Trip Reports
02-21-2007, 10:02 PM
DLR — December 2006 (Offsite) by Kelly McBride
Kelly and her family have always wanted to see the Rose Parade in person and they've finally made that happen; with some time at Disneyland, of course.
Kelly McBride -- December 2006 -- Disneyland (Offsite)
Disneyland trip report for Dec 28-Jan 2
Cast: Myself 39, My husband Shane 33, daughter Lynn 14, daughter Katy 7, daughter Shelby 5. My parents both in their 60’s
Transportation: Car
Hotel: Hilton Anaheim Convention Center, Hilton Burbank Airport (now Burbank Marriott)
Experience: All vets
Pre trip planning:
At this point it is currently August 30, 2006, our trip in November is all set to go and this trip, while planned almost a year ago, has changed a bit. My mother and I have always been HUGE fans of the Tournament of Roses Parade and I have watched it New Year’s Day for as long as I can remember. We both love it and have always said we wanted to go see it in person. Well last year we got our chance. Our neighbor is a marine stationed in Port Hueneme in Oxnard, CA. He had casually mentioned around the middle of December last year that he had received an invitation to go see the parade. I had commented to my friend that I was SO jealous as I would LOVE to go. Well Calvin, our friend, stated that we were more than welcome to come. I couldn’t believe he was not pulling my leg but he said SURE. So at the VERY last minute we secured rooms and drove down on New Year’s day in monsoon like weather. We arrived late in the day on New Year’s Day up in Oxnard and did not even enjoy our room on the beach as it was torrentially raining and dark. We had to be up at the crack of dawn and we drove to the marine base and proceeded to sit there for hours and wait and then were completely drenched by the rain before we gave up and came inside. We had to drive back the same day as well. It was a whirlwind trip and we were SO disappointed after everything getting rained out.
SOOOO we mentioned to him that if he was able to go again this year we certainly wanted to attend. At this point we are assuming it is a go and this time have made reservations LONG in advance. They will still be staying up in Oxnard as that is where he lives however we started out staying at the Hilton at LAX and have since changed things around about 100 times. At this point however we are staying for 6 days at the Hilton Burbank Airport. Now this would not normally be my first choice but it is centrally located for what we want to do and hopefully we will not regret staying next to an airport for 6 days.
Our plans have changed several times but at this point this is what we have planned, we will drive down all day Thursday the 28th. First thing Friday morning we will get up and drive to Anaheim and fight the crowds and spend a day at Disney. Now I realize the place will be packed and I also just figured out that our AP’s are blocked out those days so we will have to pay the 30.00 fee but I still think it will be fun even if we only get to go on 1 or 2 rides. The main reason I want to go is my daughter will be turning 7 on the 31st and although we normally have a big birthday for the girls this year we told her the trip was her birthday. SOOO I am going to try and reserve the happiest birthday on earth for her. Even if all we get to do is that and see the holiday fireworks and just see the Christmas decs, etc. it will be worth it to me. Then on Saturday we will go to Universal Studios for the day. Then Sunday we will tour Hollywood and hopefully see a movie at the El Capitan Theater and partake of the Disney Soda Fountain as that day is Katy’s actual birthday. Then Monday is the parade and Tuesday we drive home. Our hotel is reserved and I am just waiting till Oct to make the birthday reservations and probably at that time I will purchase our Universal tickets through Getaway today. Other than that I think we are all set. I realize that this report will only have 1 Disney day on it but I figure that my info about universal and the El Cap and Soda fountain may interest some people.
October 10, 2006
Well we had another slight change of plans. I was talking to mom about the trip and she said it was too bad we weren’t staying in Anaheim the first 2 days so we were closer to Disneyland. I had changed my reservations with the Hilton in Burbank so many times that the last time she told me if I cancelled again I would have a 50.00 fee. I was afraid of a charge but thought I would call just in case. SOOO glad I did, as we WERE able to change with no charges!! So now we are staying the first night at the Hilton Anaheim Convention Center. I probably could have gotten a cheaper room but I was so happy to be able to change the reservation I didn’t care. We will drive down Thursday and hopefully be able to have dinner and shop at Downtown Disney Thursday night and then be there for an EARLY start at Disney on Friday. We will stay in Anaheim on Friday night and then head to Burbank on Saturday, checking in to the hotel first and then proceeding to Universal. The good news is our Universal tickets through Getaway Today are for 2 days (one day Free!!) so if we run out of time on Saturday we can go back on Sunday before we tour Hollywood. And, by the way, I have since purchased our VIP tickets to the El Cap. I went for the VIP cuz we are guaranteed seats plus we get popcorn and a drink. We will then have desert at the soda fountain. Then the rest of the weekend is pretty much the same. So now I just have to make our ps for the happiest birthday and buy the Universal tickets and we are SET!!
November 22, 2006
Well we have returned from our Veteran’s day trip (report has been submitted to Mouseplanet) and we had a GREAT time even though it was at capacity and we learned a lot about how to have fun and get to do everything despite the large crowds. I have since decided to add the holiday tour to our day as well as a priority seating for Café Orleans, all of which I am going to reserve next wed which will be exactly 1 month to the day of when we will be there. I also will now be purchasing our Universal tickets through the actual park as it is 10 dollars cheaper and I can print the tickets at home. So I just have a few more details to wrap up but the trip is pretty firm at this point.
November 29, 2006
Well everything is finally set. One month from today we will be there!! I called this a.m. and scored our PS for Café Orleans as well as our Holiday tour tickets. I don’t think we will be doing many rides as we only have from about 8 to 11 and we have to be at Café Orleans by about 11:20. Then after lunch we may get to do a few things but then we have to be at Plaza Inn by 1:50 for the birthday and then again will have a short amount of time before the tour. The tour lasts 2.5 hours and I assume that is including the parade but not sure and then after that we may have a little more time before the fireworks. We knew going into this though that it was not a normal day and we wanted to just enjoy the holidays so I am not worried if we don’t do many rides.
Mom and I are going back in February so we can make up for it then!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Plan: Drive to Anaheim. Check in to Hilton and possibly have dinner at DTD. Try to pick up Tour tickets this night.
What actually happened: Well the day finally arrived and being the holidays it had been a hectic week. Christmas had been on Monday and Tuesday I had my annual run around and shop to buy things for next year day and Wed I had to run it to work to wrap things up for the year and that night we were invited to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. NOT something I wanted to do the night before a big trip but the girls had a blast. Anyway the morning started with up getting up and picking up my mom. My father had done his normal thing and he was not going with us down but would rather be joining us later. He VERY rarely travels with us and the only other time he did he met us half way in between because he is VERY paranoid about having everyone away from home at once.
So we all packed into the Tahoe and headed out. We made good time and the weather was great. The only hitch was we started seeing signs around Ripon that said that the grapevine was closed due to snow. We REALLY wanted to get there before 5 to pick up our tour tickets and I was panicked that by having to take a detour that it wouldn’t happen. However we kept monitoring Cal Trans and calling the secretary at work to check online and it FINALLY opened by the time we got to Bakersfield and our last chance to take a detour. Thank goodness because we feared it would be a LONG way around. We did however make it through and because we had made a few more stops than usual we got there in a little over 7 hours. There is a short-term parking lot on Harbor that I had Shane park at and mom and I jumped out of the car and raced down to Guest Services, as it was around 4. We got there and there was a line and then mom realized she did not have her annual pass. She ran back to get it and I realized I didn’t have mine either. We had Lynn run up with ours and then when I finally made it to the window the woman told me I needed my confirmation number. A word to the wise MAKE SURE when you go you have your AP, confirmation AND the visa you purchased the tickets with!! She was able to find mine and we then walked back to the car and headed to the hotel. The Hilton was very appealing upon entry and the only thing I did NOT think was too great was that they made you pay to park. Many of the smaller hotels you just park in the lots for free. We did however park and checked in and the rooms were nice but small and luckily we had 2 so that my daughter could share with my mom because we could NOT have stayed in one room with the 5 of us. The rooms were clean etc and the hotel had a lot of amenities but to be quite honest I preferred the room we had at the Castle and from now on I will be staying at one of the hotels right on harbor. Mom and I are staying at the Marriott Fairfield Inn in February and if it is nice I will book a room there for our June trip. You can’t beat the proximity, restaurants and free parking!
Anyway after checking in we drove to downtown Disney and we had a priority seating for Storytellers at the Grand Californian. (By the way mom and I had talked the week prior and I had made a PS the day before we left which is ALWAYS a good plan).
We were early so we did our normal shopping at the Acorn and enjoyed some relax time in the comfy lounge area by the fireplace in the lobby. We got pictures taken by the tree and just relaxed till it was time for our meal.
We once again had a good meal. Mom, Shane and I had the buffet, which was not AS good as always but definitely edible. 2 of the girls had the make your own pizza and Lynn had the mushroom ravioli. Oh and I had mentioned at Guest Services that I needed a birthday button for Katy and was able to get it there was which wonderful! That saved me time the next day! Katy had hers on and as always she got many happy birthdays and hellos from cast members and of course this night a cute little birthday cake and singing which was a BIG hit!
After dinner we shopped a bit but since we had just been the month prior we didn’t purchase anything this night.
We then just drove back to the hotel and hit the sack.
By the way if you park in DTD take your parking ticket as many places validate and if you have an AP don’t forget to ask for your discount!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Plan: Disneyland. Lunch at Café Orleans at 11:30. 2:00 p.m. Happiest Birthday at Plaza Inn. 4:20 Holiday tour! Fireworks 9:25.
What actually happened: We were up bright and early as always and made the mistake of eating at our hotel. The front desk told us that kids ate free but that was NOT true. Kids ONLY ate free if the adult got the buffet which in my opinion was outrageously priced. I believe Shane paid 18 dollars. I only got oatmeal and so did my mom and she also got toast and coffee and her portion was 14.00 so she switched to the light buffet which was STILL 14 but she got a bit more. Our bill was 70.00 for breakfast and let me tell you if I am going to pay THAT much I will have a character meal. RIDICULOUS. Again the Hilton is clean and nice but NOT worth the prices in my opinion and we will NOT be staying there again! Anyway we decided since we were only there that one day we would just walk. We walked out the ground floor and across Katella and there is a small entrance to the Timon light there and we just cut across this lot. I would not want to do this for several days but for the one it was fine.
We arrived at the front gate and shane got in line while mom and I waited for the tickets. I am SO glad we have annual passes because this took FOREVER! Plus while there is this huge line and it is getting close to opening they were trying to sell people AP’s which drives me nuts when there is a huge line. Anyway we FINALLY got up there and paid for our blockout passes but let me tell you IF you do this ALL AP holders must be present. Everyone was at the gate but me and she made the exception but she said she couldn’t do it again. Anyway we got there just as they were letting people in and shane was giving me a dirty look as people were passing him but there was nothing I could do.
Anyway we got in and did our strategy from the start. Mom and I ran to Pirates and Shane ran to splash. We got there quickly and actually had to wait for Shane. And actually I forgot but they let us in early to mainstreet and did the rope drop which I hadn’t seen in a LONG time. Luckily no one stampeded and was hurt but it WAS crowded.
He finally showed up with our FP’s and we did pirates. Good thing too because the line exceeded 2 hours later in the day. After Pirates we ran to Indy and all rode that and then decided we better do Matterhorn since it has no fast pass. The line was a tad long but not too bad and it gave us the pause we needed for shane to run get the FP’s for space. He met us in time to ride with us and then we went to Big Thunder Mountain and again there was a line but we didn’t have to wait TOO long and by then it was time for our lunch. We got there a bit early and while we waited Shane ran and got a few more passes.
We had a very nice lunch and this time the girls got the mac and cheese which they enjoyed much more and I had my usual monte cristo and mom, shane and lynn all had the seafood crepe again. The lunch was excellent as usual and I can’t say enough good things about this place.
After lunch we decided we probably wouldn’t be back to this part of the park again and thus did pooh and splash. We weren’t planning on doing HM until the tour but since the line wasn’t too bad we went ahead and rode it. Shane ran to get yet MORE FP’S and mom and I took the girls to the stores to look for some souvenirs. We met up at the Plaza Inn and Shane FOUND my Christmas pins I wanted. I was SO happy. I had seen them in my AP letter but they weren’t out yet in November when I was there and they were pretty much gone now. He DID find them and bought more than I would have (He bought one of each) but I was glad of the thought and he also got me a really cute advent type countdown to Christmas calendar. We checked in and paid for the birthday and waited in line. They came down and stamped our hand and gave us all a mickey birthday hat. We went in and I was a tad upset that they gave our table (which by the way had our name on it!) away to another group and we got stuck at a small table where we were cramped and that was in the direct sun. My mom and I are both very allergic to the sun but oh well. Anyway it was cute Pat E. Cake comes and does some stuff and we got our cakes and juices in cups we got to keep and after we decorated our cakes the acted like they were judging them but then everyone “won” and got a little sticker ribbon. They sang and then Mickey and Minnie came out. It was cute and fun but I don’t know that I would do it again.
After the party we used our FP’s for Space Mountain and got FP’s for Buzz. We thought we would ride the train around a whole circuit but it was cutting it close to our tour so we just rode it from Tomorrow land to Main Street and got off. We checked in for our tour and we received cute little tags that we had to place on our coats or shirt.
We were a bit early but it gave us a chance to view the parade a bit and relax. Our guide finally showed and he was a VERY nice young man named Brandon. I only regret I didn’t have time to put in a good word for him at City Hall. The tour was VERY interesting and we made stops in most of the lands learning about different traditions both at the park and about Christmas and Hanukah itself. We got to sample some Christmas fudge on main street and we rode HM and then the train to Toontown where we got off and rode IASMH. I LOVE this ride esp at the holidays. After we got off small world we ventured to the fantasyland theater where we picked up our chocolate and gingerbread men and then went to our seating for the parade. We got GREAT seats and we very much enjoyed the parade. We had several sets of FP’s and had not seen the parade but we had also not eaten dinner yet and we were all tired. If you go on a busy day like this that is LONG you really need that mid day rest. Plus we crammed a LOT in and could have done much more rides had we not had the tour and birthday party. I told Shane I was tired and felt we had done plenty and so we gave our FP’s away to a couple and left. We decided since we were tired to get a cab and to get less than a city block we were charged 7 dollars which is just crazy to me but I guess it was worth it cuz we were all pretty tired.
My mom, shane and lynn had decided to go to Mimi’s but the girls needed a bath and I wanted to shower so I stayed with them. They had dinner but I never did get any that night as by the time they arrived it was after 10 and I can’t eat that late. We all FINALLY went to bed and that was our Disney day!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Plan: Universal all day. City Walk for dinner.
What actually happened: This day we were up bright and early, packed up and checked out. We loaded up the car and decided to eat at Dennys. We did and then headed up to Burbank. It took no time at all and we found our hotel and checked in. As I had stated it was originally a Hilton but a few weeks before our trip it changed to the Marriott. It was nice though and the rooms were very nice and clean. Again a bit small and would not have fit 5 but overall all NICE. It was still quite awhile before my dad was to arrive so we took off to the park. We got a GREAT parking space and went in. I DID purchase the tickets online and that was a great deal. 2 days for 49.99 whereas at the park 1 day is 60 something. Anyway we went directly to Back to the future and this ride STILL makes me kind of motion sick so we only did it once and it seemed to take FOREVER to load. Anyway we then headed downstairs and everyone did the mummy while I waited with Shelby who was not tall enough. There was only a 5 min wait so I didn’t do the baby swap. She was disappointed she couldn’t ride but this ride is disappointing to say the least. WAY too short. Anyway we then all went on Jurassic park and got soaked and by this time mom figured she needed to go pick up my dad. We all took a churro break and then did the special effects show. Shane and Lynn actually got picked as volunteers for this. It was fun and informative and we then did backdraft which was also fun. By then it was time to go back up and wait for mom which we did and once they arrived we were all hungry so we walked out and got lunch at a bbq place that was near the entrance. It was just ok and they messed up our order. We then went back and did Shrek and the Animal Show and finally Terminator. By this time we had done most of the shows and were ready to go. We had decided we didn’t have enough time to do the tour and we would come back the next day to do this first thing. So we left and we were originally going to eat at city walk but we had had a late lunch and decided to try the restaurant at the hotel. We got the kids take out KFC and the adults ate dinner at the City Grill at our hotel. I can say this hotel and restaurant don’t look like much but were EXCELLENT!!
After dinner we were all quite tired and hit the sack.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Plan: Universal again in morning. Lunch at City Walk. Tour Hollywood. Eat out somewhere in area early and then catch a movie at El Capitan and desert and celebrate Katy’s birthday at Disney Soda Fountain.
What actually happened: This day we were up bright and early once again and thought we would just grab a bite at City Walk. So we arrived and again got good parking were the only ones at the park. Nothing was open which makes NO sense to me but we finally found a crepe place and waited for it to open. Now another thing I had planned in advance was a birthday call for Katy. I love ALL things Disney as I had said and I got an email about their enchanted phone calls. I had set it up for 8 a.m. figuring we would be up and probably not at a park yet. Well 8 came and went and no call. Once you pay you are stuck whether they get through or not and I figured maybe while we were in the parking garage or something they called and it didn’t go through. I was REALLY bummed and finally the phone rang. I was VERY happy too cuz my phone was having issues at the beginning of the week and I feared it wouldn’t work. However it finally rang and I forgot she had to press 1 so I hung up but then they luckily called back and I put it on speaker so everyone could hear it. It is a small thing that only costs 2.50 but it REALLY was neat and made Katy’s day! I highly recommend that for small kids!!
Anyway after having our crepes we finally got in and had to wait a bit for rope drop but went straight to the tour which we enjoyed. The girls had never been and now that the have I doubt I will go back for a while. I had promised them pics with some of the characters so we found sponge bob and Shrek and Fiona and then waited for spiderman. He never showed so we were leaving and finally saw him at the entrance. This is another beef of mine but no one in the California parks seem to have ANY etiquette whereas in Disneyworld they seem to get the concepts of lines etc. It took us forever and some assertiveness with the rude people but we finally got some great pics and took off. Now at this point we were supposed to go straight to Hollywood but my dad did not like his room and wanted to switch so we went back and Shane and Dad switched rooms while mom and I went shopping at Ralph’s for our provisions for the rose parade. After we got back we decided to go to Hollywood and Highland shopping center and just try to find lunch there. We got there and bought our tickets to the Kodak theater tour and then while we waited we had a snack. We then toured the theater and this was VERY neat. Another thing mom and I enjoy is the Oscars and the tour was very informative and interesting. We had a very nice guide and enjoyed it very much. After this we had lunch at an Italian place which was also excellent although the name escapes me. It is a restaurant that is located on the top floor of the shopping center. After lunch we ventured to Hollywood blvd. And let the girls see Graumans theater and then we looked at the studio store and the El Cap until we could go in. We had the VIP seats and we got bells for our wrists and our bucket of popcorn and soda. The popcorn comes in a souvenir bucket that you can keep. The seats were very cramped and the show left a LOT to be desired but the preshow had several characters including Belle, Snow White, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale and Pluto. I enjoyed the pre-show and the movie was ok but festive. After the show we had the ice cream and I was able to get the signature sundae that came with a pin and they brought Katy her sundae with a candle and they sang and gave her a birthday button. We had a very nice time and I think she enjoyed her birthday. We then were tired and more than ready to go home. We were originally going to play cards and bought sparkling cider for midnight but we were all tired and just went to bed.
Monday, Jan 1, 2007
Plan: Rose Parade with our friends. View floats after parade and possibly have dinner with friends.
What actually happened: Once again this day we were up with the sun and got ready to go. We had our provisions but one hiccup happened when our hotel had a menu for a box lunch for the parade. We ordered them but when we went to pick them up they weren’t there. So we had no lunches and I DID get charged but supposedly they have taken the charge off so we shall see. It would have been nice to have them too since there was nothing but junk down there but anyway we arrived at the base and met our friends and VERY much enjoyed the parade this year. The weather was nice but a bit chilly but ANYTHING was better than that miserable rain last year.
After the parade we split up from our friends and went to view the floats. This took FOREVER to get in and FOREVER to see but is SO worth it to see them up close! We enjoyed it but one thing we did notice is we miss quite a bit being at the end and if we ever go again we may try to sit farther down.
After the viewing we just went back to the hotel and had dinner at the restaurant again, went back to the room and played cards and hit the sack.
Tuesday, Jan 2, 2007
Plan: Drive home
What Actually Happened: And we bring ourselves to today. Once again we got up and packed up and got our bill all figured out and checked out. We drove up 5 a ways till we saw a Dennys, stopped and had breakfast and headed up the hill.
All in all I would say it was a wonderful trip. We had LOTS of great experiences and one of a kind adventures and the weather and trip were just wonderful. I spoke with our friends and they are up for next year and every year that we go we learn more and eventually we will have this down pat!
Next trip up is February and mom and I hope to have a great week long trip and perhaps get a dinner at the Napa Rose inn. See you then! ?
Kelly McBride
kelmac284@comcast.net
Kelly and her family have always wanted to see the Rose Parade in person and they've finally made that happen; with some time at Disneyland, of course.
Kelly McBride -- December 2006 -- Disneyland (Offsite)
Disneyland trip report for Dec 28-Jan 2
Cast: Myself 39, My husband Shane 33, daughter Lynn 14, daughter Katy 7, daughter Shelby 5. My parents both in their 60’s
Transportation: Car
Hotel: Hilton Anaheim Convention Center, Hilton Burbank Airport (now Burbank Marriott)
Experience: All vets
Pre trip planning:
At this point it is currently August 30, 2006, our trip in November is all set to go and this trip, while planned almost a year ago, has changed a bit. My mother and I have always been HUGE fans of the Tournament of Roses Parade and I have watched it New Year’s Day for as long as I can remember. We both love it and have always said we wanted to go see it in person. Well last year we got our chance. Our neighbor is a marine stationed in Port Hueneme in Oxnard, CA. He had casually mentioned around the middle of December last year that he had received an invitation to go see the parade. I had commented to my friend that I was SO jealous as I would LOVE to go. Well Calvin, our friend, stated that we were more than welcome to come. I couldn’t believe he was not pulling my leg but he said SURE. So at the VERY last minute we secured rooms and drove down on New Year’s day in monsoon like weather. We arrived late in the day on New Year’s Day up in Oxnard and did not even enjoy our room on the beach as it was torrentially raining and dark. We had to be up at the crack of dawn and we drove to the marine base and proceeded to sit there for hours and wait and then were completely drenched by the rain before we gave up and came inside. We had to drive back the same day as well. It was a whirlwind trip and we were SO disappointed after everything getting rained out.
SOOOO we mentioned to him that if he was able to go again this year we certainly wanted to attend. At this point we are assuming it is a go and this time have made reservations LONG in advance. They will still be staying up in Oxnard as that is where he lives however we started out staying at the Hilton at LAX and have since changed things around about 100 times. At this point however we are staying for 6 days at the Hilton Burbank Airport. Now this would not normally be my first choice but it is centrally located for what we want to do and hopefully we will not regret staying next to an airport for 6 days.
Our plans have changed several times but at this point this is what we have planned, we will drive down all day Thursday the 28th. First thing Friday morning we will get up and drive to Anaheim and fight the crowds and spend a day at Disney. Now I realize the place will be packed and I also just figured out that our AP’s are blocked out those days so we will have to pay the 30.00 fee but I still think it will be fun even if we only get to go on 1 or 2 rides. The main reason I want to go is my daughter will be turning 7 on the 31st and although we normally have a big birthday for the girls this year we told her the trip was her birthday. SOOO I am going to try and reserve the happiest birthday on earth for her. Even if all we get to do is that and see the holiday fireworks and just see the Christmas decs, etc. it will be worth it to me. Then on Saturday we will go to Universal Studios for the day. Then Sunday we will tour Hollywood and hopefully see a movie at the El Capitan Theater and partake of the Disney Soda Fountain as that day is Katy’s actual birthday. Then Monday is the parade and Tuesday we drive home. Our hotel is reserved and I am just waiting till Oct to make the birthday reservations and probably at that time I will purchase our Universal tickets through Getaway today. Other than that I think we are all set. I realize that this report will only have 1 Disney day on it but I figure that my info about universal and the El Cap and Soda fountain may interest some people.
October 10, 2006
Well we had another slight change of plans. I was talking to mom about the trip and she said it was too bad we weren’t staying in Anaheim the first 2 days so we were closer to Disneyland. I had changed my reservations with the Hilton in Burbank so many times that the last time she told me if I cancelled again I would have a 50.00 fee. I was afraid of a charge but thought I would call just in case. SOOO glad I did, as we WERE able to change with no charges!! So now we are staying the first night at the Hilton Anaheim Convention Center. I probably could have gotten a cheaper room but I was so happy to be able to change the reservation I didn’t care. We will drive down Thursday and hopefully be able to have dinner and shop at Downtown Disney Thursday night and then be there for an EARLY start at Disney on Friday. We will stay in Anaheim on Friday night and then head to Burbank on Saturday, checking in to the hotel first and then proceeding to Universal. The good news is our Universal tickets through Getaway Today are for 2 days (one day Free!!) so if we run out of time on Saturday we can go back on Sunday before we tour Hollywood. And, by the way, I have since purchased our VIP tickets to the El Cap. I went for the VIP cuz we are guaranteed seats plus we get popcorn and a drink. We will then have desert at the soda fountain. Then the rest of the weekend is pretty much the same. So now I just have to make our ps for the happiest birthday and buy the Universal tickets and we are SET!!
November 22, 2006
Well we have returned from our Veteran’s day trip (report has been submitted to Mouseplanet) and we had a GREAT time even though it was at capacity and we learned a lot about how to have fun and get to do everything despite the large crowds. I have since decided to add the holiday tour to our day as well as a priority seating for Café Orleans, all of which I am going to reserve next wed which will be exactly 1 month to the day of when we will be there. I also will now be purchasing our Universal tickets through the actual park as it is 10 dollars cheaper and I can print the tickets at home. So I just have a few more details to wrap up but the trip is pretty firm at this point.
November 29, 2006
Well everything is finally set. One month from today we will be there!! I called this a.m. and scored our PS for Café Orleans as well as our Holiday tour tickets. I don’t think we will be doing many rides as we only have from about 8 to 11 and we have to be at Café Orleans by about 11:20. Then after lunch we may get to do a few things but then we have to be at Plaza Inn by 1:50 for the birthday and then again will have a short amount of time before the tour. The tour lasts 2.5 hours and I assume that is including the parade but not sure and then after that we may have a little more time before the fireworks. We knew going into this though that it was not a normal day and we wanted to just enjoy the holidays so I am not worried if we don’t do many rides.
Mom and I are going back in February so we can make up for it then!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Plan: Drive to Anaheim. Check in to Hilton and possibly have dinner at DTD. Try to pick up Tour tickets this night.
What actually happened: Well the day finally arrived and being the holidays it had been a hectic week. Christmas had been on Monday and Tuesday I had my annual run around and shop to buy things for next year day and Wed I had to run it to work to wrap things up for the year and that night we were invited to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. NOT something I wanted to do the night before a big trip but the girls had a blast. Anyway the morning started with up getting up and picking up my mom. My father had done his normal thing and he was not going with us down but would rather be joining us later. He VERY rarely travels with us and the only other time he did he met us half way in between because he is VERY paranoid about having everyone away from home at once.
So we all packed into the Tahoe and headed out. We made good time and the weather was great. The only hitch was we started seeing signs around Ripon that said that the grapevine was closed due to snow. We REALLY wanted to get there before 5 to pick up our tour tickets and I was panicked that by having to take a detour that it wouldn’t happen. However we kept monitoring Cal Trans and calling the secretary at work to check online and it FINALLY opened by the time we got to Bakersfield and our last chance to take a detour. Thank goodness because we feared it would be a LONG way around. We did however make it through and because we had made a few more stops than usual we got there in a little over 7 hours. There is a short-term parking lot on Harbor that I had Shane park at and mom and I jumped out of the car and raced down to Guest Services, as it was around 4. We got there and there was a line and then mom realized she did not have her annual pass. She ran back to get it and I realized I didn’t have mine either. We had Lynn run up with ours and then when I finally made it to the window the woman told me I needed my confirmation number. A word to the wise MAKE SURE when you go you have your AP, confirmation AND the visa you purchased the tickets with!! She was able to find mine and we then walked back to the car and headed to the hotel. The Hilton was very appealing upon entry and the only thing I did NOT think was too great was that they made you pay to park. Many of the smaller hotels you just park in the lots for free. We did however park and checked in and the rooms were nice but small and luckily we had 2 so that my daughter could share with my mom because we could NOT have stayed in one room with the 5 of us. The rooms were clean etc and the hotel had a lot of amenities but to be quite honest I preferred the room we had at the Castle and from now on I will be staying at one of the hotels right on harbor. Mom and I are staying at the Marriott Fairfield Inn in February and if it is nice I will book a room there for our June trip. You can’t beat the proximity, restaurants and free parking!
Anyway after checking in we drove to downtown Disney and we had a priority seating for Storytellers at the Grand Californian. (By the way mom and I had talked the week prior and I had made a PS the day before we left which is ALWAYS a good plan).
We were early so we did our normal shopping at the Acorn and enjoyed some relax time in the comfy lounge area by the fireplace in the lobby. We got pictures taken by the tree and just relaxed till it was time for our meal.
We once again had a good meal. Mom, Shane and I had the buffet, which was not AS good as always but definitely edible. 2 of the girls had the make your own pizza and Lynn had the mushroom ravioli. Oh and I had mentioned at Guest Services that I needed a birthday button for Katy and was able to get it there was which wonderful! That saved me time the next day! Katy had hers on and as always she got many happy birthdays and hellos from cast members and of course this night a cute little birthday cake and singing which was a BIG hit!
After dinner we shopped a bit but since we had just been the month prior we didn’t purchase anything this night.
We then just drove back to the hotel and hit the sack.
By the way if you park in DTD take your parking ticket as many places validate and if you have an AP don’t forget to ask for your discount!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Plan: Disneyland. Lunch at Café Orleans at 11:30. 2:00 p.m. Happiest Birthday at Plaza Inn. 4:20 Holiday tour! Fireworks 9:25.
What actually happened: We were up bright and early as always and made the mistake of eating at our hotel. The front desk told us that kids ate free but that was NOT true. Kids ONLY ate free if the adult got the buffet which in my opinion was outrageously priced. I believe Shane paid 18 dollars. I only got oatmeal and so did my mom and she also got toast and coffee and her portion was 14.00 so she switched to the light buffet which was STILL 14 but she got a bit more. Our bill was 70.00 for breakfast and let me tell you if I am going to pay THAT much I will have a character meal. RIDICULOUS. Again the Hilton is clean and nice but NOT worth the prices in my opinion and we will NOT be staying there again! Anyway we decided since we were only there that one day we would just walk. We walked out the ground floor and across Katella and there is a small entrance to the Timon light there and we just cut across this lot. I would not want to do this for several days but for the one it was fine.
We arrived at the front gate and shane got in line while mom and I waited for the tickets. I am SO glad we have annual passes because this took FOREVER! Plus while there is this huge line and it is getting close to opening they were trying to sell people AP’s which drives me nuts when there is a huge line. Anyway we FINALLY got up there and paid for our blockout passes but let me tell you IF you do this ALL AP holders must be present. Everyone was at the gate but me and she made the exception but she said she couldn’t do it again. Anyway we got there just as they were letting people in and shane was giving me a dirty look as people were passing him but there was nothing I could do.
Anyway we got in and did our strategy from the start. Mom and I ran to Pirates and Shane ran to splash. We got there quickly and actually had to wait for Shane. And actually I forgot but they let us in early to mainstreet and did the rope drop which I hadn’t seen in a LONG time. Luckily no one stampeded and was hurt but it WAS crowded.
He finally showed up with our FP’s and we did pirates. Good thing too because the line exceeded 2 hours later in the day. After Pirates we ran to Indy and all rode that and then decided we better do Matterhorn since it has no fast pass. The line was a tad long but not too bad and it gave us the pause we needed for shane to run get the FP’s for space. He met us in time to ride with us and then we went to Big Thunder Mountain and again there was a line but we didn’t have to wait TOO long and by then it was time for our lunch. We got there a bit early and while we waited Shane ran and got a few more passes.
We had a very nice lunch and this time the girls got the mac and cheese which they enjoyed much more and I had my usual monte cristo and mom, shane and lynn all had the seafood crepe again. The lunch was excellent as usual and I can’t say enough good things about this place.
After lunch we decided we probably wouldn’t be back to this part of the park again and thus did pooh and splash. We weren’t planning on doing HM until the tour but since the line wasn’t too bad we went ahead and rode it. Shane ran to get yet MORE FP’S and mom and I took the girls to the stores to look for some souvenirs. We met up at the Plaza Inn and Shane FOUND my Christmas pins I wanted. I was SO happy. I had seen them in my AP letter but they weren’t out yet in November when I was there and they were pretty much gone now. He DID find them and bought more than I would have (He bought one of each) but I was glad of the thought and he also got me a really cute advent type countdown to Christmas calendar. We checked in and paid for the birthday and waited in line. They came down and stamped our hand and gave us all a mickey birthday hat. We went in and I was a tad upset that they gave our table (which by the way had our name on it!) away to another group and we got stuck at a small table where we were cramped and that was in the direct sun. My mom and I are both very allergic to the sun but oh well. Anyway it was cute Pat E. Cake comes and does some stuff and we got our cakes and juices in cups we got to keep and after we decorated our cakes the acted like they were judging them but then everyone “won” and got a little sticker ribbon. They sang and then Mickey and Minnie came out. It was cute and fun but I don’t know that I would do it again.
After the party we used our FP’s for Space Mountain and got FP’s for Buzz. We thought we would ride the train around a whole circuit but it was cutting it close to our tour so we just rode it from Tomorrow land to Main Street and got off. We checked in for our tour and we received cute little tags that we had to place on our coats or shirt.
We were a bit early but it gave us a chance to view the parade a bit and relax. Our guide finally showed and he was a VERY nice young man named Brandon. I only regret I didn’t have time to put in a good word for him at City Hall. The tour was VERY interesting and we made stops in most of the lands learning about different traditions both at the park and about Christmas and Hanukah itself. We got to sample some Christmas fudge on main street and we rode HM and then the train to Toontown where we got off and rode IASMH. I LOVE this ride esp at the holidays. After we got off small world we ventured to the fantasyland theater where we picked up our chocolate and gingerbread men and then went to our seating for the parade. We got GREAT seats and we very much enjoyed the parade. We had several sets of FP’s and had not seen the parade but we had also not eaten dinner yet and we were all tired. If you go on a busy day like this that is LONG you really need that mid day rest. Plus we crammed a LOT in and could have done much more rides had we not had the tour and birthday party. I told Shane I was tired and felt we had done plenty and so we gave our FP’s away to a couple and left. We decided since we were tired to get a cab and to get less than a city block we were charged 7 dollars which is just crazy to me but I guess it was worth it cuz we were all pretty tired.
My mom, shane and lynn had decided to go to Mimi’s but the girls needed a bath and I wanted to shower so I stayed with them. They had dinner but I never did get any that night as by the time they arrived it was after 10 and I can’t eat that late. We all FINALLY went to bed and that was our Disney day!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Plan: Universal all day. City Walk for dinner.
What actually happened: This day we were up bright and early, packed up and checked out. We loaded up the car and decided to eat at Dennys. We did and then headed up to Burbank. It took no time at all and we found our hotel and checked in. As I had stated it was originally a Hilton but a few weeks before our trip it changed to the Marriott. It was nice though and the rooms were very nice and clean. Again a bit small and would not have fit 5 but overall all NICE. It was still quite awhile before my dad was to arrive so we took off to the park. We got a GREAT parking space and went in. I DID purchase the tickets online and that was a great deal. 2 days for 49.99 whereas at the park 1 day is 60 something. Anyway we went directly to Back to the future and this ride STILL makes me kind of motion sick so we only did it once and it seemed to take FOREVER to load. Anyway we then headed downstairs and everyone did the mummy while I waited with Shelby who was not tall enough. There was only a 5 min wait so I didn’t do the baby swap. She was disappointed she couldn’t ride but this ride is disappointing to say the least. WAY too short. Anyway we then all went on Jurassic park and got soaked and by this time mom figured she needed to go pick up my dad. We all took a churro break and then did the special effects show. Shane and Lynn actually got picked as volunteers for this. It was fun and informative and we then did backdraft which was also fun. By then it was time to go back up and wait for mom which we did and once they arrived we were all hungry so we walked out and got lunch at a bbq place that was near the entrance. It was just ok and they messed up our order. We then went back and did Shrek and the Animal Show and finally Terminator. By this time we had done most of the shows and were ready to go. We had decided we didn’t have enough time to do the tour and we would come back the next day to do this first thing. So we left and we were originally going to eat at city walk but we had had a late lunch and decided to try the restaurant at the hotel. We got the kids take out KFC and the adults ate dinner at the City Grill at our hotel. I can say this hotel and restaurant don’t look like much but were EXCELLENT!!
After dinner we were all quite tired and hit the sack.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Plan: Universal again in morning. Lunch at City Walk. Tour Hollywood. Eat out somewhere in area early and then catch a movie at El Capitan and desert and celebrate Katy’s birthday at Disney Soda Fountain.
What actually happened: This day we were up bright and early once again and thought we would just grab a bite at City Walk. So we arrived and again got good parking were the only ones at the park. Nothing was open which makes NO sense to me but we finally found a crepe place and waited for it to open. Now another thing I had planned in advance was a birthday call for Katy. I love ALL things Disney as I had said and I got an email about their enchanted phone calls. I had set it up for 8 a.m. figuring we would be up and probably not at a park yet. Well 8 came and went and no call. Once you pay you are stuck whether they get through or not and I figured maybe while we were in the parking garage or something they called and it didn’t go through. I was REALLY bummed and finally the phone rang. I was VERY happy too cuz my phone was having issues at the beginning of the week and I feared it wouldn’t work. However it finally rang and I forgot she had to press 1 so I hung up but then they luckily called back and I put it on speaker so everyone could hear it. It is a small thing that only costs 2.50 but it REALLY was neat and made Katy’s day! I highly recommend that for small kids!!
Anyway after having our crepes we finally got in and had to wait a bit for rope drop but went straight to the tour which we enjoyed. The girls had never been and now that the have I doubt I will go back for a while. I had promised them pics with some of the characters so we found sponge bob and Shrek and Fiona and then waited for spiderman. He never showed so we were leaving and finally saw him at the entrance. This is another beef of mine but no one in the California parks seem to have ANY etiquette whereas in Disneyworld they seem to get the concepts of lines etc. It took us forever and some assertiveness with the rude people but we finally got some great pics and took off. Now at this point we were supposed to go straight to Hollywood but my dad did not like his room and wanted to switch so we went back and Shane and Dad switched rooms while mom and I went shopping at Ralph’s for our provisions for the rose parade. After we got back we decided to go to Hollywood and Highland shopping center and just try to find lunch there. We got there and bought our tickets to the Kodak theater tour and then while we waited we had a snack. We then toured the theater and this was VERY neat. Another thing mom and I enjoy is the Oscars and the tour was very informative and interesting. We had a very nice guide and enjoyed it very much. After this we had lunch at an Italian place which was also excellent although the name escapes me. It is a restaurant that is located on the top floor of the shopping center. After lunch we ventured to Hollywood blvd. And let the girls see Graumans theater and then we looked at the studio store and the El Cap until we could go in. We had the VIP seats and we got bells for our wrists and our bucket of popcorn and soda. The popcorn comes in a souvenir bucket that you can keep. The seats were very cramped and the show left a LOT to be desired but the preshow had several characters including Belle, Snow White, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale and Pluto. I enjoyed the pre-show and the movie was ok but festive. After the show we had the ice cream and I was able to get the signature sundae that came with a pin and they brought Katy her sundae with a candle and they sang and gave her a birthday button. We had a very nice time and I think she enjoyed her birthday. We then were tired and more than ready to go home. We were originally going to play cards and bought sparkling cider for midnight but we were all tired and just went to bed.
Monday, Jan 1, 2007
Plan: Rose Parade with our friends. View floats after parade and possibly have dinner with friends.
What actually happened: Once again this day we were up with the sun and got ready to go. We had our provisions but one hiccup happened when our hotel had a menu for a box lunch for the parade. We ordered them but when we went to pick them up they weren’t there. So we had no lunches and I DID get charged but supposedly they have taken the charge off so we shall see. It would have been nice to have them too since there was nothing but junk down there but anyway we arrived at the base and met our friends and VERY much enjoyed the parade this year. The weather was nice but a bit chilly but ANYTHING was better than that miserable rain last year.
After the parade we split up from our friends and went to view the floats. This took FOREVER to get in and FOREVER to see but is SO worth it to see them up close! We enjoyed it but one thing we did notice is we miss quite a bit being at the end and if we ever go again we may try to sit farther down.
After the viewing we just went back to the hotel and had dinner at the restaurant again, went back to the room and played cards and hit the sack.
Tuesday, Jan 2, 2007
Plan: Drive home
What Actually Happened: And we bring ourselves to today. Once again we got up and packed up and got our bill all figured out and checked out. We drove up 5 a ways till we saw a Dennys, stopped and had breakfast and headed up the hill.
All in all I would say it was a wonderful trip. We had LOTS of great experiences and one of a kind adventures and the weather and trip were just wonderful. I spoke with our friends and they are up for next year and every year that we go we learn more and eventually we will have this down pat!
Next trip up is February and mom and I hope to have a great week long trip and perhaps get a dinner at the Napa Rose inn. See you then! ?
Kelly McBride
kelmac284@comcast.net