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Thread: LOZZYPOP ~ 14 May - 20 May 2009 ~ Howard Johnson

  1. #1
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    LOZZYPOP ~ 14 May - 20 May 2009 ~ Howard Johnson

    Travel dates: Thursday 14 May to Wednesday 20 May 2009
    Travel method: Plane to SNA airport
    Accommodations: Howard Johnson Anaheim
    Cast of characters: Myself, 38. 4th time at Disneyland
    DD, 7. 3rd time at Disneyland
    FOE, 38. 4th time at Disneyland. Registered on MousePlanet as Fan of Eeyore and my best friend for 27 years.

    Trip Planning

    Well, it is official. I am addicted to Disneyland - it may be difficult to explain or justify to other people, but we just like DL too darn much not to go every year. While planning our next trip (just after the last one of course), I asked my best friend if she would like to come with us. Just for some back story - she was in the delivery room when my daughter was born and, while having no children of her own, is a very affectionate and involved Auntie. Her husband is not a fan of crowds, and thus not a fan of Disneyland, but FOE was quite willing to ditch him for a week to join us.

    I promised DD we would go this year for her birthday so that was my only condition to the travel agent - we could not be travelling on her birthday but had to be in DLR for that whole day. We loved the HoJo last year so chose to stay there again. So early in January, six nights were booked for mid-May and we were able to still get the Kids Fly Free promo with Alaska Air and two days free on our six day parkhoppers. DDs birthday was on the Friday and that turned out to be a professional development day at school and the Monday was a civic holiday in Canada so I only had to pull her out of school for three days.

    Now the good thing about planning a trip with your best friend of 27 years is that she knows how completely obsessive I can be and she understands. I booked the Princess lunch as part of our package and we decided to do one other character meal. FOE is of course, a fan of Eeyore, and I knew that Minnie and Friends breakfast was our best chance for meeting him. So we booked priority seating at Ariels Grotto, the Plaza Inn and, my favourite, Caf Orleans. We had also heard of the opening of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB) and FOE was very keen to have DDs hair done there for her birthday as a present from Auntie. So as soon as I heard they were taking reservations, I called and booked DD down for the morning of 15 May.

    Tragedy struck briefly when we were made aware of the Fantasmic refurbishment and then, horror upon horrors, the news that Peter Pan was also going to be down while we were there. Upper lips were stiffened and we soldiered on with the knowledge that there would be lots of other things to do. Many planning meetings after dinner were enjoyed and finally the day arrived when we could leave for the Happiest Place on Earth!

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  3. #2
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Thursday 14 May

    We took the 6 am flight from Victoria again this year. It is a really early start but the pay off is having almost the whole afternoon and evening to enjoy DL. Driving to the airport at 4 am, we saw an owl fly right in front of the car! Living in the city, we don’t see owls so I was pretty excited about that. The flight from Victoria to Seattle was quite bumpy this time around but we landed safely enough. The weather in Seattle was just as gloomy as it had been in Victoria, wet and cold. FOE was ecstatic to find that the Seattle airport had a Crocs store and bought a pair to wear there and then. We all had pairs packed in our checked luggage as I find that they are the best things to wear in the park to save wear and tear on our feet. We had breakfast in Seattle and then an uneventful flight to Orange County. DD turned around to talk to a little girl in the seat behind her, they were also a family from Vancouver Island who were going to DL and coincidentally were also staying at the Howard Johnson.

    We caught the Disneyland Express right after collecting our luggage and had the best bus driver. His name was Guido but as he explained to us, he was a Mexican immigrant and how he got his name was a long story (according to his father). He was so funny and was pointing out lots of interesting things along the way. He was a hockey fan too which endeared him to the Canadians on the bus.

    Last time we checked into the HoJo early they had our room ready but we were not so lucky this time. I was told to come back in a few hours. Not wanting to waste any more time, we stowed our luggage and went over to Mimi’s for lunch.

    Mimi’s was a particular favourite of ours and I was so happy to go back. Once we finished lunch, I remembered that we had no sunscreen on (it being cold and wet back home, I was not really thinking about it until then) and we went back to the hotel to grab it from our bags. I wish I had our park bag ready to go because I really missed it once we were at DLR but I never considered that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to our room and prep the bag. As the afternoon wore on, we really wished we had an opportunity to change into our shorts too because it was so hot! We were quite sweaty waiting in line to exchange our vouchers for tickets as we had pants and runners on, rather than our shorts and Crocs that we had planned to change into. We were in line a long time too - there were no ticket booths open at the Harbour side, only at the DD side and the lines were not moving very fast either.

    Once we had our tickets, believe it or not, our first park of entry (by choice) was Disney’s California Adventure (DCA). DD wanted to go on California Screamin’ (CS) and that was our first ride of the day after grabbing fast passes for Soarin’ over California (SOC). What was missing from CS was the music though, it sure adds to the experience when you have the music track with the ride. This must have been a temporary thing because all the other times we rode it, it had the music. Now FOE only agreed to go on CS if DD agreed to go on Tower of Terror (TOT) and that was our second ride of the day. I had only been on this ride once before but I really like it, I don’t think that DD was too sure though. By then our fast passes had matured for Soarin’ and we went on that next.

    There is always a point on the first day of our Disneyland vacation where I get all teary eyed and weepy. I look forward to these trips for a very long time, and there is usually something that triggers me to say to myself - we are finally here and I’m so happy! This time, it was on SOC that I misted up and had to have a little sniffle. If there was only one ride I was allowed to go on in either DCA or DL, that would be the one.

    We were melting like the Wicked Witch of the West so I thought it was late enough that we could go back to the hotel but not before DD got a chance to shop in Engine Ear Toys. She had been saving her allowance for months and some relatives gave her birthday money too so she was loaded. She bought a Silvermist doll that I spotted because Silvermist is her favourite fairy from the Tinkerbell movie - probably because DD would be a water fairy too, that child loves to be wet!

    Checking back in at HoJo we got a very pleasant surprise, we had been upgraded to view room. It was quite thrilling to be able to see the Matterhorn and the monorail pass by. With great relief, we changed into cooler clothes and our Crocs (my feet sighing with pleasure) and headed back to DL.

    We started with a train ride on the Disneyland Railway, DD wanted to see the dioramas but since the afternoon was waning away (DL was to close at 8pm because of grad night), I convinced her to get off in Tomorrowland. We had supper at Red Rockett’s Pizza Port and made our first dining mistake. I had heard that the portions had been cut back and DD has got to the point where sometimes a kid’s meal is not enough for her. I recommended the chicken fusili and we all got an order each. Big mistake, since none of us could finish it. It is still a lot of food by our standards. Lesson learned. Two orders would have been more than plenty for three of us.

    After supper, we went on Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters (BLAB) and I think that FOE really liked this ride because every time she went off on her own, she was headed to BLAB. Then we took our trip into Space (Mountain). So cool, that ride never gets old for me either. By now, we were done like dinner and headed back to the hotel for a well deserved rest.

    Observations

    - I really wished I had held on to our luggage long enough to get changed in the hotel bathrooms on the first floor of Building 1. We would have had a much more comfortable time of it for the first few hours in the park if we had.
    - In the same vein, I wish that I had our park stuff handy to stuff in our backpack right away before we stowed our bags. I will remember this next time.
    - Share the chicken fusili unless you are a teenage boy that hasn’t eaten for a week. That is the only person I can think of who would be able to finish the darn thing.

  4. #3
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    Friday 15 May

    This was a big day for DD since she was now 7 years old! I had a small gift ready for her in the hotel room. I got everyone up early and made the run to McDonalds for breakfast and just missed the hoard of teenagers just getting out from Grad night at DL.

    We had to line up at the ticket booths again to get DDs birthday fun card but that was a fairly painless process. We would have had to do it anyway because the other thing that I had to do was exchange our vouchers for the Princess Lunch at Ariels Grotto. DD got her birthday button and $59 fun card and FOE and I got Celebrate buttons which indicated we were celebrating DDs birthday.

    Then it was up Main Street (after a lingering look in the windows outside the Emporium, this is one of DDs favourite things to do in MS) to the castle. We had a busy day planned for our little princess. Our appointment at BBB was for 10am so we had just under a couple of hours to play with. We went on Snow Whites Scary Adventures, Pinnochio, Mr. Toads Wild Ride, Storybookland Canal Boats and then I had to stop in front of Peter Pans refurb walls to take a picture of us crying because we couldnt go on. DD joked about going on the carousel but anybody who has read my past two trip reports knew that that wasnt going to happen.

    One of the other things we did (twice that morning) was the Sleeping Beauty walkthrough in the castle. For some reason, this attraction fascinated DD and she was forever asking to go through it when we were in Fantasyland. I drew the line after the fourth time but I did think it was a charming attraction. I especially liked the effects at the top of the stairs, I pulled the middle door and when it rattled, I screamed. Same thing when the goblins face showed up in the farthest door - I wasnt expecting it and screamed.

    We showed up at BBB for our appointment with a fairy godmother in training. This was quite an enchanting process and I took loads of pictures. I am not normally a fan of dolling little girls up with makeup but I didnt feel like this was an attempt to vamp them up but more in the vein of dress up and make-believe. The girls are sat in a chair with the fairy godmothers, the mirror is covered up with curtains. They are then asked to pick out a hairstyle (there are three: Fairy Tale Princess with a bun; Pop Princess with a spiky type hairpiece; and Disney Diva with a curly hairpiece) and everything is included (the tiara, clips, hairpieces etc.), they even get to pick out a ring with the biggest fake stone I have ever seen. Once the fairy godmother is done with the hair, makeup (which includes a stick on jewel for the face) and nails (if you have purchased that option), the girls are sprinkled with pixie dust (vast quantities of glitter in other words) and then are turned around and the curtains are drawn for the big reveal. A Photopass photographer is on hand to take photos all through the process. Then the girls get a sash (DD got a Birthday Princess sash) and a backpack type bag to stash everything in. All the items are new when opened (hairbrush, makeup, nail polish, face jewels, tiaras, hair clips) for each girl and they get to keep everything used on them in the bag. If you want to blow a lot of money (a LOT) you can even opt to buy your favourite princess outfit and accessories. Since DD is so tall, there is no chance any of that will fit her anyway so I bought her the cutest pale pink dress in Winners for this occasion. It was a proper party dress with a crinoline and everything so DD looked quite lovely and princessey without forking out $200+. I will also mention that the spray they used on her hair to tame it smelled fabulous and washed out really easily.

    Now that she was all dolled up, DD was ready to go on its a small world (IASW). FOE is not mad keen on this ride but she threw herself on the grenade and we all took the Happiest Cruise on Earth. We hadnt ridden IASW since the refurb and I have to say that I was quite charmed and DD loves the ride no matter how you look at it. After that we decided to take the train around to Main Street (I told DD she could run the show since it was her birthday and she wanted to see those dinosaurs real bad) so we could head over to DCA, but not before I ran over the Indiana Jones (Indy) to grab fastpasses. I spotted Mickey with the marching band in front of the castle and I really wish I had had time to watch some more of the procession.

    Over at DCA we had to go on Monsters Inc. because DD wanted to see if Roz would sing Happy Birthday to her again (like she did the first year she went) but she didnt. By now it was high time that we should be heading over to Ariels Grotto. I really like the hostess here and we had seen her before, she handles the stream of would-be diners really well. We had priority seating and only had to wait a short time. DD loves Ariel since they both have red hair and Ariel is a mermaid and DD wants to be a mermaid. We chose a table inside this time around; I prefer to sit outside actually but was not enamoured of sitting out there with lagoon construction going on. Fluffy baby duckies floating around are way more charming than sweaty construction workers (wait a minute....... no, no ..... lets not go there ). I had the tri-tip beef, FOE had the herb crusted chicken and DD had the cheese pasta shells. I liked the appetizer platter more than the desert platter (we had three of us at the table but they only gave us two portions of everything on the desert tray) and the food was pretty good. The only complaint I would have is that you are so busy with the princess interaction that your food gets cold before you get a chance to eat it. And I will insist on ordering iced tea in US restaurants and am then surprised that it is unsweetened (when will I learn?). The princesses were all very engaging - Snow White asked DD if one of the dwarfs had given her the big jewel in her ring. Belle was admiring the kids digital camera of the girl at the next table and called over to Cinderella for her to see this amazing invention. Belle whispered something to DD but she never did tell me what Belle said. DD curtsied to each princess as they left her and it was so precious to watch. In total we saw Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Belle. This is a very expensive meal but I always get it as part of our holiday package so it is far less painful to hand those vouchers over than $100 for the three of us.

    Full from lunch, we were ready to line up for Toy Story Midway Mania (about a 40 minute wait). DD loves Mr. Potato Head and he called out to her as the one in the pink. FOE really likes this ride and I loved it too. I just wish you didnt have to wait so long for it. At least the line moved at a steady pace. The first time around, my score would have got me a stuffed rabbit. There was a pin series in the little store at the ride exit with a selection of the stuffed animals awarded for TSMM but it was a bit pricey for me. We then did some more shopping at Engine Ear Toys, DD spent her $59 gift card on stuffies and toys which was fine with me since it was her birthday present from Mickey.

    By now, it was time to head back to the hotel for a break. DD was more than ready to try out the new water play area at the HoJo. We stopped briefly for ice cream (if you cant have ice cream on your birthday, when can you have it?) and trekked back. Pirates Cove at the HoJo is a hoot. The kids love it and it is so much fun to watch them wait under that big dump bucket and get drenched. I tried out the hot tub briefly but it was really too warm for a soak.

    After washing out her pricey princess hairdo (DD had too much fun to care too much about that), I got DD to change into a sundress for the evening and we headed over to Mimis for supper. FOE and I shared a salad and an appetizer and we still couldnt finish everything. We saved the muffin and carrot bread from the bread basket for breakfast the next morning.

    We walked back to DL and caught the Celebrate parade. DD is so full of energy that she really got a lot out of the parade and all of the dancing. Then, we went to use our Indy fastpasses. DD was brave enough to try it, but once was enough for her and I cant say that Indy does much for me. We went on Jungle Cruise (with just an OK skipper) and then BLAB.

    We had to stay up for the fireworks and this time (finally), we chose a spot in front of the castle. DD saw Tinkerbell fly but wanted to be closer. It was very memorable seeing it from where it was meant to be seen. Tuckered right out, we staggered back down Main Street with the throng of people and finally made it back for some well deserved rest.

    Observations

    - I have said this in my last two trip reports and will say it again. It is far better to make priority seating arrangements for Ariels Grotto. Its not really a walk-up type of place.
    - TSMM queue area is not air conditioned and the indoor part of the queue was really warm
    - everyone should see RDCT from in front of the castle at least once. It really was quite spectacular

  5. #4
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Saturday 16 May

    I was trying to avoid the worst of the crowds over the weekend so we decided to go to DCA on Saturday and DL on Sunday. We had our leftovers from Mimis for breakfast and I broke down and let DD have her first-ever Pop-Tart and that was only because we were on vacation. I sure wish that child liked cold cereal but she wont touch any kind so it limits my breakfast choices some days.

    Since we were up early enough we went over the DL until 10am. I love DL in the early morning, when it is nice and quiet. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning. We headed over the Critter Country to go on Splash Mountain and it was practically a walk-on, then we did the Winnie the Pooh ride.

    We had to take turns on Haunted Mansion because DD flat out refuses to go on (its a good thing too, it would freak her out - I know it would) so DD got to go on Pirates of the Carribean (POTC) with me and then again with Auntie. While I was waiting for them just outside the train station I saw a churro cart and couldnt help myself. FOE and DD caught me munching away and I gave them a guilty look when I saw them. Then I had to give up what was left of my churro to DD. Sigh, a mother never stops sacrificing I guess.

    Then it was off to Frontierland for a ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. By now it was getting plenty warm and it was time to head over to DCA.

    After grabbing a SOC fastpass we went on TOT again. This would be the last time that DD and FOE would go on it with me. I promised that I would buy DD something for being brave enough to go on it and I eventually ended up buying her a pin for her lanyard - it was so cute, Donald Duck was the elevator attendant and there was sliding doors that you opened to reveal a scared looking Mickey and Minnie.

    DD had wanted to do Turtle Talk with Crush on her birthday but I had to talk her out of it since we had so much already planned for that day. But we went today instead and she was picked again to ask a question! She asked Crush if there were really such a thing as mermaids. Crush said that he hadnt seen any himself but his friend Sebastian the crab was always talking about them. Afterwards we saw Woody in the lobby and DD was thrilled to say hi to him. We also checked out the Toy Story zoetrope which is so cool.

    I always want to see the Muppets 3D show and after that, we had just enough time to catch the next Aladdin show. We were late enough that the only section open was the balcony and it was hard for me to be up there since I am afraid of heights. I definitely had a case of the jelly legs! But we really enjoyed the show. I have sat in all three sections now and I would have to say that I enjoy the orchestra section the best.

    We decided to go to Whitewater Snacks in the GCH for lunch and what a good choice! I had the chicken natchos and they were delicious. DD had a hamburger which she couldnt finish (a first for her!) and FOE had to hot chicken sandwich. This is a lovely cool place to stop for lunch if you need a quieter place to recharge. We went out through the lobby and through Downtown Disney to do some shopping at World of Disney. I love this store but it is way too easy to spend too much time and money there!

    Back to the hotel for a swim, well not so much a swim as DD getting herself drenched and me looking on. We had supper at McDonalds which I like doing when we are in the US so I can get hot mustard dip for my chicken nuggets. I put the extra dip in my backpack with the idea that I would take it home but it burst in my bag that night. Guess I wont try that again.

    We went back to DCA and were just in time for the Pixar Play Parade at the Sunshine Plaza. FOE didnt realise that we were going to get wet and we all had a good time shrieking when we were sprayed during the parade. It was still plenty warm enough so we decided to go on Grizzly River Run. We used the free lockers but I still took my camera in my hip bag so I could get some pictures of us on it. FOE got the wettest but dried off in short time. Then it was on to SOC, TSMM and CS. I really liked Paradise Pier at night - we have never been there at night and it was nice to see everything all lit up.

    We all agreed that we were done in and ready to go back to the hotel. So we got into our jammies and DD and I went out onto the balcony and sipped hot chocolate while we watched the fireworks from our room (thank you so much HoJo for giving us a view room!)

    Observations

    - churros are best when they are piping hot. I have had some lukewarm churros and they definitely lose a lot of their charm then
    - Soarin over California is definitely the most popular ride in DCA. I always try and grab a FP for this ride as soon as I enter the park

  6. #5
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Sunday 17 May

    This was a DL day for us and we started it off by using the Magic Morning (MM) option on our Parkhopper tickets. I thought about waiting until Tuesday to do MM since that would have been a later start but I was also debating on whether we should get Annual Passes and I thought that we might do that today (I didnt do it that day in the end because I still needed to justify the expense to myself) We hit Fantasyland and did Snow White, Pinnochio, Mr. Toads Wild Ride, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Dumbo, Matterhorn (which I always make DD do at least once, but I have to say - its not my favourite ride in Fantasyland) and then lined up for Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. I liked this ride better when I didnt have to wait for it for so long. We had a great Submarine captain too, he must have been an ex-Jungle Cruise skipper because he amused us by telling some lame jokes as we were loading.

    DD wanted to line up for Pixie Hollow to try and see Silvermist so we waited patiently for about 25 minutes while FOE went on BLAB. DD saw Fawn and Tinkerbelle. Fawn drew her a picture in her autograph book and afterward DD asked to come back again during our trip to try and see Silvermist.

    We headed back to FL to try Casey Junior Circus Train, just me and DD that is, since FOE did not want to squeeze herself in the Monkey Cage thank you very much. We grabbed a quick fruit snack and then headed back to Main Street to grab a locker to stash our jackets and get DD some ears. She chose the create your own ear hat with a gold crown and fuzzy pink ears. I think we took the train to NOS and then we went to check out Tom Sawyer Island (TSI). DD loved the caves and was quite reluctant to leave. I always, always wish we had more time at DL to explore everything more fully and thoroughly. We caught a raft back and then wandered over for the Billy Hill show. I had to wait sooooo long for a sundae because the cast member serving our line was just in training and I ended up in a bad mood (not exactly the CMs fault I know, but it was still frustrating for those of us in line when everyone else was getting food and we werent moving) mostly because I missed part of the show. Seems like a silly thing to complain about now but it took me a while to shake it off.

    We had Priority Seating at Caf Orleans for 12:40 and had enough time to catch another ride on POTC and a look around NOS. I got a nice picture of DD in the Courtyard of Angels and even took a picture of Club 33's front door. Then we checked in at Caf Orleans and apart from being seated inside (I like to sit outside) it was a good as it always is. We chatted for a bit with the lead there since we had commented that she must be warm in a suit and pantyhose. She mucked right in though, sweeping stuff up and generally keeping an eye on everything. She told us that she had been an hourly cast member for ten years so was well aware of what needed doing in the restaurant. I had the pommes frites and the gumbo and of course we had to have Mickey beignets for dessert.

    The sun was taking its toll on me and we went back to the hotel for a nap and a swim. I felt a lot better after that and was ready to do some shopping in Downtown Disney. We had Wetzels Pretzels for dinner (I love their pretzel dog!) and hit the Lego store, Build-a-Bear, Sephora and World of Disney. My birthday was in a weeks time and FOE gave me a gift card to pick out a present so I bought a Tigger watch for myself and she bought an Eeyore watch too.

    Back to DL and we stashed our purchases in our locker and headed to the castle to stake out a spot for fireworks. I left FOE with DD while I went to get a pretzel (I wanted to see if the Mickey pretzels were as good as those at Wetzels Pretzels). That was when I felt the earthquake. Its not totally unheard of to have them on the island where I live so I just set my feet and headed back to DD and FOE. The earthquake did cause some problems - Tinkerbell didnt fly that night and once the fireworks were over, a lot of the rides were still not operational. We had to skip Space Mountain (which we headed over to because we had Fastpasses) but BLAB was running. DD was determined to stay up until midnight so we wandered around to see what else we could go on. IASW seemed like a safe bet.

    Then we got stuck on the ride............

    It was only about 10 minutes but I can guarantee you that it felt a lot longer than that. FOE was not too happy and I have to admit that the song does grate on the nerves when you are not sure when you are going to get out of there. DD thought it was a hoot but FOE said she was officially done with IASW after that.

    We caught Mad Hatters Tea Party (which I love at night), then Alice in Wonderland and by then it was 11:30 and I was fried. I promised DD that by the time we got our stuff from the locker and headed back to the hotel it would definitely be midnight and she was appeased that she would at least be up until that hour if not actually in DL to closing.

    Observations

    - getting a locker is a worthwhile expense. There is somewhere to stash your jackets so you can wear layers getting you from the early morning to the heat of the afternoon. You can do some shopping and then not have to lug your purchases around. I dont do it every day but it is worth it for at least some of the days.
    - I had just got the IASW song out of my head and now its back again after remembering it for the trip report! Darn!

  7. #6
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Monday 18 May

    After a long day yesterday we had a bit of a lie in since our PS at Plaza Inn wasnt until 8:40 am. I absolutely loved this character meal! We saw 10 characters in all - Tigger, Eeyore, Goodfellow, Gideon, Fairy Godmother, Gepetto, Captain Hook, Chip, Dale, and of course Minnie. The food was really good - I had booked the first seating on purpose and everything was really hot. I had read someone comment on one of the boards that the food was boring but I thought there was lot of variety: pastries, muffins, french toast, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, fruit, juice, coffee, milk and cold cereal. What else could you want for breakfast? We definitely got our moneys worth especially with all the characters we saw.

    FOE saw Eeyore and she was in seventh heaven. DD even got his autograph. The character handlers were great too. I was away from the table getting food when Tigger was around and when I heard I was so disappointed. Tigger is one of my favourite characters, so I asked really nicely if he could come back. I told Tigger that he was on my watch and he threw his hands up (like Mickeys hands on a Mickey watch), but what was funny was that he accidentally knocked my camera out of my hands and I nearly wrecked another camera in DL! Anyone who has read my first trip report knows that the carousel was not kind to my camera (or my sunglasses) and I thought this one was a goner too. But I picked it up off the floor and it checked out fine. I turned to Tigger and said Look Tigger, it bounces just like you! He gave me a big hug and a noisy kiss. Then he proceeded to give bouncing lessons to DD. The character handler also helped us out when we were finished our meal but had still not seen Minnie Mouse.

    Captain Hook scared the living daylights out of me though. I was eating my meal with my head down and FOE was getting some more food. Next thing I know there was bang on the table and I squealed like a little girl. DD was killing herself laughing. Hook saw DDs Silvermist doll and recoiled in horror (well, she is a fairy), then he pointed to his eyes and then to DD (Im watching you!)

    All together it was a wonderful time and I would definitely do that character meal again.

    DD wanted to try again at Pixie Hollow for Silvermist and we lined up. She didnt see her but lucked out by seeing two fairies before Tinkerbell since Rosetta and Iridessa were switching over. Tinkerbell told her to try back in the afternoon. Unfortunately when we went back, it was still Iridessa and DD was a little disappointed and looked so sad in the photos. It is so hard to prepare them for the fact that they might not see the fairy they want to - unless that fairy is Tinkerbell of course.

    We spent some time in Toontown since the weekend was over and it wasnt quite so crazy back there. We actually saw Minnie at her house this time and Mickey was taking pictures right at his front door. This was really unusual apparently because, when we got out PhotoPass CD the next day we were missing our Mickey photos, but they couldnt find them because the search function they have only gives the four studios in the back as locations for Mickey pictures. Roger Rabbit was a bit of a wait and it was getting really hot so I promised DD that we would come back later.

    The other thing I wanted to try and catch for the first time was the Jedi Training Academy. DD loves, loves, loves Star Wars and I thought that DD might have a better chance of being picked on a slower day. The Jedi Master passed her over and went all the way over to the other side, but then he worked his way back to our side and I told her Jump up and down! Jump up and down! and she was picked!!!!! It helps that she is so tall (just turned 7 and she is 4' 6") and has red hair so she stands out in a crowd. This was such a cute show - the Jedi Master was really funny and Darth Maul was really scary! The little kids fight Darth Vader up on the stage and the bigger kids fight Darth Maul at ground level. DD gave a good showing against Darth Maul and received her certificate which was a great souvenir. So of course, after that we had to ride Star Tours and buy a light saber when we came out into Star Traders.

    On to Autopia where DD finally gets to drive. She is tall enough to drive on her own now - which surprised me. I still went with her to make sure she got the hang of pressing the pedal down.

    Then we had to go to the Tikki Room. I promised myself that I would definitely try a Dole Whip this time and we were not disappointed. We actually had the float which was so refreshing because it was so hot.

    We headed back to Toontown as promised to go on RR. I envied FOE in her own car because she didnt have to spin. RR and Star Tours are the only rides that are not kind to my stomach.

    We walked back to Tomorrowland while we debated on where to go for dinner. I suggested Rainforest Caf even though I was underwhelmed last time we went. So we took the monorail to DD and only had to wait 5 minutes for a table at RC. I ordered the turkey wrap so was surprised when I received a plastic jungle plate with two little turkey sandwiches on it. I motioned our waiter over and said (jokingly) that while I was kid at heart, I drew the line at kids meals. I had my turkey wrap within 5 minutes but they still only charged me for the turkey sliders they accidentally sent out. Good deal I thought.

    We did some more shopping and FOE headed back to the hotel while DD and I scoped out a good spot for the parade. It was nice sitting there having an ice cream and soaking in the late afternoon sun. It was also nice heading back to the hotel after for an early night.

    Observations

    - I plan our vacations with the longer weekend days at the beginning because we cant burn the candle at both ends for too long. So by the end of the vacation, we are ready for the shorter days and a slower pace.
    - Love, love, love the Minnie & Friends breakfast at the Plaza Inn
    - I wish the character handler at Pixie Hollow hadnt been so cagey about which fairies are there, it would have saved me a lot of heartache if I could have told DD who was there ahead of time.

  8. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Tuesday 19 May

    Our last day - sniff. I finally made the decision to upgrade our parkhoppers to Annual Passes and even sucked it up to get Premium passes. I wish I could have decided sooner because the discounts were sure handy! Once we had that out of the way we had to go back to Pixie Hollow.

    I guess we were getting familiar because the CM at the entrance to PH let me know who was there and that worked out better. I told DD that she could line up for Rosetta and Tinkerbell or we could give it a miss. She wanted to line up anyway and was in a better mood because she was prepared.

    We headed over the Critter Country because we wanted to go to the candy store there. DD loves Tigger Tails and she had one of those. I had the rice krispie treat and that was OK. Next time I want to try one of the candy apples.

    We planned to finish out the day at DCA and took one last train ride to the Main Street station. Once in DCA, we grabbed FPs for SOC (naturally) and made our way to Bugs Land. We have never seen Its Tough to be a Bug and not having anyone with us who is squeamish about insects (especially now that DD is a little older) we were determined to see it. I thought it was great, good theming (love the island in the queue which is a replica of the one in the movie) and the special effects in the show were definitely surprising. Then we let DD cool off in Dots Puddle Park and had a ride on Heimlichs Chew Chew Train. That ride has great sentimental value for DD and me since it was her first ride at DLR the first time we went.

    Off to Paradise Pier after that. We went on TSMM and then DD and I went on Screamin (while FOE went on Single Rider for TSMM). Then we had to have frozen lemonade - one of my favourite treats at DL and no better way to eat it than at PP watching the world go by. Then we tried our hand at the midway games, normally not the kind of thing I go for, but since we were on vacation anyway, what the heck. Well DD won at the ducky game and then I won at the horse racing game. I was thrilled - I never win at those things and I even won a medium prize, not a small one. FOE won at the Dumbo game so we each had our own little prize from the pier. Good times all around. I promised DD that I would go on the Maliboomer with her, which is a stretch for me since I dont like heights. FOE sat this one out (sometimes its good to be Auntie) and apart from the first part where you shoot up it wasnt too bad. But it was the most uninspired ride in DCA and I dont even know why they want to keep it there.

    By now we were gasping from the heat. We walked over the GRR and the line wasnt so bad and I really wanted to be soaked so I could cool off. And I made the mistake of saying so out loud. Which, of course meant that a giant wall of water came up over the back of the raft while we were on it and drenched me from head to toe. I looked at everyone else once we got to the bottom and were waiting to get off, threw up my hands in a victory salute and said I win! Then we went on SOC which was probably a mistake since the AC inside made me feel almost chilly.

    Sufficiently cooled off, we stopped off at Taste Pilots Grill for a late lunch. It was pretty good and I would have to say it is one of the better offerings in DCA as I cant afford to dine with the Princesses every day (who can?) I wanted one more ride on TOT but had to go it alone while DD and FOE went on Monsters Inc. again.

    We scooted past the parade but it was getting too late to try and get our PhotoPass at DCA so I suggested we head over to DL where we had the luxury of the park being open until 8pm. It took a while to sort that out because of the missing Mickey pictures but we were finally swimming upstream against the crowds waiting for the parade. Not before we did some last minute shopping though and I even manage to squeeze in getting a silhouette of DD at the Silhouette Shop.

    There was no getting around it, we had to leave and I didnt want to. We took one final picture of us pretending to cry at the exit. In reality, I had my tight throat, wet eye incident just prior to that. We end on a good note though and I always know we will be back.

    We had dinner at Mimis and I kept the muffin that came with my salad, hoping to eat it then next day for a snack.

    Observations

    - it is so hard to cram everything in when the opening hours are shorter, especially at DCA.
    - never say that you want to get wet on GRR, because you just might have to eat your words.

  9. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Wednesday 20 May

    We didnt torture ourselves by trying to go to DL although I guess we could have with our APs (well, DD and I could have) since our flight wasnt until 2 pm, but we had a bit of a lie in, breakfast at Mimis and then checked out of the hotel. We waited for the Disneyland Express and soaked up as much California sunshine while we could. We had originally planned to get a cab but were tapped out by all the shopping we did. We had the voucher from our package anyway so decided to go with that. And who should be driving our bus back to John Wayne airport but our good friend Guido! He was just as funny and cheerful this time and when we got off, I told him what a pleasure it had been having him drive our bus.

    After a fairly uneventful trip back to Victoria, we were tired and broke and happy. We met our friends from the plane again (we had seen them a couple of times coming and going at the HoJo) and had lots to talk about.

    Final Words

    - I could spend forever at DLR, but my feet can only stay six days.
    - it was so cool being at DL with my best friend. I would bring her again in a heartbeat. Love you FOE.
    - My friend and her 8 year old, who we came to DLR with last year, looked after our cat and when we saw them that night, I gave them their gifts and saved the best for last. I told my friend that the last thing involved great personal sacrifice and then I showed her...........
    Her reaction: You brought me a muffin from Mimis!!!!!!!!
    - our plan is to return this December for a special Christmas trip. I cant wait.

  10. #9

    Great trip report! My DD will be turning 8. Do you think the BBB would be to young for her?

    Victoria is so beautiful. I went there several times since I grew up in Port Townsend.

     

  11. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Vancouver Island

    Great job Lozzy! I had a blast with you two! I think this was my best trip to DL ever. It helps seeing the parks thru the eyes of a child.

    You didn't quite capture the torture of IASW - that was the loooongest 10 minutes of my life. Plus the boats started going BACKWARDS...I was ready to get out and walk. The only saving grace was we were in a section where the song was in a different language.

    Thank you for bringing me along on this fab trip...you're my bestest friend!


  12. #11

    WOW, that was a wonderful trip report! Thank you for sharing it with us! When will you go at Christmas time? We will be there also at Christmas time. Most likely Christmas Day (My sons bday is on Christmas) and the Saturday after too.


  13. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Quote Originally Posted by Pookie View Post
    Great trip report! My DD will be turning 8. Do you think the BBB would be to young for her?
    I guess my answer would be - it depends.

    The age of the little girls having their hair done at BBB was definitely towards the younger end of the scale, but the child has to be at least 3 years old according to the BBB leaflet to participate. There is no upper age limit.

    But I don't consider 8 years old to be too old to have something like this done. If your daughter is still into the princesses and make-believe then I say go for it. If she has moved on to Hannah Montana and HSM then you probably want to see if she is up for it first. Once they hit the second grade, kids can get pretty jaded and want to do more pre-teen stuff. It's sad in a way - I wish they weren't in such a hurry to grow up. If your daughter is on the fence, remind her that she probably won't run into anyone she knows in DL anyway and it's OK to act her age.

  14. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Vancouver Island, BC
    Quote Originally Posted by Hannahbelle View Post
    WOW, that was a wonderful trip report! Thank you for sharing it with us! When will you go at Christmas time?
    Thanks Hannahbelle.

    The plan is to go sometime in the first two weeks of December. I am not a huge fan of crowds in DL which is why we go in the spring. We want to miss the crush of Christmas week but still be able to enjoy the decorations. I like the anticipation of those weeks before Christmas the best anyway. Then we will be home with our family for Christmas day - a perfect compromise in my opinion.

  15. #14

    Oh yes, early December I hear is a fabulous time to go (mild crowds for sure). We will have to brave the crowds this year being there during the busy season. I just don't get enough vacation time to go during the non crowded times of the year and its harder to pull my kids out of school now that they're older. But, we have great trips anyway. I have learned to be flexible and not put high expectations on doing too much when its busy. (We live in the Bay Area so we can go about 3 or 4 times a year by going on three day weekends)

    Glad you had a good time and December will be here before ya know it!


  16. #15
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA

    Great trip report, LOZZYPOP! I especially like how you posted it all at one time.

    December at the Disneyland Resort is truly magical, with the holiday decorations everywhere and snow on Main Street! Something to remember in early December is that the Candlelight Processional is usually held the first weekend of December and draws huge crowds. There are also Cast Member parties which will close Disneyland at 6pm (I think they are held about the first Monday and Tuesday of December).

    However, if you are there on December 5th, be sure and wish Walt a very Happy Birthday!


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