View Full Version : Here Now! Semi-hourly-ish Updates!
potterphreak
10-23-2009, 07:32 AM
Ok, not there yet but leaving today!! Will start updating from my lovely Sidekick about 5pmish. First time flying to Disney, sweeeeet!!!
samsma
10-23-2009, 07:43 AM
How exciting!!!!! Have fun, I am looking forward to updates!
houseofmouse
10-23-2009, 10:05 AM
Post pics if you can!
potterphreak
10-23-2009, 10:39 AM
At Oakland Airport now. We board in 84 minutes. Soo excited! Mental health weekend with the hubster, sweeeeet!
At Oakland Airport now. We board in 84 minutes. Soo excited! Mental health weekend with the hubster, sweeeeet!
Have a safe flight!
potterphreak
10-23-2009, 05:30 PM
Ok, for real here now! Got to the hotel room at 415 (sweeeet room upgrade!) and unpacked and took pics of the room, had some grownup time...
Left for the Land at 525, allllll parking was closed (Timon and Mickey & Friends), got directed to Buzz and then directed to Pongo. Awesome shuttle but seats a lot less than a tram. All entry gates were open, had maybe 7 people ahead of us. Stopped in Penny Arcade to get some pumpkin fudge and rocky road fudge then headed to Space, of course! All fps are "sold out" but wait listed as a mere 75 minutes. In line now, timing the wait!
Crowds are like, wow crazy but calm and having a good time! Evening weather is perfect, dinner ressie at Carnation Cafe at 730 (first time there for us!). Will check in after ride, while waiting to order grub.
Cj out!
samsma
10-23-2009, 06:44 PM
Sounds fun! Enjoy the night!!!!
potterphreak
10-23-2009, 07:37 PM
Ok, SMGG was way weak! In fact, seemed less scary because it seemed brighter, lol. Oh well, still a good coaster-type ride. Were 30 minutes late for dinner ressie and they were closed but because we had had a ressie they took us in anyways! How awesome is that!
potterphreak
10-23-2009, 08:06 PM
Food was good (I had half veggie sammitch with bowl of loaded potato soup & hubby had soup and the steak sammitch with fruit), service was good, latte was good, pomegranate lemonade was NOT good, lol.
Went on Jungle Cruise with about a 7 minute wait, super funny! Now in line for Indy, with projected 40 minute wait. We shall see! I am pooped, ready to head back to hotel but hubby doesn't seem down. Maybe I can talk him into it!
quackinup
10-23-2009, 09:44 PM
Hmmm, over an hour and a half since last update. Hope you didn't fall overboard on the Jungle Cruise! :fez:
SoCalSteven
10-23-2009, 11:13 PM
Probably got trampled by the after-fireworks crowd! I just got back from the park and it was pretty crazy. We had to park at the Gardenwalk and instead of waiting for their shuttles we just walked. Didn't ride much, but it was fun!
potterphreak
10-24-2009, 11:24 AM
Moving my hourly updates to my Twitter account, will do more detailed accounts whenever we sit down to eat or have a looooong line.
Twitter name-cjthegr8
So, Jungle Cruise was great I sooo love it at night! Went on Indy afterwards, projected 40 minute wait was really 30. After Indy we did Pirates, about a 8-10 minute wait, and then we thought perhaps Haunted Mansion but the line was waaaaay crazy so I nixed that idea! A huuuge plus-we missed 90% of the Fantasmic 9pm crowds and about 98% of the fireworks crowds, sweeeet! I took a bunch of pictures of the lit up castle and then we headed out. Wait for the red shuttle was very fast, got to Pongo, got to rental car and made it back to hotel with no problems. I crashed hard, didn't get out of bed today until 1115! I haven't slept more than 6 hours in about 7 years so that was waaaaay nice!
Hubby got me a croissant from the worlds greatest donut shop and tea from Coffee Bean, I showered and we are on the way to the park now.
See ya on Twitter and then later on here for more details!
potterphreak
10-24-2009, 01:18 PM
Killing time before our first every Billy Hill show.
Update: got diverted to Buzz parking lot again (about 1ish) and the line for shuttles way huge so we used the Reebok express, didn't feel like a long walk at all! Got to see hotels I have read about but never looked into staying at. Portofino looks niiiice! Weird note-no one had to pay at Buzz. That was way weird! I have parking on my AP, but they didn't even look, just waved everyone through. Encountered the rudest CMs ever in the parking lot, so dunno what was up with that! I get it, it's warm and in the sun and people are prolly pissy cos they are so far away and confused but don't take it out on the random few who manage to have smiles! Haha! Park is semi crowded (over by Haunted Mansion is where it is super bad but haven't been by Tomorrowland so maybe it's worse) but not terrible. Doesn't justify the buzz parking, perhaps that is a preemptive move? We did Space last night and have it twice on todays RideMax schedule but both of us agree not worth the two 80+ minute waits RM has projected so we have 2 holes to fill, haha. First one I guess we will head to ticket window to get Fantasmic tickets. Have Billy Hill at 235, dinner at Cafe Orleans at 4 and then will use our FPs for HM. Will try to update after HM. Peace out, mpers! Cj ouuuut!
DizneyMommy
10-24-2009, 02:22 PM
When you say you were "directed" to Buzz... who or what directed you? Did you go to the structure first and it was closed and they diverted everyone, or did you just see a street sign off Harbor somewhere that was telling you to go to Buzz? They do that, even though the structure isnt full sometimes, I just ignore it and go to the structure anyways. Saves a lot of time IMO
potterphreak
10-24-2009, 04:17 PM
When you say you were "directed" to Buzz... who or what directed you? Did you go to the structure first and it was closed and they diverted everyone, or did you just see a street sign off Harbor somewhere that was telling you to go to Buzz? They do that, even though the structure isnt full sometimes, I just ignore it and go to the structure anyways. Saves a lot of time IMO
The Harbor Blvd entrance was blocked with cones, a suv with flashing lights and had a CM directing traffic down Harbor with a huge lighted sign saying parking was straight down Harbor. The entrance off of Ball (you know where I mean, you turn on Magic or something and go by DL hotels to go to Mick and Friends?) let us in but then we came back out through the Harbor Blvd entrance. Nowhere did it say any lots were full, just that parking was straight down Harbor. Hubby was waaaay frustrated, til we started walking. He does better with exercise than sitting in a car, hahaha!
Billy Hill was awesome, Cafe Orleans was great as usual (I got monte, hubby got the salmon salad), now in line to pick up Fantasmic tickets. Loooooong lines! Haven't ridden any rides yet, but have FPs for Haunted, Splash and Big Thunda.
potterphreak
10-25-2009, 09:17 AM
Will do a longer update/trip report later.
Rode HM, Thunder and Splash. Did Fantasmic, was great. Rode Matterhorn, shopped, left.
Catch ya tomorrow, now we's checking out of hotel, getting grub then on to Long Beach for flight.
DizneyMommy
10-25-2009, 11:25 AM
The entrance off of Ball (you know where I mean, you turn on Magic or something and go by DL hotels to go to Mick and Friends?) let us in but then we came back out through the Harbor Blvd entrance. Nowhere did it say any lots were full, just that parking was straight down Harbor.
You mean off Katella - if you passed the hotels first then you came off Katella towards the structure. Try going in off Ball (the backside of DL). It has a ramp that goes straight into the structure. I think the issue they were trying to avoid is the huge back-up of cars that come in from Katella and then have to make a u-turn at Ball. That makes for a traffic nightmare, but if you come in off Ball and turn Left, it puts you on a ramp that goes straight into the structure (unless of course it is closed)
potterphreak
10-25-2009, 11:33 AM
That ramp was closed. Had cones, a regular police car with flashing lights and a CM in parking lot gear waving everyone through. Got to go thru around the parking structure and then come out on Harbor. Was way crazy! We were hoping to do an hour or so at the parks today before flight but just didn't want to deal with any parking issues. C-ya in about 4 years, Disney!
DizneyMommy
10-26-2009, 12:39 PM
That ramp was closed. Had cones, a regular police car with flashing lights and a CM in parking lot gear waving everyone through. Got to go thru around the parking structure and then come out on Harbor. Was way crazy! We were hoping to do an hour or so at the parks today before flight but just didn't want to deal with any parking issues. C-ya in about 4 years, Disney!
Wait, I'm still confused... you can't go out of the structure on to Harbor, it's only exit is Disney Way which forces you to Katella, or Magic Way from which you can go right to Walnut or left to Disney Way... Are you sure we are talking about the same place?
yohomama212
10-26-2009, 03:42 PM
A couple weeks ago we tried to go to the parking structure to park and it was full. Took the 5 exited Harbor, turned right to Ball. Turned left to Disney Way, turned left and there were cones closing everything off, passing the DL hotels (like potterphreak), to the street that leads to where Timon used to be. We were routed through there and back to Harbor where we made a right and then went down to Convention Way and made a left into Buzz. Eventually. Potterphreak is not confused.
Elizabeth
Malcon10t
10-26-2009, 04:32 PM
Wait, I'm still confused... you can't go out of the structure on to Harbor, it's only exit is Disney Way which forces you to Katella, or Magic Way from which you can go right to Walnut or left to Disney Way... Are you sure we are talking about the same place?I am CONFUSED. Disney Way runs from the I-5 (by Residence Inn) and dead ends into Harbor at the entrance to the OLD parking lot. Do you mean Disneyland Dr?
mechurchlady
10-26-2009, 07:25 PM
Jason (towerofterror) and I arrived around 6 pm or later, you have to ask him. I took Ball west to Disneyland Way and then into the parking area. The ramp that crosses Ball always is closed at night to southbound traffic. I got in the second open lane and avoided a big motorhome. I then took the #3 lane and there was nobody in line. That was the 23rd as it was my birthday eve and the trick or treat meet.
I am totally and thoroughly confused also by the above discriptions.
potterphreak
10-26-2009, 09:02 PM
Ok, looking on Mapquest now to see if I can figure this out, seeing as how I was too busy updating my Facebook, Twitter and Mouseplanet on said day (Saturday, October 24th), lol. Gotta love the Sidekick phone!!
We were going West on E. Lincoln Ave. towards Harbor Blvd. We made a left onto Harbor, now going South on Harbor. We made a right onto W. Ball Road and did NOT go over the freeway overpass, on our way to the Mickey and Friends parking structure. I think we ended up on Disneyland Dr.? Magic Way? I dunno, seriously, when I drive (which I wasn't doing today), I just go by "right here, left there", LOL, not by "left on such and such street", etc. Anyways, we couldn't go INTO the structure, that was blocked off by cones, a police car with flashing lights AND a female CM dressed in a parking uniform. You know how when you go into entrance on Harbor and they send you to to the structure? Well, we went that way BUT BACKWARDS, towards Harbor. We came out on Harbor Blvd. and exited AT THE NORMAL HARBOR ENTRANCE and had to make a right onto Harbor. Harbor entrance was blocked off with cones, an SUV (not marked as police) and an older male CM dressed in a parking uniform.
So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! LOL. The weirdest part, besides going the backwards way towards Harbor, was not having to pay at Buzz, NONE of the parking CMs we encountered smiled, not even once (not near structure, not on Harbor, and certainly not at Buzz) and the ones at Buzz were downright rude. One gentleman said he was going to walk as it would be faster and the CM just barked-just get on the shuttle. Uhh I don't think we gave up our right to walk to the park!! Was a really weird day. And I have been in the park when it was busier than it was Friday and Saturday, so I don't get what all the parking hoopla was about. But that's just me. :-) Got my photos uploaded to Smugmug, hoping to make my trip report tomorrow. Hope my directions made more sense this time around.
mechurchlady
10-26-2009, 09:31 PM
OK, now everything makes sense to me. The big lump on the road is the freeway overpass, lol. It is not obvious. You turned left onto Disneyland way then down to the road that used to be the path from Harbor to Simba. Strange that we were able to park in the parking garage area.
I am gald you did have fun and remember that parking at DLR is an adventure onto itself and why I like the 460 bus on busy days.
DizneyMommy
10-27-2009, 09:39 AM
You know how when you go into entrance on Harbor and they send you to to the structure? Well, we went that way BUT BACKWARDS, towards Harbor. We came out on Harbor Blvd. and exited AT THE NORMAL HARBOR ENTRANCE and had to make a right onto Harbor. Harbor entrance was blocked off with cones, an SUV (not marked as police) and an older male CM dressed in a parking uniform.
.
Ooooohhh, ok I get it now, I thought you meant you exited the structure onto Harbor. You actually made another left turn back onto the property and out the Harbor entrance... that makes sense now. Bummer the garage was closed so much.