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Thread: Pammer ~ December 1-6, 2013 ~ Anaheim Del Sol Inn

  1. #1
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA

    Pammer ~ December 1-6, 2013 ~ Anaheim Del Sol Inn

    Travel dates: December 1-6, 2013
    Travel method: Amtrak
    Resort: Anaheim Del Sol Inn (Off-site)
    Accommodations: Standard
    Ages Represented in Group: Adult
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
    Comments: Celebrating my birthday at The Happiest Place on Earth!
    Cast of characters:
    • Pam, 52/53: trip planner/writer/birthday girl/self-proclaimed Disney Queen!
    • James, 53: Pam’s hubby who likes Disneyland but is not as fanatic as Pam!


    The Planning

    James has had some ‘issues’ flying lately, with the most recent occurrence being in September when we had to get off the plane right before it departed Sacramento; he also had not joined me for a short trip in June to the Disneyland Resort for the same reason. We discussed alternative travel methods for a future trip and since neither one of us really wanted to drive, we agreed to try Amtrak.

    I checked TouringPlans.com for estimated crowd levels for a variety of dates over the next few months and made a spreadsheet comparing the costs for Amtrak vs. driving plus lodging & ground transportation for each duration. James picked the 1st week of December for our trip as the crowds were estimated as a ‘1’ (out of ‘10’) for Monday – Thursday of that week and I was pleased that we would be there for my birthday on December 5th (which I share with Walt Disney) as well as during the holiday season again!

    The weather can be unpredictable in December so we will be sure to take thermals for the chilly nights plus our rain gear; however, my fingers are crossed that we might have warm enough days where I can actually wear a running skirt (they’re so comfy)!

    Lodging: In September I made reservations at our usual spot: the Anaheim Del Sol Inn on Harbor Blvd. (a 5-minute walk from the parks); total for the 5 nights = $660).

    Transportation: I booked our round-trip train fare on Amtrak from Sacramento to Anaheim for $275.40 (AAA rate); there were two possible routes: one was all train via the Coast Starlight/Pacific Surfliner but it would take over 14 hours! Therefore, we chose the San Joaquin/Pacific Surfliner combo which included a bus between Bakersfield & Los Angeles, but would only take about 9 hours.

    In addition, I looked into ground transportation between the Amtrak station in Anaheim (by Angel Stadium) and our motel and we will take either the Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) if the connection timing works out or call for a cab (ART will be slightly cheaper and drop us off at the Transportation Center across the street from our motel).

    Tickets: We have SoCal APs, which were renewed on May 1st; I’ve used mine twice already but this will be the first time James has used his since I renewed them.

    Priority Seating: I made a reservation at Blue Bayou for 12/5 (my actual birthday) @ 11:30am, in hopes we’ll get a waterside table and free birthday mousse! I also have a $25 ‘reward’ to use at a Landry’s restaurant, so we most likely will eat at the Rainforest Caf at some point during the trip. Everything else will probably be counter-service and off-site to keep costs and calories down!

    Disney Visa Rewards Card: I used all of my Disney Visa Reward Card points at the Disney Store in November so if I remember during the trip I will transfer the new point balance after my statement closes on 12/3; if not, I have some Disney gift cards I can use to cover the bulk of our Disney park meals.


    The Itinerary

    The pre-planning was done very quickly, and here is the result:

    • December 1: Travel down in the morning/early afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA until closing
    • December 2: Disneyland/DCA
    • December 3: Disneyland/DCA
    • December 4: Disneyland/DCA
    • December 5: Disneyland/DCA; birthday lunch at Blue Bayou @ 11:30am
    • December 6: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA; travel home in the afternoon/evening


    Saturday, November 30, 2013

    Actual: James started feeling sick on Thanksgiving evening and we had canceled plans to go to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom yesterday as well. Today he woke up still feeling lousy and asking if I was going to go without him! I had so been looking forward to the two of us going back to Disneyland together, especially since it would be my birthday and the parks would be decorated for the holidays; I really didn’t want to go without him nor did I want to cancel either! He even suggested I fly ($400+ at this late date!) if I didn’t want to take the train (the train was at his request; I would prefer to fly!), but I managed to get him to go back to bed for more rest and see what happens.

    While James napped, I started packing and cleaning up the house as well as dropping the house key off with our neighbor since he is going to look after our non-diabetic kitty Sidney while we are gone. I also decided that if James didn’t go, I would drive down on Sunday morning and then drive back as far as my mom’s house (which is about halfway) on Friday since there was a chance that I was going to have to drive down there the following Sunday to look after my 86-year-old mother if my brother (her caretaker) has to report for jury duty that week.

    James got up around 5:30pm and helped me dose our diabetic kitty Simon, give him a snack, and then grab him so we could take him to the pet hotel/hospital for boarding. We left at 6:20pm to drive him over & check him in, and then stopped at Subway for a couple of foot-long sandwiches (2-veggies for James and 1-turkey/cheese for me = $16.50 total, for which I used a gift card) to take with us on the train tomorrow; I also went into Raley’s to get a Mega Millions lottery ticket ($5) since the jackpot was over $300m for Tuesday night’s drawing!

    We arrived home sometime after 7pm, finished packing & cleaning the house, and I was in bed around 1am (James was still up) ~ what will he do tomorrow?


    Sunday, December 1, 2013 (82o)
    Plan: Travel down in the morning/early afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA until closing

    Actual: My alarm went off at 4:30am, so I got up and found James had not been to bed; however, he thought he could make the trip so we finished our last-minute packing, had a light breakfast (cereal for James and a protein shake for me), fed Sidney, and left at 5:50am. There was no traffic as we drove to the Amtrak station, parked, prepaid for long-term parking at a kiosk ($60), and then hiked all the way out to the train tracks. They had begun boarding our train #702 and we were directed to Car #2 since we were going the full route to Bakersfield, where we found a couple of seats with a table facing forward.

    Note: it’s really nice to board a train at the beginning of its route as you have more time to find the right seat & get settled!

    We left on time (6:40am) and ate of our sandwiches as we rode through Sacramento. James then set up the tablet for us to watch some old “The People’s Court” episodes that he had transferred over to a SD card to help pass the time.

    We were on time & just departing Stockton at 7:30am when the train abruptly stopped right after it had started. The conductor made an announcement that someone had pulled the emergency brake because they hadn’t disembarked in time (were they sleeping? We hadn’t even been traveling an hour yet!) and they would now need to inspect the system; we ended up being delayed 90mins while they were trying to fix a problem with the air brakes and were FINALLY on our way sometime after 9am. They did offer us complimentary bottles of water and a snack kit (applesauce, kettle chips, cookies, trail mix, taffy) as an apologetic gesture, so that was nice.

    They also had to make announcements at EVERY station that we were train #702 and if you were supposed to be on train #712 that you needed to wait for that train (which was right behind us) or else you would be put off at the next station since we were a fully booked train!

    In Merced, they had to bypass the station about a mile, change tracks, and then back into the station so people could board; otherwise, it was an uneventful trip with a full train by the time we reached Bakersfield. I went to the Cafe Car between Corcoran & Wasco to grab a snack (we had already eaten the other halves of our sandwiches during our 90min delay) and ended up with a hot dog ($4; the ones at DL are better!); we spent the next hour or so relaxing.

    We arrived 90mins late in Bakersfield and it was a ZOO (after all it WAS a holiday weekend!); they had 5 busses to take us to LA and they kept filling up one-by-one with us in line for them! We finally found two seats across from each other in another bus and made it to LA in good time (now we were only 60mins late!). Our luggage was among the last out and we headed into the station to find out what to do since we had missed our 3pm train an hour before. We stopped to ask one of the employees and there was another train leaving in less than 10mins! He offered to take us on his cart, which was a good thing as we would had never made it in time otherwise! He got us right to where we needed to be, helped us put our bags on the train (tip = $5) and it was about this time that I realized that I had dropped the Subway bag with James’ second sandwich in it! I had it when we were gathering up our stuff outside the bus, but I was not sure where I lost it along the way! Oh well ~ at least we made this train and didn’t have to wait for another one!

    We arrived in Anaheim around 4:48pm and we took our bags down to the station; we were looking into taking the Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) shuttle which was supposed to depart at 4:50pm. We never did see it so we must have just missed it. We hung around waiting for about hour and then decided to take a taxi (there were 3 or 4 of them parked at the station). James spoke to a driver and one of the sedans drove up to where we were (a Prius wouldn’t hold our luggage & us!).

    The driver was nice enough to stop at a 7-11 along the way so I could buy some water ($4.99 for a 20-pack of bottles, much cheaper than a gallon of water was at $2.49 and tons cheaper than the prices at DL!), and then he dropped us off at the Anaheim Del Sol Inn around 5:45pm ($16 with tip).

    I checked us in (room #237, as requested) and we hauled our stuff upstairs. After a quick check of the room, we headed over to McDonald’s for a quick dinner (Big Mac combo for James + a hamburger and hot fudge sundae for me = $9.40 after the 10% coupon we had), and then we refilled the soda and took it back to the room by 6:30pm. I decided I was too tired to go over to the parks, even to see Scot Bruce (Elvis impersonator) or Fantasmic!, so I just unpacked and we got settled while watching “The Amazing Race”. We were in bed by 10pm.

    Steps: 6,773


    Next Up: The trip details in the parks with pictures!
    Last edited by Pammer; 01-06-2014 at 05:05 PM.
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



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  3. #2
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Monday, December 2, 2013 (75o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: Even with as little sleep that hed had over the past two days, James slept poorly during the night (I did OK though!). I got up around 7:45am, had a protein shake, and proceeded to get ready for a day at the parks! I didnt even bother to wake him as I knew he needed his sleep to kick this thing, nor did I go over to get him anything for breakfast as he had fruit and other snacks in the room. I left him his Annual Pass & a note and left for Disneyland Park (DP) around 8:50am.

    The first thing that struck me was HOW BUSY it was, with CROWDS of guests going through all 3 bag check areas and over to their choice of park; this DEFINITELY was not a 1! I went to DP and was through the turnstile just after park opening (they were not letting guests into Main Street beforehand). I walked quickly to Peter Pans Flight but the queue was already filled in and it was only 9:05am! Uh ohthis isnt a good sign. I bypassed Peter and went to Mr. Toads Wild Ride, which had a much shorter queue of only a couple of minutes. I rode in a vehicle named Ratty and then walked around the corner to ride Alice in Wonderland (yellow caterpillar) within 5minsthis was more like it (right now at least)!

    Both Storybook Land Canal Boats & Casey Jr. Circus Train were closed this week so I went to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds via the single-rider line. Only the Tomorrowland side was open and it seemed to be slightly smoother than the Fantasyland side, which is the only side Ive ridden since the refurbishment ~ its still very rough though!

    Id read online recently that the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage might be closing for good next year, so I definitely wanted to ride it again; of course, the line was quite short at 9:30am! My only wait was for the Neptune to offload her previous guests and for us to board; it had been a few years since Id ridden this so I enjoyed seeing it again. I was seated in the middle of the boat next to where the skipper stands; I dont know about you but I always have to resist the urge not to boo them or something!

    When I got off, it was 9:50am so I went to Space Mountain, picked up a Fastpass (FP) for 10:25am, and entered the standby queue; my wait was only 10mins and I had a great ride as usual!



    Both Star Tours and Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters were queuing outside, so I walked over to City Hall to pick up a birthday button; since there was a line out the door, I opted to get one from the CM stationed outside. He just wrote my name on it in a basic font, so I was a bit disappointed to not get even a little Mickey icon on it!

    I then walked over to rent a small locker (1515) to store my camcorder and jacket in ($7); I hadnt rented one here in several years and liked how they had changed it so there are keypads on every locker, thereby eliminating the need to always go to a kiosk to re-open your locker once rented!

    There were still hordes of people arriving as I went back to Tomorrowland; I stopped in Star Traders to check out the latest Star Wars shirts ~ there was a new one that had Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and two Storm Troopers riding in an open-top Imperial Walker!



    I then rode Space with my FP at 10:25am; stand-by was now at 20mins and they were beginning to queue outside the building upstairs.

    I walked back to get my camcorder from the locker and then walked through Adventureland; Jingle Cruise was already queuing upstairs so I definitely skipped that right now! I walked past the Indiana Jones Adventure and over into Frontierland, stopping to sit on a bench outside the Golden Horseshoe Saloon.

    I texted familymemories (Carol) to touch-base while I waited for the GHS to open at 11am, then I went inside to order an early lunch (mozzarella sticks & fries = $8.06 after the 10% AP discount). I was their first customer of the day and I enjoyed listening to the piano player while I updated my trip notes and waited for my food to be prepared. He was playing Christmas tunes and called out Happy Birthday to me (he could see the button), which was very nice!



    Only a few other guests arrived while I ate my lunch, but he got them all to sing Happy Birthday to me before he took a break about 11:15am. I finished eating and headed over to Big Thunder Ranch to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies perform at 11:30am as part of the Jingle Jangle Jamboree.



    I was so pleased to see the 4 guys that Im most familiar with (Kirk, Dennis, Rick, & Anders) and I used the camcorder to capture their Christmas show since Disney was retiring them early next year and I dont know when I will see them perform live again after this trip! They were so great, as always, and after they had a sing-along with the audience the Country Bears joined them onstage for their final number.

    After the show, the Bears wandered around interacting with guests and Santa Claus was also present for pictures as well as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, & Pluto in their holiday garb. I texted Carol and we made plans to meet at the Disney Visa meet & greet over at Disney California Adventure (DCA) around 1pm after I watched the Billys again at 12:30pm (which ended up being the same as the first show).





    I also took photos of the area decorations in-between the two shows.



    On my way out of the park, I stopped at the locker to store my camcorder again; however, I couldnt get the locker to lock so I used their assistance phone to call for help. After a couple of minutes, a CM arrived and ended up renting another locker for me (1496) so I could be on my way.
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  4. #3
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Monday, December 2, 2013 (75o) ~ Part II


    I went straight over to Hollywood Land and met Carol and her family, who were waiting for me at the Mad Tea Party chairs outside the arcade. We chatted for several minutes and discussed getting the free World of Color ~ Winter Dreams (WoC) AP ornaments; I also let them know about getting the free samples at Ghirardelli!



    We took a couple of photos together before they went on their way and I went to meet up with Stitch right before they closed it up at 1:30pm.



    I also decided to ride Monsters Inc., since the wait was posted as 5mins. I got a kick out of Roz at the end when she said she liked my hair!

    I got a text from Carol as I exited Monsters, asking if I was still in DCA; they were enjoying their delicious samples at Ghirardelli so I headed over there next [they were on their way to ride California Screamin (her sons first time!)]. Ghirardelli was giving out their peppermint bark samples, which are probably my second favorite after their peanut butter ones, and they actually gave me two pieces!

    I also ordered a large Diet Coke float ($8.01 after the 10% AP discount) which isnt THAT large! However, it was very refreshing as I walked towards Paradise Pier thinking about my next steps; once my drink was finished, I decided to ride The Little Mermaid (2mins).

    I next walked around Grizzly River Rapids to see if they had any of the WoC AP ornaments (the posting had said that quantities may be limited); they had a whole bunch so I got an AP FP for the 7pm show (yellow) and an ornament (the first of several, it turned out!) around 2:30pm. I didnt plan to see the show tonight, but definitely wanted the ornament before they ran out!

    I figured James would be hungry by now so I thought about getting him a sandwich at La Brea Bakery Express when I remembered reading that the Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Cafe carried sandwiches. These were pre-packaged (most of the guests in the Cafe were getting Starbucks drinks) so I selected a turkey sandwich with a side of fruit ($9.03 after the 10% AP discount) and asked for a bag to carry it back to the room with me.

    I also stopped at Kingswell Camera Shop to pick up my free photo; I had noticed they have new vouchers that explicitly state that they can only be redeemed at that location now, plus the CM had also mentioned that you must pick them up the day of the photo and only those specific photos are eligible for this free offer. I selected my photo and then stopped at Guest Relations for another birthday button; this time the CM (female) made it all pretty for me!

    I took the button, photo, and the sandwich back to the room with me around 2:45pm. James was awake and had been snacking on the fruit, popcorn, Cheez-Its, and pretzels wed brought with us, but was happy to eat the sandwich & fruit Id brought. We chatted and then he took his shower while I freshened up; we left for DP around 5pm.

    Main Street was packed with people waiting for the A Christmas Fantasy Parade at 5:30pm; we asked a CM where the parade was starting and since it was over by its a small world holiday, we headed in that direction. Along the way, I stopped at the locker to pick up my camcorder and sweatshirt from this morning although it was still pleasant out.

    RatsI forgot my Glow with the Show mouse ears in the room! I had made a special effort to bring them back with me on this trip to use during the shows and forgot all about them. Oh well~

    We found a space in the small world mall to watch the parade, and got to see them turn on the lights on the small world holiday faade ~ very pretty!



    The place was packed and I figured Id have people walking up and down the stairs next to me the entire parade (I was right ~ why cant people just stand and watch?) and just hoped I could record as much of the parade as I could (ground-level shots were difficult due to the crowds). I really love this music and was happy to see the parade again since it had been 6 years and I wasnt sure when I would be back in the parks at this time of year again!

    After the parade it was gridlock! We made it over to the walkway that runs parallel to the parade route (behind where people sit/stand to watch) and headed towards Fantasyland. We cut through FL and around towards Princess Fantasy Faire, behind some slowpokes, and over to Rancho del Zocalo; we were trying to get there before any parade-watchers came over from The Hub and it worked!

    We ordered our usual carne asada & enchilada platter, and had to wait several minutes for the meat to cook; we decided to just drink water so our total was $12.63 after the AP discount. We had asked for the enchiladas to be on a separate plate to make sharing the food easier (enchiladas and a couple of bites of beef for me and the rest for James).

    After we finished eating, we walked over to ride Pirates of the Caribbean (10mins); they only were queuing on the left side, but it moved quickly. I thought there was a mermaid skeleton on the beach scene but didnt see it ~ maybe that is only at WDW? YO-HO ~ I always think of our niece Sarah when I ride this since Pirates is her favorite attraction!

    We next went to Haunted Mansion Holiday, which was queuing outside to the side of the building; James was getting cold so he put my sweatshirt on while we were outside. Both lines were open and we took a chance with the left side, which had a much shorter wait! I think we only waited about 15mins until we were in the foyer; it was a lot of fun to see this version as we hadnt seen it in a few years either!

    After we were done, it was nearly time for the Believe in Holiday Magic Fireworks at 7:40pm so we headed towards The Hub; it was packed, of course, but I managed to find a spot on Main Street near the Plaza Inn since people were still spread out on the ground. James headed towards the exit and I stayed to watch/video the fireworks and subsequent snowfall; it was very lovely and I only wish it had been less crowded!

    After the snowfall, the park was about to close at 8pm so I headed back to the room, arriving just after James (he had stopped in at Disneyana/The Disney Gallery to look around, and thought he may have seen CM Maynard standing next door at Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln). We watched some TV and were in bed by 10:30pm.

    Steps: 18,834
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  5. #4
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Tuesday, December 3, 2013 (65o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I was awake at 7am; James had trouble sleeping overnight again so I got ready and walked up to McDonalds at 8:30am. I bought 3 Egg McMuffins with the egg white substitutions and no cheese ($10.17 after the 10% coupon) and brought them back to the motel. I also stopped downstairs at our breakfast area to pick up some OJ for James, and a couple of mini-muffins and a powdered donut for me. I ate quickly and left around 9:10am for DCA.

    Another crowded day ~ I stopped by Guest Relations as there was no line and got another birthday button (now I have one for my sweatshirt and one for my shirt so I dont have to switch off!) from a CM (female) who did a great job of decorating it!

    I thought about trying for FPs at Radiator Springs Racers (RSR) as there wasnt a queue but the ride was down (hence no queue!), so I picked up a FP for Soarin Over California at 9:25am (10:15am) instead.

    I next headed for a FP to tonights WoC AP show @ 7pm; there was a long line already but I saw the CM there tell someone something and they went up the left side of the line so I waited for her to finish a discussion with another guest and then asked if this was the line for the AP show. It was a good thing I asked as it was the regular line (interest was high in the show again since it was a new version!) and the AP line was on the left side. There was only about 10 guests in THAT line so I soon had my FP (BLUE!) and my second ornament!

    They didnt have them in a bag like they did the previous day, so I stopped at the kiosk outside Rushin River Outfitters and the CM there gave me one to carry the ornament around in.

    I headed over to Toy Story Midway Mania (TSMM) and the wait was already 45mins at 9:40am; ah, the impact of RSR not being open on a crowded morning! I, of course, bypassed TSMM and decided to ride Mickeys Fun Wheel as I hadnt been on it in several trips. There were very few people there and I only had to wait a few minutes for a stationary (red) car; I even had the car all to myself! I took several pictures of the area from my elevated viewpoint as I rode, and was very happy to NOT be in one of the non-stationary cars!






    I had not ridden Goofys Sky School since it had been re-imagined, so I decided to hit that next since the wait was posted as only 10mins. It was even less than that because I was listening when they called for a party of 1 or 2 and was able to bypass about 15 or 20 people to get on the ride now! This ride hadnt really changed as far as the physical part of it, but it did seem to be slightly less rough than before (which may have only been wishful thinking on my part).

    I next waited a couple of ride cycles to board Jumpin Jellyfish for a quick and pleasant bounce up & down!

    It was time for my chocolate sample (still peppermint bark) at Ghirardelli and then I walked through Cars Land; RSR was still down but I took several photos of the appropriate holiday decorations throughout the area!



    I walked through a bugs land and over into Hollywood Land; I picked up a FP for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at 10:35am (11:15am) and then did the meet & greet with Minnie after about a 10min wait.



    I took some pictures of the DCA Christmas tree as I walked over to ride Soarin with my FP around 11am.



    I only had to wait one cycle but was in row A-3 (bottom boo!). I noticed that the pre-show intro was using a different font for the cities (big & red), but Puddy was still our Chief Flight Attendant Patrick. The video looked great and the screen looked clean ~ very nice!

    I was hungry so I walked over to Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta for an early lunch around 11:20am; I bought a cheese flatbread pizza for $8.06 after the AP discount and sat outside to enjoy it while listening to the music by the Viva Navidad talent.



    I spent a few minutes updating my trip notes and then walked past TSMM, where the wait was still 45mins! I stopped at Paradise Pier Ice Cream for a Diet Coke float ($4.96, with no AP discount) at 11:50am; there was no one outside and I wasnt even sure they were open. This was quite a bit cheaper for nearly the same size drink I had yesterday at Ghirardelli so I will keep THAT in mind the next time I want a soda float!

    I enjoyed my drink as I walked through Cars Land again; RSR was STILL down so I went to ride ToT with my FP just before the window closed at 12:15pm. I had no wait, due to the FP, and was sent to the left elevator (boo). I was first up the stairs and ended up on an elevator with a family of 9 who really enjoyed the experience!

    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  6. #5
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Tuesday, December 3, 2013 (65o) ~ Part II

    I was off around 12:30pm and went to get in line for the first Disneys Aladdin A Musical Spectacular show @ 12:40pm; I was happy to be in the Orchestra level and not have to walk up all of those stairs to the Mezzanine or Balcony levels! I headed down to the front and found a great spot on the aisle in the right center section.

    It was another great show as always with a familiar (to me) Genie with current references; my favorite part was when the Genie, Aladdin, and the Carpet were onstage together and there was a quiet part for a second ~ a young child cried out and the Genie quipped Great Al, you just made that baby cry! Neither Aladdin nor the Carpet broke character and the audience really enjoyed it.






    I was able to exit quickly and took some pictures of the wreath on the Carthay Circle Theater before heading into Elias & Co. to look around. I had received a 20% off coupon for use prior to 1pm at select locations from when I bought food at Rancho del Zocalo last night and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta this morning; even though it was too late to use one today, I had three more shopping days ahead of me! I found these cute t-shirts with designs that made them look like Christmas sweaters, which I really liked; my only problem will be to decide which one to buy tomorrow ~ LOL!



    I picked up my free photo around 2pm and then headed over to DP; I stopped at the Candy Palace and watched them work on a batch of candy canes. They even had a couple still for sale at the register, but Im not a big fan so I didnt buy one ($12.95 + tax!). I had watched Guy Fieris holiday special where they had showcased all of the muscle it takes to make them so I enjoyed watching them being cut & shaped for a few minutes (they had already been pulled).



    I looked around the shop and ended up buying a peanut butter sandwich (which became my new favorite treat) and a Santa Mickey rice krispie treat ($8.73 after the AP discount). I was actually looking for the Holiday demitasse cup dessert that I had read about online (chocolate cake with chocolate mint filling, topped with mint-flavored white chocolate mousse and chocolate decorations) but I couldnt remember where it was available! I didnt see it here so I looked at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe and the Plaza Inn but didnt see it at either place ~ oh well!

    So I stopped at City Hall to see if they could tell me where I could find it; it apparently WAS available at both places I had just been to (plus a few more in DP), as well as Pacific Wharf Cafe over at DCA! I will just have to try again later.

    I left DP around 3pm and went back to the room. James was watching TV, so he got up to shower and I freshened up and called to check on Simon.

    We left for DCA around 5pm and stopped at Taste Pilots Grill for dinner; I ordered a hamburger with fries and James ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with OJ ($20.67 after the AP discount). It was very busy, but we had our food soon enough and James was lucky to find us a place to sit indoors.

    After we ate, James picked up a WoC AP FP (yellow) and ornament for himself, and we picked up another bag to carry it in from Rushin River Outfitters.

    Next up was Cars Land after dark ~ we asked a PhotoPass photographer to take some pictures of us and I also took some with my own camera of the night-time holiday dcor (RSR was STILL down, as it had been ALL day).



    James suggested a ride on Soarin as it was showing a 10min wait and no one was outside in the queue, but I didnt want to risk getting stuck on it like we had on a previous trip and be late for my WoC AP showing. In hindsight, I wish we had gone on it as James never did get to ride it and it is now scheduled for refurbishment during our trip next spring.



    We ended up riding The Little Mermaid (walk-on) and then we split up ~ James headed back to the room and I went to wait for WoC on the bridge around 6:45pm. I then realized ~ I forgot my Glow with the Show Mouse Ears AGAIN!



    I enjoyed this Winter Dreams version OK, mostly because it was new, but I felt it was a bit long at nearly 30mins and I think I prefer the original version of WoC. My favorite part was the Toy Story segment, but the whole use of Olaf as the narrator of the show was lost on me since I had not seen Frozen yet.

    After the show, I stopped at Trolley Treats to check out the ice cream offerings and then bought two more of those peanut butter sandwich treats ($6.89 after the AP discount) before leaving the park.

    I headed across the street and stopped at Cold Stone Creamery for a love-it size Skinny Vanilla with Oreo cookies ($5.49), which I took back to the room to enjoy. I ate one of the PB treats too (can you say stuffed?) while watching The Biggest Loser ~ LOL!

    I was in bed around 10:30pm again; not sure about James!

    Steps: 19,434
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  7. #6
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Wednesday, December 4, 2013 (62o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: My alarm went off at 7:30am; James slept better but woke up with body aches today! I picked up toast and OJ for him from the breakfast offerings before leaving around 9:10am for DP. There were long lines at bag check and I made it into the park at 9:20am.

    I knew Peter Pan would be busy already so I took a left and went to ride Jingle Cruise on the off-chance there was no line this early in the morning (good call!). It was a short wait, about 6-7mins (similar to what we wait when it is non-Christmas themed) and I was able to get a few pictures of the decorated queue without having to go up the stairs! I boarded Yule Kissimmee with Skipper Shaun and enjoyed the revised script with the new yule jokes! Too bad the long lines kept us from riding this again this trip.



    I next went to ride Indiana Jones Adventure ~ I pretty much walked all the way back into the safety briefing room before stopping! I tried to pull the pole but the special effect didnt work, plus the guest in front of me pulled on the rope in the well to launch that special effect so I was thwarted in both of my efforts! At the stairs, I chose the right side which boarded VERY SLOWLY ~ I will have to remember to choose the left side next time as they were boarding much faster and more often from that queue!

    I sat in front of the steering wheel and pretended to drive since there were only 3 guests in my row; it was a bit rough & I bumped my knee though! They werent moving the mirrors at the beginning so each car was getting the same experience (middle) when we started.

    I then headed over to HMH, bypassed the guests who had stopped to take pictures of the hearse, and was able to walk right into the foyer before they closed it! This time the hallway wasnt filled in so I was able to get on my doom buggy fairly quickly.



    I walked over to Critter Country and rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (walk-on) before stopping for pictures with Tigger & the Pooh-bear himself (only a couple of people in line before me). Tigger was bouncing up & down, very cute!




    I left CC and took some pictures of the HM before joining the queue to meet Jack Skellington (15mins). Jack was very funny and completely in character, and SO SKINNY (perfect casting)! When Jack asked me to take his arm for the picture, I replied take it where?, to which he replied not to take it off of him ~ LOL!



    The CM announced before I left that Jack would be leaving shortly and then returning almost immediately with Sally; I thought of waiting for both of them to return for another photo op, but the queue had grown long and I didnt want to wait another 15-20mins!

    The Enchanted Tiki Room was just about to begin another show as I passed, so I stopped to enjoy another of Walts classic attractions. After singing with the birdies, I went to the Corn Dog Wagon around 11:20am and bought a corn dog with chips ($6.50 after the 10% AP discount). I sat down at a table behind the wagon to enjoy my corn dog and also texted niece Sarah while I was sitting there.

    After I finished eating, I checked the ride board and Space was down so I headed into a busy Fantasyland via the pathway past the Snow White Grotto. I took a couple of pictures and then went through the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough.



    The supposed 'center' of Disneyland:


    I decided it was time to find my holiday dessert so I checked out the Plaza Inn; it had a line out the door since it was almost noon so I went across the street to the Jolly Holiday Bakery. I asked the CM for the dessert and she said it was in the display case but I hadnt noticed it! I bought one ($7.28 after the AP discount) and I sat on a bench along Main Street to enjoy the very small dessert! The nice CM had given me a bag and extra wrappings to wrap the cup up so it wouldnt break, so after eating the dessert thats what I did!

    It was now time to shop so I went into the Emporium and looked around; I found this gorgeous Christmas sweater jacket embroidered with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, & Daisy, which I normally probably wouldnt have paid full price for but at 20% off ~ hmmm ~ YES! (I told myself that it was a good birthday present too!) I also decided on the red Christmas t-shirt that I liked yesterday at DCA, plus a 2013 Christmas ornament and some jewelry; with the 20% coupon I saved nearly $30! I also bought the park throw for $20 since I met the minimum purchase requirements (grand total = $148.25) and 3 gift cards with designs that I didnt have yet in my collection ($5 loaded on each one = $15).

    As I left the Emporium around 1pm, I stopped to take a picture of the Dapper Dans who were singing in front of the Fire Station, and then headed over to DCA.



    I went straight to see Minnie again and then walked over to Ghirardelli via ToT, a bugs land and a VERY busy Cars Land.



    I got my free sample (peppermint bark) and then stood there trying to decide whether to buy a bigger bag of them: they had 50-count bags for $19.95 and 80-count bags for $24.95. I dont normally purchase the candy in bulk at the store because of the likelihood of them melting since my visits usually occur in the warmer months of the year; however, I was tempted to do so this time! I knew I could get a 10% AP discount and after running the numbers in my head decided to buy the 80-count bag plus an Oreo shake with skim milk ($31.36 after the 10% AP discount).

    Note: the day after we got home we were in Costco and saw 20-ounce bags of the Ghirardelli peppermint bark treats for $10.99; this size is roughly the same size as the bag they were selling for $19.95 at the DCA store! Holy cow ~ what a markup! (I ended up buying two bags about a week later when they were discounted another $3 to make them $7.99, which was less than half the price of the ones at DCA!)

    I sat outside at a table to drink my shake and work on my trip notes; I was in the shade so I got a bit chilled by the time I finished drinking my cold drink!

    I thought about getting some bread at the Pacific Wharf Cafe, but the lines were long my entire visit and they never had any bread for sale outside like they sometimes do. I then enjoyed walking in the sun (and warming up!) over to get another WoC AP FP (and ornament) for tonights show (Yellow @ 1:55pm).

    The Red Car News Boys were performing a set with Mickey outside of the Carthay Circle Theater so I stopped to watch for a few minutes before picking up my free photo around 2pm. I then headed back to the room to see how James was feeling.
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  8. #7
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Wednesday, December 4, 2013 (62o) ~ Part II

    James said that he had felt pretty achy most of the day but was starting to feel somewhat better. I offered to go get him some dinner and bring it back to him, but he insisted on taking a shower and going up to McDonalds for dinner (he didnt feel like anything more strenuous than that; good thing he loves McDs!).

    We walked up to McDonalds around 4:30pm and James ordered two Big Macs, one of which we made a large combo so we could share the fries and soda, and I got a plain hamburger for me ($11.92 after the 10% coupon). We ate quickly and then went back to the room with the extra Big Mac and the soda refill (Diet Dr. Pepper); I had originally planned to go straight into the park after eating but decided I wanted to bring my gloves with me so I temporarily accompanied James back to the room.

    I was on my way just before 5pm and went back to DP; it was still plenty busy! I had decided that I needed to catch as many more shows of The Billys as I could before their Disney retirement, so I headed back to catch their 5:15pm show. Anders (Bass Billy) was performing tonight, but on fiddle, and the funny guy from The Laughing Stock Co. (John Eaden) was also performing with John Marshall on bass. They performed the same songs that I had seen The Blue Team perform on Monday, but gave the show a different feel tonight.



    Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto all were roaming around in their holiday gear interacting with guests, so I got pictures with all of them.






    Santa had also set up shop and there wasnt any line so I asked the CM if Santa was meeting adults as well as children and she told me yes, and then said that I SHOULD meet Santa so I did (and the CM gave me a candy cane afterwards)!



    I decided that I wanted to catch the end of the Christmas Fantasy Parade, so I walked over to The Hub and joined the crowds there. Since Im tall I can enjoy the elements that were up high, but couldnt see anything that was at ground level; I did manage a couple of photos by raising my camera up over the heads of the surrounding guests and snapping away. There was a group at the front of the crowd to the right of where I was standing that was quite enthusiastic and encouraging interaction from the characters; Pinocchio especially seemed to enjoy them and applauded their cheering for him!



    After the parade passed by, I turned around and headed via Frontierland over to ride HMH again just after 6pm; I beat most of the parade crowds so my wait was less than 10mins!

    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  9. #8
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Wednesday, December 4, 2013 (62o) ~ Part III

    I had not seen the Castle lighting yet, so I found a space at The Hub to watch that short show and take a few pictures; it was just GORGEOUS!




    I also took a few pictures of Main Street and its holiday dcor as I walked over to City Hall.



    Since tomorrow was Walts birthday, I wanted to wear a button to celebrate that so I picked one up and asked to have it personalized in his honor.



    Instead of the lamp, Walt's apartment window sports a Christmas tree during the holidays:



    I sat down on a bench outside Disneyana/The Disney Gallery to check some things and then they started the Castle lighting show again at 7pm so I walked back over to their tree; it also transformed into the beautiful glittering white lights that were on the Castle so I took a couple more pictures of it and the surrounding area.



    I next walked back to Disneyana and looked around the shop before cutting over into The Disneyland Story section to check out the exhibits there. They were about to start another Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show, but I didnt want to miss the fireworks so I went back outside.

    I walked back up Main Street and found a spot to watch the Christmas fireworks show; this time I took a bunch of pictures and managed to snap one of the hidden Mickey fireworks toward the beginning of the show (they seem to have this in most of the shows Ive seen at both DL and WDW)!




    After the fireworks and subsequent snowfall had ended, it was 7:45pm and the park was due to close in 15mins so I headed on out rather than try to fight the masses to hit one more ride! I arrived back at the room and watched Survivor and the Saturday Night Live Christmas show with James (he was feeling better than he had that morning, but still not great) before getting to bed around 10pm.

    Steps: 19,504
    Last edited by Pammer; 01-06-2014 at 06:03 PM.
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  10. #9
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Thursday, December 5, 2013 (60o)Pams 53rd Birthday!
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; birthday lunch at Blue Bayou @ 11:30am

    Actual: James slept crappy again which affected me ~ UGH! My alarm went off at 7:30am and he was still sleeping so I got ready and headed out around 8:45am alone (Happy Birthday to me!) after re-setting the alarm for 10am. I know he cant help being sick but I was really hoping we would at least spend SOME time together in the parks this trip!

    I went to DCA and waited a couple of minutes for rope drop; I headed first to pick up a FP for Soarin (9:40am) and skipped getting a WoC AP FP since that queue was pretty long already! I walked quickly back to TSMM, arriving around 9:06am, and waited about 10mins to ride (my score was 186,500 = kitty!).



    I thought about riding again, but the queue had filled in and I decided to skip it. I took a picture of the Christmas tree they had by the bandstand and walked back to Ghirardelli.



    I picked up my sample (two peppermint bark again, since this was the same employee who gave me two on Monday) and enjoyed them as I checked out the RSR FP queue (the return time was only 1:25pm at 9:30am, but the queue was still LONG!).

    I went back to the WoC AP FP line and picked one up (BLUE) at 9:40am, along with another ornament, and then rode Soarin with my FP (row B1 = YAY!).

    I was off around 10am and they were still giving out FPs for RSR so I decided to join the line JUST IN CASE; well, they ran out of them after about 7mins so I walked through Cars Land to check out the single rider queue (LONG) so its not looking good for me to ride it this trip!

    I headed over into Hollywood Land via the shortcut through a bugs land and past ToT, which showed a 20min standby wait. I sat down on a bench across from the Hyperion Theater and called James around 10:15am to make sure he was up (he was!). I had a 100-calorie package of Goldfish crackers so I munched on them before continuing on to see Minnie around 10:40am. I wasnt sure what James would want to do after we ate and I didnt want to miss getting my voucher!

    CM Raymond was on duty again and he was explaining to every party what the new rules were for this voucher; when it was my turn I started telling his spiel back to him! We chatted while I was waiting and part of the conversation had me talking about James being sick all week, but we were due to meet up at the Blue Bayou (BB) for lunch soon (this comes back into play later).



    After I was done getting my photo with Minnie, I headed over to DP around 11am; there were a BUNCH of suits between Town Square and City Hall, many of who were wearing a Mickey glove and high-fiving guests. Not sure what was going on, unless it had to do with Walts birthday, but I was glad to see them and many wished me a Happy Birthday as well.

    I walked over to the BB, checked in, confirmed my request for a water-side table, and was told to have a seat in their foyer. James called me just as I was being taken back at 11:15am for my 11:30am reservation (I was surprised they opened so early!) and said he was at the turnstiles; he arrived about 5mins later and looked like he still felt poorly!

    I had ordered Diet Coke for me and a glass of water for James; he wanted to know if I had already ordered the Tesoro Island Chicken for him (thats what he usually gets) and I said no since I wasnt sure if he wanted to get something else.

    Beth was our server and she was very nice and did a great job of taking care of us. I ordered the chicken with the Blue Bayou potatoes instead of the mashed potatoes; I also had them hold the veggies and substituted the zesty (oh yeah) Shrimp Cocktail for the salad ~ all was delicious! James ended up going with the Portobello Mushroom and Couscous Macque Choux along with the salad and a Mint Julep. He also questioned Beth about the light-up clip-on things you used to be able to order with your drink (I have a Tinker Bell one and James has a Captain Hook one from a previous visit); Beth explained they had a Souvenir Glow Cube but James wanted the one for the kiddies, which is now a pirate head, so he got that along with a souvenir plastic cup & lid! We really enjoyed all of our food and finished off everything, including the delicious bread!

    To celebrate my birthday, Beth brought me a Mickey icon-shaped chocolate mousse truffle; I asked Beth about the chocolate birthday mousse you used to get and this is the new dessert. It was very good as well and I polished it off (James declined to take a bite, so more for me!). The grand total came to $93 after the 10% AP discount, and we waddled out of there by 12:30pm.




    James seemed to be feeling a bit better so we walked through the Emporium, before going over to Disneyana; he had seen this copper-plated E-ticket collectible (we have a gold-plated version of it from 2009) that he was interested in. We had one last 20% AP renewal certificate good for 20% off a purchase of $50 or more that was expiring on 12/31 so we asked if we could use it here; we could so the total came to $47.52.

    I asked if they had any special pins to honor Walts birthday today and they directed us back to the Emporium, where I bought two of them: one that was for Walts birthday and one of Mickey & Minnie under the mistletoe for Christmas (total = $25.83 after the 20% special shopping coupon since it was just before 1pm).



    While we were waiting in the queue, we saw an offer for a collectible gift card; you had to load a minimum of $75 on them but they had a collectible pin with the special card design. Im a sucker for a special deal, and its not like we couldnt ever use a Disney gift card, so we asked about them at the counter. They had designs for Mickey, Minnie, Donald, & Goofy (at the minimum ~ there may have been another design too), but they were out of Mickey & Minnie at this location. They suggested we try across the street at Disney Showcase or try World of Disney, so we went across the street first and they had them! We bought the Mickey and the Minnie ones ($150) and then headed over to DCA just after 1pm.

    We walked over to get James a WoC AP FP (yellow) and the CM gave us TWO ornaments! We next stopped to get daytime pictures with the Walt & Mickey statue, as the ones we had from our last trip together were taken at night and its hard to see the features of the statue.



    James wanted us to do the meet & greet together so we headed over there next. CM Raymond was still on duty and remembered me from before; he also remembered our conversation and asked James if he was feeling better, which surprised James that this stranger knew so much about him!

    Since it was CM Raymond, we didnt get another voucher but that was fine; however, I was sure it would be Stitch because of the time of day, but he suddenly swapped out with Minnie at 1:20pm so we had her instead!



    We looked through Elias & Co. briefly and then James wanted me to see if we could get the free photo yet so he could take it back to the room with him when he left; we checked at 1:40pm and the pictures still had not loaded so we walked back over to Off the Page to look around. James had seen this AP collectible pin set and wanted me to look at it too. We decided we were interested but wanted to see if World of Disney had it; if so, we would buy it tomorrow with one of our 20% off shopping coupons. The CM overheard us talking and offered to call WoD and see if they had the pin set and then asked us about the coupon. She said that they had the ability to accept the coupon (even though it was after 1pm and not normally eligible for this location) so we bought the set here ($47.48 after the 20% off coupon).

    We went back to check on the free photo again at 2pm but it still was not available, so James headed on back to the room along with the ornaments and our purchases.

    I stopped at Ghirardelli for my free sample (2 peppermint bark!) and then walked in to Cars Land; RSR was down, so I sat on a bench outside of Ramones House of Body Art to update my trip notes. I waited until 2:30pm and it hadnt re-opened so I decided to collect the 4 new Cars buttons I had just learned were out (I had collected the initial set released in 2012 on a trip that year).

    I went into Ramones, where a CM explained that I had to go to each attraction to collect the button, so I walked next door to Flos V8 Cafe. There were two CMs outside handing menus to people and I asked if they had any buttons; they did, they gave me one, & I was on my way! Next up was Sarges Surplus Hut, where I asked a CM behind the counter for that button.

    Third up was Maters Junkyard Jamboree, where I lucked upon two CMs at the entrance who had a few buttons with them; I was glad I didnt have to wait in the queue to ride it too (I would prefer to ride this with someone rather than by myself).

    To get the last button, I needed to see Red the Fire Truck; I consulted the Entertainment Times Guide, which stated that he would be over at his main meet & greet area until 4:30pm that day, so I headed over there. He wasnt out, so I sat on a nearby bench to wait a few minutes ~ sure enough, he came out about 5mins later so I was the second party in line and soon had my last button! The CM I got the button from was a lot of fun and I enjoyed fulfilling my collection!



    All buttons have been collected:


    I went back to check on my free photo around 3pm and it had finally been loaded ~ YAY! However, I had a pretty embarrassing moment (well, it could have been even more so!) when I exited the shop and almost walked into the Mens restroom instead of the Womens!

  11. #10
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Thursday, December 5, 2013 (60o)Pams 53rd Birthday! ~ Part II

    I headed back to DP and picked up a FP for Space around 3:15pm (for 6:25pm; yep, the parks are busy!). I then updated my trip notes while I waited for Captain EO to start around 3:30pm; Im glad I got to see this one more time in case it goes away permanently next year as is rumored.

    I caught the last few minutes of Jedi Training Academy and then walked into Fantasyland; Snow Whites Scary Adventures queue didnt look too bad so I rubbed the apple and got a cackle in response as I headed in. My wait was only 5mins as it turned out, and Doc was my ride vehicle.

    I thought about riding Pinocchios Daring Journey, but that queue looked really long & slow so I by-passed it at this time. I went back into Big Thunder Ranch and caught The Billys at 4:15pm ~ YAY! This time Anders was missing, but John Marshall was in his place along with Kirk, Dennis, & Rick. Gosh, Im going to miss this show!



    After their show, I went back to Tomorrowland to see the last JTA show, which was already in progress when I arrived. My favorite Jedi Master was in charge, and I enjoyed his interaction with the kids as well as the rest of the cast.





    Time for me to catch The Billys at Disneyland one LAST time, so back I went to Frontierland (lots of steps today!) to do so. I enjoyed the show, while feeling melancholy at the loss of a great live act at The Happiest Place on Earth. I wish they did a meet & greet here for them (I later read that some of the members would do so, but I never saw them), but I would have to make-do with my video and many pictures from past trips for now.



    I realized that I hadnt watched its a small world Holiday yet this trip, so I headed in that direction; the 5:30pm Christmas parade had started on Main Street today and hadnt yet made it up to Fantasyland, so I was able to get there fairly easily. I debated ducking into the roped-off viewing area adjacent to the queue and watch the parade first, but ultimately decided to just go on the attraction now. Everyone was going to the left at the point where the queue splits, including the people right next to us and they were not letting the rest of us merge in, so I stepped around them and went to the right (far side) and got on the next boat (so there, you selfish people!). I took a bunch of photos of the holiday faade outside and decorations inside and was done before I knew it!





    When we came outside, I had missed almost the entire parade (darn it) ~ their song is so catchy: Theres a special magic, at Christmastime this year. Hearts are gay and merry, and full of Yuletide cheer. ~ lovely!

    I headed back into Fantasyland and rode Mr. Toad (Ratty) after about a 7min wait, followed by Pinocchio (10mins); then it was time to ride Space one last time with my FP (6:40pm). I checked my phone and saw that James had called, so I called him back after I finished with the ride.

    The park was open for another hour but I was getting tired, so I decided to call it a day. I stopped at the Candy Palace for 3 more peanut butter sandwiches ($11.63 after the AP discount), where I waited about 10mins to make my purchase, and then I stopped at a very busy Coke Corner for dinner to bring back to the room. I noticed that the line to the left was shorter than those to the right so thats the one I joined (there was this one young lady that was with several other young women; they were all in line to my right and she was standing in my line and we were moving faster than her friends ~ I was hoping that they didnt decide to cut over and fortunately, they did not!).

    I ordered some chili & a kids turkey hot dog for James and a hot dog/chips combo & Mickey pretzel for me ($25.33 after the AP discount); I chowed down on the pretzel as I left the park and headed back to the motel. I arrived about 7:45pm and we ate the rest of the food while watching TV. I think James was in bed around 9:15pm and I followed by 10:30pm.

    Steps: 22,340
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  12. #11
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Friday, December 6, 2013 (60o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA; travel home in the afternoon/evening

    Actual: The alarm went off at 7:30am; I had hoped to get a couple of more hours in the parks this morning before we had to leave but I felt like a cold was coming on and decided against trying to get into a park today after all. I lay in bed watching TV until James woke up a little after 9am; we took our time getting ready & packing up and then we took our small bags & valuables over to the lockers next door at the Anaheim Desert Inn ($1). We then checked out around 11am and stored the big suitcase at the Del Sol office; TJ (manager) offered to arrange the transportation for us to the Amtrak station at 1pm, and we headed out.

    We walked over to Downtown Disney and browsed WoD on our way to the Rainforest Caf for lunch. I flashed my Landrys Select Club card and was directed right upstairs to be seated (of course, it wasnt TOO busy at this time of day). We had a great server (April), who took really good care of us. James ordered the China Island Chicken Salad & OJ and I ordered the chicken tenders with ranch dressing and a Diet Coke ($40.37, after our 10% AP discount). The food and service was great!

    Note: the reason we ended up using our AP discount here is because I had two $25 rewards on my Landrys Select Club Card: one for my birthday (which is good through 1/15/14) and one I had previously earned (which is good until early September 2014) but we didnt have $50 worth of food today! One of the managers, Jon, was great to help us figure out the best way to get a discount today; Jon even tried to be creative and split the check so we could just use one reward, but the system wanted to use the regular reward first (we wanted to use the birthday one first since it expires earlier). Therefore, we plan to use both rewards at a local Claim Jumper before the birthday one expires in January (we can always bring food home to get up to the $50 limit!).

    We finished up around 12:30pm and checked out the retail store; we ended up buying a cute t-shirt for our great-nephew Chase ($4.86 after the 10% card discount) and then headed back to WoD. DD was extremely busy, as you would expect on a Saturday in December! I checked WoD briefly for CDs, but we just didnt have the time to look around further.

    We said goodbye to Disneyland as we walked through the Esplanade and over to collect our gear from the locker & TJ. There was a town car waiting for us and she loaded us up and off we went! I asked about stopped at an AM/PM station that was on our way so I could run in and pick up a ticket for the Mega Millions lottery tonight, and she said it would cost an extra $10! Um, no thanks.

    She dumped, er, dropped us off at the Amtrak station and I gave her a $20 bill. She took it, got in her car, and drove off! Im not sure what the fare was supposed to be and even though I know TJ was just trying to be helpful, the next time I will call for a taxi myself where there is a meter! I was unimpressed with her friendliness factor but she WAS quick!

    We went inside the station, thinking that we had about 45mins to wait for our train; a couple of minutes later they announced the arrival of the northbound Surfliner at 1:25pm, which was running about 30mins late. James asked her if we could board that one instead and she said yes, since the seats were considered unreserved (we thought it was better to wait at the LA station than the Anaheim one; we would be that much closer to our destination!).

    We boarded a fairly empty train and arrived in LA just after 2pm; we checked out the station that we had rushed through just 5 days earlier and bought two foot-long sandwiches from Subway (veggie for James & turkey/cheese for me = $12.61). I noticed that they had a little convenience store that sold lottery tickets so I bought 5 quick-picks for tonights Mega Millions drawing ($5), which was several hundred million dollars (I didnt win though ~ rats!).



    We boarded the express Amtrak bus and left around 3:25pm; we had some Friday afternoon commute traffic, which we expected, but the ride was fairly uneventful and we arrived in Bakersfield at 6pm. The worst part was that the bus driver was all over the place and kept straddling the left line of his lane! I was getting carsick and was happy to get off.

    We collected our luggage and boarded the train; we left on time at 6:20pm and the train was so NOT crowded ~ the total opposite of the trip down on Sunday. We watched some more episodes of The Peoples Court and ate half of our sandwiches; between Hanford and Fresno I went to the Caf car and bought a very small container of Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream & a Snickers bar ($4). We finished our sandwiches and shared the candy bar (the ice cream was all mine though!) and arrived to a rainy Sacramento around 11:25pm. We got off the train and hauled our stuff to the station, where I waited while James went to get the SUV. After loading up, we were on our way home, arriving around midnight. I was in bed around 1am, where I was feeling lousier as each hour wore on! [We picked up Simon ($140) and restarted our mail delivery on Saturday morning; boy, did I feel awful that day!]

    Steps: 9,453


    Up Next: I had booked airfare for a quick trip March 1-4 back in November during a fare sale, and were hoping James will be able to make that flight. He doesnt really want to take the train again, although it was nice to not drive all that way!


    Summary

    I felt bad that James didnt have an enjoyable trip, although I did appreciate his effort of traveling with me for my birthday!


    Highlights include:

    • Just going to Disneyland again!
    • Seeing the lovely holiday dcor, plus the Christmas Fantasy Parade & Holiday Magic Fireworks again!
    • Seeing Billy Hill & the Hillbillies one last time before they are retired by Disney
    • Our delicious lunch at the Blue Bayou (waterside table & yummy chocolate dessert!)
    • Seeing World of Color Winter Dreams
    • Riding the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage again (possibly for the last time), plus Goofys Sky School & Mickeys Fun Wheel
    • The lovely WARM weather!
    • Meeting Carol & her family



    Lowlights include:

    • James being sick most of the trip, thereby not being able to spend time with me in the parks
    • Those AWFUL crowds!
    • Knowing that this was the last time I will see Billy Hill & the Hillbillies at Disneyland
    • Missing Peter Pans Flight, Star Tours, Buzz, Sailing Ship Columbia, Mark Twain Riverboat, Fantasmic!, Mickey & the Magical Map, Monorail, Mickeys Toontown, California Screamin, Its Tough to be a Bug, Muppet Vision 3D, and Cars Land; this just means we need to return soon!



    Hope you enjoy reading my report ~ until next time!
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  13. #12
    Registered User
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    Always enjoy your reports. Loved the buttons you collected in Carsland, how fun. On my last trip the crowd predictor also said the crowds would be low (don't remember the actual numbers) but they weren't. We never got on Peter Pans flight either and went there first thing a few mornings. Not sure I'm going to look at those reports anymore I just don't want to get my hopes up for small crowds and boom it's packed.

    Keep a cap on your radiator & a smile on your bumper

  14. #13

    Pam,
    What a wonderful report. Happy Belated Birthday!! I was so glad to see James with you for your birthday. I know how much you were hoping he would be able to be with you.
    Thanks SO much for another great trip.
    Ellen


  15. #14
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Apr 2004
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    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by letshavefun View Post
    Always enjoy your reports. Loved the buttons you collected in Carsland, how fun. On my last trip the crowd predictor also said the crowds would be low (don't remember the actual numbers) but they weren't. We never got on Peter Pans flight either and went there first thing a few mornings. Not sure I'm going to look at those reports anymore I just don't want to get my hopes up for small crowds and boom it's packed.
    Thanks! Yeah, I'm a bit leery now as well, but just chalk these crowds up as a result to the great weather, 'new' shows (Jingle Cruise, WoC), and Cars Land still being such a big hit! I know the next visit will probably be busy as well, but I won't let it stop me ~ LOL!

    Quote Originally Posted by EJ4Disney View Post
    Pam,
    What a wonderful report. Happy Belated Birthday!! I was so glad to see James with you for your birthday. I know how much you were hoping he would be able to be with you.
    Thanks SO much for another great trip.
    Ellen
    Thanks Ellen; you always have such kind words!
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  16. #15

    Another great report, Pam! I enjoyed it thoroughly. Taking Amtrak always sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? Then the reality of all the transfers can make it a bit hectic. Still, glad you got to explore Union Station and see some countryside from the comfort of a reclining seat. The coastal route between Santa Barbara and LA is a trip worth taking.

    I have never once taken advantage of a free Disney Visa photo, and I live 6 miles away ~ ridiculous!

    I agree; crowds were at their most insane this year. It was almost unbearable just to go see the decorations and catch the parade. So much for “Noone goes to Disneyland anymore because it’s too expensive”, eh?

    I’m sure you’ve heard, but Billy & the Hillbillies were picked up by Knott’s in a very smart move on their part, so maybe in March you can swing a side trip over there to see your pals in action. Looking forward to your next report then.


  17. #16
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Apr 2004
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    Thanks Kelly! Yeah, too bad they can't get the high-speed rail built between LA and Bakersfield first (although they can't even get it built anywhere else in the valley yet!); then it would have been much better! I would have loved to have done the coastal route even one-way, but it just takes too long and I don't really want to be on the train THAT long - LOL!

    The free Disney Visa photo is how I got James to pose with characters in the first place! He never wanted to until he found out about this freebie; now he usually is game. However, the other characters are another story...he's hit or miss on those, but he usually will pose in front of the castle or statue with me.

    I did hear about The Billys being picked up by Knott's...I may not be able to go over on one of these short trips to DL, but I definitely hope to see them again someday soon!

    I guess I better start on the pre-planning part of my NEXT trip report - Happy New Year!

    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  18. #17
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Feb 2008
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    foresthill Ca

    As usual, a great report. Should I not mention I ended up with 5 free bags of the peppermint bark (The smaller ones with 14 pieces) this year using sales and coupons. I noticed the markup at the shop in Ghiradelli square, when A had her SF field trip last spring. But, I know what they run at Target and CVS etc.
    Cool, new buttons. Did you have to answer trivia questions? That was part of the fun, I thought. I think A only got 3 of the 4 though.
    ETA: I laughed at the second "Mickey" fireworks picture. It looks less like Mickey and more like a fry guy.


  19. #18
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Apr 2004
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    Thanks candles! YUM...on the peppermint bark; lucky you to get them free! I guess I will just stick with the individual freebie sample each day that they give at DCA and not buy them there in the future!

    For the buttons, the first CM said that I would probably have to answer trivia questions (I did the previous year for my first set), but no one asked any this time so getting them was a breeze. Alledgedly there will be additional sets each year, so we shall see!

    Yeah...I'm not sure what the second fireworks picture is supposed to be; I knew it didn't look too much like a hidden Mickey, but it does kind of look like it has eyes, doesn't it? (I thought it was funny when I was reviewing my pictures!)

    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Pammer View Post
    Thanks Kelly! Yeah, too bad they can't get the high-speed rail built between LA and Bakersfield first (although they can't even get it built anywhere else in the valley yet!); then it would have been much better! !
    Heh...the High Speed Rail is a project that's been in my office on and off for YEARS (Environmental Engineering firm). It gets cancelled, the budget gets shelved, it gets reinstated, we do more planning work, it gets put on hold, Sacramento changes their mind, etc etc etc...it's all become a very sad joke!

    Oh well, maybe by 2050..

  21. #20
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by spectromen View Post
    oh well, maybe by 2050..
    lol!
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  22. #21

    What a great trip report! Thanks for sharing your experiences. My most recent trip overlapped yours (we were there Dec 4-8), so I enjoyed re-living my trip through your photos and words!

    I, too, was disappointed by the worse-than-expected crowds. But we were there on Saturday during the rain, and that seemed to scare quite a few visitors off. We had fun romping around in our ponchos, lol.

    I've always thought of taking the train, but never tried it. It would take longer than driving, but would probably be a lot more enjoyable!


  23. #22
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Apr 2004
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    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by lifeisgood View Post
    What a great trip report! Thanks for sharing your experiences. My most recent trip overlapped yours (we were there Dec 4-8), so I enjoyed re-living my trip through your photos and words!

    I, too, was disappointed by the worse-than-expected crowds. But we were there on Saturday during the rain, and that seemed to scare quite a few visitors off. We had fun romping around in our ponchos, lol.

    I've always thought of taking the train, but never tried it. It would take longer than driving, but would probably be a lot more enjoyable!
    Thanks! Yeah, the train definitely takes longer than driving but it's much more relaxing; I wish it were a bit quicker!

    Glad you made-do with the crowds and enjoyed your trip!
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



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