FolsomFan – June 1-5, 2008 – Homewood Suites

[FolsomFan]

Travel dates: June 1-5
Travel method: Car
Resort: Homewood Suites by Hilton
Accommodations: Suite
Ages Represented in Group: 37, 31, 8 and 6
Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: All at least 3 times
Cast of characters: Me, DW, DS8 and DS6

We started out at 9AM Sunday morning. We did not encounter any problems with all the work they are doing on I-5. The boys were entertained by movies in the backseat while DW read her book. We had In and Out for lunch (of course) and did not hit any traffic until we got near LA. One of the traffic hazards we encountered was the poor guy who lost a new refrigerator out of the back of his truck.

When I got to the Homewood Suites, they asked for my name. After I told them, they said “we have been waiting for you”. They may say that to everyone, but it made me feel important nonetheless.

As we requested, we got a high floor facing the park. Since Homewood is more than a mile away from Disneyland, you can’t see much. We were able to see the back of Tower of Terror and the very top of the Maliboomer.

After dinner at Red Robin and a soak in the jacussi, it was time for the boys to go to sleep. Michelle and I were able to watch the fireworks from the living room window, which was cool.

In our first day in the park, why was there toplessness on Splash Mountain? And what was the one ride both of my boys did not like at all (a Disneyland first)? Find out when Day One is posted.

[petesimac]

Ooh, cliffhanger! To be continued....

[FolsomFan]

After grabbing a quick breakfast in the hotel lobby and a short ride to the park, we arrived at Disneyland. There is just something so magical about the way you feel when you get to the park on your first day back.

As I walked down Main Street for the first time in 11 months, I had that all is well with the world feeling. As is tradition with my family, we headed to Tomorrow Land first for Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain. We went on Buzz first, which I was excited about because I had done some research on how to get a good score. You could not tell from my first effort, which was only 104K.

We had Fast Passed Space Mountain, but our time had not come yet. Since the line was only 15 minutes, we waited. One of the things I really wanted to do on every trip is get the front car on Space Mountain. I am happy to say that I got on out first trip. Good thing, too, because I did not get it again on the trip. I love the feeling of the air rushing past your face and you take the fast turns.

After that, we headed to the Matterhorn, then to the other side of the park for to get Fast Passes for Indy. While we waited, we went on Pirates and Haunted Mansion. For some reason, DW does not like HM. Go figure. She says it is just dumb to her. I think it is a classic ride. Plus, I like seeing Constance Hatchaway.

After grabbing Fast Passes to Splash Mountain, it was off to Indy. We knew it would be popular with the new movie out, but that ride was a zoo the entire time we were there. I had not been on the ride in 10 years, so I had forgotten how long the queue is. Even with Fast Passes, it seemed like we were never going to get to the actual ride.

According to the boys, it was not worth the wait. Both of them did not like it at all. DS6 pretty much just looked down and DS8 looked away after her saw the snakes. That was the first time both boys did not like a Disneyland ride.

After that, we were off to CA Adventure. The funny thing is I read how a lot of people dont like CA, but our favorite rides are over there. Once we got in, I went straight to Fast Pass Soarin (my favorite) and then went to Tower of Terror (DS6s favorite). I had forgotten how great that ride is. I love how the drop sequence can be different each time. Next up was Soarin, which is like Heaven on Earth to me. I could go on that ride all day long.

We decided to have some lunch after that. We had brought in PB&J sandwiches for the boys. DW had Mexican food while I stopped by Corn Dog Castle. I could not believe how big that corn dog was! I didnt even finish it because I could feel the grease building up in my stomach!

We walked by Toy Story Mania, but they still had the walls up. Of course, the gift shop was open. The girl working there asked me how my day was going. I told her it would be better if TSM had a soft opening. She smiled and said she did not know of any. At least I tried. You miss 100% of the shots you dont take, right?

After more rides, it was off to Playhouse Disney. This was our first time seeing the new show and we did not like it as much as the old one. I suppose it was because our kids do not watch Playhouse Disney at home anymore, so we were not as familiar with characters like Handy Manny.

After going on ToT again, I had some popcorn. I am not sure why this is, but CA has really good popcorn!

After getting soaked on Grizzly River Run, we went back to the hotel for dinner. It was Chicken Alfredo, which was not bad. One complaint we had about the hotel was that they used to have PB&J for the kids at night and they did not anymore.

One of the rides we went on at night was Splash Mountain. Since there were four of us, we took the back to spaces while a couple (early 20s) too the front portion. As soon as we rounded the first corner, the guy took his shirt off. He reasoning was he did not want to get his shirt wet. That made sense, but I didnt think you were supposed to do that. The whole time, I was waiting for a voice to tell him to put his shirt back on, but it never happened. Of course, our picture magically was washed away since the guy had no shirt on. As we got close to the end, he put his shirt back on.

In our second day in the park, what was I hit in the head with? And what about the heart attack I saw? And what did I do for the first time in my life? Find out when Day 2 is posted.

[candles71]

oh man another cliff hanger... I'm glad all is going well so far. uh nudity at DL is never a good thing. if you wouldn't mind how bad was your gas bill for the trip? We are considering another trip in sept, driving this time, with friends. we all live outside auburn, so I just wanted an idea. THX

[FolsomFan]

oh man another cliff hanger... I'm glad all is going well so far. uh nudity at DL is never a good thing. if you wouldn't mind how bad was your gas bill for the trip? We are considering another trip in sept, driving this time, with friends. we all live outside auburn, so I just wanted an idea. THX

Our gas bill was not too bad. It was ~435 miles each way. I would say we spent around $175 on gas, but it also depends on what kind of car you have. For frame of reference, we have a Honda Pilot.

[petesimac]

Aw, what a disappointment; when you said "topless on Splash Mountain" I got my hopes up; but geesh, she's a guy! Enjoying your trip report; makes me even more excited for my upcoming visit! Say, about those corn dogs, they don't have a tofu version do they? This vegi-guy misses corn dogs. Morningstar makes some excellent tofu corn-dogs, but apparently Disney hasn't started to make them available at the parks.

[FolsomFan]

Aw, what a disappointment; when you said "topless on Splash Mountain" I got my hopes up; but geesh, she's a guy! Enjoying your trip report; makes me even more excited for my upcoming visit! Say, about those corn dogs, they don't have a tofu version do they? This vegi-guy misses corn dogs. Morningstar makes some excellent tofu corn-dogs, but apparently Disney hasn't started to make them available at the parks.

I thought the "topless on Splash Mountain" might get people's attention!

No, a tofu version of the corn dog was not offered. Their menu was very basic.

[FolsomFan]

As is tradition with us on Day Two, we slept in a little and started our day in California Adventure. I grabbed Fast Passes for Soarin first before we headed over to ToT. We decided to stop at Monsters Inc since our Fast Passes were not ready yet.

As we were making our way through the queue, I felt something hit the back of my head. I turned around and saw a plastic bottle bounce to the ground. At first, I was just stunned that something like that would actually happen. Then, I saw 2 kids scramble to get out of view. I would estimate their age to be 7 and 9 or so. Right after I was wondering where the parents of these little angels were, I heard a Mom yell “What did you do???” She then proceeded to read him the riot act. It sounded like it was not the first time this kid had been in trouble. Then, the Dad got involved and was going to have the kid apologize to me, but the queue kind of prevented it. We were ahead of them in line, so my guess was they would have been waiting for us at the exit if they were ahead of us.

When I was waiting for Soarin, I asked the CM if there was someplace in the park I could buy the music they used in the queue and the ride itself. I was told there was not. Boo. We got the top middle on this turn, so I was very happy with that. There was a guy a couple of seats away from us who had obviously not been on Soarin before. Ir was fun to listen to his reactions to it as he was having the time of his life. You couldn’t help but smile.

I got Fast Passes for California Screamin and then we went on the Sun Wheel. For some reason, it seems like a longer wait than is posted every time we go on it. I love the feeling when your gondola first starts to rock. I also love the views you get when you are on the top.

By the time we were done, our Fast Passes for CA Screamin were ready. We were hoping DS6 would but tell enough to go on it but he was about an inch too short. Since we had 4 Fast Passes for it, I went on it with DS8 and then DW did the same. I forget what a fun ride that is, especially the beginning.

We had some Pizza for lunch (which was not bad) and then it was off to Mulholland Madness. I think we enjoy that ride more than most. After that, it was off to Grizzly River Run where we got pretty wet.

The boys wanted to head over to a Bugs Land, so we did that. We went on a couple of rides, but it seemed like the boys had outgrown this part of the park, which was fine with me.

We decided to hop over to Disneyland after that. By that time, the lines were starting to build. In fact, Tuesday was the busiest day we saw at Disneyland. I am not sure why that was. Yes, there were plenty of teenagers celebrating their various graduations, but not much more than we saw before.

We were able to get on Buzz, Star Tours and Pirates before the boys were ready to head back to the hotel. We were going to go on things like the Matterhorn, but the line was 45-60 minutes long.

We did not like what the hotel had for dinner (Sloppy Joes), so I grabbed Taco Bell from down the street. The rest of the family was content to stay in the hotel, but I was ready to go back. I had never been to the park by myself, so I was not going to miss my opportunity.

As the shuttle reached the drop off point, I could hear the driver talking to dispatch about how someone had a heart attack right where we get dropped off and that paramedics were on the scene. Sure enough, there was a crowd right where we got off. The good news is the person was moving. I said a little prayer for him before I went to the park.

I took all of our tickets so I could get multiple Fast Passes if I wanted them. I headed to Tomorrowland and got 4 FPs for Buzz. They were not going to be ready for 40 minutes, si I was off to the Haunted Mansion, since riding it at night by myself sounded like fun. It was, as were the girls in front of my who had been drinking.

After doing some quick shopping, I was off to Buzz. Since I had 4 FPs, I figured I could experiment a little. The first time, I tried to shoot both guns. That failed miserably because I could not focus on one gun, so they both missed. I was wondering if the CM would give me any grief for coming back through the line four times with four different FPs, but they either did not notice or did not care. The best I could do was 204K and my finger was getting tired by the time I was done. I decided to head back to the hotel after that.

On our last day, would we finally go on Finding Nemo? Would I break through with a better score on Buzz? And what souvenir did I get but never want? Find out when Day Three is posted.

[petesimac]

The hotel served sloppy joes? How's that? Anyway, loving the continuation of your trip report.

[daveywest]

I normally can't stand reading trip reports, but this is incredibly entertaining. Thanks for posting in this format. I think the way you are highlighting the big events helps, rather than killing us with a massive wall of text.

Thanks.

[FolsomFan]

I normally can't stand reading trip reports, but this is incredibly entertaining. Thanks for posting in this format. I think the way you are highlighting the big events helps, rather than killing us with a massive wall of text.

Thanks.

Thank you ... I appreciate the kind words!

[FolsomFan]

I was up early in the morning with mixed feelings. On one hand, I was going to Disneyland! On the other, it was my last day in the park. Also, I noticed the souvenir I did not want: a blister on one of my toes. Doh! That seems to happen every year.

We had a plan right when the rope dropped: my wife and kids would go straight to Nemo while I got FPs for Space Mountain. It worked as we were only in line for 20 minutes. It was our first time on Nemo, so we were not quite sure what to expect. Yes, it was fun, but I would not wait more than 30 minutes to go on it again.

I am not sure if other families experience this, but it was a constant for us all three days we were there. Before every ride, both of my sons wanted to sit with me. It was very flattering. I heard It is my turn to sit with Daddy a lot!

By the time we were off, our FPs were ready, so I got more FPs for Buzz. Our ride on Space Mountain was interesting in that it was the first time I had been on the car where someone on a wheelchair had boarded. We were asked to go into a separate waiting area and then were seated. I thought it was cool how we were one track over, but then magically slipped onto the usual one. It was very smooth.

We went on Buzz next and I was determined to do well. I went mostly for the triangles and diamonds and was rewarded with a score of 312K, which would be my highest on the trip. DW was excited when she got 270K because she thought she would finally beat me. I was very proud of her score!

After some shopping, we went on Splash Mountain and had a toplessness-free ride. We did have to listen to a hen-pecked husband be chastised by his wife for no good reason.

We headed over to CA for lunch and more rides. On the way, I stopped by Soarin to get FPs while my family went to wait in line for lunch. I am almost ashamed to admit that I, along with the boys, got a Happy Meal from Burger Invasion. I was so hungry I ate the cheeseburger in 4 bites. I had been craving McDonalds fries because they smell so good when you go by the carts near Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain.

My wife got a corn dog and ate the whole thing. I was impressed. We ate at those tables right by Mulholland Madness, so it was fun to watch people go on the ride while we were eating.

As I inhaled lunch, I saw a family with Dream FPs, which was a rare sight. I never did see anything being handed out or anyone saying I just got Dream FPs. In a moment of jealousy, I did boo someone with Dream FPs.

Our first ride after lunch was Mulholland Madness then off to use our FPs on Soarin. I am at my happiest when I am on that ride. When I am on Soarin with my family, life is just about perfect.

The weather that day was overcast, so no one wanted to go on Grizzly River Run. I loved the weather, though. It was pretty much ideal for me. I think the high ended up being 73.

DS6 wanted to go on Tower of Terror one last time before we left (since we told him we would be at Disneyland when we came back after dinner), so we did that plus Monsters Inc.

When we were on ToT, we were with a few people who had never been on the ride. I would guess they were in their 40s. It was really fun to watch their anticipation of the ride, their reactions during and after the ride. I loved that particular ride on ToT because there were so many nice, well-behaved people on it.

DW and I saw t-shirts we wanted from a shop at CA, so we picked those up before we headed out.

It was back to the hotel for naps and dinner, which was teriyaki chicken. It was pretty good. While we ate, we made a list of rides we wanted to make sure we rode. When we got there, I got FPs for Splash Mountain and then the family went on Pirates and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh before we went on Splash.

After a stop at Big Thunder Mountain (where my attempt at the goat trick was unsuccessful), we headed off to the Matthorn and one last visit to Harold. I love that ride, but it is even better at night.

The line for Buzz was pretty short, so we went on that one last time and I scored 182K. Our last ride was Star Tours, which were able to walk right on. It was kind of bizarre. I have never been able to walk straight through the queue like that.

I was sad but satisfied as we walked down Main Street one last time on our way out. I did want to see the 50 year movie with Steve Martin, but never did make it.

As is tradition, the boys and I said our goodbyes to different things around the park on our way out. When we were walking to our bus, it was things like Goodbye, Tower of Terror. See you next year. It was sad and fun at the same time.

The trip home started off poorly. Not only was there stop-and-go traffic (at 11AM on a Thursday), but our portable DVD player decided not to work! The kids were troopers about it and did not complain too much until we were 6 hours into the trip.

Another tradition I have is buying that jawbreaker-on-a-stick they sell at Disneyland and consuming it on the drive home. We jokingly call it a pacifier for me so I dont complain that we will not be back for a while.

All in all, it was a great trip. I have been going through Post Disneyland Depression, but am already looking forward to my next trip.

[candles71]

Very nice report. We have four kids so every ride is I'm sitting with...... and our DVD player quit working on our way to my aunt's last year in SF, so I feel your pain. I loved the cliff-hangers, it was a really nice way to write a trip report. Thank you.

[petesimac]

Glad you had such a great time. Enjoyed the trip report a lot. Hope the next year goes quickly for you. Maybe plan a trip east to WDW!

[adrianne]

I've really loved reading your trip report! The "cliff-hangers" were especially fun. Thank You!!

[FolsomFan]

Very nice report. We have four kids so every ride is I'm sitting with...... and our DVD player quit working on our way to my aunt's last year in SF, so I feel your pain. I loved the cliff-hangers, it was a really nice way to write a trip report. Thank you.

Thank you for the kind words. It seems like everyone can identify with at least one thing in a trip report.

[FolsomFan]

Glad you had such a great time. Enjoyed the trip report a lot. Hope the next year goes quickly for you. Maybe plan a trip east to WDW!

There will be a trip to WDW in the future for sure. That one will take more planning since there will be air travel involved as well as a longer stay.

[FolsomFan]

I've really loved reading your trip report! The "cliff-hangers" were especially fun. Thank You!!

I wanted to keep people coming back to read my reports, so I thought the cliff-hangers would do it. The funny part is when things like getting hit in the head with the plastic bottle happened, one of my first thoughts was "that will be a cliff-hanger!"

[MauiMickey]

Great trip report! I loved the format you wrote it in...very easy to read and follow, rather than long paragraphs. It has made me really excited about our trip this August!

Did you try the sloppy joes at the HS, or just give it a pass thinking you wouldn't like them? We had those on our trip last summer and they were actually very good. Sure, the food isn't gourmet, but we sure appreciated having that available which left us more time to be in the parks.

[FolsomFan]

Great trip report! I loved the format you wrote it in...very easy to read and follow, rather than long paragraphs. It has made me really excited about our trip this August!

Did you try the sloppy joes at the HS, or just give it a pass thinking you wouldn't like them? We had those on our trip last summer and they were actually very good. Sure, the food isn't gourmet, but we sure appreciated having that available which left us more time to be in the parks.

I just gave them a pass. I knew my family would not eat them and Taco Bell sounded better. In hindsight, I should have at least tried them.

[Matterhorn Yodeler]

Trip reports are my favorite part of MousePad and yours was wonderful! I was wondering, does Homewood have its own shuttle, or did you guys use ART? How much time would you say it took to leave the park, take your shuttle, have dinner and return?

As your boys get older, I'm sure they will want to extend their hours in the park, so prepare for that. I'm local, but several summers back, I did a three-day trip with my son. I got an off-property hotel with the intention of going back for some "down" time, like a dip in the pool. Turned out we never left the park during the day and ended up staying every night until closing!

Thanks again for the report.

[sandiegorob]

Great report FF, thanks for sharing.

[MauiMickey]

Trip reports are my favorite part of MousePad and yours was wonderful! I was wondering, does Homewood have its own shuttle, or did you guys use ART? How much time would you say it took to leave the park, take your shuttle, have dinner and return?

Matterhorn Yodeler, I can answer that question for you, and I'm sure FolsomFan can add his 2 cents worth shortly, too.

Homewood Suites does not have it's own shuttle, so we used ART. There were occasions where we had to wait 10 minutes for a bus, but usually not much more than that. You probably could do the "round trip" for dinner in about an hour, but we needed the break, so took longer.

We would usually leave the park between 2 and 3ish, go back to the Homewood for a swim in the afternoon (it was over 100F when we were there), have a nap, eat dinner right at 5pm, go back to the parks for 6, then close the park at midnight.

Since we were at Disneyland by 8am each morning and we closed the park each day, our days were very long and we appreciated the few hours of downtime that the pool and dinner afforded us.

[FolsomFan]

Trip reports are my favorite part of MousePad and yours was wonderful! I was wondering, does Homewood have its own shuttle, or did you guys use ART? How much time would you say it took to leave the park, take your shuttle, have dinner and return?

As your boys get older, I'm sure they will want to extend their hours in the park, so prepare for that. I'm local, but several summers back, I did a three-day trip with my son. I got an off-property hotel with the intention of going back for some "down" time, like a dip in the pool. Turned out we never left the park during the day and ended up staying every night until closing!

Thanks again for the report.

We used ART and it picked us up right in front of the hotel. It was supposed to be there every 30 minutes and was pretty regular.

I am sure you could do this quicker than us, but the time between us leaving the park and returning after dinner was usually 2-3 hours. We would usually swim or take a nap while we were at the hotel.

Thanks for the feedback on the trip report. I am glad you enjoyed it!

[sandiegorob]

Thanks FF. Between you and MauiMickey, my concerns over staying that far away from the parks have been mitigated.