Stepsister
11-08-2007, 09:02 AM
Hello, eveyone. This is my first trip report post -- Hopefully I have done it right. Since this report is rather lengthy -- I'll start with the first page and see how it goes.
Cast: Gloria (me) and Karen (sisters, best friends and room mates)
Ages Represented: Adult 45+ (I’m three years older)
Experience: Both DLR veterans. First time AP holders – got inspired by reading Trip Reports to buy this year instead of the usual 3-Day Hoppers. I’ve been to WDW three times (1992, 1993 and 1994) and Karen twice (1992 and 1993).
Accommodations: 2 nights at the Doubletree Hotel in Anaheim/Orange. Two nights at the Best Western Orange Plaza Inn in Orange.
Comments: I am more of the Disney enthusiast than Karen. She often complaints prior to trips, refuses to get excited about trip planning, and makes comments that she doesn’t want to go. This opinion always changes once we get there. Karen likes to have conversations on noisy rides and especially on rollercoasters. And, not just, “Oh, look at that.” More along the lines of Andy Rooney, “Did you ever wonder…? Or, “Wasn’t that episode of Frasier good when…?”
Warning: This is one of those long ones.
Pre-trip Planning
We couldn’t afford to go in May and I didn’t want to wait until September (having sworn off July and August to visit DLR) so, the middle of June seemed like it would be okay. I don’t know if it was an account of the Finding Nemo ride opening or because it was the official start of the summer season but the crowds were overwhelming. Not that I regret going in the least bit. However, I have been so jealous all summer reading trip reports wherein the constant theme was amazement with how light the crowds have been (although most of these folks managed to get to the theme parks early.)
I was able to purchase two RT airline tickets from Southwest for only $89.00 each (including taxes and fees!) from Oakland International to LAX.
I planned on bidding on a (cheap and fancy) hotel room through Priceline (there are no bad 3 star hotels in that area). However, I was a little short on funds at the time so I decided to just bid on two nights at first. And, then the following week, bid on the other two nights. I figured that if they rejected my first two nights I could select the other two nights and then try for the remaining nights the following week. While I know that changing properties can be a hassle – I thought it might increase my chances of getting the Sheraton Anaheim or the Doubletree Suites in Anaheim. (I’ve stayed at the Sheraton before they took over when it was the Inn at the Park; and then the Coast Anaheim and it was my very favorite place to stay – although now I can’t afford their rack/online rates.)
Now, part of my job is making travel arrangements and I have probably planned hundreds (give or take) of trips (and dozens for myself) – and I KNOW that when one is bidding on PriceLine that they should always make a back-up cancelable reservation (I have done this every other time). HOWEVER, for some reason this time I just didn’t think it would be necessary. Big mistake. (Although as Karen always says, “You live and you learn.”)
So, I bid on the Saturday and Sunday nights and got the Doubletree Orange/Anaheim (the one three miles away from DLR) on the first try for $55.00. It asked me if I would like to extend my stay. Sure! I figured that I’d just wait until the following week and that would be that. Well, PriceLine would let me extend it but the rate was something like $110 (even that rate eventually disappeared). Well, that is too much. I tried dozens of times and I kept getting the same message, “We’re sorry…” “We’re sorry…”
Meanwhile, I furiously tried searching online for anything in the area on the ART route (Anaheim Resort Transit – it costs $3 per day per person and runs from hotels in the area to the DLR). Every website was “We’re sorry…” There were plenty of rooms available on the Saturday and Sunday nights – but the Monday and Tuesday nights were all sold out. I could have changed dates but it was a miracle that Karen even got her requested days off (and she doesn’t get paid vacation time) – so we were pretty much stuck with our original dates.
Finally, I found a place in Orange. The Best Western Orange Plaza Inn (eventually, they ended up selling out also). I made a reservation online. Then I called them to see if they were near the ART or if there was a city bus stop nearby that would take us to DLR. He said that there was a bus stop right across the street and that we would have to transfer once. The good news was that the drop-off bus stop was right at their doorstep.
Cast: Gloria (me) and Karen (sisters, best friends and room mates)
Ages Represented: Adult 45+ (I’m three years older)
Experience: Both DLR veterans. First time AP holders – got inspired by reading Trip Reports to buy this year instead of the usual 3-Day Hoppers. I’ve been to WDW three times (1992, 1993 and 1994) and Karen twice (1992 and 1993).
Accommodations: 2 nights at the Doubletree Hotel in Anaheim/Orange. Two nights at the Best Western Orange Plaza Inn in Orange.
Comments: I am more of the Disney enthusiast than Karen. She often complaints prior to trips, refuses to get excited about trip planning, and makes comments that she doesn’t want to go. This opinion always changes once we get there. Karen likes to have conversations on noisy rides and especially on rollercoasters. And, not just, “Oh, look at that.” More along the lines of Andy Rooney, “Did you ever wonder…? Or, “Wasn’t that episode of Frasier good when…?”
Warning: This is one of those long ones.
Pre-trip Planning
We couldn’t afford to go in May and I didn’t want to wait until September (having sworn off July and August to visit DLR) so, the middle of June seemed like it would be okay. I don’t know if it was an account of the Finding Nemo ride opening or because it was the official start of the summer season but the crowds were overwhelming. Not that I regret going in the least bit. However, I have been so jealous all summer reading trip reports wherein the constant theme was amazement with how light the crowds have been (although most of these folks managed to get to the theme parks early.)
I was able to purchase two RT airline tickets from Southwest for only $89.00 each (including taxes and fees!) from Oakland International to LAX.
I planned on bidding on a (cheap and fancy) hotel room through Priceline (there are no bad 3 star hotels in that area). However, I was a little short on funds at the time so I decided to just bid on two nights at first. And, then the following week, bid on the other two nights. I figured that if they rejected my first two nights I could select the other two nights and then try for the remaining nights the following week. While I know that changing properties can be a hassle – I thought it might increase my chances of getting the Sheraton Anaheim or the Doubletree Suites in Anaheim. (I’ve stayed at the Sheraton before they took over when it was the Inn at the Park; and then the Coast Anaheim and it was my very favorite place to stay – although now I can’t afford their rack/online rates.)
Now, part of my job is making travel arrangements and I have probably planned hundreds (give or take) of trips (and dozens for myself) – and I KNOW that when one is bidding on PriceLine that they should always make a back-up cancelable reservation (I have done this every other time). HOWEVER, for some reason this time I just didn’t think it would be necessary. Big mistake. (Although as Karen always says, “You live and you learn.”)
So, I bid on the Saturday and Sunday nights and got the Doubletree Orange/Anaheim (the one three miles away from DLR) on the first try for $55.00. It asked me if I would like to extend my stay. Sure! I figured that I’d just wait until the following week and that would be that. Well, PriceLine would let me extend it but the rate was something like $110 (even that rate eventually disappeared). Well, that is too much. I tried dozens of times and I kept getting the same message, “We’re sorry…” “We’re sorry…”
Meanwhile, I furiously tried searching online for anything in the area on the ART route (Anaheim Resort Transit – it costs $3 per day per person and runs from hotels in the area to the DLR). Every website was “We’re sorry…” There were plenty of rooms available on the Saturday and Sunday nights – but the Monday and Tuesday nights were all sold out. I could have changed dates but it was a miracle that Karen even got her requested days off (and she doesn’t get paid vacation time) – so we were pretty much stuck with our original dates.
Finally, I found a place in Orange. The Best Western Orange Plaza Inn (eventually, they ended up selling out also). I made a reservation online. Then I called them to see if they were near the ART or if there was a city bus stop nearby that would take us to DLR. He said that there was a bus stop right across the street and that we would have to transfer once. The good news was that the drop-off bus stop was right at their doorstep.