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Thread: Pammer ~ August 29 - September 3, 2015 ~ Offsite

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

    Pammer ~ August 29 - September 3, 2015 ~ Offsite

    FINALLY...here is my trip report from late summer 2015:

    Travel dates: August 29 - September 3, 2015
    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 Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Anniversary!
    Cast of characters:

    • Pam, 54: trip planner/writer/self-proclaimed Disney Queen!
    • James, 55: Pam's hubby who likes Disneyland but is not as fanatic as Pam!


    The Planning

    I had originally planned this trip for the latter part of September, until I discovered that the daily Disneyland Diamond Days Sweepstakes would end prior to our arrival! Since we want to try our luck at winning a daily prize (I keep entering us for the weekly prizes, but to no avail so far!), I moved our trip up to August 29 – September 3; this way we will depart prior to the crowds arriving for the holiday/race weekend.

    Also, James was recently diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and now has a Bi-PAP machine to help him with his sleep; he’s only traveled with it once so far so it will be interesting to see how it works for him during our trip.

    Lodging: I booked a room at our usual spot (the Anaheim Del Sol Inn on Harbor Blvd., which is a 5-minute walk from the parks) in late May when we changed the trip dates; the total for the 5 nights = $523.

    Transportation: I booked round-trip train fare on Amtrak from Sacramento to Anaheim for $204.80 using a 20% discount code that I found on their website; we again chose the San Joaquin/Pacific Surfliner combo which includes a bus between Bakersfield & Los Angeles and takes about 9 hours.

    In addition, we most likely will take a cab between the Amtrak station in Anaheim (by Angel Stadium) and our motel; that way we can stop at 7-11 on the way to pick up a case of water for the room!

    Tickets: We decided there was no benefit to renewing our Deluxe APs when they expired on May 1st and holding them for a few months until our next visit, thereby "wasting" their value in the interim. Therefore, we bought Deluxe AP vouchers at the pre-increase price in February through my corporate link ($493.05 x 2); they just have to be activated by 12/31/15 so no problem there.

    Scheming note: I bought two $500 Disney gift cards at Safeway using my Chase Disney Visa Card, which gave me 2% back for being a grocery store (I have a Premier card; $1000 x 2% = $20!); Safeway also awards 2x points on gift cards, which I use for gas discounts (every 100 points = $0.10/gallon discount; $1000 x 2 / 100 = 20 discounts, which is two $1/gallon discounts at the pump!). I then purchased the APs using the gift cards to get the 5% corporate discount, which is higher than I've found anywhere else. The only downside to this method is no monthly payments, but I think the savings & rewards make up for that!

    Priority Seating: I made a reservation at Blue Bayou for Monday (8/31) @ 11:30am, in hopes of getting a waterside table; we also most likely will eat at the Rainforest Cafe and The Pizza Press on Harbor Blvd. at some point during the trip, plus maybe Tortilla Jo's and Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen as well, but I didn't make any reservations for them. Everything else will probably be counter-service and off-site to keep costs and calories down.

    Disney Visa Rewards Card: I transferred $45.75 out of our rewards balance on our Disney Visa Rewards Card (DVRC) to cover our Disney park meals and any park incidentals.


    The Itinerary

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

    • August 29: Travel down in the morning/early afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; possible Disneyland/DCA
    • August 30: Disneyland/DCA
    • August 31: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou @ 11:30am
    • September 1: Disneyland/DCA
    • September 2: Disneyland/DCA
    • September 3: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA; travel home in the afternoon/evening


    Friday, August 28, 2015 (pre-departure date)

    Actual: I worked from home today so I could do some last-minute laundry; around 7pm I drove over to Subway to pick up food for the train trip tomorrow (two veggie foot-long sandwiches for James & a turkey/cheese foot-long for me = $18).

    We spent the evening packing & generally just getting ready for our trip; I went to bed around 10:30pm & James followed around 1am.


    Saturday, August 29, 2015 (92o)
    Plan: Travel down in the morning/early afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; possible Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I woke up before 4am & finally got up around 4:30am when James woke up; we got ready, finished packing, & left around 5:45am after feeding our kitty Sidney. I drove us to the Amtrak station with no traffic issues, and parked in Space 78 just after 6am. I pre-paid for parking ($60 for 6 days) & we made the LONG trek out to our train.

    We entered car #2 & sat downstairs, since I'm having issues with my knees and walking upstairs (my system is still not back to normal yet after all of the health crap I went through last year!). We left on time at 6:40am and both of us dozed off & on throughout the trip. James ate one of his sandwiches & I ate half of mine for breakfast, and then I hobbled upstairs to the Caf car before we got to Fresno to buy a hot dog combo ($7.50) since I was still a bit hungry (plenty full afterwards though!). 

    We arrived in Bakersfield 10mins early (11:50am), boarded our bus, & departed around 12:15pm. We were one of three Amtrak busses heading south on Highway 99, but our driver was a grumpy older man who pulled over to the side of the freeway (and then almost hit another Amtrak bus who was pulling in ahead of us to check on us when he did so) when James stood up to get something out of his carry-on that was stowed above his seat ~ I know busses aren’t supposed to move when passengers are forward of the white line, but we were a few rows back so I don't know why he pulled over (what if someone gets up to use the bathroom?) ~ oh well!

    We arrived safely in LA around 2:20pm, grabbed our luggage, and used the restrooms inside the station. James went to Wetzel's Pretzels for some Wetzel Bitz ($4.89) & then we took a cart up to our train. We found two seats together downstairs and our train left on time at 3pm. We ate our snack and arrived on time in Anaheim 38mins later!

    We caught a cab and asked him to stop briefly at the 7-11 along the way so we could buy a 24-pack of water for the room ($5.19); we arrived at the Del Sol Inn ($18, including tip) and checked into our room #234 around 4:30. We always stay upstairs above the carport, but those stairs would prove to be very challenging to my poor knees over the next few days!

    It was SO HOT and we cranked the A/C in the room to try and cool down for a few minutes, and then we walked up to The Pizza Press for dinner around 4:50pm. It fortunately wasn't too busy yet and we ordered a cheese pizza for me, a veggie pizza sans cheese for James, plus a Diet Coke ($20 after the 15% coupon I had from the OC Visitors website) and took it back to our room. We ate while watching TV and just tried to cool down (I heat up so easily these days)…their pizza is so delicious!

    We decided to wait until the sun was going down before going over to Disney California Adventure (DCA), and left the room around 7:15pm. We exchanged our Deluxe AP paper vouchers for paper tickets, and were instructed to exchange those at a ticket booth sometime this evening for the real APs.

    We headed over to Soarin' over California around 7:25pm, where the standby time was posted as 15mins; the actual time was 25mins but we enjoyed seeing the digital improvements they had installed ~ no more specks of dirt on the screen!

    We next went into Humphrey's Service Supplies, as James was looking for a carabiner to use with our reusable water bottle; we found a Mickey head one here ($7.72 after the 10% AP discount) and then walked over to Radiator Springs Racers to join the single rider queue around 8:10pm. It was a fairly short line and I asked to go to the disabled side (thereby avoiding the stairs at the end) while James was directed to the regular line.

    I had a few parties in front of me and was off around 8:35pm; I didn't see James waiting for me, but I was SURE he had to have already finished so I hobbled to the ride exit ~ no James! I waited 15mins for him and then called him ~ he was waiting for me at the disabled exit ~ OOPS!

    We reconnected and checked out the drink offerings at the Cozy Cone Motel; we were looking for some sort of cherry slushy drink but no luck.

    We were pretty tired by now ~ it was still hot & humid in the 80s at 9pm! We left the park and headed for the ticket booths near Harbor; they had long lines so we checked out the lines by Downtown Disney and joined them since they were much shorter with more windows open. We waited about 10mins and then was helped by a friendly & chatty Cast Member.

    We were just going to head back to the room, but I suggested going into Disneyland (DL) to see the new Disneyland Forever Fireworks Spectacular from Town Square, which were about to start at 9:30pm. There were long lines to get into the park and Main Street was absolutely packed! We could really only see the projections along the west side of the street, plus some of the higher fireworks, but we have 4 more nights to catch it!

    It was a pretty good show and we walked back to the room around 10pm, where we drank lots of water to cool off! I updated my trip notes & then took a shower while James watched TV. When I came out, I found him extremely agitated that he had forgotten a part for his sleep apnea mask. He thought he could work around the problem with some duct tape, so I suggested he call the front desk to see if their maintenance department had any. They came through with a roll of black electrical tape, which James was able to successfully use and circumvent the issue; I sure wasn't looking forward to finding somewhere open this late at night to solve the problem, especially since we didn't have a car and it was after 11pm by now! Crisis averted, I was asleep before midnight and James followed soon thereafter.


    Steps: 11,839
    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, August 30, 2015 (86o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: The alarm went off around 7am, and James surprised me when he got up & started getting ready; he had previously told me that he might not make rope drop this visit if he wasn't sleeping well, but he felt refreshed enough to get up now.

    I drank a protein shake and James made oatmeal in the room, and we headed over to DL around 8:10am; we ended up not making rope drop any morning this visit (he's always a bit more pokey in the morning, whereas I will get up and GO when I am solo), but we were taking a more relaxed approach this time anyway!

    We picked up Fastpasses for Star Tours at 8:23am (9am) and then got FPs for the first FROZEN show at 10:50am, before heading into Fantasyland. Peter Pan's Flight had a wait of 40mins already (you must make rope drop to see this without a long wait!) so we skipped it and rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with less than a 5min wait (Cyril).

    We next went to pick up FPs for Fantasmic! and scored the Yellow section for the first show at 9pm tonight. Afterwards, we went back into Fantasyland and waited about 8mins to ride the Storybook Land Canal Boats (Tinker Bell); this was the first time we had seen the Frozen additions, as we had missed this attraction in April. The word-of-the-day (WOTD) was GRIZZLY, so I texted our entries in for both of us as we stood in line.





    We next waited about 15mins for Alice in Wonderland (yellow caterpillar) and then took a quick restroom break on our way over to Tomorrowland. I picked up FPs for Space Mountain at 9:34am (10:10am) and we rode Star Tours with our earlier FPs (Stormtroopers, Hoth, Admiral Ackbar, & Coruscant ~ Im so tired of getting Hoth 9 times out of 10!).

    We looked through Star Traders and then saw that Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was down; I headed over to Space to use my FP at 10:10am and snagged Row 4 for my first ride of the trip YAY!!!



    I went to find James, and he had ridden Buzz when it came back up; he had scored about 606,000 but the score was missing from his photo so he was disappointed! I picked up FPs for Buzz @ 10:26am (11:05am) and we headed over to The Royal Theatre to see FROZEN. HUZZAH!!!

    This was the first time James had seen one of the shows presented here by Mister Smythe and Mister Jones and we both thought it was well done and entertaining.





    When the show was over around 11:20am, we went to Rancho del Zocalo for lunch; I ordered the carne asada/enchilada platter with veggies instead of the rice & beans, James ordered a veggie burrito with no cheese, and we also got a Coke Zero to share and put ice in our water bottle. James asked me what his dish looked like and I said it was two tacos ~ they had given him an entirely different dish than what he had ordered! He didn't want to mess with getting it corrected, so we went to pay ($27.48, after the 10% AP discount).

    CM Cynthia asked if we had gotten everything we needed, and I told her how they had messed up James' order; she insisted on taking it back, getting it corrected, and delivered it to us at our table!

    James ate my veggies and his rice & beans, and I ate the 2 cheese enchiladas and the carne asada ~ all was very good! James got a to-go container for his burrito when he refilled our soda and then we headed over to DCA around noon.

    We checked the FP return time for Soarin' and it was for after 1pm, so we decided to skip it for now and got in line for the Disney Chase Visa meet & greet; fortunately they were queueing in the shade today! We waited about 15mins to see Minnie:



    ...and then I checked about getting FPs for the For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration; I found out they were currently only doing standby and I should return around 12:30pm for the 12:45pm show.

    James & I walked through Elias & Co., partly for the lovely A/C and partly to see what was for sale, and then he headed back to the motel for a nap. I stopped in at Guest Relations to ask about getting an Honorary Citizen button; they told me I had to answer a trivia question to earn one! I was told to name 8 Disney movies with a one-word title; I came up with Tangled, Frozen, Cinderella, Aladdin, & Pocahontas and they gave me a couple of hints for two others (Mulan & Hercules) and then I came up with Fantasia for the last one! I was so proud of myself; of course later I came up with more (Bambi, Pinocchio, Brave, etc.)!

    I went into the restroom and used wet paper towels to cool off my face, neck, & arms, and then headed to the Frozen Sing-Along lobby around 12:30pm. I updated my trip notes while I waited and then enjoyed the show in a theater that was only half-full.





    I was done around 1:15pm so I stopped at Kingswell Camera Shop to pick up my free photo and then headed back to DL after stopping for more wet towels in the restroom to cool down!

    I walked up the tons of steps of the Main Street train station & rode the Disneyland Railroad over to the Fantasyland station & disembarked. I got in the queue for it's a small world and waited less than 5mins to board. I asked to avoid the stairs at the end and they marked my boat accordingly, so that was nice.

    I then walked over to the Enchanted Tiki Room, but I had JUST missed a show so I went to get a cherry Goofy's Glacier from the Candy Palace ($4.65, after the 10% AP discount) and then went back to wait for the next show.

    I checked my phone and saw that I had a missed call from James, so I called him back; he had put his sleep apnea machine into the safe and I had the safe key! I left the Tiki Room waiting area and headed back to the room around 2:30pm.

    It was a HOT walk and I arrived at the room about 15mins later; James had taken a cool shower and was trying to cool down before trying to sleep. He stretched his knees a bit and then settled down for his nap while I just played on my PamPhone. I eventually plugged it in to charge and napped for about an hour.


    ...to be continued...
    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, August 30, 2015 (86o) (part II)

    We woke up about 6:15pm, freshened up, & left for McDonald's around 6:45pm. Our room key card had a buy one sandwich get one sandwich free offer printed on it, so we used that to buy two Big Macs for James; the cashier also gave me the same discount for my 2 plain hamburgers! We also got a small Diet Dr. Pepper to share (total = $7.11), and sat in the A/C dining room to enjoy our dinner.

    We refilled the soda cup and drank it as we headed over to DL; I headed over to First Aid because the toenail on my right small toe was rubbing on my shoe and James went to get FPs for the Indiana Jones Adventure (7:55pm at 7:18pm). I asked for moleskin, but they didnt have any so they gave me a couple of Band-Aids to use in the meantime.

    We met back up and rode Star Tours; standby was posted as 20mins but we were on in 10mins ~ fortunately, it was COMPLETELY different from this morning (Darth Vader, Wookiee planet, Yoda, & Naboo)!

    We next rode Buzz with a less than 10min wait; I scored 347,900 and James scored 404,000, although my picture was missing and James' didn't have his score on it! I hope they fix their glitches before we leave.

    We took a quick restroom break and then rode Indy with our FPs around 8:10pm; there was no queue outside so the FPs weren't really needed. I told the CM that I wanted to avoid the stairs at the end, but unfortunately our car went to the right anyway! We exited back through the car and took the elevator back up & over to the other side.

    We walked over to the River Belle Terrace patio where they have the disabled seating around 8:40pm, and it was quite full with infants and other children; only a few people appeared to have a physical disability, certainly not the 3 young ladies who were obviously friends of the CM manning the area!

    We enjoyed Fantasmic! at 9pm:





    ...and then waited for the fireworks to start; when they were delayed about 10-15mins, we went to the Stage Door Caf for an order of mozzarella sticks, fries, and a large Coke Zero ($12.13, after the 10% AP discount) and I ate while we watched the show. We were surprised to see the projections on Tom Sawyer Island ~ that was cool!





    We headed out afterwards, and were directed down the new backstage alley behind the west side of Main Street so that was interesting to experience. I also stopped at City Hall to leave a compliment on CM Cynthia from Rancho del Zocalo on our way out of the park.

    We arrived at the room around 10pm, and I updated my trip notes while we watched TV. I took my shower and got in bed around midnight, with James following sometime thereafter.


    Steps: 20,022
    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
    Monday, August 31, 2015 (81o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou @ 11:30am

    Actual: We were awake around 8am and we asked the maid to exchange our towels & dump our trash when she came by (nothing else). We got ready with a similar routine as yesterday and were out the door just after 10am. We went to DL (WOTD = Frontierland) and of course Peter Pan already had a long queue by 10:15am (the park just opened at 10am)!

    We bypassed it and rode Toad with a less than 5min wait (Ratty); when we came out we saw the Pearly Band getting on the King Arthur Carrousel so we hopped on to ride with them while they played Let's Go Fly a Kite!





    We next rode Alice after a 10min wait (yellow caterpillar) and also thought about riding Casey Jr. Circus Train, but it was a long queue and we didn't want to wait in the hot sun!

    We headed down Big Thunder Trail and encountered a PhotoPass backdrop, where the CMs were just setting up, so we did that (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad).



    Afterwards, we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with only about a 5min wait; I forgot to ask the CM at the entrance about avoiding the stairs so that was a pain to hobble up!

    We were off around 11am and looked through the Frontierland shops; I saw a Mr. Toad t-shirt that I thought my co-worker friend Mike would like, so I took a picture of it with my PamPhone and texted it to him (he ended up never getting it because he had changed his phone number and hadn't told me!).

    We picked up FPs for Indy at 11:15am (11:50am) and went to check in for our 11:30am reservation at the Blue Bayou. I requested a waterside table (which we got), and we were seated a few minutes later. Our server was CM Angela and she took very good care of us; I ordered the Herb-Marinated Flat Iron Steak with extra Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes instead of the veggies (my new favorite dish here) with a Diet Coke and James ordered the Portobello Mushroom & Louisiana Long-Grain Rice and a Mint Julep (total = $83 after the 10% AP discount + tip) ~ all very yummy!!! James also ate my salad and we both enjoyed the bread ~ yeah, we were very full afterwards so no dessert!





    We left around 12:20pm and went to use our FPs on Indy; afterwards, we headed over to DCA.

    We picked up FPs for Soarin' at 12:53pm (1:30pm) and then we went to do the Disney Chase Visa meet & greet in Hollywood Land; today we waited about 15-20mins to see Stitch.



    Next we looked though Off the Page, before walking over to get some FPs for RSR at 1:45pm (7:10pm) ~ you can tell it's not too busy since there are still FPs left!

    We rode Soarin' with our FPs around 1:50pm and then returned to Off the Page to purchase two prints (60th-related) and an AP pin set ($106.77 after our 10% AP discount).

    We picked up our free photo around 2:30pm and left the park. We stopped at Cold Stone Creamery and I bought a Gotta Have It Oreo Overload ($7.49), and we went back to the room. We shared our treat and cranked the A/C to try and cool down! James then napped and I watched TV, played on my PamPhone, and did a little napping as well.


    ...to be continued...
    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, August 31, 2015 (81o) (part II)

    We left around 5:40pm for DCA and stopped for dinner at Smokejumpers Grill; I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger, James got the Grilled Chicken Sandwich (without the Jack cheese), and we shared a large Coke Zero ($23.78 after the 10% AP discount). While we waited for our food, James picked up FPs for Soarin' (6:35pm) and then we ate much too fast!

    We left about 6:10pm and hurried to catch the 6:40pm performance of Disney's Aladdin A Musical Spectacular; we were able to sit in the downstairs Orchestra section in the 6th row, just right of center ~ a GREAT location! I'm very glad we got to see it today, as we've since learned that it will be closing for good in January (boo).







    We were out at 7:10pm, and we headed over to Cars Land via a bugs land to use our FPs for RSR; we went to the disabled side and were pulled out of line to fill the back seat of the next car (teal) ~ we won!



    We were off at 7:35pm, so it was too late to use the FPs at Soarin' we took a quick restroom break and then crossed over to DL around 8pm. Main Street was packed, due to the upcoming parade, so we walked the parade route to the walkway just behind the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and we watched the Paint the Night parade from this location. WOW, I just LOVE this parade and the catchy music ~ it's fantastic!







    After the parade passed by, it was gridlock to get down to The Hub to see the fireworks at 8:40pm; we had a great view of the projections on the Matterhorn, but many of the fireworks and our view of the Castle were blocked by trees.



    Main Street was still packed as we tried to make our way to the exit, since the park was closing in a few minutes at 9pm. I sat down on a bench outside The Disney Gallery for a few minutes because my feet were throbbing, and then I joined James inside for a quick look-see around. I bought a print ($38.83 after my 10% AP discount) and we headed out of the park around 9:20pm.

    We walked out to Harbor and down the street to check out Discount Ticket & Tours at the Ramada Main Gate; they didn't have anything we needed so we went back to our room. We arrived around 9:40pm and did our usual evening routine; I was in bed around midnight, with James following soon thereafter.

    Steps: 18,241
    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
    Tuesday, September 1, 2015 (80o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: The alarm went off at 8:30am, but James was still sleeping so I played on my PamPhone until he woke up around 9:45am. We ate breakfast in the room, got ready, and left around 11:25am for DCA (WOTD = Storybook).



    James picked up FPs for Soarin' (12:25pm) and World of Color (yellow) and then met me in Hollywood Land at the Disney Visa meet & greet where we waited about 10mins to see Daisy (YAY all 3 characters have now been seen!).



    I stopped at Award Wieners for a hot dog combo & large Coke Zero ($10.18 after the 10% AP discount) and James went into Gone Hollywood to look around while I ate in the seating area next door. When he came back, he said they had an eyeglass cord with little Mickey heads at the ends so I bought one for my glasses ($7.72 after the 10% AP discount).

    We walked over to the Ghirardelli Shop to get a chocolate sample (mini caramel) and then stopped at Lucky Fortune Cookery to get the Mandarin Orange Chicken bowl with brown rice instead of the white rice for James ($10.68 after the 10% AP discount). We sat at a table in the shade and listened to the Mariachi Divas, who were playing nearby.

    After James was done eating, we stopped to get FPs for RSR at 12:55pm (4:40pm) and then went to ride Soarin' with our earlier FPs.

    We were off around 1:20pm, and we exited DCA via the Grand Californian Hotel (GCH). We walked into the lobby and looked through Acorn's Gifts & Goods, before exiting out to Downtown Disney. We stopped at Wetzel's Pretzels for some Pretzel Bitz ($5.58 after the 10% AP discount) and munched on them as we walked over to the World of Disney (WoD). We browsed the store and spent a small fortune on some 60th merchandise (lanyard, pouches, pin, medal, book, & shirts; $115.38, after the 10% AP discount). We qualified for the promotional backpack, so we bought that as well!

    We went back to the GCH and stopped again at Acorn's Gifts & Goods; this time we bought a watch for James and a 60th lanyard & pin ($62.06 after the 10% AP discount) since the WoD didn't have them.

    We went back into DCA and stopped to get the free photo; however, their Wi-Fi was down and the pictures hadn't been loaded yet. The CM assured me that I could pick up the photo tomorrow if I didn't make it back over here today. I asked her to write that on the back of the voucher & sign it so I wouldn't have any problems later!

    We headed back to the motel for a break around 3:15pm. I updated my trip notes & played Solitaire on my PamPhone while James napped.

    He awoke just after 6pm and we were out the door around 6:30pm. We stopped at The Cove store up the street and bought some gauze to cushion my right little toe and then went to The Pizza Press. We got the same pizzas and soda as last time ($22, after the 15% coupon I had) and took our feast back to the room to enjoy while watching The Big Bang Theory.

    I wrapped my little toe up and we left for DCA around 7:40pm. We stopped at Kingswell Camera to see if the photos had been added to my account; they had so I selected our free photo.

    We went to the Yellow section for the WoC show and asked for the disabled seating; they had enough room for me to sit on the front bench and James stood in the back. The show began at 8:15pm and I LOVED seeing Walt in all of those clips! I think this version is a bit more appealing to adults, but I think everyone enjoyed it anyway. I was surprised when we got spritzed a couple of times during the show!









    DCA was now closed & DL would be closing at 9pm...



    ...so we headed out towards the motel; we could see some of the fireworks show as we walked towards Harbor Blvd.

    I stopped in the lobby to chat with Loretta, while James continued on to the room. I made it upstairs around 9:15pm and we again did our normal routine before going to bed around midnight.

    Steps: 13,654
    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, September 2, 2015 (79o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I woke up around 7:20am and couldn't get back to sleep (WOTD = Critter); soon the alarm was going off at 8:30am but James didn't wake up until 9:30am (he'd had trouble sleeping overnight and had been up around 4am for a while). He didn't feel like going out so I went up to McDonald's around 11:15am and picked us up an early lunch: I bought him the buy one get one sandwich offer that was on my motel key card (Big Macs) & a couple of plain hamburgers for me plus a large Diet Dr. Pepper for us to share ($10.02).

    We ate in the room while watching a little TV; the maid stopped by and James swapped out the towels and gave her the trash, before getting in the shower.

    I left for DCA around 1:15pm since he was still getting ready and headed over to do the Disney Visa meet & greet before they closed; I got to see Daisy again, this time as a solo.



    I stopped off in the nearby restroom to cool off; it was crowded since Aladdin had just let out, but I walked past the line and over to the sinks to wet some paper towels to dab my face with.

    I next waited about 5mins to ride Monsters Inc., and then I went over to DL around 2pm.



    I was sad to see that Space was down, so I called James to see where he was at; he was still at the motel so I picked up a FP for ST (2:55pm @ 2:18pm) and one for Buzz (also 2:55pm). I then entered the standby queue for Buzz and rode in about 5mins; I emailed the photo home with my score of 142,200.



    I walked over to the Jungle Cruise, which had a 10min wait posted but had the entire queue filled in. I was hesitant to get in line, when I got a call from James that he was in line at Buzz. I decided to see the next Tiki Room show at 2:50pm and then meet up with him afterwards.



    After I sang like the birdies do, I picked up a FP for Space at 3:10pm (3:50pm) since the ride was back up, and then went to the Buzz exit to wait for James; he had ridden three times, but the score was missing on two of the photos!



    James said he was only interested in riding Toy Story Midway Mania, so I first went back to Space to get another FP (3:55pm at 3:17pm) with his AP. We walked through the Emporium to check out the merchandise on our way out of the park, and then we headed over to DCA around 3:30pm.

    I sat down on a bench in the shade by Oswald's for a few minutes, since I was hot & thirsty, and then we walked through the air-conditioned comfort of Elias & Co. to check out the 60th anniversary merchandise.

    I suggested going to a couple of places (e.g. Monsters Inc., Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, & The Little Mermaid), but James wasn't interested in anything other than TSMM! I did get him to stop with me at The Cozy Cone Motel just before 4pm, where I bought him a veggie chili & Fritos cone, a pulled pork & Fritos & cheddar cheese cone for me, and a Coke Zero to share ($20.27, after the 10% AP discount). All of the tables were taken, but we found a bench in the shade to sit on and eat our snack.

    We next stopped at Ghirardelli for our free chocolate sample (mini caramel) & I got some more wet paper towels from the restroom to cool my face & arms off. We arrived at TSMM around 4:50pm; standby was posted at 20mins and we went to the disabled side so I could avoid the stairs at the exit. I scored 168,600 and James scored 189,700, which was the highest in the car!





    We were off the ride around 5:20pm and we walked up towards the park exit. I stopped to pick up our free photo and then we went to buy some stuff at Elias & Co. ($180.50 after the 10% AP discount for two Star Wars shirts, a fanny pack, 60th ears, & a 60th zippered jacket).


    ...to be continued...
    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, September 2, 2015 (79o) (part II)

    James took our purchases and headed back to the room; I thought about doing Soarin' single rider and then going to the next Frozen sing-along show at 6:30pm. However, I decided I would rather ride my favorite attraction one more time instead so I headed over to DL around 6:15pm.

    I picked up two FPs for Space at 6:21pm (7pm) since I had James' AP with me, and then I rode ST (NO queue in the 1st room at all); I had Darth Vader, the Wookiee planet, Admiral Ackbar, and Naboo this time.

    I exited ST and walked across the way to ride Buzz; I was on in less than 10mins and scored 285,000 but there was no photo at the end (AGAIN!).

    I had a couple of minutes before my FP window at Space, so I updated my trip notes and then entered the FP queue at 7pm. YAY!!!



    I thought about using my second FP for Space, but still had some things on my to-do list! I walked over and rode Pirates around 7:25pm, with only about a 5min wait. The JC still had too long of a queue, so I walked over to the Info booth to inquire about disabled seating for the PTN parade & firework-viewing; unfortunately, it would be on the ground & I currently can't get up from the floor without assistance so that option was out for me. Then the CM suggested sitting at the tables in front of the Jolly Holiday Bakery, which sounded pretty good.

    However, I instead went into Coke Corner and bought two hot dogs, chips, and a large Coke Zero ($16.78, after the 10% AP discount). The CM accidentally gave me regular Coke first and wouldn't take it back so I ended up with two sodas along with everything else!

    I found a table between Coke Corner and JHB, but did have some blockage from the trees in the area so the view wasn't free from obstructions; however, I was sitting down so that was a relief! I ate a hot dog and then watched the PTN parade, followed by the fireworks.







    After the fireworks, the park was about to close at 9pm, so I gathered up the rest of the food and took it back to the room.



    We did our usual nighttime routine, and I was in bed around midnight again.

    Steps: 18,314
    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, September 3, 2015 (78o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA; travel home in the afternoon/evening

    Actual: Last day of this trip! This time the alarm went off at 9am, so we got up, packed, and checked out just after 11am; in fact, the front desk called while James was rechecking the room to make sure we hadn't left anything!

    We checked out ($522.55 for 5 nights), left our big suitcase with the front desk, and went over to store everything else in the lockers next door at the Anaheim Desert Inn ($1.50). We then headed over to DL one last time around 11:20am.



    We walked up Main Street, looking through the shops on the east side, and I texted in our entries for the current WOTD (Matterhorn). We turned left into Tomorrowland and checked out the standby queues: 20mins for ST and 35mins for Space, who had a FP return time of 12:45pm, so it looks like no rides on either of them today!

    We stopped at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port for lunch: 2 slices of cheese pizza, the Mars-inara pasta without meatballs, and a large Coke Zero ($26.20, after the 10% AP discount). We also found out that they have discontinued the free drink refill here now, so there goes another nice freebie. 

    After we finished eating, we went over to ride Buzz a couple of times: the first ride I got 197,400 and James scored 512,900 (#21).





    On the second ride I scored 147,800 (no picture AGAIN!) and James scored 315,000 (no score on his picture).

    We stopped for a few pictures in front of the Castle with CM Byron...



    ...and then it was time to say goodbye to Walt and the rest of DL for this trip.

    We walked back to retrieve our bags from the Desert Inn and then got the big bag from the back office at the Del Sol Inn. I asked them to call a taxi for us, and we ended up with a town car instead. The bad thing about them is that there is no meter so you don't know how much to pay, so I just gave him $20 (he was very chatty and personable, total opposite of the last town car driver we were stuck with in December 2013!). This is the second time the Del Sol has gotten us a town car instead of a taxi (a taxi is about 20-25% cheaper, depending upon traffic), so we will call for our own taxi next time! 

    We arrived at the ARTIC station around 1:30pm and James bought a PowerBall ticket ($2) because the jackpot was pretty high (no, we didn't win). We went up & over to the train tracks and had an on-time departure at 2pm and on-time arrival in LA at 2:45pm. We caught a cart up to the front, and I stopped at Wetzel's Pretzels for some Dog Bitz (she gave me 15% off because I had to wait a few minutes for them), pretzel bites, & a large Diet Pepsi ($12.02). After I came back to James and our luggage, he went to Subway for a foot-long veggie sandwich ($5.75), and then we went to board our bus to Bakersfield.

    We left 15mins late at 3:25pm and the freeway was very busy; however, the driver was very aggressive and had a heavy foot so we arrived in Bakersfield at 5:25pm (30mins early)! Our train left on time at 6:20pm and we had an uneventful ride back to Sacramento. James did go to the Caf car at one point to buy me another hot dog combo ($7.50) and we arrived on-time in Sacramento at 11:30pm.

    We made the long trek back to our waiting car and drove home, arriving around midnight; Sidney was very glad to see us and we were glad to have made it home safely as well! 

    Steps: 8,372


    Up Next: James is ready to try a short flight again, so our next trip is planned for January 10-14, 2016. I was going to then stay on through the 18th and hang out with my friend Mike from FL but he has decided to skip the Star Wars half marathon this year, so I will fly home with James on the 14th.


    Summary:

    We had a great visit, except for the HEAT! It affected both of us and made James declare no more visits at this time of the year!

    Highlights include:
    • Just being at Disneyland!
    • Our delicious lunch at the Blue Bayou (waterside table) and the yummy pizzas at The Pizza Press!
    • Seeing the new entertainment offerings for the 60th Diamond Celebration (e.g. Paint the Night parade, fireworks, and new World of Color show).


    Lowlights include:
    • The HOT weather!!!
    • Missing the updated Peter Pans Flight
    • The photo functionality not working consistently on Buzz (too often we had either no score on the photo or no photo at all!)
    • Did I mention the heat?



    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



  11. #10

    Wonderful report as always. So glad you and James are back touring the parks together. Just makes my heart sing.


  12. #11
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA

    Thanks Ellen - you are very kind!

    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

    Trip Report

    yaaay! A Pam report -- sounds like you had a great time!! I was at WDW in the middle of November and it was stinking hot (almost Florida summer temps!) so I can appreciate having to cool off intermittently -- Glad your recovery is progressing -- you're wonderful!

    All my best,

    faith


  14. #13
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by Woods Hole Girl View Post
    yaaay! A Pam report -- sounds like you had a great time!! I was at WDW in the middle of November and it was stinking hot (almost Florida summer temps!) so I can appreciate having to cool off intermittently -- Glad your recovery is progressing -- you're wonderful!

    All my best,

    faith
    Thanks Faith! You know, even when it is so stinking hot you're still at a Disney theme park! It's amazing how hot FL has been this fall...it should be really nice by now, but it's still in the 80s!
    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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