Soomojogrl
04-15-2008, 07:03 PM
As I prepare for my next trip this coming September with friends (so excited!) I decided I should write about my last trip. I had found many of these reports helpful in our last planning and wanted to help others. We had the privelage of staying in the Disneyland Hotel - Concierge Level with a CM discount (yay for having family members who work for Disney!) In addition to our hotel discount, we also get into both parks for free so we were able to splurge for my 21st Birthday! Okay, so to the trip...traveling was: me (21) Mom - experienced disneylander and Sister - CM and VERY experienced DLander
We decided that since we got such a great discount in the hotel, and we wanted to spend 3 full days in the parks we would leave Thursday afternoon from Seattle. After almost missing our flight due to a Shuttle Express error the trip started in a bit of a rush. However, we landed early and had to wait FOREVER before finally getting a ride to the resort. In the past we had done a rental car, and would recommend that versus the shuttles. They are expensive and time consuming! After dropping off others along the way we finally reached our Destination: The Disneyland Hotel! By this time it was almost 10:00pm and we were starving! After a quick check in because of being Concierge we were on our way to our room. We were in the DREAMS tower close to the top floor with a georgeous view of the Neverland Pool. I had read a lot of mixed reviews of the DL hotel and was worried especially for the price we were paying. However, the room was very spacious with two very comfy beds and the pull out couch and the tinkerbell wall paper was awesome! Since we had arrived so late, we already had recieved turn down service. I loved the lights and cricket noises they had outside and just the amazing feel of staying on property! We hurried to the lost bar to get some food before they closed. The waitress was very helpful and we had our food in no time even though they were very busy. We had burgers and Chicken sandwiches and they were just okay. Afterwards, we walked through the property and into DTD before hitting the sack.
We got up early to try and make it to CA as they opened which worked great. Since we were staying Concierge we got access to the lounge which served a basic continental breakfast: bagels, cereal, fresh fruit, muffins, pastries, juice etc. We also had access to unlimited Juice, Pop, and Water which was great for taking into the park and helped with our costs. We were able to make reservations for dinner and lunches with the CM's help, and also answered any questions we had.
We decided (much to my chagrin!) to spend the day in CA and then the next day in DL. The point was to build up anticipation, but I like to go go go and get everything done and THEN shop etc. CA of course, was prettymuch empty, and we basically walked onto everything. We convinced our mom to go on TOT for the first time, and we wound up in the very front row...she ended up LOVING it as most everyone does! We saw the Aladdin, Muppets, and Bugs Life shows, went on Monsters, CS, Soarin, and GR. We had the pleasure of hitting every geyser on the ride and were absolutely soaked at the end of the ride. By this time it was mid afternoon and we decided to go back and change, rest for awhile and grab something to eat. When we went to CL at the hotel to grab more water we were pleasantly suprised to find snacks out. They had those uncrustable sandwiches, veggies, fruits, goldfish crackers, chips and salsa, desserts etc. It was enough for 3 adults with hearty appetites to fill up on until dinner. We headed back to CA and caught the Block Party which sister and I had missed when we had been there a year and a half earlier. The Block party was awesome! it is a MUST see! We had dinner at Wine Country Tariotta where they have the AAA discount (which we used when we could!) Our meals were SO good! We had the lasagnas and Salads and it was a great dining experience and a fun atmosphere! After CA closed, we did some shopping in DTD and opted to watch the fireworks show from the Concierge Level, where the sound is piped in. It was a good view, but much better in person at the park. During the Fireworks, the CL offered a dessert buffet and had every type of dessert imaginable...so good! They also offer a Wine/Cheese service in the afternoon, but we never had the chance to experience this sadly...
Saturday Morning was the day of days..it was Disneyland Day!! Today was the day we would be "celebrating" my birthday, and I recieved a birthday button to wear, and I got a very cute brown tinkerbell sweatshirt with the old style design on it...so cute! We were at the gates when they opened and took our stroll down mainstreet savoring the moment! We headed to try to get on NEMO - line too long already and decided on Buzz as the last time we had been there it was new and the line was very long. Buzz soon became our favorite ride and we rode it 3 times in a row! We then headed over to Space Mountain where we convinced our Mother to ride - big mistake! She hated it and got a little sick afterwards. She was so dramatic we couldnt help but laugh at her! :p We then of course opted for Its a Small World to calm down and also hit up Alice, Matterhorn, and did some shopping. We decided for a quick afternoon snack at Bengal BBQ..my alltime favorite place. Love those Bacon wrapped Asparagus and the Beef ones too. As we were standing in line, my sister spotted...Jimmy Fallon! He was being shown around by a CM and they went into Indiana. Of course we got a table and ate waiting for him to come out..and he eventually did and got right in line next to us at Bengal! My sister talked to him he was really nice! After our little celebrity sighting we got in line for Indiana which is our Mom's favorite ride, hit up Pirates which had been closed for rennovations before (which can I say im not a big fan of all the additions?! I hate how they change everything into modern stuff. I know they have to for the next generations but STILL!) The HM was closed :mad: for holiday overlay. We hit up Splash several times and Big Thunder. Enjoyed our Dole Whip while in TIKI, and we were all getting restless and tired and caught most of the parade of dreams. Luckily, we had reservations at 4:15 for Blue Bayou (it was either then or really late) What an amazing dining experience! I ABSOLUTELY loved BB! We all had the Prime Rib, with the Jambalaya, potatoes and I had the creamed spinach..I wasnt very hungry but ate it all because it was SO Good! It all just melted in your mouth!! Becuase it was my birthday I got a birthday mousse, and we also ordered the keylime pie which was also delicious! We had FP for Splash and Indiana so hit both of those up. We got soaked again after Splash, and decided to go rest and change at the hotel before the fireworks show. We went back into the park and decided to find a good place for the fireworks since our Mom had not seen the show up close and personal before. My mom and I found great seats on by the Plaza on the curb, but sister thought she found better ones closer to the castle and close to the entrance of Adventureland...we were all seated that including a lot of other people around us, when right before the show started we were informed we all had to stand! They didnt tell us this as we all sat down, so that was irritating especially after a long day! However once you hear Julie Andrews' voice and watch TinkerBell "fly" across from the Matterhorn to the castle, you forget about your feet hurting and its truly a magical time! Exhausted after a long day, we headed back to the hotel and got some desserts and enjoyed some rum and cokes in the room while looking out the patio door.
Finally...our last day arrived:crying:. The parks hadnt been that busy and we had prettymuch done what we wanted in both parks. We hit up Fantasyland -Alice, Toad, PP, SW, Pin... We rode the major rides one more time (including getting soaked again on Splash...) and did our shopping. We rode the train around the park which is always relaxing and fun! We had lunch at the Ortega place which is just so so. We always end up eating there and Im always dissapointed with it in the end! We caught the Parade to end our trip. We headed back to the Hotel where our luggage was stored, had a snack in the Lost Bar and then jumped on the DL Bus for our trip back to LAX.
So To Recap:
:)We went the second weekend in September which was our second time doing so. The place is practically empty! I highly reccommend it since the kids are back in school. There are a lot of young families so the park is clear in the evening! Plus, its still warm! We did everything we wanted and found ourselves with a lot of free time
:|There seemed to be more characters in CA than DL. Except for the parade we never once saw Mickey and Minnie...which was a definite first and made us very sad! Of course, we didnt go out of our way to look for them either.
:) I enjoyed my experience at the Disneyland Hotel. It was a definite splurge. It was so much fun and really kept the magic alive. The room was spacious, the beds were comfy, the view was magnificent, and I loved the 24 hour disney chanel. Alot of people complained about the walk, but for 3 adults it wasnt a big deal, and it was fun to experience it all! If you can afford it, the Concierge Level was definitely worth it to me. We saved on water, snacks and breakfast and it was nice to feel special. However, without the discount it was expensive and there were some cleanliness issues. I was dissapointed we didnt get to use the pool or any other activities they offered, but thats okay.... (The pool looked really fun with waterslides and they had two of them available for guests) Having stayed in good neighboor hotels before, I realized I wasnt really missing anything. You are gone most of the day and really only need a place to sleep. I would though like to stay in PP and GC sometime. But overall, I really enjoyed it!
Thanks for reading, hope this helped people considering staying in the Disneyland Hotel and possibly Concierge level also!
Cant wait for my next trip in September (same weekend!)
We decided that since we got such a great discount in the hotel, and we wanted to spend 3 full days in the parks we would leave Thursday afternoon from Seattle. After almost missing our flight due to a Shuttle Express error the trip started in a bit of a rush. However, we landed early and had to wait FOREVER before finally getting a ride to the resort. In the past we had done a rental car, and would recommend that versus the shuttles. They are expensive and time consuming! After dropping off others along the way we finally reached our Destination: The Disneyland Hotel! By this time it was almost 10:00pm and we were starving! After a quick check in because of being Concierge we were on our way to our room. We were in the DREAMS tower close to the top floor with a georgeous view of the Neverland Pool. I had read a lot of mixed reviews of the DL hotel and was worried especially for the price we were paying. However, the room was very spacious with two very comfy beds and the pull out couch and the tinkerbell wall paper was awesome! Since we had arrived so late, we already had recieved turn down service. I loved the lights and cricket noises they had outside and just the amazing feel of staying on property! We hurried to the lost bar to get some food before they closed. The waitress was very helpful and we had our food in no time even though they were very busy. We had burgers and Chicken sandwiches and they were just okay. Afterwards, we walked through the property and into DTD before hitting the sack.
We got up early to try and make it to CA as they opened which worked great. Since we were staying Concierge we got access to the lounge which served a basic continental breakfast: bagels, cereal, fresh fruit, muffins, pastries, juice etc. We also had access to unlimited Juice, Pop, and Water which was great for taking into the park and helped with our costs. We were able to make reservations for dinner and lunches with the CM's help, and also answered any questions we had.
We decided (much to my chagrin!) to spend the day in CA and then the next day in DL. The point was to build up anticipation, but I like to go go go and get everything done and THEN shop etc. CA of course, was prettymuch empty, and we basically walked onto everything. We convinced our mom to go on TOT for the first time, and we wound up in the very front row...she ended up LOVING it as most everyone does! We saw the Aladdin, Muppets, and Bugs Life shows, went on Monsters, CS, Soarin, and GR. We had the pleasure of hitting every geyser on the ride and were absolutely soaked at the end of the ride. By this time it was mid afternoon and we decided to go back and change, rest for awhile and grab something to eat. When we went to CL at the hotel to grab more water we were pleasantly suprised to find snacks out. They had those uncrustable sandwiches, veggies, fruits, goldfish crackers, chips and salsa, desserts etc. It was enough for 3 adults with hearty appetites to fill up on until dinner. We headed back to CA and caught the Block Party which sister and I had missed when we had been there a year and a half earlier. The Block party was awesome! it is a MUST see! We had dinner at Wine Country Tariotta where they have the AAA discount (which we used when we could!) Our meals were SO good! We had the lasagnas and Salads and it was a great dining experience and a fun atmosphere! After CA closed, we did some shopping in DTD and opted to watch the fireworks show from the Concierge Level, where the sound is piped in. It was a good view, but much better in person at the park. During the Fireworks, the CL offered a dessert buffet and had every type of dessert imaginable...so good! They also offer a Wine/Cheese service in the afternoon, but we never had the chance to experience this sadly...
Saturday Morning was the day of days..it was Disneyland Day!! Today was the day we would be "celebrating" my birthday, and I recieved a birthday button to wear, and I got a very cute brown tinkerbell sweatshirt with the old style design on it...so cute! We were at the gates when they opened and took our stroll down mainstreet savoring the moment! We headed to try to get on NEMO - line too long already and decided on Buzz as the last time we had been there it was new and the line was very long. Buzz soon became our favorite ride and we rode it 3 times in a row! We then headed over to Space Mountain where we convinced our Mother to ride - big mistake! She hated it and got a little sick afterwards. She was so dramatic we couldnt help but laugh at her! :p We then of course opted for Its a Small World to calm down and also hit up Alice, Matterhorn, and did some shopping. We decided for a quick afternoon snack at Bengal BBQ..my alltime favorite place. Love those Bacon wrapped Asparagus and the Beef ones too. As we were standing in line, my sister spotted...Jimmy Fallon! He was being shown around by a CM and they went into Indiana. Of course we got a table and ate waiting for him to come out..and he eventually did and got right in line next to us at Bengal! My sister talked to him he was really nice! After our little celebrity sighting we got in line for Indiana which is our Mom's favorite ride, hit up Pirates which had been closed for rennovations before (which can I say im not a big fan of all the additions?! I hate how they change everything into modern stuff. I know they have to for the next generations but STILL!) The HM was closed :mad: for holiday overlay. We hit up Splash several times and Big Thunder. Enjoyed our Dole Whip while in TIKI, and we were all getting restless and tired and caught most of the parade of dreams. Luckily, we had reservations at 4:15 for Blue Bayou (it was either then or really late) What an amazing dining experience! I ABSOLUTELY loved BB! We all had the Prime Rib, with the Jambalaya, potatoes and I had the creamed spinach..I wasnt very hungry but ate it all because it was SO Good! It all just melted in your mouth!! Becuase it was my birthday I got a birthday mousse, and we also ordered the keylime pie which was also delicious! We had FP for Splash and Indiana so hit both of those up. We got soaked again after Splash, and decided to go rest and change at the hotel before the fireworks show. We went back into the park and decided to find a good place for the fireworks since our Mom had not seen the show up close and personal before. My mom and I found great seats on by the Plaza on the curb, but sister thought she found better ones closer to the castle and close to the entrance of Adventureland...we were all seated that including a lot of other people around us, when right before the show started we were informed we all had to stand! They didnt tell us this as we all sat down, so that was irritating especially after a long day! However once you hear Julie Andrews' voice and watch TinkerBell "fly" across from the Matterhorn to the castle, you forget about your feet hurting and its truly a magical time! Exhausted after a long day, we headed back to the hotel and got some desserts and enjoyed some rum and cokes in the room while looking out the patio door.
Finally...our last day arrived:crying:. The parks hadnt been that busy and we had prettymuch done what we wanted in both parks. We hit up Fantasyland -Alice, Toad, PP, SW, Pin... We rode the major rides one more time (including getting soaked again on Splash...) and did our shopping. We rode the train around the park which is always relaxing and fun! We had lunch at the Ortega place which is just so so. We always end up eating there and Im always dissapointed with it in the end! We caught the Parade to end our trip. We headed back to the Hotel where our luggage was stored, had a snack in the Lost Bar and then jumped on the DL Bus for our trip back to LAX.
So To Recap:
:)We went the second weekend in September which was our second time doing so. The place is practically empty! I highly reccommend it since the kids are back in school. There are a lot of young families so the park is clear in the evening! Plus, its still warm! We did everything we wanted and found ourselves with a lot of free time
:|There seemed to be more characters in CA than DL. Except for the parade we never once saw Mickey and Minnie...which was a definite first and made us very sad! Of course, we didnt go out of our way to look for them either.
:) I enjoyed my experience at the Disneyland Hotel. It was a definite splurge. It was so much fun and really kept the magic alive. The room was spacious, the beds were comfy, the view was magnificent, and I loved the 24 hour disney chanel. Alot of people complained about the walk, but for 3 adults it wasnt a big deal, and it was fun to experience it all! If you can afford it, the Concierge Level was definitely worth it to me. We saved on water, snacks and breakfast and it was nice to feel special. However, without the discount it was expensive and there were some cleanliness issues. I was dissapointed we didnt get to use the pool or any other activities they offered, but thats okay.... (The pool looked really fun with waterslides and they had two of them available for guests) Having stayed in good neighboor hotels before, I realized I wasnt really missing anything. You are gone most of the day and really only need a place to sleep. I would though like to stay in PP and GC sometime. But overall, I really enjoyed it!
Thanks for reading, hope this helped people considering staying in the Disneyland Hotel and possibly Concierge level also!
Cant wait for my next trip in September (same weekend!)