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Thread: Pammer ~ March 1-4, 2014 ~ Anaheim Del Sol Inn

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

    Pammer ~ March 1-4, 2014 ~ Anaheim Del Sol Inn

    Travel dates: March 1-4, 2014
    Travel method: Plane
    Resort: Anaheim Del Sol Inn (Off-site)
    Accommodations: Standard
    Ages Represented in Group: Adult
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Veteran to Princess-in-training
    Comments: We need a spring-time Disneyland fix!
    Cast of characters:
    • Pam, 53: trip planner/writer and self-proclaimed Disney Queen
    • James, 54: Pam's husband
    • Debbie: Pam’s second cousin's wife
    • Sophia, 2 1/2: Debbie's granddaughter


    The Planning

    I'm always thinking about my next Disney trip (or two or three!) and I find the room rates are lowest the further out you book. Since we were going to Disneyland in December 2013 I didn't plan our usual trip for late January around James' birthday like I have in the past. I knew I would want another "fix" before our Annual Passes expire on May 1st, so I checked the SoCal pass block-out calendar, estimated crowd levels on TouringPlans.com, and overall holiday schedules before planning our trips for 2014.

    I ended up choosing March 1-4, where we would travel down on a Saturday when our passes are blocked out and then hit the parks Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday before traveling home that evening. Our last trip was via Amtrak, since James is having issues flying; however, he prefers flying vs. the train so my fingers are crossed that he will make the flights this time!

    Lodging: In early November I made reservations at our usual spot: the Anaheim Del Sol Inn on Harbor Blvd. (a 5-minute walk from the parks; total for 3 nights = $324).

    Transportation: When Southwest Airlines had a fare sale ($69 equivalent) in early November I booked our flights using points purchased for our trip to FL last spring that we ended up not using (I've learned that if you book flights with points on SWA they are fully refundable, including the 9/11 fees, with no 12-month use-or-lose requirement!). Then in early February, I noticed that the return flight had dropped $10 (924 points) so I rebooked that portion for both of us! Our round-trip airfare from Sacramento to Orange County is now costing $30 apiece for the 9/11 fees and Early-Bird options (without points the cost would have been $153 apiece).

    I also made reservations with SuperShuttle for travel to/from the motel ($32 round-trip after the Entertainment Card group discount was applied).

    Tickets: We have SoCal APs, which were renewed on May 1st and therefore still valid.

    Priority Seating: With such a short trip this time, I didn't make any reservations and we'll probably just wing it with counter-service and off-site places.

    Disney Visa Rewards Card: I had accumulated a $74.26 rewards balance on my Disney Visa Rewards Card (DVRC) since I had last redeemed rewards during our trip to Disneyland in December, so I transferred that over before we left. In addition, our next statement will close on 3/3 so if I remember I can transfer the new point balance the next day to use before we leave that afternoon!


    The Itinerary

    The pre-planning was done, and we were ready to go! Here is our planned schedule:
    • March 1: Fly down in the early afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; World of Disney
    • March 2: Disneyland/DCA
    • March 3: Disneyland/DCA
    • March 4: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA; fly home in the evening


    Friday, February 28, 2014

    Actual: Usually the day before departure is used to pack and clean the house before we leave; in the past we would also have to drop our diabetic kitty Simon off at the boarder either the night before or the day of (depending upon our departure time). Unfortunately, Simon developed a cancerous tumor in the back of his throat and passed away two weeks before our trip.

    I worked from home while I did laundry and we did our usual chores as well; around 3:45pm I went to Subway to pick up a couple of foot-long sandwiches (a veggie for James and a turkey/cheese for me = $12.58 total, for which I used a gift card) for lunch at the airport tomorrow.

    After I got home, I dropped the key off with our neighbor Steve (who will watch over our other kitty Sidney while we are gone), printed off our boarding passes (A35 & A36) and finished packing. I went to bed around 11:45pm and James followed around 2am after taking a sleeping pill that his doctor had prescribed. We don't need to leave until 10:30am tomorrow, so this should give both of us time to get plenty of sleep ~ or so we thought!


    Saturday, March 1, 2014 (64o)
    Plan: Fly down in the early afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; World of Disney

    Actual: Unfortunately, I woke up at 4:15am to use the restroom and couldn't get back to sleep for over an hour! Then I was woken up by Sidney hacking under the bed around 6:20am, which also regrettably woke James up. I gave Sidney some food and we both tried to get some more sleep but no such luck!

    We got up around 8:30am and I fed Sidney the rest of his breakfast and had a protein shake while getting ready. James was really quiet, which I knew wasn’t a good sign of things to come.

    We left around 10:45am and I made a quick stop at 7-11 to buy a Mega Millions quick-pick since the jackpot was $240m! It was lightly sprinkling, although I drove out of it as we headed north on Highway 99.

    Traffic was wonderfully light this Saturday morning and as I took the airport exit, James told me to turn off into the Arco gas station parking lot. He said he was getting light-headed again and wouldn't be going on the trip, but that I could go ahead if I wanted to. This made me very sad and part of me wanted to go and part of me wanted to stay. I had been sick during the week and had started losing my voice yesterday, so I didn't feel 100%; however, it IS Disneyland and I still wanted to go ride Space Mountain, if nothing else!

    We sat there a few minutes as I tried to make up my mind and I ultimately decided to go; I also was trying to decide how to cancel his flights (I had made his reservation separate from mine back in November, JUST IN CASE!) and rebook SuperShuttle for just me before the no-refund deadline so my mind was racing with these thoughts.

    We had a large suitcase that we had planned to check and then each of us had a carry-on as well; I didn’t need such a large bag for just me & didn’t need to take all of his clothes either, so I ended up repacking my stuff into the two carry-ons. James drove me over to Terminal B and dropped me off around 11:30am; although it is so convenient to be dropped off/picked up curbside, I was very bummed that he wasn’t coming with me.

    I kept second-guessing my decision since I still wasn’t feeling so great, as I walked up to the counter to check-in my larger carry-on suitcase (22.5#) with no waiting. The agent informed me that my flight was 20mins delayed and then he cancelled James’ flights for me, which deposited the points back in my account and refunded the $5 9/11 fee back to my credit card; only the $25 Early-Bird fee was non-refundable.

    I went upstairs and found a quiet table off to the side where I could look into cancelling & rebooking my SuperShuttle reservations; the Internet connection wasn’t very good and it was closing in on my 2-hour cancellation refund window, so I ended up calling them directly to make the changes. I was on hold for 10mins before a very nice agent took my call and assisted me with my changes; the only bad thing was that it cost me $2 more to book the new ride for me over the phone rather than online (net credit of $6 back to me rather than $8). Because of this, I only made the change for today’s shuttle; I will use my PamPhone to make the change for the return shuttle from my room when I have more time.

    I quickly got through TSA, filled my water bottle, and found a quiet gate to try calling James (I wanted to remind him to turn the volume back up on the answering machine when he got home or he would never get any messages!); he didn't answer either our home phone or his cell so I headed over to the food eating area. I ate of my sandwich and sent messages to both my cousin Debbie (who lives in Torrance) and my niece's sister-in-law Patty (who lives in Escondido) to see if either one would be able to come hang out with me during my stay.

    I hit the restroom and went to my gate to await boarding; I finally connected with James just before 1pm, but he had difficulty hearing me so I told him I would call him once I arrived in Anaheim. I boarded my flight and was able to snag the window seat in the wide exit row at the middle of the plane. Since it was a full flight, there was someone who sat in the middle seat as well; she was very chatty (usually I like to listen to music when I fly) and the flight went by quickly. Because of the rain all over California, we had cloud cover the whole way down and there was nothing to see out the window anyway!

    The guy in the aisle seat starting talking to us as well, and I found out that he was a local dairy farmer on his way down to Huntington Beach for some Ag Council meetings on Monday; what a small world to find out that he knew one of my brother's college roommates (who is a dairy farmer in the Central Valley) and also was familiar with my relatives who own a large feed & grain business in Tulare!

    We had a HILARIOUS male flight attendant: first we heard him announcing from the back of the plane as people were boarding that there would be free drinks for the people who came back and sat in rows 25-30 ~ it must have been a rude awakening for them to find out that there were only 24 rows in the plane! And then during the safety briefing, he buckled the seatbelt around his head and then "panicked" when he couldn't get his life preserver to inflate, even with the manual breathing tube! He also pretended to refer back to the airplane info card to remind him about something else during the briefing ~ he was quite amusing.

    We left about 20mins late and landed about 20mins late as well around 2:35pm; I had Diet Dr. Pepper and some cocktail peanuts (I kept the package of pretzels they also gave me for later) for my snack. When we disembarked, I hit the restroom and waited for my checked bag to show up. I then headed down to the Ground Transportation area to catch my SuperShuttle van. They put me with a large family from Oregon who were staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel (PPH), and I elected to sit in the front seat so I wouldn't have to struggle to a rear seat instead.

    We left about 5mins later (around 3:15pm) and I was surprised that the driver didn’t take the carpool lane on the freeway; he went to the PPH first to drop the family off and then drove around to the Anaheim Del Sol Inn to drop me off. I checked in around 4pm and offered to take a King bed room rather than the 2-Queen beds room I had reserved, as long as it was near the front of the resort over the carpool like I prefer! They agreed and put me in #236 (the 3rd room back = perfect!) and also gave me my chocolate chip cookies, which were still warm!

    I hauled my bags upstairs and briefly checked out the room to make sure the fridge was cold and that everything was in its place (towels, pillows, toiletries, etc.) and then I started unpacking a few things. I also tried calling James again but only got the answering machine, so I figured he was sleeping and I would call him back later.

    I was getting hungry so I left the room around 4:35pm and headed over to the Rainforest Cafe (RFC) via Downtown Disney (DD). It was sprinkling again (the motel clerk told me that at least the wind had died down!) and I only took my wallet and PamPhone with me in my jeans pockets, so I wouldn't get bogged down with the bag check lines. There were a lot of people out, typical of a Saturday, and many were headed towards Harbor Blvd. as well as DD (dinnertime!).

    I showed my Landry Select Club card at the RFC desk for priority seating and was told it would be about a 10-15min wait; there were LOTS of people standing around the retail space since it was still sprinkling outside. I looked around at the clearance merchandise but didn't see anything I was interested in buying. By the time they called my name, it was raining a little bit harder outside!

    I was seated at the far back of the ground floor next to the gorilla near the emergency exit door. My server was Yasmin and she was very friendly! I ordered a Diet Coke with the chicken tenders appetizer as my entree (with ranch dressing for dipping), which they brought out fairly quickly. The place was packed, and the couple across the way laughed at me when I jumped the first time the gorilla acted up!

    I ate everything ($19 with tip) and left around 5:45pm to free up the table for another couple. There was still a light rain coming down and DD was still very busy, so I decided not to walk around the Disneyland Hotel grounds tonight.

    I wanted to try the Sno-Ball at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, so I got in the short line there and waited about 10mins to order. I ordered a cherry Sno-Ball and a small order of beignets ($8.24 after the 10% AP discount), and watched them make the concoction for me. The ice wasn't quite as finely shaved as that from Hawaii, but it held the syrup quite well and wasn't as coarse as a regular sno-cone would be. I wish I’d ordered the ice cream with it and the condensed milk as a topping, but I didn't remember at the time! I took it with me and stopped outside the Grand California Hotel near the monorail berm (hello Monorail Blue!) to work on my treat while also trying to stay dry ~ I think it was just OK, not outstanding; however, I will try it again on my next trip in June which should really feel refreshing!

    After I got through the top part of my treat (on hindsight, it WAS a bit cold to be eating one of these tonight!), I headed back towards my room. I stopped at the Mini-Mart that is next to the Park Vue Inn to get some water for the room (2 1-L bottles = $5.59; pricey, but not as much as Disneyland would be!), as the store at the Anaheim Desert Inn was gone!

    I arrived back in the room around 6:30pm and I watched reruns of “The Big Bang Theory” on TBS while finishing my Sno-Ball. During the next few hours I finished unpacking my suitcases, ate the beignets (yummy, but OH SO FILLING; good thing they are hollow!), updated my trip notes and downloaded a few app updates on my PamPhone while it was charging. I also called James again and heard from my cousin Debbie, who will try to come meet me either Sunday afternoon or Monday while she is baby-sitting her granddaughter.

    I set my alarm for 6:45am and was in bed around 10:30pm after a quick shower.

    Steps: 9,476
    Last edited by Pammer; 03-24-2014 at 09:55 AM.
    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
    Sunday, March 2, 2014 (62o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I awoke around 4am to use the restroom and then had trouble getting back to sleep (this happens WAY too often for my liking), so I turned the TV on really low and fell back asleep by 4:45am. I awoke again around 6:30am, before my alarm, and ate the rest of my Subway sandwich while watching the weather reports on the various local channels to determine what I should wear/take with me. They were still forecasting a chance of showers, plus it was a bit chilly this hour of the morning, so I wore my rain jacket along with a SparkleSkirts running skirt (these are SO comfy for park touring!) and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt. It wasn't raining and I was out the door just before 8am.

    There was no wait at either bag check or the turnstiles; I guess these early mornings on Sunday when it's raining helps keep the locals away! I went to Disneyland Park (DP) and was walking down Main Street by 8:05am. I went straight to Peter Pan's Flight, where the queue was only filled in about halfway, and rode after about 10mins.

    I then went next door to ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (MacBadger); there were several people standing in the disabled line ~ not sure if everyone belonged in that line or whether new arrivals thought that IT was the actual entrance queue! I entered the correct queue (which nobody else was in) and indeed a few people were instructed to leave the other queue and move to where I was.

    When I exited, the King Arthur Carrousel was coming to a stop in front of me so I searched for Jingles (the Mary Poppins horse) and took some pictures of it.



    I walked around the corner and saw that Alice in Wonderland was closed; I confirmed with the Cast Member (CM) out front that it was closed due to the wet conditions (as was the Mad Tea Party, but I can't stomach that ride!). I noticed that the Storybook Land Canal Boats had a short wait, so I headed over; I made it on the next boat (Cinderella) and enjoyed seeing the miniature sets again.







    I then went next-door to Casey Jr. Circus Train and had a one-train wait to ride; most of the families wanted to sit in the cage cars, which suited me as I wanted to sit in an open car. However, I ended up getting my rear wet because the seats were wet from the recent rain! Oh well ~ I managed to squeeze most of the water out of my skirt when I got off the ride.







    I took some pictures of the abandoned Skyway station (I usually forget it’s still there!) as a remembrance before it gets dismantled, and then headed over towards Tomorrowland.



    I opted not to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds this trip as I had strained my back a bit a few days ago and didn’t want to aggravate my condition from the rough ride.

    I walked past Pixie Hollow, which was closed for "filming" (filming what, I don’t know), and rode Star Tours around 9am; the wait was posted at 5mins (which was pretty accurate) and I experienced the Stormtroopers, Hoth, Princess Leia, and Coruscant segments. I got a bit freaked me out when my ESP really seemed to be working and I predicted each scene before it came on screen!

    It was time for my favorite attraction ~ Space Mountain! I picked up a FastPass (FP) at 9:15am (9:55am) and entered the stand-by queue; the wait was posted as 15mins but I was on in just a few minutes!



    I exited and walked back around to ride again, this time with a 10min wait (we were held briefly in the queue when a CM swapped out one of the mats) ~ another great ride!

    Now it was 9:45am and I had 10mins before my FP was valid, so I hit the bathroom and then worked on my trip notes while I waited for the window to open up. I picked up another FP for Space at 9:55am (10:35am) and rode with my earlier one; a good thing as the queue both outside and inside was much longer as more and more guests were arriving!
    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
    Sunday, March 2, 2014 (Part II)

    I headed over to ride Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters with about a 5min wait; I hit my usual L-4 with a score of 135,900. I even found the Hidden Mickey planet in the queue!






    I went over to Tomorrowland Terrace and sat at a table near the ramp to have a snack of Goldfish crackers while waiting for the Jedi Training Academy to start at 10:30am. I took a couple of pictures of the Jedi Masters as they strode by and watched a few minutes as the new Padewans were chosen.




    I left at 10:35am thinking I would go use my Space FP, which was now valid, but then decided to check-in for the AP Captain America meet & greet preview at Innoventions. I had signed-up for the 11am 12pm timeslot and had my printed confirmation with me, but for some reason I was not on the written list nor would my AP be accepted when scanned. The CM had me stand to the side while he sent for a Lead; in the meantime, he let about 15 people in before me! The rumor at the time was they were letting APs without reservations in, so I don't know what the hold-up was, but he eventually let me in and I joined the long queue.

    I waited about 30mins and the CM at the head of the queue (I tried to see his name ~ maybe Renati?) was very entertaining; it was pretty funny when a young boy would be dressed in his Captain America costume and the CM would ask him why he was out here when he was supposed to be inside meeting guests! At least there were plenty of adults in the queue with me so I didn't feel out-of-place!

    Captain America was very charming; he asked me my name as he shook my hand and told me he was pleased to meet me. I told him my hoarse voice was because I had been cheering for him and he liked that! He offered me his arm for our photos together, and then we shook my hand good-bye as well! What a delight.




    As I exited, I was given a small movie poster to promote the movie; I know a couple of little boys that might like it when I get home!

    It was now 11:20am and I decided I should meet Thor while I was here, so I headed in that direction; on the way I took a photo of the Iron Man suit that was on display.




    The CM said it was about a 30min wait to see Thor, so I got in line and did the time. Oh hubba hubba, he was well worth it! I thought the Bifrost effect was just ok though. Just like Captain America, Thor was very charming and shook my hand when he asked me my name; he even had the Chris Hemsworth accent down pretty well!




    At some point this morning, I got a text from Debbie that she couldn't meet me today but she would let me know when she was on her way tomorrow with her granddaughter Sophia.

    When I was done around noon, I left Innoventions and saw that Tomorrowland was getting very busy! I headed over to Disney California Adventure (DCA) and walked into Hollywood Land to check out the Disney Chase Visa Meet & Greet; there were several people in line, and they had them standing under the roof to stay dry, as it looked like it might rain soon. I walked up to the CM and asked if it was Stitch or Minnie out right now; it was Stitch and I wanted Minnie since I had the Mickey shirt on!

    I confirmed that Minnie would be back at 12:30pm and then walked over to pick up a FP for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (ToT) (12:55pm). I was also very ready for a quick bite to eat so I went to Award Wieners for a regular hot dog & chips ($6.11 after the AP discount) and sat in the covered seating area to wolf down my food!

    It was starting to sprinkle again when I left at 12:35pm to go back to the meet & greet; there were a lot of cheer teams in the area today for some USA competition, which is why there were no Aladdin shows this weekend in the Hyperion Theater.

    I waited a few minutes to see Minnie and she seemed to like it when I told her I had waited especially for her because of my Mickey shirt! She drew a heart with her hands to demonstrate her love for her main mouse ~ LOL!




    Monsters Inc. showed a 25min wait, which was longer than I cared to endure, so I decided to see Muppet*Vision 3D; I hadn't seen it in quite a while and it was more popular than usual due to the wet conditions outside! I arrived partway through the pre-show, and then was surprised when the "feed" was interrupted right after the Three D's by what I thought was an evil Kermit look-a-like speaking with a German accent! I was pretty sure that it was a promotion tie-in to the new Muppets movie that is due to open later this month. The character is actually named Constantine, I later found out. It was a cute surprise and soon the regular pre-show was back and we went into the theater to see the regular show.

    My next stop was over to ToT to use my FP and I was surprised that there was a slight queue for the FP side! I was pleased to get sent to the right library so I didn't have to hike upstairs and was disappointed to not have a picture afterwards (I think somebody must have done something naughty!).




    I walked over to Cars Land via a bug's land and saw that Luigi's Flying Tires was a walk-on (the rain had stopped by now and fortunately was done for this trip). I checked the single rider line for Radiator Springs Racers (RSR) and could see it was very long so I walked over to Ghirardelli for a free chocolate sample (Sea Salt Caramel).

    I decided to see It's Tough to be a Bug since I also hadn't seen that in a while either; the preshow was almost over when I arrived and I enjoyed the attraction with a fairly small crowd.

    When that was over, I thought about riding Soarin' over California via the single rider queue, but ultimately decided that it was probably pretty long since standby was posted at 50mins!

    My energy level was fading so I decided to head back to my motel for a break, but first I stopped at Trolley Treats for some of those delicious peanut butter sandwich treats I discovered on my last visit ($15.51, after my AP discount). I also stopped at Kingswell Camera Shop to pick up my free photo.

    I left DCA through the main entrance and headed towards La Brea Bakery Express to pick up a turkey/mozzarella Panini for my dinner (I figured I could heat it up in the microwave; $9.57 after my AP discount). I then headed back to my room, arriving about 3pm; I was glad housekeeping had already come by!

    I ate a PB sandwich treat and took a short nap before something woke me up; I ended up spending quite a bit of time in the room, more than I usually would have given the fact that I was at Disneyland! I called James, rebooked my SuperShuttle for Tuesday (net credit of $8 back to me), and updated my trip notes. I also heated up the Panini for dinner while watching the Oscars and The Amazing Race. In hindsight, TAR was being recorded at home and I should have gone back to the park earlier!
    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
    Sunday, March 2, 2014 (Part III)

    I left at 9:15pm for Disneyland Park, where there was a short line at the turnstiles. There was a small crowd waiting to see the Remember ~ Dreams Come True fireworks and I found a spot near The Hub to wait for them to start. I could see the higher fireworks from Fantasmic! over to the left and then our fireworks began around 9:25pm. This is my favorite firework show and I enjoyed seeing it again, although Tinker Bell didn't fly (presumably due to the earlier rain).






    After the fireworks I headed into Frontierland as I tried to decide what to do before the 10:30pm Fantasmic! show. I ended up making a U-turn to join the exiting crowds from the 9pm Fantasmic! show and returned to The Hub. I decided to try Buzz and only waited about 5mins to ride (L-4 again = 256,000 = not bad for me!).






    I then walked next door to Tomorrowland Terrace to see the Beatles tribute band: A Hard Day's Night at 10pm. They were dressed as The Beatles would have looked in their Hey Jude days and were very good! I stayed for a few songs and really enjoyed their performance; too bad I didn't make it over here earlier to see some of their earlier shows (they reminded me of the excellent British Invasion who used to play at the UK pavilion in Epcot).




    I left at 10:20pm to head over to find a spot to watch Fantasmic! at 10:30pm. I found a spot near the center and the show started a few minutes later. I noticed that the fountains seemed to have been updated with more vibrant colors reminiscent of the colors used at The World of Color show; they also reminded me of the fountains used for IllumiNations at Epcot ~ not sure if there really was a change or if it was just wishful thinking on my part!




    The show was missing some elements, such as the flower petals and Kaa up on the stage; I'm guessing it was due to the earlier rain as well. I had read that the choreography on the Columbia during the Peter Pan segment had been cut down considerably, which I found to be true ~ I hope this is just temporary as it really detracted from my usual enjoyment of this segment! The Ariel/Eric barge was also missing during the Princess segment.




    During the Villains segment, the water screens stopped working and then they stopped the show and announced that due to technical difficulties yada, yada, yada ~ Boo!

    I quickly headed over to ride Indiana Jones Adventure, which was posted with a 10min standby wait; this was more like 20mins (maybe I should have done the single-rider line?)!

    I also decided to ride the Jungle Cruise where I was 5th in line but there were no boats for several minutes! We had Skipper Sandy (male) who was fantastic! He had a few new (to me) jokes: Which animal is the oldest on the African Veldt? The zebra, because it is black & white! Very funny ~

    I was on my way out at 11:40pm when I saw CM Maynard outside the entrance to the Enchanted Tiki Room speaking with a guest. I waited my turn and then chatted with him for a few minutes; apparently he was on his way out. I told him how I had first read about him many years ago in the Disney Magazine back when he worked at the Haunted Mansion; he now mainly works the Tiki Room due to the "landlock" structure of where CMs work now. I also mentioned how I would have loved to see him in action at the HM so he sang me a spooky song in his HM character! What a great CM; I really enjoyed our short interaction.

    I headed back to my room and took a quick shower; it took me a while to finally unwind and I was in bed by 1:30am.

    Steps: 19,542
    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
    Monday, March 3, 2014 (71o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I was awake by 7:45am and drank a protein shake and watched the local news while I was getting ready. I received a text from Debbie that she was on her way and planned to go to DCA, so I replied that my plan was to hit DP first for a few rides and then text her when I park-hopped over to DCA.

    I was out the door by 9:45am and my plans were altered when I saw the HUGE lines at all 3 bag check stations as well as more HUGE lines for both parks! The line for DCA was a bit shorter (they had early entry this morning), so I decided to head over there instead. I wanted to get a FP for World of Color early this morning anyway because I wanted the blue section, so this plan was OK. I went straight to Soarin' and picked up a FP at 10:04am (10:50am) and then stood in a short line for my WoC FP (which was indeed for the BLUE section at 10:09am). There were several people who were mistakenly in my queue who thought they were in the Grizzly River Run queue, so I redirected them accordingly. It's funny how people will get in a line without asking what it is for!

    I next headed to the back of the park to ride Toy Story Midway Mania (TSMM); however, the ride went down about 5mins after I entered the queue so I headed back the way I had come. I stopped at Ghirardelli for a free sample (Sea Salt Caramel again) and then went to check out the FP line for RSR; it was all the way down to the Disney Junior building so I elected not to join it and risk the FPs running out before I got to the machines.

    I walked back to ToT and entered the right library within 5mins; however, there were long lines in the boiler room so it took a while to board my elevator. After another fun ride, I tried to use my camera to take a picture of the ride photo and kept getting a card read error and wanted me to clean the contacts or reformat the card. Well, the card had a thousand photos on it so I definitely did NOT want to reformat it! I ended up using the camera on my PamPhone (which I am NOT adept at using yet!) to take the picture and now have to figure out how to transfer them over to my PC (I blurred the picture so no copy here)!

    I walked over to Kingswell to see if they could help me with my camera; the CM said that they weren't experienced with that sort of thing but the camera shop at DP might have some senior CM photographers who could help me.

    I checked my PamPhone and saw a text from Debbie saying they were at "the rockets"; I took that to mean they were actually over at the Astro Orbitor in DP! After a couple more texts I realized they were at the Golden Zephyr (GZ) so I headed in that direction instead.

    Along the way I stopped for another Soarin' FP at 11:21am (for 5:50pm WOW!) as it looked like I wasn't going to use my current one after all. I made it to the GZ and looked around for Debbie & Sophia; as it turned out, they had already ridden and she was buying Sophia a corn dog at the Corn Dog Castle across the way!

    We hugged and I said that I actually was ready for lunch too so we went over to Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta; I bought the cheese flatbread pizza ($8.06 after the AP discount) and Debbie got a salad. We found a seat outside and chatted while we ate. Debbie had her hands full trying to get Sophia to eat the corn dog (she ate very little!) although she did like her juice box! Sophia also was bopping all over the place, especially when Phineas & Ferb came by after their show and then the Green Army Men came out a few minutes later!

    After we finished eating, we left around 12:10pm and went to ride The Little Mermaid; we waited less than 10mins and Sophia loved most of it (she didn't like the Ursula part). When we exited, Phineas & Ferb had returned to do their 12:30pm show so we quickly got the stroller and left the area via the Pacific Wharf.

    We stopped by Ghirardelli for more chocolate samples and then I showed Debbie the shortcuts through Cars Land and through a bug's land and over to Hollywood Land (Debbie actually wasn't that familiar with the park). We waited to see Minnie for the Disney Visa meet & greet (we thought Sophia would prefer Minnie to Stitch) and got some very cute pictures; Minnie was very good with Sophia and it was funny how when Sophia had finished greeting Minnie, she was ready to leave! Debbie had to hold her for our group photo, but it turned out very nicely.






    Monsters Inc. had a 25min wait posted, but Debbie said she didn't have an issue with waiting so we entered the queue, which was partly outside (the first time James & I rode this after it opened we waited 45mins for it!). The time went quickly and we were nearly to the entrance when the ride went down! We decided to wait a while and it came back online about 10mins later (both Sophia & Debbie liked it!).

    We next hit the restroom and then we found Sofia the First doing a meet & greet outside of Off the Page, so we got in the short line and got some cute pictures of their interaction (we let Sofia the First know that they have the same name, although it is spelled differently)!




    Afterwards, the Red Car Trolley was parked there at the stop so we hopped aboard for the short ride to the ToT stop = perfect! I had been wanted to ride this and was happy I got to, even for such a short trip.




    We headed back towards Cars Land and saw Big Red out doing a meet & greet, but we passed. Lightning McQueen was leaving his meet & greet area (Mater had just arrived) so we watched him drive by ~ ka-chow!

    We got in line for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and waited about 25mins to ride; I was touched when Sophia wanted me to hold her at one point during the wait! We had a great ride together and Sophia really seemed to like it as she squealed out loud a couple of times!

    We next stopped at Kingswell so I could get my free photo, and Debbie ended up buying a special AP package for about $20 which had 2 different sets of 2-4x6 photos (she picked one of Sophia with Minnie for the first set and one of Sophia with Sofia the First for the second set) and a 6x8 too (she picked the group photo of us with Minnie for this one).

    It was now about 3pm and Debbie needed to leave so we said our good-byes and I crossed over to DP to ask for help at Main Street Photo Supply Co. with my camera. The CMs weren't able to help me themselves, but they mentioned a former senior photographer (CM James) who was working in one of the specialty clothing stores up the street who might be able to help me. I located CM James and told him my issue; he wasn't overly friendly but did briefly take a look at my camera. He had me open the SD card slot and he did something, closed the case and snapped a picture of me!




    I was embarrassed to discover that I just hadn't made sure that the card had popped all the way into its slot when I was replacing the battery this morning after charging it! I've had this camera a couple of years and had never had this problem before so now I know!

    I thanked CM James and left the park for my motel. I stopped at the Mini-Mart by the Park Vue Inn for another liter of water ($2.80) and then I stopped at Cold Stone Creamery for a Gotta Have It Oreo Overload ($6.99, for which I used a gift card, and a $1 tip, for which they sang!).

    I was back in my room around 3:30pm and I enjoyed the rest of my ice cream treat as I rested. I updated my trip notes and thought about how I wanted to finish my evening at the park while watching some TV.

    I left just after 5pm for DCA and went straight to the single-rider queue at RSR, after passing LOTS of people waiting for the 5:15pm Pixar Play Parade. I had a 30min wait and I worked on my trip notes while I waited; I was assigned to the front seat of a green car and had a great ride as always!







    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
    Monday, March 3, 2014 (Part II)

    I exited the ride and the neon lights had come on around Cars Land so I took pictures of the various signs while enjoying the evening.




















    I went to the Cozy Cone Motel to try a Chicken Verde Cone without the Queso Fresco ($7.55, with no AP discount) as I had wanted to try one. I also asked for cheddar cheese on it instead of the Salsa Verde and it was very good; I had mistakenly thought there were also corn chips on it but they were on the Chili Cone Queso one instead! I think I would like it with chicken, cheddar cheese, & corn chips ~ YUM!

    I found an empty table and ate the chicken first (they gave me a spoon); it was smoked and had a bit of a kick to it! I then took the balance of the cone with me to eat while I walked (it was soft, rather than a hard bread) so I could free up my table for other diners.

    I decided to ride Soarin' with my FP around 6:20pm; there was only one theater open which was the reason for the long lines all day! I was on the ride by 6:35pm (row B-1 ~ YAY!) and noticed some yahoo holding up their phone to record the attraction; a CM interrupted the show's audio during the Lake Tahoe scene to remind guests that no flash photography or video-taping was allowed! Hahaha~
    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
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    Apr 2004
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    Sacramento, CA
    Monday, March 3, 2014 (Part III)

    I park-hopped over to DP so I could watch Mickey's Soundsational Parade at 7pm; unfortunately, the parade was starting by it's a small world so it was going to be about 20mins before it got down to Main Street! Therefore, I looked around the Disney Gallery store and exhibits while I waited. When the parade got closer, I walked over towards City Hall in front of the train station to watch the parade ~ it was very good! All of the performers had TONS of energy and I enjoyed it very much.



















    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
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    Apr 2004
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    Sacramento, CA
    Monday, March 3, 2014 (Part IV)

    As soon as it was over, I booked it back over to DCA around 7:40pm and stopped at Ghirardelli for another chocolate sample (yes, I am a chocoholic) before entering the BLUE viewing section down by Paradise Pier. I headed up onto the bridge and found my usual spot next to a lightpost, which was fine as it gave me a place to prop my arms up when I take pictures.

    It took me a few minutes to figure out how to access the website and play the game, but I was able to play one full round of the Fun Wheel Challenge game (the winner gets to control the lighting on Mickey's Fun Wheel for 30secs! It was like the old Simon Says electronic game when I was a kid, and it was a fun way to pass the time while we waited for WoC to begin at 8:15pm.




















    It was another great show as always, and I headed towards the exit as both parks were now closed. I stopped at Trolley Treats for a couple more of those PB sandwich treats ($7.75 after the AP discount) and was back at my room by 9pm.

    I called James and watched the latter half of The Following (TV on mute during the call) and then most of Intelligence (love that sexy Josh Holloway) before I dozed off and missed the ending (good thing these shows were being recorded at home)! I woke up shortly after 11pm, took a quick shower, and was back in bed by 11:30pm.

    Steps: 18,714
    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
    Tuesday, March 4, 2014 (68o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA; fly home in the evening

    Actual: Last day already? I slept until 7:45am when some loud & rowdy kids outside woke me up! I got up and started re-packing my bags, drank another protein shake, and ate the last chocolate chip cookie from check-in. I checked out at 9:50am (a little later than I had planned) and left my bags with the office before I headed to DCA. I had a headache today; Im guessing it is a "chocolate" headache from all of those PB sandwich treats that Ive eaten while I've been here!

    Again, there were HUGE lines at all 3 bag check areas and this time there were longer lines for DCA; I headed there because I was hoping to ride TSMM this morning. I'm thinking that the reason the lines are so much longer at 10am than at 8am is because everyone who slept in still can make it over for park opening when its this late!

    I was in the park by 10:07am and in the TSMM queue by 10:15am; the wait was posted at 15mins but my wait was closer to 20mins. I was happy with my score = 185,500 (prize level = kitty); I rarely get over 200k and am happy to clear 150k!




    After my ride I was feeling a bit nauseous; this might actually be due to my headache more than the spinning of the TSMM ride. I ate some Goldfish crackers and also picked up another chocolate sample at Ghirardelli (same Sea Salt Caramel) as I walked over to Cars Land. RSR standby was 50mins at 10:55am and the single-rider line looked shorter by half than it had when I rode it yesterday so I got in line.

    My actual wait time was about 20mins and I was assigned to the back row of another green car along with an older couple. When we boarded, the gentleman didn't realize that I was supposed to sit with them and didn't move to the middle seat initially, so I let him know that I was the extra seat-filler! He moved over and then asked if I had been on the ride before and whether it was inside or outside (I love newbies!); I gave him a quick briefing and told him it was a great ride, hence the long line!




    Another fast-paced ride and everyone had fun (I think we won too!); I could see when I was walking out that the single-rider queue was now double the length it was earlier so I kept on walking. I cut through a bug's land and picked up at FP for ToT at 11:30am (12:10pm); the Red Car Trolley News Boys were coming out for a show so I waved to them as they rode by singing California, here we come!.

    I was still a little nauseous but a bit hungry too, so I decided to get another hot dog combo with chips at Award Wieners; I also asked for some cheddar cheese on it ($6.98 after the AP discount). I sat in the covered eating area again and ate quickly; I also worked a bit on my trip notes as I ate.

    Afterwards I went to ride Monsters Inc. with about a 10min wait. I was in the front row and at the end I kept watching Roz, waiting for her to say something to our car (I had heard her say something specific to the car in front of us) ~ there was silence until the last minute when she told us to stop staring at her ~ LOL!

    I went next door to do the Disney Visa meet & greet, this time with Stitch. I had a fun interaction with him; first he pointed out my Mickey earrings and when I told them that they didn't have Stitch ones at the store (not sure if this was true or not!), he turned towards the direction of Buena Vista Street and shook his fist! I also had an I love Mickey type t-shirt on and told Stitch that they didn't have any I love Stitch shirts, so he turned around and shook his fist towards the stores again! It was pretty funny.




    Since I was still slightly nauseous and had my headache, I decided to forego ToT and went to wait for the next presentation of Aladdin A Musical Spectacular. I was in the Orchestra level queue and had about a 20min wait until the show, so I worked on my trip notes as I waited in line. There were several people nearby who were disappointed that there were no plans to open up the upper levels, as the crowds just didn't substantiate the need to do so.

    They let us in early at 12:30pm and I was able to snag a seat in the 2nd row up front on the right side. It was another great show as always: it was the Genie I've seen on many occasions and also a Jafar I've seen several times, but I know Jasmine & the Carpet were new to me; not sure about Aladdin.














    I was quickly out the door when the curtain dropped at 1:30pm and I stopped inside Disney Animation to listen to a couple of songs in the lobby, before looking through Off the Page and Elias & Company. When I stopped at Kingswell for my free photo, I encountered a very long line! There were only 2 CMs working initially but after a few minutes a couple more arrived to help.
    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



  11. #10
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Apr 2004
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    Sacramento, CA
    Tuesday, March 4, 2014 (Part II)

    After I picked out my free photo, I headed over to DP around 2pm. Main Street wasn't too crowded, although Tomorrowland was! Star Tours was down and Buzz had a 10min wait posted; Space was 30mins and FP return was for 3:10pm, which was too close for comfort to my shuttle pickup time. I was still feeling nauseous anyway, so that was another reason to skip it.

    Captain EO was about to start, so I went in to enjoy that again; you can never be sure when it might be "retired" again permanently so I always try to see it at least once per trip!

    I stopped at Pizza Port for the chocolate pudding parfait that I like ($5.04 after the AP discount, a 10 cent increase!) and took it over to Tomorrowland Terrace to eat it. The 2:25pm Jedi Training Academy was in progress, so I sat at a table at the rear of the stage to watch. I've seen this Jedi Master before and he was pretty funny with his ad libs; he told one Padewan that he had cut the Jedi Master's leg off both before and after the child's interaction with Darth Vader (these kids are always so intense & clueless; so fun to watch!) ~ good thing these are toy light sabers!








    I ate my treat while watching the show and then walked over to Fantasy Faire (FF); the Beauty and the Beast show was due to start at 3:15pm in The Royal Theater (15mins away) so I debated briefly whether to wait for it and ultimately decided to skip it for now (I've been wanting to see the Tangled show, but haven't managed to yet).




    I headed over to the Haunted Mansion since I haven't ridden it yet this trip, and had a near walk-on; the ride stopped towards the end of the graveyard scene and then labored slowly to where I could exit. It didn't sound right to me, and I was glad to get off as the time was coming where I would need to leave the park and I definitely didn't want to be stuck on a ride beforehand!

    The line for Pirates of the Caribbean was too long so it looks like I will have to skip that attraction this visit; I had also just missed the Tiki Room show so I walked back to FF and stood to the back while the B&B show was in progress.

    I listened to that for a few minutes and then walked into Fantasyland; Snow White's Scary Adventures had a short line so I rode that (the apple didn't react when I rubbed it, so bummer!).

    It was now 3:45pm so I headed towards Main Street; it's always sad to leave at the end of your trip! I looked though the Emporium and stopped to say goodbye to Walt at the Fire Station, and then left ~ hopefully I will be back in about 3 months!




    I went back to the motel, said hi to Loretta in the office, and got my bags around 4pm; the SuperShuttle van arrived 5mins early at 4:15pm. The driver was young, muscular, & attractive ~ certainly not the usual look of their drivers! There were two people already on the van and we stopped to pick up two more guests (total = 5) and then we were on our way to the airport. We arrived at 4:40pm and I checked the larger of my carryon bags (24.9#) and picked up my boarding pass (A24).

    TSA was EMPTY so I got through there quickly before finding a quiet spot to wait for my flight in two hours. I worked on my trip notes, changed into jeans, and bought a $6 burger from Carl's Jr. ($5.71) for my dinner while I was waiting. I also played with my PamPhone, trying to email the pictures I had taken yesterday to my regular email account (most of them failed, so I need to try again).

    We boarded on time and I was able to snag the exit row next to a military member who was in the window seat. This flight was only 1/2 full (I heard them announce the previous flight to Sacramento when it left at 5:15pm that it was completely full so we were lucky!), and we departed on time. I listened to vintage Jackson 5 and Kool & the Gang on my MP3 en route while enjoying my Diet Dr. Pepper (they served us cocktail peanuts again).

    We landed on time, I picked up my bag, called James to pick me up (he was in the Cell Phone Waiting Lot), and we were home by 9:15pm.

    Steps: 14,734


    Up Next:

    I have a couple of solo trips planned during the summer: the first is June 21-24, where I plan to join my best friend's sister and her family for a couple of days at the resort. Susie and her husband Mike have 3 sons: 12, 8, & 6, and the plan is that the oldest son & I will be able to do the bigger rides together that perhaps the younger boys can't or don't want to do. I'm flying down on that Saturday morning and plan to go over to Knott's Berry Farm to see Krazy Kirk & the Hillbillies (I'm blocked out at the Disney parks this day anyway) and then will spend solo time at the parks on Sunday while they are driving down from Auburn; we will meet up for dinner that night (perhaps at the Rainforest Cafe?) and then spend Monday & Tuesday together until I fly home that evening (they are staying on another day before also going to LEGOLAND).

    My second trip is August 27-30, since I have signed up for the Disneyland 5K on that Friday (8/29). I will fly down Wednesday morning and get some park time in both before and after the race, and then fly home on that Saturday. I expect this to be a solo trip, but you never know who might join me!

    I did previously book flights and lodging for May 17-20, as a backup trip in case this one was cancelled; however, it is likely that I will cancel that trip if James wants me to ~ I really just want him to enjoy the parks with me again so I will leave it up to him!


    Summary

    I was so bummed that James didn't make the trip AGAIN! I did enjoy my park time, but not the huge crowds on Monday & Tuesday mornings! I also had a good time with Debbie & Sophia; we didn't do a lot, but it was fun to spend time together and see Sophia interact with Minnie & Sofia the First (Debbie said next time she will come solo so we can do big girl rides together!).

    Highlights include:
    • Spending time with Debbie & Sophia
    • Riding Space Mountain 3 times in a row on Sunday morning!
    • Getting a blue section FP for World of Color!
    • Doing the Captain America & Thor meet & greets (hubba, hubba)
    • The lovely weather ~ although a little damp the first day, it was very pleasant the rest of the trip


    Lowlights include:
    • The biggest was James canceling on the trip, OBVIOUSLY!
    • WAY too crowded on the weekdays (I expect it more on Sundays!)
    • Missing several favorites, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Sailing Ship Columbia, Mark Twain Riverboat, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Monorail, Splash Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Alice in Wonderland, Disneyland Railroad (which was closed), & Pinocchio's Daring Journey,
    • Not feeling 100% during the trip



    Thanks for reading!
    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
    Registered User
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    Jul 2010
    Location
    puyallup washington

    I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty, and hubby not being able to make the trip. It would be so hard to decide what to do. Go, not go as your on your way to the airport. But I'm glad you went and had a good time.
    The pictures of WOC are awesome, you had such a good view of the show. Thanks for writing, I'm really looking forward to staying at your spot on my next trip.

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

  13. #12

    Pam,
    I am SO sorry to hear about Simon. You were such a good Momma to him. He had a wonderful life.

    So sorry to hear that James didn't go again. I really fear that his times with you in the parks are finished. But you do still go and for the that I say - Good for you!! Your little cousin is a doll. I am sure seeing it through her eyes was very special.

    Thanks so much for sharing. I loved your pictures.
    Ellen


  14. #13
    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
    I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty, and hubby not being able to make the trip. It would be so hard to decide what to do. Go, not go as your on your way to the airport. But I'm glad you went and had a good time.
    The pictures of WOC are awesome, you had such a good view of the show. Thanks for writing, I'm really looking forward to staying at your spot on my next trip.
    Thanks...I was really torn this time about going when I wasn't feeling so hot, but then I get there, get in the groove again and still can enjoy myself!

    Glad you liked the pictures...I really try to get a spot on the bridge (BLUE section), where the lamp post is about halfway up towards Ariel's, and use it for leverage whether I'm recording WoC or just using the still camera; I'm tall enough that I can stand behind it and still see everything. I just keep taking pictures over and over and hope some will turn out good!

    I hope you enjoy the Del Sol; they have changed managers so I have to 'train' the new staff - LOL! I've had really good luck with them so far; I must have, since I've been staying there 2-4 times per year since 2002 with only minor issues and keep coming back!
    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



  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 EJ4Disney View Post
    Pam,
    I am SO sorry to hear about Simon. You were such a good Momma to him. He had a wonderful life.

    So sorry to hear that James didn't go again. I really fear that his times with you in the parks are finished. But you do still go and for the that I say - Good for you!! Your little cousin is a doll. I am sure seeing it through her eyes was very special.

    Thanks so much for sharing. I loved your pictures.
    Ellen
    Thanks Ellen; I'm glad you enjoyed reading the report and seeing my pictures! And yes, Sophia ID a little cutie!

    James & I have our 30th anniversary in late October; I had originally hoped to go back to WDW with him for it but THAT's not happening any time soon, so I'm looking at a SoCal trip to celebrate instead. We've started talking about things to do (I love planning our trips!) and one thing is for certain: we will definitely NOT be relying on air travel for THIS 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



  16. #15

    Thanks for another great report, Pam. I was needing some new reading material earlier in this week and then poof! There it was. Glad you had a good time despite the challenges. Does James take any anti-anxiety medications? I've had the same issues myself and have had good luck with meds combined with deep breathing.


  17. #16
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by spectromen View Post
    Thanks for another great report, Pam. I was needing some new reading material earlier in this week and then poof! There it was. Glad you had a good time despite the challenges. Does James take any anti-anxiety medications? I've had the same issues myself and have had good luck with meds combined with deep breathing.
    Thanks Kelly...glad you liked it!

    No, James hasn't been prescribed that yet, but I've been recommending it recently! He's supposed to call his doctor to work on next steps, but he's been busy getting his new PC to work (priorities, you know...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



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

    Let's see if I can remember everything.
    Pictures. I send them as a picture mail to my email address. It is easier than plugging this phone into the computer and finding the right file to transfer them. I think we have the same camera. Mine bogs down if I have that many pictures on the sd card.
    I found it amusing that you only checked one of your bags. If Whistler and I have to check a bag with SW, we check em all. less to carry that way.
    Funny, I've been craving the sea salt caramels the last couple of days. It is kind of weird reading that your friends are driving down from Auburn.
    Glad you had a good time even though James wasn't able to go.
    Yay for another Pammer report.


  19. #18
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    Let's see if I can remember everything.
    Pictures. I send them as a picture mail to my email address. It is easier than plugging this phone into the computer and finding the right file to transfer them. I think we have the same camera. Mine bogs down if I have that many pictures on the sd card.
    I found it amusing that you only checked one of your bags. If Whistler and I have to check a bag with SW, we check em all. less to carry that way.
    Funny, I've been craving the sea salt caramels the last couple of days. It is kind of weird reading that your friends are driving down from Auburn.
    Glad you had a good time even though James wasn't able to go.
    Yay for another Pammer report.
    Thanks candles! I finally was able to get the gmail to work and all of the pictures got sent to my regular email account where I could save them to the PC hard drive; I have rarely used that account and couldn't remember the password! Ahh, technology...

    My camera is an Olympus Stylus 840; I currently have a 32GB micro SD card in it so it keeps telling me that I have 9999 pictures left (that hasn't changed since I put the card in last year, and I know there are over 1000 pictures on it already)...actually, I don't see that number changing anytime soon ~ LOL! It's been working really great, both before & after my stupid mistake, but at least I now know to make sure the card is locked into place (duh)!

    My carry-on usually has all of the electronics in it, including their chargers, plus anything I need that first day in case the checked bag(s) go awry, plus my protein shake mixes and the shaker mug, my park fanny pack, that type of thing. I also carry a backpack on the plane as my 'personal' item so that's why I had to check the rest of my clothes...I can't fit everything into one carry-on bag unless it's only a two-night or less trip (I know, there are probably people on this site that could help me there...LOL!).

    Did you mean it was weird that my friends were driving down from Auburn because it's close to you or because I'm flying separately? If the later, flying down and meeting Susie and her family is defininitely better (for me) than riding in a car with all of them for 7 hours...LOL! Plus, they are going to stay longer and I have to get back to go over to the Central Coast the next day for more vacation at the beach!
    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
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    Oh no not weird that you are traveling seperately. Just don't "hear" Auburn mentioned very often. We would probbably still just throw the lock on that second bag (on the way home, not going) and check that puppy.
    My camera is the same color then but is a canon. I bought an 8g sd card. It just makes the shutter time sluggish when I get that many pictures on it and irritates me. But, I still use my Canon Rebel with FILM when I get the urge so there you go.


  21. #20
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    But, I still use my Canon Rebel with FILM when I get the urge so there you go.
    Film...what is that? Hahaha...I still print pictures out for my photo albums so I am still old school there!
    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

    I think that it is cool that you still went even though your husband was not able to make the trip. Actually, Disneyland is the only place that my husband likes to travel to! I usually travel to other locations with one or both of my children and often, my dad (because he loves to travel), but my husband does not like to travel or explore new places and has a lot of anxiety about going any place that he has not been before. I hope that your husband gets to enjoy your next trip to the Magic Kingdom with you.


  23. #22
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    Rapunzel, they took the train last time ecause he is having some really intense flight anxiety. They ended up with an unplanned overnight in Vegas (I think) on their way to WDW last time.
    Pam, how much is Super Shuttle with Entertainment book? Looking at options for G and M for our trip.
    Eta: one way from the resort to SNA.


  24. #23
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    Rapunzel, they took the train last time ecause he is having some really intense flight anxiety. They ended up with an unplanned overnight in Vegas (I think) on their way to WDW last time.
    Pam, how much is Super Shuttle with Entertainment book? Looking at options for G and M for our trip.
    Eta: one way from the resort to SNA.
    Candles, the discount is $4 per person round trip; I think the current code is still 6H4CU, which is good to 6/30/14, but I'm sure they will update the expiration date. So from SNA to an Anaheim Hotel it's regularly $10 less $2 discount...double that up t0 $4 round trip. And don't add the cash gratuity in when you make your reservation...I give the driver cash to ensure and safe trip where I arrive alive!
    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



  25. #24
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    Thanks. They are riding down with us and flying home midweek for work. The last trip was just weird without her. Then they went without us was even weirder.


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