Trip Reports
02-21-2007, 10:01 PM
DLR — September 2006 (GCH) by Kandace Nichols
Kandace and her family visit Disneyland for the second time this year and have another great trip.
Kandace Nichols -- September 2006 -- Disneyland (GCH)
Cast of Characters:
Me (Kandace), 28- Veteran in progress and lover of all things Disney, especially Donald Duck!
Heather, 36- my sister in law, her last trip to Disneyland was February 2004.
Graden, 10- my son, who is also a Veteran in progress.
Pre-trip planning:
As every frequent Disneyland traveler knows the planning and the anticipation of the trip is half the fun. Therefore I am constantly planning our next trip and reading all the DL information that I can get my hands on. I started to plan this trip as soon as we got home from our May 2006 trip. We just joined the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and I was excited to plan a trip using our points. My husband always goes deer hunting at the end of September so instead of me sitting around the house while he was gone I decided to plan a trip to DL for the same time frame that he will be gone. Graden was then forced with the choice of going to DL or to go hunting with dad and guess what he chose? DL of course! Towards the end of July, I decided it would be fun to have another adult go along with us and I thought of my sister in law, Heather. Her kids are older and are not into DL right now, so they won’t be too mad at her for not taking them along. Also, I know Heather will go on all the big scary rides (TOT and Space) with Graden so I won’t have to. Hopefully this trip I will avoid getting sick!!!
I used our DVC points to book a room at the Grand California Hotel with concierge. Initially I had us only staying for three nights and coming home on Saturday so we would have all day Sunday to relax and unpack. After thinking about it, well actually dwelling on it, I couldn’t understand why I would come home a day early when I could stay at DL an extra day plus DL stays open until midnight on Saturday. The only down fall is we can’t stay at the GCH, we will have to switch to the Disneyland Hotel for Saturday night. It’s a little bit inconvenient but I am still happy with staying the extra day. Heather however still has to leave on Saturday but that will give Graden and I some good mother-son quality time.
We have our flights booked with Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Anaheim. We will be departing at 6:40 a.m. and arriving at 9:21 a.m. I have a town car reserved to meet us in baggage claim and take us to GCH. This will hopefully all go very quickly and my goal is to be into Disneyland by 11:00 a.m., only one hour after it opens.
We upgraded Graden’s park hopper the last time we were there to a premium annual pass (PAP) and I have a free annual pass voucher from DVC as a perk for signing up. I will just have to go and exchange it for the actual PAP when we arrive, hopefully this won’t slow us down too much.
I have already booked priority seating for the Blue Bayou on Thursday for lunch and the Lilo and Stitch breakfast for Sunday morning (Graden’s favorite). I have also scheduled a VIP tour for Friday from 1-5 p.m. I am hoping we get Albert again as our host, he is just awesome and I love talking Disney with him. As a surprise I have baskets being delivered to our room on Wednesday for Heather and Graden. Heather’s is the Ears to You basket and includes: Golden Mickey Ears, 50th Autograph Book, 50th Pen, Mickey Pretzels and Peter Pan Chocolate Toffee Bar for $32 plus tax. Graden’s basket is California Dreamin' (Male) and includes: Disneyland 55 BB Cap, Condemned Wallet w/chain, Disney Racer Collectable Car, Galactic Ooze, Tower of Terror Dog Tags, Crème Cookies, Mickey Mouse Spearmints and Peter Pan Chocolate Toffee Bar all for $83 Plus Tax.
I think my planning is complete as long as no other bright ideas pop into my head. Now it’s just time to hurry up and wait!
Tuesday September 26th- the day before we leave.
Luckily I was off work early today (I wasn’t very productive anyway) and home by 5:00 p.m. I had to get our two dogs, Daisy a beagle and Lilly Belle (yes, named after the Lilly Belle in DL) a yellow lab to the kennel by 6:00 p.m. Once I had them dropped off it was back home to finish packing and getting some house chores done. I attempted to get to bed early, although I was in bed my mind just wouldn’t turn off, too much anticipation for the upcoming day.
Day 1 Wednesday September 27th
We were up at 3:30 a.m. and out the door before 4:30 a.m. My DH had another day of work before he left for his hunting trip so he was able to take us to the airport on his way to work. Saying goodbye at the airport it started to affect me that he would not be joining us on this trip. I had to hold back my tears and remind myself how much fun we were going to have. It is the first time that I have ever been to DL without him. The first time I ever went to DL was on our honeymoon.
In security I had a little problem. They did a full search of my carry on bag and ended up confiscating my $1.39 Carmex. I wasn’t aware that lip products needed to go in a one-quart baggie like shampoo and other liquids do. Oh well, I didn’t feel like making a fuss about it so I just gave it up and ate the $1.39.
The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Anaheim on time. We got our luggage but our town car driver was nowhere to be found. So I pulled out my confirmation page and called. They had us on the wrong flight and no one could be there for an hour so I told them to cancel the reservation and got a taxi, which cost $40.
We arrived at GCH and as we were unloading our luggage someone from concierge met us. I was so surprised; they have always greeted us at the check-in desk. Also, to my surprise, our room was ready. So she took us straight up to the 6th floor to check in. Our room had a beautiful view of the Paradise Pier area and had a queen bed with bunk beds just as I had requested. We got settled into our room and I changed into shorts. We were on our way in to the park at 11:05 a.m. I had to make a stop on the way into the park to get my annual passport voucher changed into an actual passport. This took more than a half hour while I waited in line. Once I got finished there, I had to go into the park and get my picture taken and get the final PAP. I actually like my photo on it, I expected it to turn out like the hideous drivers license photos but this one is really nice. Must be that Disney magic.
We had decided that Pirates of the Caribbean would be our first ride since we have not seen the updates yet and there was only a 5 minute wait. The ride was great and I think my favorite new thing that they did was the talking Davey Jones portrayed on the wall of mist. We then went over to Splash Mountain that only had a 10-minute wait. Graden refused to ride in the front so I had to. I got absolutely soaked, the wettest I have ever been on any ride at DL ever. We were walking (I was dripping) to our next ride when Heather called and said she was almost there. So we left DL and went back to the hotel to meet her. We got her settled in then we all decided that we were hungry so we went to Storytellers Café for some lunch. I got a cheeseburger and fries, Graden had the build your own pizza and Heather got the chicken sandwich. Total was $31 with PAP discount.
Next we went to Disney’s California Adventure. We got fast passes for Soarin’ Over California and rode Monster’s Inc. Next we went into the animation building and found out what characters we were most like. Graden answered the question to make him a villain so he got Hades, Heather was Belle and I was Ariel (my favorite princess). We were just in time for the next Turtle Talk with Crush so we went in for that, it is always so much fun dude! We were then able to use our FP’s for Soarin’. They sent too many people down the queue so we had to wait for the next ride, which was no problem since then we got front row center.
We decided to leave DCA and go back to DL. I stopped before we entered and took a whole bunch of photos of the Halloween decorations. We first got FP’s for Indiana Jones and then rode the Jungle Cruise. Then we went over to Tomorrowland and went on Buzz Lightyear. Heather and Graden went on Space Mountain. Since we had just eaten I opted to sit this one out and go shopping. We went back to Indy to use our FP’s. Then to Pirates and Splash. This time I sat in the back and hardly got wet at all. Heather and I went on Winnie the Pooh. Graden refused so he went to the store and bought himself some candy. Next we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while it was dark; it’s a totally different ride and it even made me a little queasy. We then wandered over to Fantasyland. We accidentally got in line for the Casey Jr. Train. I got mixed up with the queue for the Storybook Boats, but oh well, we just went on the train since we had waited 15 minutes already. It’s a Small World only had a 5-minute wait so we ended our night with that.
Since the park closed early (8pm) we had lots of time before bed. So we did some shopping in Downtown Disney. We went to Basin and I bought a whole bunch of soap and bath bombs. We went back to the hotel and to the concierge lounge for some drinks and snacks. We were all kind of hungry so we decided to order some room service. Heather and I got the chicken quesadilla and Graden got chicken strips. We watched the Incredibles on DVD, while we all took our baths and got ready for bed; I caught up on my trip notes.
Total rides/shows: 16
Day 2 Thursday September 28th
The alarm was set for 7:30 a.m. Just after 6:00 a.m. I woke up. I heard everyone else rustling around so I asked if they were awake and they were. So we all got up. We were able to watch the sunrise over Paradise Pier and just had a quiet relaxing morning. We cleaned up the room and went down to the lounge for some breakfast.
We had early entry at 9:00 a. m. As we walked in, there was Goofy. We went right over and got some photos with him. Then I spotted Donald, thank goodness there wasn’t much of a line, I would hate to have to push little kids out of my way…just kidding! I did however get my photo with him as well as a hug and he even gave me a kiss. I could go home happy now.
Because of our delay with Goofy and Donald we had about a 10-15 min wait for Peter Pan. Next we went on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which also had about a 10 min wait. Pinocchio and Snow White were both a walk on. I wanted to ride the carousel but as soon as we got to the top of the line it went down. I didn’t want to wait because the CM wasn’t sure how long it was going to take. So we made are way over to Tomorrowland. The wait for Autopia said 5 min…they lied. It was more like 20-25 min. After that I was feeling brave and decided it was time to attempt Space Mountain again. I was so proud of myself this time when I got off I didn’t have to run straight to the bathroom to get sick. However, through the whole ride I screamed like a little girl. Oh well, it was fun and I met my quota for going on Space this vacation. Next Graden wanted to play some video games; I gave him some money to keep him busy for a while so Heather and I could rest our feet for a few minutes. We then went on Buzz, Graden got a level 4, Heather level 3 and I got level 4. Next we went to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, but first Graden and I got Dole Whips and Heather got a pineapple juice. We then got FP’s for Indy and we all went through Tarzan’s Treehouse. I then took Heather through the Disney Gallery. This is one of my favorite places in the whole park; there is just so much history up there.
It was then about time for our Blue Bayou reservations, we were a little early but I decided to check in anyway. To my horror they didn’t have my name for that day but for the next day. I wasn’t sure if I got the day wrong or they got the day wrong. I was so happy they were able to squeeze us in. We were only one table away from the water so not bad at all. I had the Mahi-Mahi, Heather had the Pork Chop (the best she has ever had) and Graden got the chicken drumettes. For dessert I decided we really needed to try all three. I absolutely loved the chocolate crème brulee, the cookie boat wasn’t that great but the solid sugar decorations were great. I even managed to get the treasure chest home in one piece. We were so extremely full I got the key lime pie to go.
We decided to make our way out of the park so I could get the pie in the refrigerator. But before we left we got FP’s for Splash and stopped into see the First 50 Magical Years movie (it has Donald Duck in it!!!). Then we shopped our way out of Disneyland and in to DTD and the World of Disney store. Back to the room for a little rest and some snacks in the lounge.
At 5:15 we headed back to the park. On the way in I spotted Albert, our favorite CM. I was so happy to find out that he will be our tour guide once again for the VIP tour the next day. He chatted with us a while and made sure that our stay was going well and that we didn’t need anything. He also made arrangements for us to view the fireworks and parade at the reserved seating for the next day.
On to BTMRR for another evening ride. Next, we went to Mickey’s Toontown since we hadn’t been there yet. It was very quiet since it was so close to closing. We were able to go on Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin, it was really hard to stop that thing from spinning and my arms got quite the work out. We walked through Minnie’s house and then went to Mickey’s house. This is the first time I have ever been in it since it is always so busy. We started walking through it looking at all the decorations and props and at the end of the house we were met by a CM and found out that we could get our pictures taken with Mickey. What a bonus, I had no idea and there was only one other group in front of us.
After our Toontown adventure, the parade was going on so we hopped on the train to New Orleans Square. We were going to use our FP’s for Splash but there was no need since it was just a walk on. We even got the “boat” all to ourselves. It was a great picture since no one else was in there with us, so I had to buy it. Next we used our Indy FP’s. I was so happy, I finally found the skeleton with the Mickey Mouse ears on it. After you go down what feels like stairs, look over your left shoulder, there will be a whole bunch of skeletons hanging. It is on the second one from the doorway.
The park was about to close so we headed to DTD to do some more shopping. Heather bought some stuff at House of Blues and Graden bought a Bionicle in the Lego store. I was a little hungry and spotted the walk up window at Tortilla Joes. I got two tacos there for only $3.50. That has to be the cheapest meal I have ever had in DL. Heather and Graden got a snack from Wetzel Pretzels. We headed back to the room for bath and bed and once again I caught up my trip notes.
For this trip I wanted to see how much we really did walk so I started to wear a pedometer the second day of our trip.
Steps taken: 21420
Total rides/shows: 18
Day 3 Friday September 29th
We got up a little bit later than the day before at 7:00 a.m. We had breakfast in the lounge and headed to the park. This morning they had the rope drop at the end of Main Street and the rest of the Halloween Decorations were up. At the top of Main Street there was a whole bunch of radio stations broadcasting their morning shows from DL. I found out that there was some type of contest that was going on. I wish we could have got in on it. Today was the first day that the Haunted Mansion was going to open after the overlay with Jack Skellington, so we headed there first thing. By 9:15 we were on the ride. This was Heathers first time seeing the overlay and she just loved it! Pirates was a walk on so we went on that next.
DCA was about to open so we went over there. We saw Muppets 3D and then went on Monsters Inc. since we were right there. Graden and Heather went on Tower of Terror. There was no way I was going on so I did some shopping while I waited for them. We went over to Bug’s Land and went on some of the kiddie rides. First we went on Hemlichs Chew Chew Train. Then Graden and I went on Tuck and Roll’s bumper cars. Then we all enjoyed It’s Tough to be a bug.
I wanted to eat lunch at Strips Dips and Chips but we found it to be closed, I am so sad, I just loved those chicken strips. So we wandered ALL over the Paradise Pier. I refused to eat at McDonalds so we ended up at our hotel and having lunch at White Water Snacks. Graden and I both got the kids’ chicken strips and a bag of M&M’s. Total with drinks was $21.
No rest for the weary today we had to meet Albert at 1:00 p.m. As we were going back into the park we ran into him again. We started out with riding the Lilly Belle for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Heather loved the Victorian décor and we always love riding on this piece of history. Next off to Buzz. Albert and I both got a level 5 but his score still beat mine. Graden got level 4 and Heather level 3. Then he took us on Autopia, we were able to bypass part of the line, which was very nice and unexpected. Albert then took Graden on Space Mountain, the photo was hilarious. Albert had the goofiest face so I just had to buy the photo. While they were riding, Heather and I got drinks and rested our tired feet for a few minutes. Next we got FP’s for Indy and Albert took us through the handicap lane onto Splash. He isn’t able to ride this ride, I think because you get so wet and he is in uniform. We walked around New Orleans Square for a while. Albert highly recommended Café Orleans so he got us reservations at 5:30 p.m. We were going to attempt to ride Holiday Haunted Mansion but it was just too busy so he said he would get us more FP’s before we left. It was time for our Indy FP’s. I have been dying to find the Eeyore parking lot sign that is hidden in the projection room. Albert asked one of the CM’s working there and they were able to shine their flashlights up behind the projector so we could see it. It was really hard to find up there but I finally got a glimpse. We have never been over to DCA with Albert so I at least wanted to go for a little bit. He told us that there were a whole bunch of hidden Mickey’s in Monster’s Inc. so we ended our tour with that. The Hidden Mickey’s that we found are one on Sully’s fur on his leg. They are supposed to be on all of the Sully’s but I only spotted it on the one where he is hanging on the doors. When Boo is hitting Randall and changing colors, he changes to a Mickey pattern. The last one we found was on the control panel at the end of the ride. Three dials make a perfect hidden Mickey. After that it was hard to believe that 4 hours had gone by and we had to say goodbye to our friend.
It was almost time for our reservations so we went back to DL. Dinner was great. Heather got the seafood crepes, Graden the mac and cheese and I got the wonderful Monte Cristo. We finished off with the beignets for desert. Total with tip and PAP discount was $62.
We then had to hurry over for the parade. We made it in time and the parade was wonderful. The acrobats on the Lion King float stopped right in front of us so we got a great show. After the parade, we made our way out of the park back to our hotel so we could rest, pack and I could catch up on some trip notes.
At 8:45 p.m. we made our way back to the park for our firework seating. These are my favorite fireworks ever and a must see on every visit. I have to work on not singing along with the music too loud, but I know the songs so well since we have the CD.
We were back in or room and in bed by 11…exhausted.
Steps taken: 22887
Total rides/shows: 17
Day 4 Saturday September 30th
This was Heather’s last day and the day Graden and I had to transfer to the Disneyland Hotel so we were all up at 6:00 a.m. I had some packages to pick up at bell services; they were ready after 7:00 a.m. We finished our packing and called bell services. Heather’s bags were checked in at GCH bell desk and I had ours sent to the DL Hotel. I was so glad they were able to do this for us. I had these horrible visions of us hauling all of our luggage through Downtown Disney. Before we checked out I finished my Key Lime Pie that I had bought at Blue Bayou, such a nutritional breakfast. The others had breakfast from the lounge and we hurried to DL for EE at 8:00 a.m.
We started in Fantsyland and went on Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Pinocchio and I finally went on the carousel. Next we went on Buzz for one more chance for Heather to improve her score. She still got a level 3 and Graden and I got level 4.
We exited DL and went over to DCA for their opening and the first flight of the day on Soarin’. We did some shopping around and decided it was time to get soaked on Grizzly River Run and boy did we. Graden was soaked all down his back and my whole right side was wet. We went to Paradise Pier and I rode King Triton’s carousel. Next we went on the Sunwheel. We opted for a non-swinging gondola to avoid motion sickness. Heather mentioned that she had a small fear of ferris wheels but I didn’t realize the extent. Every time the wheel started or stopped she freaked out. She was starting to get very pale and sweaty, she was on the verge of a panic attack. It wasn’t funny, but I really had to try hard not to laugh. This is a lady who several years ago went on TOT five times in a row and she’s scared of a ferris wheel? As we reached the bottom again we asked if they could stop it so she could get off. They kept going but put it in reverse to let her and Graden off. I stayed on and enjoyed the rest of the ride by myself. Once I had gotten off the Sunwheel, Heather was doing much better. So then I took her on Mulholand Madness and we both screamed like little girls but had a great time.
We tried to have lunch at Ariel’s Grotto but they had no openings. I remembered that having the Disney Visa you could get a free 5X7 from opening until 11:30am at Ariel’s Grotto and we were just in time. We got a great photo with Mickey and Goofy. We ended up having lunch at Pacific Wharf. Graden and I split a turkey sandwich and a clam chowder bowl. With drinks and my PAP discount our total was $20.
Then we went to California Screams, which is the Halloween overlay to Golden Dreams. To say the least I was not impressed. I liked the clips of the old movies but the host was very cheesy. I think this show would appeal more to little kids. Next we made a stop for some ice cream at Burrrbank Ice Cream. For two cones it was $10.
We had rode everything that Heather wanted to on her last day so we decided to exit and go to DTD and walk through all of the stores on the way to the DL Hotel so we could check in. The highlight of our walk was Heather paid to have Graden’s caricature done, $20. This was his first one he has ever done and it turned out very nice.
We checked into the DL Hotel but our room was of course not ready. So we went back to GCH so Heather could get her bags and a taxi to the airport.
After we saw Heather off, Graden and I went back to DL. First thing we did was get FP’s for Indy for that night. Then I went to purchase a print of the map to DL. I absolutely love this map. It is for the 50th and it is framed with a jumbo pin of DL in the bottom right corner. It is way too big to take home on the airplane so I had it shipped. I got my PAP discount plus, since they are shipping out of California there is no sales tax but of course I had to pay for shipping. The whole purchasing took a very long time since they had to wait for a manager to approve the transaction. Graden was next door at the joke shop, which has now become his favorite store in DL.
I was getting very tired so I wanted to head back to the room to take a little rest before our reservations at Granvilles. When we finally made the long trek back to the hotel, our room was ready, #2763. We were in the Sierra tower and had a great view of DTD and could see much of the parks such as Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, the Matterhorn and parts of Paradise Pier in DCA. The rooms here are much bigger than GCH but the walls are very thin and we could hear the kids next door. The room was very clean but you could tell things were a little worn. I loved the décor of the room, there are so many more Disney touches here than at GCH. I called bell services and our bags were delivered within ten minutes.
We had 6:00 PS’s at Granvilles. This is one of my favorite restaurants and I was so glad that it was just downstairs from us as I was still exhausted even after a little nap. We started with an appetizer of chilled prawns in cocktail sauce. Graden had the spaghetti and I got the filet mignon with the mashed potatoes. The steak was very tender but a little dry. I got the crème brulee for dessert, it was delicious but the top tasted a little burnt where the one at the Blue Bayou did not. Our total with PAP discount was $80.
We then went back to the room. We hung out for a little while and then decided that Graden had waited long enough after he ate so he could go swimming. We headed down to the pool. Graden went right in and I found a cozy chair and made a few phone calls. Graden was disappointed to find the slides closed because the lifeguards were already off duty but he had fun swimming around anyway.
When Graden was done swimming we had to decide what to do next. I was so tired and couldn’t imagine walking all the way back through DTD to the park. Oh, how I wish the monorail would have been running but it was closed due to work on the Finding Nemo ride. My whole reason for staying an extra night was to stay in the park longer because it was open until midnight that night but I just couldn’t force myself to go. So we opted to go back to the room and just relax. I decided a nice bath was in order. I had been enjoying a good soak for about 10 minutes when I heard these large bangs. I thought someone was pounding on the door or the walls so I jumped out of the tub. Then I realized it was the 9:25 firework show. I opened the curtains and we had a wonderful view of the fireworks. So we both pulled chairs over and opened the sliding glass door. We could just barely hear the music. It was a perfect ending to our day. After the fireworks we both went to bed.
Steps taken: 21914
Rides/Shows: 12
Day 5 Sunday October 1st
Rise and shine at 6:00 a.m. We got all packed up and headed out of the door for our 7:00 a.m. PS at the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Paradise Pier. We both had the buffet and for some reason this time it just didn’t seem that impressive. Graden had fun though. We got pictures with Lilo, Stitch and Minnie. It was $35 with PAP discount.
On our way back to the room, I took several pictures of the sights around the hotel grounds. We got back to our rooms and called bell services to get our bags checked until we left. We left for the park at about 8:30 a.m.
This was the first day that the Year of a Million Dreams promotion started. You could see the “Dream Squad” walking around and most all of the 50th stuff was taken down. Our goal for the day was to ride all of our favorite rides one last time before we left. First we stopped and got FP’s for Indy. Then we went on Haunted Mansion, which had a 10 min. wait. Next we tried to go on Splash but it was closed for some reason so we went on Pirates, which had no wait. We went back to Splash and it was now open and only a 10 min. wait. It was then time for our FP’s for Indy. After Indy we took a short rest and shared a Dole Whip for $3. Next we got FP’s for Buzz and then we went all the way over for a ride on BTMRR, which had a 10-15 min. wait. By the time we were done on BTMRR our FP’s were almost ready for Buzz, so we killed some time in the stores and went on Buzz. Then I got another FP for Buzz and Graden got one for Space. For some reason we were already hungry so we stopped for some lunch at Red Rocket Pizza Port. We got two slices of pepperoni pizza, two drinks, Cheetos and a brownie. I didn’t write down the exact price but I think it was close to $30. We still had some time to kill before our FP’s were ready so we played some games in the arcade. Then we both went on our rides. I got my best score on Buzz ever, 556k, level 5. I was so close to that level 6. We walked through a few more stores on the way out of DL.
We went back to GCH to use the entrance to DCA. We got FP’s for Soarin’ but they were just too late in the day to use at 2:50. So we went over and rode Monsters Inc. one more time. Then I got the idea that we could go in the single rider line for Soarin’ so we could go on one last time and end our day on a happy note. I knew we wouldn’t be sat together but I hoped that we would at least be in the same flight. It worked out perfect; I was so happy that we could ride one last time.
We reluctantly left the park to DTD to do the last of our shopping. I stopped at Illuminations and bought these cute ghosts that light up when they are lit. Next we went to ESPN Zone. I had promised Graden that we could go there so he could play the video games. I sat and relaxed with a diet coke and some onion rings, which was way too much food. Price was about $10.
It was time to leave so we could collect our bags from bell services and wait for our Town Car. As the bellman was bringing our bags the car pulled up, such perfect timing. We had a quick trip to the airport. Security was slow even though the line was short it just wasn’t moving. Finally through security we decided to have a snack at McDonalds (less than $10) because we knew there would be no real food on the plane. Our flight got in a little late but we made it home. Another great Disney trip, I can’t wait for the next one. Of course I have already started to plan the next one for February 2007.
Steps taken: 14480
Rides/Shows: 10
Kandace Nichols
Kandacen@hotmail.com
Kandace and her family visit Disneyland for the second time this year and have another great trip.
Kandace Nichols -- September 2006 -- Disneyland (GCH)
Cast of Characters:
Me (Kandace), 28- Veteran in progress and lover of all things Disney, especially Donald Duck!
Heather, 36- my sister in law, her last trip to Disneyland was February 2004.
Graden, 10- my son, who is also a Veteran in progress.
Pre-trip planning:
As every frequent Disneyland traveler knows the planning and the anticipation of the trip is half the fun. Therefore I am constantly planning our next trip and reading all the DL information that I can get my hands on. I started to plan this trip as soon as we got home from our May 2006 trip. We just joined the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and I was excited to plan a trip using our points. My husband always goes deer hunting at the end of September so instead of me sitting around the house while he was gone I decided to plan a trip to DL for the same time frame that he will be gone. Graden was then forced with the choice of going to DL or to go hunting with dad and guess what he chose? DL of course! Towards the end of July, I decided it would be fun to have another adult go along with us and I thought of my sister in law, Heather. Her kids are older and are not into DL right now, so they won’t be too mad at her for not taking them along. Also, I know Heather will go on all the big scary rides (TOT and Space) with Graden so I won’t have to. Hopefully this trip I will avoid getting sick!!!
I used our DVC points to book a room at the Grand California Hotel with concierge. Initially I had us only staying for three nights and coming home on Saturday so we would have all day Sunday to relax and unpack. After thinking about it, well actually dwelling on it, I couldn’t understand why I would come home a day early when I could stay at DL an extra day plus DL stays open until midnight on Saturday. The only down fall is we can’t stay at the GCH, we will have to switch to the Disneyland Hotel for Saturday night. It’s a little bit inconvenient but I am still happy with staying the extra day. Heather however still has to leave on Saturday but that will give Graden and I some good mother-son quality time.
We have our flights booked with Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Anaheim. We will be departing at 6:40 a.m. and arriving at 9:21 a.m. I have a town car reserved to meet us in baggage claim and take us to GCH. This will hopefully all go very quickly and my goal is to be into Disneyland by 11:00 a.m., only one hour after it opens.
We upgraded Graden’s park hopper the last time we were there to a premium annual pass (PAP) and I have a free annual pass voucher from DVC as a perk for signing up. I will just have to go and exchange it for the actual PAP when we arrive, hopefully this won’t slow us down too much.
I have already booked priority seating for the Blue Bayou on Thursday for lunch and the Lilo and Stitch breakfast for Sunday morning (Graden’s favorite). I have also scheduled a VIP tour for Friday from 1-5 p.m. I am hoping we get Albert again as our host, he is just awesome and I love talking Disney with him. As a surprise I have baskets being delivered to our room on Wednesday for Heather and Graden. Heather’s is the Ears to You basket and includes: Golden Mickey Ears, 50th Autograph Book, 50th Pen, Mickey Pretzels and Peter Pan Chocolate Toffee Bar for $32 plus tax. Graden’s basket is California Dreamin' (Male) and includes: Disneyland 55 BB Cap, Condemned Wallet w/chain, Disney Racer Collectable Car, Galactic Ooze, Tower of Terror Dog Tags, Crème Cookies, Mickey Mouse Spearmints and Peter Pan Chocolate Toffee Bar all for $83 Plus Tax.
I think my planning is complete as long as no other bright ideas pop into my head. Now it’s just time to hurry up and wait!
Tuesday September 26th- the day before we leave.
Luckily I was off work early today (I wasn’t very productive anyway) and home by 5:00 p.m. I had to get our two dogs, Daisy a beagle and Lilly Belle (yes, named after the Lilly Belle in DL) a yellow lab to the kennel by 6:00 p.m. Once I had them dropped off it was back home to finish packing and getting some house chores done. I attempted to get to bed early, although I was in bed my mind just wouldn’t turn off, too much anticipation for the upcoming day.
Day 1 Wednesday September 27th
We were up at 3:30 a.m. and out the door before 4:30 a.m. My DH had another day of work before he left for his hunting trip so he was able to take us to the airport on his way to work. Saying goodbye at the airport it started to affect me that he would not be joining us on this trip. I had to hold back my tears and remind myself how much fun we were going to have. It is the first time that I have ever been to DL without him. The first time I ever went to DL was on our honeymoon.
In security I had a little problem. They did a full search of my carry on bag and ended up confiscating my $1.39 Carmex. I wasn’t aware that lip products needed to go in a one-quart baggie like shampoo and other liquids do. Oh well, I didn’t feel like making a fuss about it so I just gave it up and ate the $1.39.
The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Anaheim on time. We got our luggage but our town car driver was nowhere to be found. So I pulled out my confirmation page and called. They had us on the wrong flight and no one could be there for an hour so I told them to cancel the reservation and got a taxi, which cost $40.
We arrived at GCH and as we were unloading our luggage someone from concierge met us. I was so surprised; they have always greeted us at the check-in desk. Also, to my surprise, our room was ready. So she took us straight up to the 6th floor to check in. Our room had a beautiful view of the Paradise Pier area and had a queen bed with bunk beds just as I had requested. We got settled into our room and I changed into shorts. We were on our way in to the park at 11:05 a.m. I had to make a stop on the way into the park to get my annual passport voucher changed into an actual passport. This took more than a half hour while I waited in line. Once I got finished there, I had to go into the park and get my picture taken and get the final PAP. I actually like my photo on it, I expected it to turn out like the hideous drivers license photos but this one is really nice. Must be that Disney magic.
We had decided that Pirates of the Caribbean would be our first ride since we have not seen the updates yet and there was only a 5 minute wait. The ride was great and I think my favorite new thing that they did was the talking Davey Jones portrayed on the wall of mist. We then went over to Splash Mountain that only had a 10-minute wait. Graden refused to ride in the front so I had to. I got absolutely soaked, the wettest I have ever been on any ride at DL ever. We were walking (I was dripping) to our next ride when Heather called and said she was almost there. So we left DL and went back to the hotel to meet her. We got her settled in then we all decided that we were hungry so we went to Storytellers Café for some lunch. I got a cheeseburger and fries, Graden had the build your own pizza and Heather got the chicken sandwich. Total was $31 with PAP discount.
Next we went to Disney’s California Adventure. We got fast passes for Soarin’ Over California and rode Monster’s Inc. Next we went into the animation building and found out what characters we were most like. Graden answered the question to make him a villain so he got Hades, Heather was Belle and I was Ariel (my favorite princess). We were just in time for the next Turtle Talk with Crush so we went in for that, it is always so much fun dude! We were then able to use our FP’s for Soarin’. They sent too many people down the queue so we had to wait for the next ride, which was no problem since then we got front row center.
We decided to leave DCA and go back to DL. I stopped before we entered and took a whole bunch of photos of the Halloween decorations. We first got FP’s for Indiana Jones and then rode the Jungle Cruise. Then we went over to Tomorrowland and went on Buzz Lightyear. Heather and Graden went on Space Mountain. Since we had just eaten I opted to sit this one out and go shopping. We went back to Indy to use our FP’s. Then to Pirates and Splash. This time I sat in the back and hardly got wet at all. Heather and I went on Winnie the Pooh. Graden refused so he went to the store and bought himself some candy. Next we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while it was dark; it’s a totally different ride and it even made me a little queasy. We then wandered over to Fantasyland. We accidentally got in line for the Casey Jr. Train. I got mixed up with the queue for the Storybook Boats, but oh well, we just went on the train since we had waited 15 minutes already. It’s a Small World only had a 5-minute wait so we ended our night with that.
Since the park closed early (8pm) we had lots of time before bed. So we did some shopping in Downtown Disney. We went to Basin and I bought a whole bunch of soap and bath bombs. We went back to the hotel and to the concierge lounge for some drinks and snacks. We were all kind of hungry so we decided to order some room service. Heather and I got the chicken quesadilla and Graden got chicken strips. We watched the Incredibles on DVD, while we all took our baths and got ready for bed; I caught up on my trip notes.
Total rides/shows: 16
Day 2 Thursday September 28th
The alarm was set for 7:30 a.m. Just after 6:00 a.m. I woke up. I heard everyone else rustling around so I asked if they were awake and they were. So we all got up. We were able to watch the sunrise over Paradise Pier and just had a quiet relaxing morning. We cleaned up the room and went down to the lounge for some breakfast.
We had early entry at 9:00 a. m. As we walked in, there was Goofy. We went right over and got some photos with him. Then I spotted Donald, thank goodness there wasn’t much of a line, I would hate to have to push little kids out of my way…just kidding! I did however get my photo with him as well as a hug and he even gave me a kiss. I could go home happy now.
Because of our delay with Goofy and Donald we had about a 10-15 min wait for Peter Pan. Next we went on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which also had about a 10 min wait. Pinocchio and Snow White were both a walk on. I wanted to ride the carousel but as soon as we got to the top of the line it went down. I didn’t want to wait because the CM wasn’t sure how long it was going to take. So we made are way over to Tomorrowland. The wait for Autopia said 5 min…they lied. It was more like 20-25 min. After that I was feeling brave and decided it was time to attempt Space Mountain again. I was so proud of myself this time when I got off I didn’t have to run straight to the bathroom to get sick. However, through the whole ride I screamed like a little girl. Oh well, it was fun and I met my quota for going on Space this vacation. Next Graden wanted to play some video games; I gave him some money to keep him busy for a while so Heather and I could rest our feet for a few minutes. We then went on Buzz, Graden got a level 4, Heather level 3 and I got level 4. Next we went to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, but first Graden and I got Dole Whips and Heather got a pineapple juice. We then got FP’s for Indy and we all went through Tarzan’s Treehouse. I then took Heather through the Disney Gallery. This is one of my favorite places in the whole park; there is just so much history up there.
It was then about time for our Blue Bayou reservations, we were a little early but I decided to check in anyway. To my horror they didn’t have my name for that day but for the next day. I wasn’t sure if I got the day wrong or they got the day wrong. I was so happy they were able to squeeze us in. We were only one table away from the water so not bad at all. I had the Mahi-Mahi, Heather had the Pork Chop (the best she has ever had) and Graden got the chicken drumettes. For dessert I decided we really needed to try all three. I absolutely loved the chocolate crème brulee, the cookie boat wasn’t that great but the solid sugar decorations were great. I even managed to get the treasure chest home in one piece. We were so extremely full I got the key lime pie to go.
We decided to make our way out of the park so I could get the pie in the refrigerator. But before we left we got FP’s for Splash and stopped into see the First 50 Magical Years movie (it has Donald Duck in it!!!). Then we shopped our way out of Disneyland and in to DTD and the World of Disney store. Back to the room for a little rest and some snacks in the lounge.
At 5:15 we headed back to the park. On the way in I spotted Albert, our favorite CM. I was so happy to find out that he will be our tour guide once again for the VIP tour the next day. He chatted with us a while and made sure that our stay was going well and that we didn’t need anything. He also made arrangements for us to view the fireworks and parade at the reserved seating for the next day.
On to BTMRR for another evening ride. Next, we went to Mickey’s Toontown since we hadn’t been there yet. It was very quiet since it was so close to closing. We were able to go on Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin, it was really hard to stop that thing from spinning and my arms got quite the work out. We walked through Minnie’s house and then went to Mickey’s house. This is the first time I have ever been in it since it is always so busy. We started walking through it looking at all the decorations and props and at the end of the house we were met by a CM and found out that we could get our pictures taken with Mickey. What a bonus, I had no idea and there was only one other group in front of us.
After our Toontown adventure, the parade was going on so we hopped on the train to New Orleans Square. We were going to use our FP’s for Splash but there was no need since it was just a walk on. We even got the “boat” all to ourselves. It was a great picture since no one else was in there with us, so I had to buy it. Next we used our Indy FP’s. I was so happy, I finally found the skeleton with the Mickey Mouse ears on it. After you go down what feels like stairs, look over your left shoulder, there will be a whole bunch of skeletons hanging. It is on the second one from the doorway.
The park was about to close so we headed to DTD to do some more shopping. Heather bought some stuff at House of Blues and Graden bought a Bionicle in the Lego store. I was a little hungry and spotted the walk up window at Tortilla Joes. I got two tacos there for only $3.50. That has to be the cheapest meal I have ever had in DL. Heather and Graden got a snack from Wetzel Pretzels. We headed back to the room for bath and bed and once again I caught up my trip notes.
For this trip I wanted to see how much we really did walk so I started to wear a pedometer the second day of our trip.
Steps taken: 21420
Total rides/shows: 18
Day 3 Friday September 29th
We got up a little bit later than the day before at 7:00 a.m. We had breakfast in the lounge and headed to the park. This morning they had the rope drop at the end of Main Street and the rest of the Halloween Decorations were up. At the top of Main Street there was a whole bunch of radio stations broadcasting their morning shows from DL. I found out that there was some type of contest that was going on. I wish we could have got in on it. Today was the first day that the Haunted Mansion was going to open after the overlay with Jack Skellington, so we headed there first thing. By 9:15 we were on the ride. This was Heathers first time seeing the overlay and she just loved it! Pirates was a walk on so we went on that next.
DCA was about to open so we went over there. We saw Muppets 3D and then went on Monsters Inc. since we were right there. Graden and Heather went on Tower of Terror. There was no way I was going on so I did some shopping while I waited for them. We went over to Bug’s Land and went on some of the kiddie rides. First we went on Hemlichs Chew Chew Train. Then Graden and I went on Tuck and Roll’s bumper cars. Then we all enjoyed It’s Tough to be a bug.
I wanted to eat lunch at Strips Dips and Chips but we found it to be closed, I am so sad, I just loved those chicken strips. So we wandered ALL over the Paradise Pier. I refused to eat at McDonalds so we ended up at our hotel and having lunch at White Water Snacks. Graden and I both got the kids’ chicken strips and a bag of M&M’s. Total with drinks was $21.
No rest for the weary today we had to meet Albert at 1:00 p.m. As we were going back into the park we ran into him again. We started out with riding the Lilly Belle for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Heather loved the Victorian décor and we always love riding on this piece of history. Next off to Buzz. Albert and I both got a level 5 but his score still beat mine. Graden got level 4 and Heather level 3. Then he took us on Autopia, we were able to bypass part of the line, which was very nice and unexpected. Albert then took Graden on Space Mountain, the photo was hilarious. Albert had the goofiest face so I just had to buy the photo. While they were riding, Heather and I got drinks and rested our tired feet for a few minutes. Next we got FP’s for Indy and Albert took us through the handicap lane onto Splash. He isn’t able to ride this ride, I think because you get so wet and he is in uniform. We walked around New Orleans Square for a while. Albert highly recommended Café Orleans so he got us reservations at 5:30 p.m. We were going to attempt to ride Holiday Haunted Mansion but it was just too busy so he said he would get us more FP’s before we left. It was time for our Indy FP’s. I have been dying to find the Eeyore parking lot sign that is hidden in the projection room. Albert asked one of the CM’s working there and they were able to shine their flashlights up behind the projector so we could see it. It was really hard to find up there but I finally got a glimpse. We have never been over to DCA with Albert so I at least wanted to go for a little bit. He told us that there were a whole bunch of hidden Mickey’s in Monster’s Inc. so we ended our tour with that. The Hidden Mickey’s that we found are one on Sully’s fur on his leg. They are supposed to be on all of the Sully’s but I only spotted it on the one where he is hanging on the doors. When Boo is hitting Randall and changing colors, he changes to a Mickey pattern. The last one we found was on the control panel at the end of the ride. Three dials make a perfect hidden Mickey. After that it was hard to believe that 4 hours had gone by and we had to say goodbye to our friend.
It was almost time for our reservations so we went back to DL. Dinner was great. Heather got the seafood crepes, Graden the mac and cheese and I got the wonderful Monte Cristo. We finished off with the beignets for desert. Total with tip and PAP discount was $62.
We then had to hurry over for the parade. We made it in time and the parade was wonderful. The acrobats on the Lion King float stopped right in front of us so we got a great show. After the parade, we made our way out of the park back to our hotel so we could rest, pack and I could catch up on some trip notes.
At 8:45 p.m. we made our way back to the park for our firework seating. These are my favorite fireworks ever and a must see on every visit. I have to work on not singing along with the music too loud, but I know the songs so well since we have the CD.
We were back in or room and in bed by 11…exhausted.
Steps taken: 22887
Total rides/shows: 17
Day 4 Saturday September 30th
This was Heather’s last day and the day Graden and I had to transfer to the Disneyland Hotel so we were all up at 6:00 a.m. I had some packages to pick up at bell services; they were ready after 7:00 a.m. We finished our packing and called bell services. Heather’s bags were checked in at GCH bell desk and I had ours sent to the DL Hotel. I was so glad they were able to do this for us. I had these horrible visions of us hauling all of our luggage through Downtown Disney. Before we checked out I finished my Key Lime Pie that I had bought at Blue Bayou, such a nutritional breakfast. The others had breakfast from the lounge and we hurried to DL for EE at 8:00 a.m.
We started in Fantsyland and went on Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Pinocchio and I finally went on the carousel. Next we went on Buzz for one more chance for Heather to improve her score. She still got a level 3 and Graden and I got level 4.
We exited DL and went over to DCA for their opening and the first flight of the day on Soarin’. We did some shopping around and decided it was time to get soaked on Grizzly River Run and boy did we. Graden was soaked all down his back and my whole right side was wet. We went to Paradise Pier and I rode King Triton’s carousel. Next we went on the Sunwheel. We opted for a non-swinging gondola to avoid motion sickness. Heather mentioned that she had a small fear of ferris wheels but I didn’t realize the extent. Every time the wheel started or stopped she freaked out. She was starting to get very pale and sweaty, she was on the verge of a panic attack. It wasn’t funny, but I really had to try hard not to laugh. This is a lady who several years ago went on TOT five times in a row and she’s scared of a ferris wheel? As we reached the bottom again we asked if they could stop it so she could get off. They kept going but put it in reverse to let her and Graden off. I stayed on and enjoyed the rest of the ride by myself. Once I had gotten off the Sunwheel, Heather was doing much better. So then I took her on Mulholand Madness and we both screamed like little girls but had a great time.
We tried to have lunch at Ariel’s Grotto but they had no openings. I remembered that having the Disney Visa you could get a free 5X7 from opening until 11:30am at Ariel’s Grotto and we were just in time. We got a great photo with Mickey and Goofy. We ended up having lunch at Pacific Wharf. Graden and I split a turkey sandwich and a clam chowder bowl. With drinks and my PAP discount our total was $20.
Then we went to California Screams, which is the Halloween overlay to Golden Dreams. To say the least I was not impressed. I liked the clips of the old movies but the host was very cheesy. I think this show would appeal more to little kids. Next we made a stop for some ice cream at Burrrbank Ice Cream. For two cones it was $10.
We had rode everything that Heather wanted to on her last day so we decided to exit and go to DTD and walk through all of the stores on the way to the DL Hotel so we could check in. The highlight of our walk was Heather paid to have Graden’s caricature done, $20. This was his first one he has ever done and it turned out very nice.
We checked into the DL Hotel but our room was of course not ready. So we went back to GCH so Heather could get her bags and a taxi to the airport.
After we saw Heather off, Graden and I went back to DL. First thing we did was get FP’s for Indy for that night. Then I went to purchase a print of the map to DL. I absolutely love this map. It is for the 50th and it is framed with a jumbo pin of DL in the bottom right corner. It is way too big to take home on the airplane so I had it shipped. I got my PAP discount plus, since they are shipping out of California there is no sales tax but of course I had to pay for shipping. The whole purchasing took a very long time since they had to wait for a manager to approve the transaction. Graden was next door at the joke shop, which has now become his favorite store in DL.
I was getting very tired so I wanted to head back to the room to take a little rest before our reservations at Granvilles. When we finally made the long trek back to the hotel, our room was ready, #2763. We were in the Sierra tower and had a great view of DTD and could see much of the parks such as Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, the Matterhorn and parts of Paradise Pier in DCA. The rooms here are much bigger than GCH but the walls are very thin and we could hear the kids next door. The room was very clean but you could tell things were a little worn. I loved the décor of the room, there are so many more Disney touches here than at GCH. I called bell services and our bags were delivered within ten minutes.
We had 6:00 PS’s at Granvilles. This is one of my favorite restaurants and I was so glad that it was just downstairs from us as I was still exhausted even after a little nap. We started with an appetizer of chilled prawns in cocktail sauce. Graden had the spaghetti and I got the filet mignon with the mashed potatoes. The steak was very tender but a little dry. I got the crème brulee for dessert, it was delicious but the top tasted a little burnt where the one at the Blue Bayou did not. Our total with PAP discount was $80.
We then went back to the room. We hung out for a little while and then decided that Graden had waited long enough after he ate so he could go swimming. We headed down to the pool. Graden went right in and I found a cozy chair and made a few phone calls. Graden was disappointed to find the slides closed because the lifeguards were already off duty but he had fun swimming around anyway.
When Graden was done swimming we had to decide what to do next. I was so tired and couldn’t imagine walking all the way back through DTD to the park. Oh, how I wish the monorail would have been running but it was closed due to work on the Finding Nemo ride. My whole reason for staying an extra night was to stay in the park longer because it was open until midnight that night but I just couldn’t force myself to go. So we opted to go back to the room and just relax. I decided a nice bath was in order. I had been enjoying a good soak for about 10 minutes when I heard these large bangs. I thought someone was pounding on the door or the walls so I jumped out of the tub. Then I realized it was the 9:25 firework show. I opened the curtains and we had a wonderful view of the fireworks. So we both pulled chairs over and opened the sliding glass door. We could just barely hear the music. It was a perfect ending to our day. After the fireworks we both went to bed.
Steps taken: 21914
Rides/Shows: 12
Day 5 Sunday October 1st
Rise and shine at 6:00 a.m. We got all packed up and headed out of the door for our 7:00 a.m. PS at the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Paradise Pier. We both had the buffet and for some reason this time it just didn’t seem that impressive. Graden had fun though. We got pictures with Lilo, Stitch and Minnie. It was $35 with PAP discount.
On our way back to the room, I took several pictures of the sights around the hotel grounds. We got back to our rooms and called bell services to get our bags checked until we left. We left for the park at about 8:30 a.m.
This was the first day that the Year of a Million Dreams promotion started. You could see the “Dream Squad” walking around and most all of the 50th stuff was taken down. Our goal for the day was to ride all of our favorite rides one last time before we left. First we stopped and got FP’s for Indy. Then we went on Haunted Mansion, which had a 10 min. wait. Next we tried to go on Splash but it was closed for some reason so we went on Pirates, which had no wait. We went back to Splash and it was now open and only a 10 min. wait. It was then time for our FP’s for Indy. After Indy we took a short rest and shared a Dole Whip for $3. Next we got FP’s for Buzz and then we went all the way over for a ride on BTMRR, which had a 10-15 min. wait. By the time we were done on BTMRR our FP’s were almost ready for Buzz, so we killed some time in the stores and went on Buzz. Then I got another FP for Buzz and Graden got one for Space. For some reason we were already hungry so we stopped for some lunch at Red Rocket Pizza Port. We got two slices of pepperoni pizza, two drinks, Cheetos and a brownie. I didn’t write down the exact price but I think it was close to $30. We still had some time to kill before our FP’s were ready so we played some games in the arcade. Then we both went on our rides. I got my best score on Buzz ever, 556k, level 5. I was so close to that level 6. We walked through a few more stores on the way out of DL.
We went back to GCH to use the entrance to DCA. We got FP’s for Soarin’ but they were just too late in the day to use at 2:50. So we went over and rode Monsters Inc. one more time. Then I got the idea that we could go in the single rider line for Soarin’ so we could go on one last time and end our day on a happy note. I knew we wouldn’t be sat together but I hoped that we would at least be in the same flight. It worked out perfect; I was so happy that we could ride one last time.
We reluctantly left the park to DTD to do the last of our shopping. I stopped at Illuminations and bought these cute ghosts that light up when they are lit. Next we went to ESPN Zone. I had promised Graden that we could go there so he could play the video games. I sat and relaxed with a diet coke and some onion rings, which was way too much food. Price was about $10.
It was time to leave so we could collect our bags from bell services and wait for our Town Car. As the bellman was bringing our bags the car pulled up, such perfect timing. We had a quick trip to the airport. Security was slow even though the line was short it just wasn’t moving. Finally through security we decided to have a snack at McDonalds (less than $10) because we knew there would be no real food on the plane. Our flight got in a little late but we made it home. Another great Disney trip, I can’t wait for the next one. Of course I have already started to plan the next one for February 2007.
Steps taken: 14480
Rides/Shows: 10
Kandace Nichols
Kandacen@hotmail.com