). It was all very simple, and it was fun to drive it over to the bag check area and wait for the rest of the family to arrive from the breakfast stop at Starbucks. My Mom was concerned that she was going to run people over, but she neednt have worried. The little scooter stopped on a dime, and maneuvered really easily. She was immediately comfortable in handling it. I know she probably felt really silly, and like an invalid at first, but she grew to really appreciate having it, because we did a lot on this final day at the park.
First off, we had to make a stop to see Pluto, who was greeting fans just inside the main entrance on Main Street USA.
Next, we all headed to Fantasyland, making our first stop Peter Pans Flight, as I knew the line would only get longer as the day progressed. Next we went to Mr. Toads Wild Ride, one of DHs and my favorite attractions unique to Disneyland and we are big fans of the cartoon from way back, so its always a treat to be Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily On Our Way to No Where in Particular! Here is DH with his favorite amphibian, and the rest of the family ready to ride:
While standing in line for Toad, I looked at my Disneyland Wait Times app, and Small World was showing a wait time of 5 minutes. I was very excited, because it was supposed to be closed for renovation until the following week. I was thinking that maybe it was having a soft opening? So after Toad, we hustled over toward Small World, but sadly, it was still closed. Either it was a glitch in the app, or someone thought it was funny to report a wait time. Booooo!! But, onward we went to the Teacups instead, where there was no wait, and DH and I watched and took photos while the rest of the family rode. The Teacups are fun, but weve done them multiple times, so we were happy to sit it out.
After Teacups, DH and DS wanted to take my sister and Mom on Space Mountain, so we walked that direction and then split up so I could take our niece to Autopia. She didnt have interest in driving, but she still had a good time with her Auntie. Unfortunately, I had let DS take my phone so that he could snap a photo of a funny sign regarding the closed Nemo ride:
Its unfortunate, because 12 year olds never give up a smart phone voluntarily once youve loaned it to them
, and I forgot to ask for it back before we split up. Once I realized I had no camera or phone, I spent most of the Autopia ride hoping that he wouldnt lose my phone on Space Mountain. After Autopia, darling niece and I struck out for Space Mountain to meet the rest of the party at the exit, but we had to stop by the water / fresh fruit stand to get a couple large bottles of water. Yep, you guessed it it was getting really warm again by this time, although it was probably only around 9:00 AM. The family (and my phone) came off of Space Mountain in one piece. Phew! Everyone then headed over to DCA and DH, Sis and I rode California Screamin while Mom and the kids waited for us at Fliks Fun Fair. The wait wasnt long, so we shortly made our way back to the Fun Fair to pick up the rest of the family so we could ride Little Mermaid. We walked the long way around Paradise Pier, because DH had his heart set on a hand-dipped corn dog from the Corn Dog Castle. He pronounced it delicious. Our niece had had a meltdown at the Fun Fair while we were gone, and was missing her Mom, but all was well once they were reunited, and we headed over to Little Mermaid. I couldve ridden that three times in a row. It was cool in the fathoms below, and a beautiful ride besides. Perfect for a hot day. We ate lunch in the Pacific Wharf food court area on picnic tables underneath big shade umbrellas. Mom and I chose our meal from the Pacific Wharf café (sandwiches on sourdough yum!) and my sister and DS went for Mexican food at Cocina Cucamonga. Niece was hungry, and ate a lot of her Moms food. I wound up splitting my sandwich with DH, as it was huge, and he was still a bit hungry. We ended the early part of the day with a swingin' time on Tow Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.
We had a pool cabana rented for the afternoon hours at the Grand Californian, and it was money well spent. The Cabana has two couches, a coffee table, fridge, and safe inside the Cabana itself. The sides were able to be tied down to provide shade and privacy, or up to allow for a view and some sunshine. There was a TV mounted in the corner ceiling, and a fan to provide a breeze. It was a nice place to hang out. In front of the cabana were two loungers for our use, and plenty of towels. The cabana host had also left us a bowl of fresh fruit to nosh on. During our time there, I think each of the adults ordered a couple of drinks, and the kids were able to get a kids' drink as well. DS and Niece spent a lot of time in the pool, but DS wasnt interested in swimming with his cousin (typical 12 year old), so my sister and I took turns swimming with the three-year old, and throwing a dime into the far end of the pool for DS to find underwater. It was a nicer afternoon than we would have had fighting the heat.
Our cabana rental was from 2:00 PM 6:00 PM, which was perfect. Earlier, we had picked up RSR Fastpasses for everyone except our niece for the 6:30 7:30 time period, and our dinner at Ariels Grotto was scheduled for 7:00 PM, so we made sure we were in Radiator Springs by 6:30, ready to ride. Half of the group went first, and our niece fell asleep in the stroller while they were riding. It was a good thing, especially since she wanted to go on the Racers BADLY, and she made sure that we understood how upset she was. With Fastpasses, they were done in ten minutes, and the rest of us went. We went over to Ariels Grotto quickly after that, and had our World of Color dining package meal in the lower level. Our waitress was superb, and the food was delicious. Even though our niece was three, and should have been charged a meal fee for the dining package, the waitress understood that she was not hungry for a meal of her own (especially after taking most of her Moms lunch from Cochina Cucamonga), and didnt charge us for the 6th ticket. Our niece was content to eat little bits from her Moms plate. The dessert at the end was fabulous. We all enjoyed our food so much, and our server gave us our passes to the WOC reserved viewing area when the meal was done.
After dinner, it was too early to line up for WOC, so we walked the long way around Paradise Pier again, with the idea that we would get on Mickeys Fun Wheel for a spin. Unfortunately, we were a bit too late, and theyd closed the line in anticipation of WOC. Oh, well. So then we thought wed take another swim under the sea with Ariel at the Little Mermaid. DH decided to sit it out and find the line entrance for WOC dining package guests. He texted me while we were in line to tell me that it was getting crowded, and I should let the rest of the family ride while I came and stood with him so we could save spots for the family in the best area. We got spots with a terrific view, right behind the rope on the elevated section. It was still a very long wait after the rest of the family joined us, and my Mom couldnt stand that long, so she sat on the steps behind with my sister and our niece, who wanted her Mom to pick her up and carry her. It was too warm and my sister was too tired to do that, so they sat with my Mom on the steps. The people around us were nice enough to let them join us again right before the show started, so it turned out OK. It was an awesome show, and Im glad we saw it. Would I stand that long again? Not so much but it was fine to do it once for the best view in the house.
It was a madhouse after the show, of course wall to wall people. We slowly made our way toward Little Mermaid, where the ECV and stroller were parked, and headed up the side street toward the Grand Californians private entrance. DH and I took the ECV back to the esplanade to turn it in, and the rest of the family peeled off and went back to the room.
So that was our time in Disneyland. If it had been the only part of our vacation, I would have been disappointed. We didnt ride nearly as many rides as we had planned on, and the heat really slowed us down, but we had the cruise to look forward to, so I didnt waste any time on regrets. I only wish my familys first Disneyland experience could have been a little easier. Next time, well go in the Fall perhaps, once our niece has grown another inch or two, and things will be better.
Next Up: Day 4 Port of San Diego and the Wonder!
pepe3penelope
Princess Ariel at Heart
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2013
- Messages
- 1,441
Ive really wen enjoying your TR! I know younger excited to get back on the cruise ship! I've been really looking forward to that part!
I don't know if I already mentioned this, but we are locals & have DLR passes. However next month is our first ever on property stay!!! AND it's at VGC!!!! We have a family of 4. We are staying 3 nights in a 1 bedroom & 2 nights in a studio (mainly because the points are so high).
I'm too excited for words! Next May we are doing the B2B cruise to nowhere then 3 night Ensenada. Next October we are going the 5 night Baja Mexico cruise! We just want to be on the ship!!!!
I don't know if I already mentioned this, but we are locals & have DLR passes. However next month is our first ever on property stay!!! AND it's at VGC!!!! We have a family of 4. We are staying 3 nights in a 1 bedroom & 2 nights in a studio (mainly because the points are so high).
I'm too excited for words! Next May we are doing the B2B cruise to nowhere then 3 night Ensenada. Next October we are going the 5 night Baja Mexico cruise! We just want to be on the ship!!!!
GooniesAndy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 477
The fall is actually the hottest time of year around here, though of course you were here during a crazy heat wave. I would HIGHLY recommend going in January or early February. That is when it tends to be the least crowded and the weather is usually perfect. My family always makes at least one trip then, usually a Thursday-Friday so that we take advantage of midweek slowness and also weekend lateness!
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
I am so excited for you - wow - three cruises next year and a stay at VGC next month! You are going to have such fun!
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Thanks for the heads up about Fall. I was hoping maybe November would be nice. We were there at Halloween a few years back, and it was just perfect. I love Disneyland in the Spring, but now I'm a little gun shy. Hopefully that will never happen again.
rentayenta
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
- Messages
- 27,424
Love the Disneyland update. We are going to do the same thing; spend a couple days at Disneyland before our Wonder cruise to Mexico.
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
That's going to be a lot of fun - we really did have a great time, regardless of time and sun constraints!
I hope you find a better way to get to the Port than we did. I think the final bill came in at over $300 for private transfer, but much of that due to the confusion and endless circling at the port, which you'll see in my trip report. Taking the train or something similar would have been fun, but I was worried about packing luggage around on transportation I wasn't familiar with. There has got to be a better way. I was actually very surprised that Disney didn't come through with a bus option or something for those of us visiting at the parks pre-cruise!!
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Day 4 Disney Wonder (Day 1 of 7)
I had booked an SUV through Limos.com, with a price quote of $217 for transportation from the Grand Californian. It was for 3.5 hours of total transportation time from their home garage in San Diego, to Anaheim, and back to San Diego. We planned to take a little extra time to stop at a wine and liquor store along the way, so we thought wed get to the port around 11:00. Boarding time was (originally) scheduled to begin at 11:30. The company, Midnight Express, sent a very nice driver, Ash. For all I know, he might have been the owner, but we didnt visit much about that.
We said goodbye to the rest of the family a little before 9:00 AM. Their Super Shuttle was coming to pick them up at 10:00 to take them back to the airport and their flight back to Seattle. Ash was waiting for us out front, and we were finally on our way. The trip to San Diego went quickly. Ash took us to a Costco just off the Interstate, and DH went in to get a couple bottles of wine. He also picked up a pre-mixed bottle of Margaritas, as I thought that would be a nice drink when we were in the mood for something tropical.
Finally, we could see the Wonder at the port.
I thought of all those unlucky people having to depart after two wonderful weeks through the Panama Canal, and was so happy that theyd finally arrived so that we could get on the ship! Excitement eventually turned to frustration, as the traffic slowed to a crawl on the street that runs in front of the port. There were so many big trucks and merging lanes due to all the construction at the port. To complicate matters, there were no signs and no porters to be seen. We asked two or three different groups of workers from the Port Authority where to go, and received different answers each time. The one gentleman who seemed confident in his answer wound up directing us to long-term parking. I guess he thought Ash was a member of our travel party and we were looking for a place to park the car during our cruise. We eventually had to explain that this was a taxi, but no one could tell us where to drop off our luggage.
Well, theres a reason why no one knew there WAS no place to drop off luggage! After driving in to the nearest lot next to the ship, a worker told us that the ship had been delayed getting in, and that boarding had not even begun yet, even though it was after noon by this time. I have no idea if his explanation was true, but at least we knew what was going on. Finally, we figured out that we just had to get at the end of a LONG line of people (which stretched from the lot next to the ship for about two and a half blocks), and drag our luggage with us on the sidewalk. It was extremely unpleasant, hot and no restrooms around. If DS had been younger, I don't know how we could have managed all the luggage. Most people in line had only small bags, as they were taking the short 2-day weekend cruise only. We didn't even see any porters until we got into the main terminal lot. Once people started to board, the line moved quickly, but we were still in line over an hour with all of the luggage. I dont think anyone was very happy with the situation. It was too bad that the Port was such chaos, and no clear instructions on where to go. This was the first cruise for a lot of the travelers that day, from what I gathered. - kind of a taster cruise, being a relatively inexpensive 2-night excursion. I have to say that if it had been my first cruise, I would have been extremely turned off by the mess at the San Diego terminal. It was so confusing at one point that we called Shoreside Concierge in Florida to find out if they had any notes about what to do and where to go. Of course, they had no idea, but were very sympathetic with our confusion.
Finally, we entered the terminal. The concierge check in had too many families already in line, so we were directed to a free agent who got us all set up. They tried to print new KTTW cards for us, but I knew that the concierge cards were already pre-printed, so I reminded her of that and she walked down to the concierge station to get our cards for us. We received new Silver lanyards, and were impressed that they have been improved since our last cruise on the Fantasy in 2013. The lanyard is of a higher quality, and the material is more smooth and less scratchy, and the colors are brighter. The rest of the check in process went quickly. Thank goodness that we had finally been able to drop off the luggage and only had our carry-ons at that point. We headed up an escalator to security, and then down a lengthy switchback ramp to finally board the ship. Boarding had begun in earnest by then, so at least we didnt have to wait any longer. We were so relieved to get into the cool of the ship that we bypassed the photo and headed right to the Cadillac lounge for the concierge meet.
BTW heres an important tidbit. I overheard a snatch of conversation in the terminal from a cast member - weve been testing it out for the last two weeks. I wondered what he was referring to, and thought that maybe the Mobile App was up and running for the Wonder finally so I logged in, and lo and behold, it was working! We had a fun time over the next several days playing with it, looking at the upcoming menus, and reading the daily events. There were some minor annoyances, like when we drilled down to activities at the Edge for DS, it would also include some of the events at Vibe or the Oceaneers Club, but other than that, it was very accurate and came in handy. I saw that they were having a Master Chef menu for the 2nd night of the cruise, and I was disappointed that we had booked Palo and would miss it. But since nothing can beat Palo on the classic ships there was really nothing to be disappointed about!
At the Cadillac Lounge, we were excited to see a familiar face Rodrigo! He had been our concierge host on our 2nd cruise on the Dream, and while we didnt spend a lot of time talking with him on that cruise, we felt like we had met up with an old friend, and we got to know him much better this time around. What a great guy he is. He took care of us so well. We booked a tequila and margarita tasting for the following day, and each had a drink, some fresh fruit and small sandwiches. We were pretty hungry by this point, as it was right about 1:30.
It kind of threw me off, that the Route 66 Adult District was in the Forward section of the ship, rather than Aft, but it was actually sooooo convenient to our midship stateroom. On the classic ships, the forward and mid-ship elevators are actually fairly close to each other. The condition of the ship was still pristine and beautiful, even after 15 years in service. There were smiling cast members, polished wood everywhere, bright colors in the carpeting, and elegance at every turn. Its so easy to get around quickly on the Wonder, although I have to say, I dont mind the size of the Dream-class ships either. The only place I noticed any wear at all was a spot in the master bedroom closet which had probably been scuffed up by a lot of shoes and luggage through the years, and some chipped paint and rust spots on the verandah rails, but none of it detracted from the ships beauty.
After our visit with Rodrigo, we headed up to our stateroom, as it was past 1:30. We were in 8532, which is a sideways mid-ship concierge 1-bedroom suite. The living room area is so large and comfortable, and the verandah is triple-wide rather than double-wide, due to the different layout. There is an end-table between two chairs in the living room, an ottoman and a coffee table, a sofa, a TV (although the screen is much smaller than those on the Dream class ships,) a bar area with sink and small cooler (stocked with Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Evian Water), a small dining room table with four chairs, and lots and lots of floor space. You could hold a dance party or turn three cartwheels from one end of the living room to the other, I think! LOL! It is the exact same room we had on our first cruise ever in 2007, and it is the room that spoiled us for sailing in a suite on every cruise since.
In the short hallway leading into the stateroom living room is a full bath, a full closet (where the lifejackets are also stored), a set of dresser drawers, and another set of drawers with a mirror above. There was plenty of space, with room to spare, for all of DSs clothes, each of our jackets, and the empty luggage. There was also lots of storage space in the drawers underneath the bar area in the living room. It served a good purpose for storing the wonderful FE gifts we received throughout the voyage.
The master bedroom had a desk area, with drawers underneath, another cabinet with several shelves on the opposite side of the room, a chair with ottoman, a flat screen TV (again, with a fairly small screen) in front of the bed, with more drawers underneath, and a separate area with a vanity and more drawers underneath, a walk-in closet to the right, and bathroom entrance to the left. On the vanity were two standard electrical outlets, one of which was taken by the wave phones, but the other which could be used by the hair dryer. I used it to plug in my iphone mainly. Behind the TV in the master bedroom was another plug in.
The first area of the master bathroom has two sinks and the deep jetted tub, and you walk through it to get to the small separate toilet/shower room. The layout on the Dream class ships is much better where the bathroom is concerned, but this was perfectly adequate and roomy for two people to share. However, the phone that sits right above the toilet on the wall was a real pain in the neck! I kept hitting it with my elbow and knocking it off the wall pretty much all week. LOL!
There are three entrances to the verandah one from the master bedroom, one behind the dining room table, and another over by the sofa. We had asked for two lounge chairs that would lay flat, and were happy to see them waiting for us on the verandah. There is also a light switch by the sofa to control the lights out on the verandah. Another thing I had to get used to was the doorbell it very softly played the first line of Auld Lang Syne. I dont remember that being the tune the last time we stayed in this room, and I found it pretty strange. The first time it went off, I had no idea what it was. Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot Weird. After exploring our room, we decorated the stateroom door, which Ive kind of missed on the new Dream class ships.
One thing that WAS missing from our stateroom was our bottle of champagne ordered for sailaway and our rainforest passes. I had a copy of the order forms that Id sent in, and DH took them down to Rodrigo, who took care of getting the missing items. I had tried to send them to the fax number on the order form, but their fax didnt like our fax, apparently, and it would just ring and ring. So, I emailed the forms to shoreside concierge instead. They replied to me that they were going to send them along to the onboard gifts department, but unfortunately, it never happened, and something was misplaced along the way. But bless Rodrigo, he took care of it all with no worries, and the champagne arrived in short order. We also ordered a cheese and crackers plate once Room Service opened.
We checked out the TV in the room, and while it doesnt have on-demand options like on the Dream Class ships, there was still plenty to choose from. There were the ABC, CNN and ESPN options, as well as Disney Cartoons, Classic Disney Feature Films, Pixar movies, and a bunch of other choices. The movie channels were showing newer features such as Captain Phillips, the Hobbit, Enders Game, The Monuments Men, and a couple others I hadnt heard of. These just played on a loop so while not on-demand exactly, it was still nice, and I was able to see Captain Phillips while on board, and DS was excited to see Enders Game. He sat down to watch a few minutes of it while munching on some barbecue chips that Rodrigo had left.
We also met our stateroom host, Canas. Very nice man. There was no assistant stateroom host as there was on the Fantasy, but Canas did an excellent job all by himself.
At 3:15, the spa raffle was happening in the Vista Spa, so we went down to put our name in the drawing, which was held in the fitness area. We didnt win, but DH took advantage of the first day special Bliss Raffle Package of 75 minutes in the spa, including a Hot Stone Back Massage, Frangipani Scalp Massage, Mini Booster Facial, Collagen Eye Treatment, and Pressure Point Foot Massage all for $129. He thought that was a pretty good deal, so he made an appointment for after dinner time.
We then took DS to the Edge to check in. The counselors had a long list of other 11-14 year olds, and they highlighted his name and provided him with a sticker for his KTTW card. He had very fond memories of the Edge on the Fantasy last June, so he was excited to hang out, which he did right after the life boat drill until time to change for dinner. We absolutely skipped the sail away party, and had champagne on the verandah while the ship pulled out of the port.
Aside from the horrible construction mess, the Port of San Diego looks like a really fun place. We saw the aircraft carrier USS Midway, and also several speed boats taking passengers out for a thrilling ride in the harbor.
Very soon, it was time to head to Animators Palate for dinner. Tonight was the Golden Mickeys dinner menu, so there was no color transformation show of the black-and-white pictures in the restaurant (meaning that they were fully colored in when we entered the dining room), but the meal was very good. Here is a sampling from dinner: Carmelized Sea Scallops, Broccoli and Maytag Blue Cheese Soup, Lavender Infused Crème Brulee, and this Jumbo Shrimp and Porchini Mushroom Tagliatelle for a main course. All delicious.
Our server was Agung, and the assistant server was Marcel. They were wonderful throughout both cruises. We saw the head server, Roberto, several times when he stopped by to check on us. In Animators Palate was the first time I really noticed the smaller number of passengers on the Wonder. Compared to the cavernous restaurants on the Fantasy, it seemed pretty tiny in comparison. But I think the servers were less harried as a result, and it was very pleasant to be in the dining room.
After dinner, DH headed to the spa, DS to the Edge, and I wavered between Bingo and Trivia. In the end, I sat in the living room with my feet up, had another glass of Fairy Tale Cuvee, and watched the first part of Captain Phillips. It was the first REAL relaxation moment of the vacation, and I savored it.
When DH came back from the spa all relaxed, we decided to go to bed. It must have been only about 9:00 PM or 9:30, but it had been a long long day (on top of three other long days at Disneyland), and we were both exhausted. This night was also the Pirate Party (which we did not attend) and fireworks at sea. DCL sure packed a LOT of things into this mini-cruise when was the last time you saw the Golden Mickeys, Pirate Night, and Fireworks all in one evening? We were asleep until the fireworks started (pitiful, I know), but they woke DH up, and he went down the elevator to the Edge to check on DS. The kids in the Edge were having open arcade night on this night, so DS informed DH that he planned to stay for that event, which was scheduled to run from midnight to 12:30 AM. Better him than me!! I woke up briefly to hear DS come into the room right on schedule, but fell immediately back to sleep.
Next Up: Wonder Day 2 Day at Sea!
I had booked an SUV through Limos.com, with a price quote of $217 for transportation from the Grand Californian. It was for 3.5 hours of total transportation time from their home garage in San Diego, to Anaheim, and back to San Diego. We planned to take a little extra time to stop at a wine and liquor store along the way, so we thought wed get to the port around 11:00. Boarding time was (originally) scheduled to begin at 11:30. The company, Midnight Express, sent a very nice driver, Ash. For all I know, he might have been the owner, but we didnt visit much about that.
We said goodbye to the rest of the family a little before 9:00 AM. Their Super Shuttle was coming to pick them up at 10:00 to take them back to the airport and their flight back to Seattle. Ash was waiting for us out front, and we were finally on our way. The trip to San Diego went quickly. Ash took us to a Costco just off the Interstate, and DH went in to get a couple bottles of wine. He also picked up a pre-mixed bottle of Margaritas, as I thought that would be a nice drink when we were in the mood for something tropical.
Finally, we could see the Wonder at the port.
I thought of all those unlucky people having to depart after two wonderful weeks through the Panama Canal, and was so happy that theyd finally arrived so that we could get on the ship! Excitement eventually turned to frustration, as the traffic slowed to a crawl on the street that runs in front of the port. There were so many big trucks and merging lanes due to all the construction at the port. To complicate matters, there were no signs and no porters to be seen. We asked two or three different groups of workers from the Port Authority where to go, and received different answers each time. The one gentleman who seemed confident in his answer wound up directing us to long-term parking. I guess he thought Ash was a member of our travel party and we were looking for a place to park the car during our cruise. We eventually had to explain that this was a taxi, but no one could tell us where to drop off our luggage.
Well, theres a reason why no one knew there WAS no place to drop off luggage! After driving in to the nearest lot next to the ship, a worker told us that the ship had been delayed getting in, and that boarding had not even begun yet, even though it was after noon by this time. I have no idea if his explanation was true, but at least we knew what was going on. Finally, we figured out that we just had to get at the end of a LONG line of people (which stretched from the lot next to the ship for about two and a half blocks), and drag our luggage with us on the sidewalk. It was extremely unpleasant, hot and no restrooms around. If DS had been younger, I don't know how we could have managed all the luggage. Most people in line had only small bags, as they were taking the short 2-day weekend cruise only. We didn't even see any porters until we got into the main terminal lot. Once people started to board, the line moved quickly, but we were still in line over an hour with all of the luggage. I dont think anyone was very happy with the situation. It was too bad that the Port was such chaos, and no clear instructions on where to go. This was the first cruise for a lot of the travelers that day, from what I gathered. - kind of a taster cruise, being a relatively inexpensive 2-night excursion. I have to say that if it had been my first cruise, I would have been extremely turned off by the mess at the San Diego terminal. It was so confusing at one point that we called Shoreside Concierge in Florida to find out if they had any notes about what to do and where to go. Of course, they had no idea, but were very sympathetic with our confusion.
Finally, we entered the terminal. The concierge check in had too many families already in line, so we were directed to a free agent who got us all set up. They tried to print new KTTW cards for us, but I knew that the concierge cards were already pre-printed, so I reminded her of that and she walked down to the concierge station to get our cards for us. We received new Silver lanyards, and were impressed that they have been improved since our last cruise on the Fantasy in 2013. The lanyard is of a higher quality, and the material is more smooth and less scratchy, and the colors are brighter. The rest of the check in process went quickly. Thank goodness that we had finally been able to drop off the luggage and only had our carry-ons at that point. We headed up an escalator to security, and then down a lengthy switchback ramp to finally board the ship. Boarding had begun in earnest by then, so at least we didnt have to wait any longer. We were so relieved to get into the cool of the ship that we bypassed the photo and headed right to the Cadillac lounge for the concierge meet.
BTW heres an important tidbit. I overheard a snatch of conversation in the terminal from a cast member - weve been testing it out for the last two weeks. I wondered what he was referring to, and thought that maybe the Mobile App was up and running for the Wonder finally so I logged in, and lo and behold, it was working! We had a fun time over the next several days playing with it, looking at the upcoming menus, and reading the daily events. There were some minor annoyances, like when we drilled down to activities at the Edge for DS, it would also include some of the events at Vibe or the Oceaneers Club, but other than that, it was very accurate and came in handy. I saw that they were having a Master Chef menu for the 2nd night of the cruise, and I was disappointed that we had booked Palo and would miss it. But since nothing can beat Palo on the classic ships there was really nothing to be disappointed about!
At the Cadillac Lounge, we were excited to see a familiar face Rodrigo! He had been our concierge host on our 2nd cruise on the Dream, and while we didnt spend a lot of time talking with him on that cruise, we felt like we had met up with an old friend, and we got to know him much better this time around. What a great guy he is. He took care of us so well. We booked a tequila and margarita tasting for the following day, and each had a drink, some fresh fruit and small sandwiches. We were pretty hungry by this point, as it was right about 1:30.
It kind of threw me off, that the Route 66 Adult District was in the Forward section of the ship, rather than Aft, but it was actually sooooo convenient to our midship stateroom. On the classic ships, the forward and mid-ship elevators are actually fairly close to each other. The condition of the ship was still pristine and beautiful, even after 15 years in service. There were smiling cast members, polished wood everywhere, bright colors in the carpeting, and elegance at every turn. Its so easy to get around quickly on the Wonder, although I have to say, I dont mind the size of the Dream-class ships either. The only place I noticed any wear at all was a spot in the master bedroom closet which had probably been scuffed up by a lot of shoes and luggage through the years, and some chipped paint and rust spots on the verandah rails, but none of it detracted from the ships beauty.
After our visit with Rodrigo, we headed up to our stateroom, as it was past 1:30. We were in 8532, which is a sideways mid-ship concierge 1-bedroom suite. The living room area is so large and comfortable, and the verandah is triple-wide rather than double-wide, due to the different layout. There is an end-table between two chairs in the living room, an ottoman and a coffee table, a sofa, a TV (although the screen is much smaller than those on the Dream class ships,) a bar area with sink and small cooler (stocked with Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Evian Water), a small dining room table with four chairs, and lots and lots of floor space. You could hold a dance party or turn three cartwheels from one end of the living room to the other, I think! LOL! It is the exact same room we had on our first cruise ever in 2007, and it is the room that spoiled us for sailing in a suite on every cruise since.
In the short hallway leading into the stateroom living room is a full bath, a full closet (where the lifejackets are also stored), a set of dresser drawers, and another set of drawers with a mirror above. There was plenty of space, with room to spare, for all of DSs clothes, each of our jackets, and the empty luggage. There was also lots of storage space in the drawers underneath the bar area in the living room. It served a good purpose for storing the wonderful FE gifts we received throughout the voyage.
The master bedroom had a desk area, with drawers underneath, another cabinet with several shelves on the opposite side of the room, a chair with ottoman, a flat screen TV (again, with a fairly small screen) in front of the bed, with more drawers underneath, and a separate area with a vanity and more drawers underneath, a walk-in closet to the right, and bathroom entrance to the left. On the vanity were two standard electrical outlets, one of which was taken by the wave phones, but the other which could be used by the hair dryer. I used it to plug in my iphone mainly. Behind the TV in the master bedroom was another plug in.
The first area of the master bathroom has two sinks and the deep jetted tub, and you walk through it to get to the small separate toilet/shower room. The layout on the Dream class ships is much better where the bathroom is concerned, but this was perfectly adequate and roomy for two people to share. However, the phone that sits right above the toilet on the wall was a real pain in the neck! I kept hitting it with my elbow and knocking it off the wall pretty much all week. LOL!
There are three entrances to the verandah one from the master bedroom, one behind the dining room table, and another over by the sofa. We had asked for two lounge chairs that would lay flat, and were happy to see them waiting for us on the verandah. There is also a light switch by the sofa to control the lights out on the verandah. Another thing I had to get used to was the doorbell it very softly played the first line of Auld Lang Syne. I dont remember that being the tune the last time we stayed in this room, and I found it pretty strange. The first time it went off, I had no idea what it was. Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot Weird. After exploring our room, we decorated the stateroom door, which Ive kind of missed on the new Dream class ships.
One thing that WAS missing from our stateroom was our bottle of champagne ordered for sailaway and our rainforest passes. I had a copy of the order forms that Id sent in, and DH took them down to Rodrigo, who took care of getting the missing items. I had tried to send them to the fax number on the order form, but their fax didnt like our fax, apparently, and it would just ring and ring. So, I emailed the forms to shoreside concierge instead. They replied to me that they were going to send them along to the onboard gifts department, but unfortunately, it never happened, and something was misplaced along the way. But bless Rodrigo, he took care of it all with no worries, and the champagne arrived in short order. We also ordered a cheese and crackers plate once Room Service opened.
We checked out the TV in the room, and while it doesnt have on-demand options like on the Dream Class ships, there was still plenty to choose from. There were the ABC, CNN and ESPN options, as well as Disney Cartoons, Classic Disney Feature Films, Pixar movies, and a bunch of other choices. The movie channels were showing newer features such as Captain Phillips, the Hobbit, Enders Game, The Monuments Men, and a couple others I hadnt heard of. These just played on a loop so while not on-demand exactly, it was still nice, and I was able to see Captain Phillips while on board, and DS was excited to see Enders Game. He sat down to watch a few minutes of it while munching on some barbecue chips that Rodrigo had left.
We also met our stateroom host, Canas. Very nice man. There was no assistant stateroom host as there was on the Fantasy, but Canas did an excellent job all by himself.
At 3:15, the spa raffle was happening in the Vista Spa, so we went down to put our name in the drawing, which was held in the fitness area. We didnt win, but DH took advantage of the first day special Bliss Raffle Package of 75 minutes in the spa, including a Hot Stone Back Massage, Frangipani Scalp Massage, Mini Booster Facial, Collagen Eye Treatment, and Pressure Point Foot Massage all for $129. He thought that was a pretty good deal, so he made an appointment for after dinner time.
We then took DS to the Edge to check in. The counselors had a long list of other 11-14 year olds, and they highlighted his name and provided him with a sticker for his KTTW card. He had very fond memories of the Edge on the Fantasy last June, so he was excited to hang out, which he did right after the life boat drill until time to change for dinner. We absolutely skipped the sail away party, and had champagne on the verandah while the ship pulled out of the port.
Aside from the horrible construction mess, the Port of San Diego looks like a really fun place. We saw the aircraft carrier USS Midway, and also several speed boats taking passengers out for a thrilling ride in the harbor.
Very soon, it was time to head to Animators Palate for dinner. Tonight was the Golden Mickeys dinner menu, so there was no color transformation show of the black-and-white pictures in the restaurant (meaning that they were fully colored in when we entered the dining room), but the meal was very good. Here is a sampling from dinner: Carmelized Sea Scallops, Broccoli and Maytag Blue Cheese Soup, Lavender Infused Crème Brulee, and this Jumbo Shrimp and Porchini Mushroom Tagliatelle for a main course. All delicious.
Our server was Agung, and the assistant server was Marcel. They were wonderful throughout both cruises. We saw the head server, Roberto, several times when he stopped by to check on us. In Animators Palate was the first time I really noticed the smaller number of passengers on the Wonder. Compared to the cavernous restaurants on the Fantasy, it seemed pretty tiny in comparison. But I think the servers were less harried as a result, and it was very pleasant to be in the dining room.
After dinner, DH headed to the spa, DS to the Edge, and I wavered between Bingo and Trivia. In the end, I sat in the living room with my feet up, had another glass of Fairy Tale Cuvee, and watched the first part of Captain Phillips. It was the first REAL relaxation moment of the vacation, and I savored it.
When DH came back from the spa all relaxed, we decided to go to bed. It must have been only about 9:00 PM or 9:30, but it had been a long long day (on top of three other long days at Disneyland), and we were both exhausted. This night was also the Pirate Party (which we did not attend) and fireworks at sea. DCL sure packed a LOT of things into this mini-cruise when was the last time you saw the Golden Mickeys, Pirate Night, and Fireworks all in one evening? We were asleep until the fireworks started (pitiful, I know), but they woke DH up, and he went down the elevator to the Edge to check on DS. The kids in the Edge were having open arcade night on this night, so DS informed DH that he planned to stay for that event, which was scheduled to run from midnight to 12:30 AM. Better him than me!! I woke up briefly to hear DS come into the room right on schedule, but fell immediately back to sleep.
Next Up: Wonder Day 2 Day at Sea!
pepe3penelope
Princess Ariel at Heart
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2013
- Messages
- 1,441
Loved the update! I had read the posts about the nightmare in San Diego. Frankly, that's the only thing I'm dreading when we go out of San Diego next May and October. I also wish they would have retuned to Los Angeles ( would have more sense because of disneyland). I'm sure there's a reason; just don't know why.I didn't think they would do pirate party and fireworks for the very short cruises. Score!By the way, have you ever done the after pirate buffet? Never did it cuz we were so tired and we didn't want to lug around our young ones.
Can't wait to hear more!
Can't wait to hear more!
disnygirl55
Forever Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 605
Loved the update! I had read the posts about the nightmare in San Diego. Frankly, that's the only thing I'm dreading when we go out of San Diego next May and October. I also wish they would have retuned to Los Angeles ( would have more sense because of disneyland). I'm sure there's a reason; just don't know why.I didn't think they would do pirate party and fireworks for the very short cruises. Score!By the way, have you ever done the after pirate buffet? Never did it cuz we were so tired and we didn't want to lug around our young ones.
Can't wait to hear more!
That made me snort my coffee on my desk - I'm glad I'm not the only one who falls asleep so early on a cruise. Between the rocking of the ship and the ocean air, I'm lucky if I can make it till 10:00 PM. (Although at home it's not any better, I admit). I'm MUCH more of an early riser. We have seen the FIRST portion of the pirate party, but it's usually so crowded on deck, and we're too tired to put up with it. I've never seen Pirate Mickey go down his zipline. And I've never been able to nab one of those late-night turkey legs. Usually by the END of the cruise, my internal clock adjusts, and I can stay up later. Stay tuned for the last couple days of our adventure - I think I made it until 11:00 PM both nights - once for the fireworks with my inlaws (they came to our suite to watch them from the verandah, so I couldn't skulk off to bed); and the night I had unexpected energy and played Who Wants to Be a Mouseketeer at 9:45 PM!
I'm sure things will be much better for you in San Diego next year. The Port was just seriously under construction, and it was chaos everywhere. I'm sure Disney heard about the lack of signs and directions - as I know lots of people were frustrated.
I am nearly ready to post the next installment... but Photobucket is giving me fits, and refusing to upload a few of my photos.
Thanks again for reading along!
Poodleparty
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2014
- Messages
- 11
Great info here
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