Articles | Disneyland | Walt Disney World
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 27

Thread: Pammer ~ November 12-20, 2016 ~ Offsite

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

    Pammer ~ November 12-20, 2016 ~ Offsite

    It took me a while to find the time to type this up, but here is the report of my latest trip...I hope you like it!

    Travel dates: November 12 20, 2016
    Travel method: Southwest & Auto
    Resort: Anaheim Del Sol Inn & Camelot Inn (Off-site)
    Accommodations: Standard
    Ages Represented in Group: Adult to child
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Veteran to Veteran-in-Training!
    Comments: Family time!
    Cast of characters:

    • Pam, 55: trip planner/writer/self-proclaimed Disney Queen!
    • James, 56: Pam's hubby who likes Disneyland but is not as fanatic as Pam!
    • Rod, 38: Our nephew and Dad to Molly & Chase
    • Sarah, 38: Rod's wife & mom to Molly & Chase
    • Molly, 17: Sarah & Rod's daughter
    • Chase, 8: Sarah & Rod's son


    The Planning

    We've visited the Disneyland Resort with our nephew, his wife, and two kids multiple times ever since our great-niece Molly was a toddler (she is now 17!); however, they had been priced out from visiting the past few years. Thanks to their Fairy Godmother, they were given 5-day park hoppers for Christmas last year!

    Sarah & I started planning & we came up with November 14-18 in the parks, partly based on the projected crowd ratings from TouringPlans.com. We also decided to visit Universal Studios Hollywood since they had the new Harry Potter land open. 

    In addition, I was interested in seeing Donny & Marie Osmond at the Flamingo in Las Vegas; James suggested I swing a side trip for that on my way home from Anaheim rather than a round-trip from Sacramento some other time, so that was built into the trip itinerary as well.

    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 March; the total for the 7 nights = $1,066. The Bakers are staying up the street at The Camelot with a great nightly rate of $99! I also booked one night at The Flamingo in Las Vegas for me ($123 deposit).

    Transportation: In early August I booked airfare on Southwest Airlines from Sacramento to Orange County for both of us using points (equivalent cost = $76 each) and James' return flight using points (equivalent cost = $76); I also booked flights for me from Orange County to Las Vegas to Sacramento using points (equivalent cost = $234). The total TSA fees & Early-Bird option for all flights came to $103 (without points the total cash cost would have been $537).

    I also made reservations with SuperShuttle for travel to/from our motel in Anaheim & to/from the Flamingo in Las Vegas as well ($54 total after the AAA group discount was applied).

    Lastly, I booked transportation on Gray Line for James & I to get to USH ($54 through Get Away Today) & meet up with the Bakers there (they are driving down from Merced).

    Tickets: James & I have Deluxe AP vouchers for DL, which I bought back in February when I thought a price increase was imminent (although only tickets went up then; $599 x 2 = $1198). The Bakers have 5-day park hopper tickets, and plan to upgrade to Deluxe APs during their visit.

    I also bought one-day tickets for James & I for USH before their ticket prices went up in March ($174); the Bakers planned to purchase annual passes from Costco before the trip, but ended up just buying one-day tickets online as well.

    Priority Seating: I made a reservation at Blue Bayou for Wednesday (11/16) @ 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 $84 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 was the result:

    • November 12: Travel down in the afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA
    • November 13: Universal Studios Hollywood
    • November 14: Disneyland/DCA
    • November 15: Disneyland/DCA
    • November 16: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou @ 11:30am
    • November 17: Disneyland/DCA
    • November 18: Disneyland/DCA
    • November 19: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; James flies home in the afternoon & I fly to Las Vegas to see Donny & Marie Osmond at the Flamingo
    • November 20: Check-out of the Flamingo; fly home in the late morning



    Friday, November 11, 2016 (pre-departure date)

    Actual: I worked a partial day and then we both had eye appointments and ran errands afterwards; on the way home, we picked up a couple of sandwiches from Subway for tomorrow (a veggie foot-long sandwich for James & a turkey/cheese foot-long for me = $13.90). We spent the evening doing laundry, packing, and getting the house ready for vacation, and then I went to bed around midnight & James followed around 2am.


    Saturday, November 12, 2016 (86o)
    Plan: Travel down in the afternoon; check-in to the Del Sol Inn; Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I slept well, fed our kitty Sidney around 7am, and then got up for good around 8:30am. I started getting ready and then woke James up a little after 9am; we were out the door about 90mins later.

    I drove us to the airport with no accidents or traffic to delay us, and we parked in the Economy lot (D42). The bus showed up right away and we were soon at Terminal B. We checked our big suitcase in (45#) and were through the Pre-TSA line just before noon.

    We filled our reusable H2O bottle and each ate about half of our sandwiches & some chips I'd also brought from home, before heading down to our gate. We boarded our flight (A24 & 25) and sat apart in separate exit rows. We pushed back a few minutes late, but were airborne by 1pm. James had his usual ginger ale & I drank Diet Dr. Pepper with the pretzels they gave us.

    We arrived on-time just after 2pm, picked up our big suitcase, and walked up to the shuttles. We checked in with SuperShuttle and they put us in a cargo-style van a few minutes later. We had an extra-long commute (45mins), because they had to drop off someone in a residential neighborhood (Orange) first; to make things worse, the A/C was not too great and it was 83o outside!

    We checked in to the Del Sol Inn, and were put in a newly remodeled room over the breakfast room (#203) ~ it was very nice! They were remodeling the back side of the property, and the desk clerk said they should be completely done before Christmas.

    We unpacked a little bit, put the valuables in the safe, and headed to McDonald's around 4:15pm. We bought BOGO (buy one get one) Big Macs and shared a large Diet Dr. Pepper ($8.61), and refilled the cup before we left. We stopped at The Cove Market for a gallon of water ($4.88) and James took it and the soda back to the room while I headed across the street.

    I went through bag check and waited for James by the ticket booths; when we met back up we got in line to activate the Deluxe Annual Passes I'd bought back in February from the Disney Store. CM Hugo had to call in a lead for assistance when both passes were showing expiration dates of 2-17-17 (which were a year after purchase rather than activation); this alarmed us as we didn't want to spend $600 for a 3-month AP!

    While still at the ticket window, I bought two Disney gift cards with a holiday design ($15 each) and then headed over to Disneyland Park; we had our photos taken for our passes and then James went to get FastPasses for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters around 5:15pm (5:55pm) while I went to City Hall. CM Kendra gave me info for visiting attractions with stairs (I have a bad knee and try to limit walking up stairs as much as I can) and then I met back up with James.

    We went to Peter Pan's Flight to get a return time (6:10pm at 5:35pm) and then went over to Star Wars Launch Bay to do the Chase Disney Visa meet & greet with Darth Vader ~ lots of fun as always!











    We rode Buzz with our earlier FPs with a so-so score for each of us (J=388K and P=158K; no pictures) and then went to Jingle Cruise and rode Yuletide Lotus with Skipper Liz, who was great!

    We next went to Rancho del Zocalo around 7pm and waited 10mins for a carne asada & enchiladas platter, with brown rice & veggies substituted for Mexican rice & refried beans ($14.08, after the 10% AP discount). After sharing the food, we went back to Peter, but there was a long return line; after waiting several minutes without moving, we left and headed over to The Camera Center.

    I waited about 10mins (yes, it was Saturday night on a holiday race weekend!) to ask about the PhotoPass week pass, only to find that you buy it online within 45 days of the photo date (before the photos expire); then I walked through the snowfall on Main Street to meet up with James at The Emporium. We looked around a bit and decided to escape the crowds by going back to the room around 7:30pm.

    We got settled, snacked on popcorn & Goobers, and James watched the Fox News Channel while I updated my trip notes & later showered. I was ready for bed around 10:30pm and James followed around midnight.

    Steps: 12,237
    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



  2. # ADS

    Join Date
    Location
    Posts
     

  3. #2
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Sunday, November 13, 2016 (89o) ~ Part I
    Plan: Universal Studios Hollywood

    Actual: The alarm went off at 7am and Gray Line called to confirm a change in our pickup location to in front of the Best Western Park Place Inn, due to the road closures from today's Avenger half-marathon route; it was still scheduled for 8:15am, but she warned me that he might be late. I drank a protein shake and James had oatmeal for breakfast, we got ready, and headed out around 8am.

    James picked up an apple from our motel's breakfast room and we walked over to the bus stop to wait; we could see the southbound lanes reduced down to one lane and everyone had to make a U-turn at the pedestrian entrance right in front of us (where the closure actually started) except for the busses who turned right into the drop-off area instead. Our bus finally made it through the madness just before 9am to pick us up!

    We had one more pick-up and then were dropped off at the main bus terminal; we exchanged our voucher for a check-in slip and were first in line outside for our bus. We sat in the front row (I get car sick if we sit too far back) and the bus departed at 9:25am. We had the MOST entertaining bus driver (RD), who asked trivia questions and played tour guide during our trip to quickly pass the time!

    We arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood around 10:20am, and RD instructed us to be back by 6:45pm for our 7pm (PROMPT!) departure ~ no exceptions! He also drilled it in to our heads our bus number (25), so we didn't get on the wrong bus tonight!

    We walked to the entrance, and got through bag check and the turnstiles quickly. James had briefly connected with Rod around 10am, who said they were heading to the Lower Lot so we headed that way first. We kept trying to connect with the family while we walked, but no answer on either Rod's, Sarah's, or Molly's phones.

    We rode Transformers The Ride-3D via the accessible line so I could avoid the stairs (walk-on); this reminded me of the Spider-Man ride at Universal Studios Orlando for the great special effects, although I'm not a huge fan of either ride due to the motion.

    Once we were off, we met up with the Bakers, and found out what they had been up to all morning: first they had arrived before 9am, parked, and headed straight to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey to find it already had nearly an hour wait! They looked around the area a bit and discovered a short wait for Ollivanders and Chase ended up being selected for the show! Darn ~ so sad we missed it!

    Afterwards, Molly & Chase rode the Flight of the Hippogriff and then they went down to ride Jurassic Park The Ride, where they had lots of technical difficulties. They next rode Transformers and then went back to ride JP again; this time things were working better and they got a lot wetter! 

    This is where we met up; it was 11:15am and we were hungry so we went to Jurassic Cafe; I got a cheeseburger with fries, James got the turkey brie sandwich with a fruit cup, and we shared a large cherry vanilla Coke Zero ($32.66; no AAA or AmEx discounts any more, according to the cashier). I think the kids and Sarah all had burgers and Rod had a salad (he's trying to bring his cholesterol numbers down).

    We left around 11:45am and went back up to the Upper Lot; the Animal Actors show was about to start at noon, so we arrived just in time to see that...





    ...afterwards we went to get frozen Butterbeers around 12:30pm ($7.07 each; I had one and the Bakers shared two).

    Our next stop was the Special Effects Show at 1pm, which was impressive with a surprise ending; too bad there was NO leg room in the bleachers!





    After a bathroom break, we queued up in the accessible line (due to my knee) for the world-famous Studio Tour around 1:45pm; they crammed us in like cattle but we were loaded on pretty quickly.



    Our host had problems with his microphone, so they brought him a replacement partway through the tour. New to James & I were the King Kong & the Fast and the Furious segments (we were last here in 2007), but it was fun to see the rest of it as well!









    After the tour, Molly, Chase, & I went to ride Harry Potter, where the posted wait time was half of what it had been this morning! We planned to ride Single Rider, although Chase was a bit nervous; we were directed to the elevator so I could avoid the stairs and I had a very difficult time walking through the queue afterwards because my eyes wouldn't adjust to the dim light! I even stumbled into a chain when I should have made a turn near the Sorting Hat ~ ouch!

    Fortunately, there was no wait inside and they ended up putting us all together; it is a very intense, but well-themed, attraction & Chase had his eyes covered by the of it! A staff member assisted me off of the conveyor belt (nice!) as I was a bit unsteady, and then we left via the store ~ and saw Sarah & James inside! They were shocked to see us so soon and we went to go meet up with Rod.

    ...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, November 13, 2016 (89o) ~ Part II

    I had another frozen Butterbeer ($7.07) around 3:10pm and Sarah went to get a soda at a nearby counter-service place; Molly wanted Starbucks so we went there next for her to get something. It was a long line, so James & I waited for them while Rod & Sarah went next door to The Walking Dead Attraction (NO WAY was I doing THAT!).

    We met back up to see the Water World show at 3:50pm; Sarah & Molly sat with me in a dry, accessible row, Rod & Chase went further in to another section, and James went to a third section somewhere closer to where we came in. This is a VERY wet & funny stunt show, but we stayed dry where we were; I always get a kick out of the performers soaking people as they walk in (we just missed being victims ourselves)!









    We met back up outside the stadium and went to see Shrek 4-D from the stationary seats, and then all of the crazy Bakers went back to see The Walking Dead Attraction together while James & I waited for them!

    We next checked out the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction, where the wait was now 35mins; they couldn't guarantee a ride on their stationary seats, so we left.

    We checked out Super Silly Fun Land, where Chase used a hammer to ring a bell and win a stuffed Minion for $10 and then he & Molly competed in the water gun aim game for a smaller stuffed Minion (he won that too, but gave Molly the toy; another $10).

    The sun had set and we were hungry, so we went to the Plaza Grill around 5:30pm; James & I split the pulled pork sandwich, fries, coleslaw, & large Coke Zero ($17.09), while the Bakers all had hot link sandwiches with the exception of Rod who had a turkey sandwich.

    Just before 6pm, they all went to ride Jurassic Park one last time and I went to get one last frozen Butterbeer $7.07; can you tell I LOVE these things?). I walked down to the Studio Store to do some shopping (HP shirt & a USH tote bag = $35.87) and then took a bathroom break. James called around 6:20pm and misunderstood where to meet me as I was by the dancing employees near the exit and it was quite loud!

    I waited 10mins and headed towards the exit, as I couldn't get ahold of him (he had no signal) and I knew he could always get a ride with the Bakers if he missed the bus. I got a handstamp and ran into the Bakers WITHOUT James, and started to get a bit worried. Finally, James called me and was by the exit so we met up & the Bakers continued on to their car.

    Our bus arrived and we left promptly at 7pm; we had an uneventful, dark, & quiet ride back to Anaheim and we were let out in front of our motel around 8pm. We dropped off our stuff in our room and walked up to McDonald's, where we did the BOGO Big Macs (James), hamburger & hot fudge sundae (me), plus a small soda ($9.58) and a free small fries with the coupon I had received the day before when I had donated $1 to their charity drive.

    We walked next door to the Bakers' room at The Camelot to get the 2 gallons of water they had brought for us, and then headed back to the motel around 9pm and watched TV. I also showered, updated my trip notes, and was in bed around 11:30pm (James followed around 12:30am).

    Steps: 14,382
    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, November 14, 2016 (87o) ~ Part I
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: The alarm went off at 7:20am and I got up, had a protein shake, got ready, and was out the door at 8:35am (James was still sleeping). I headed across the street to find all 3 bag check areas PACKED, with lines extending well into the transportation drop-off area (probably the worst I've ever seen for a non-holiday weekday)!

    I made it through to find the lines for DL extending 3/4 of the way across the Esplanade already, so I decided to get in a relatively short line for DCA even though it was the early entry park for the day. The Bakers joined me about 10-15mins later, as hordes of guests just kept filling up the whole area! I didn't understand why 9am came and went without us being let in to DCA, when I suddenly remembered previously reading that although early entry would begin at 9am DCA wouldn't open until 10am today & Wednesday! Usually both parks open at the same time, but this was a new one for me ~ rats!

    They finally started letting us in to Buena Vista Street around 9:30am, and we were able to get 6 FPs for tonight's World of Color Season of Light show (BLUE section ~ YAY!) from a CM who was handing them out as you walked by him ~ thanks to Molly for noticing that (Magic Moment)! Now we don't have to go over to get them from the machines later & be short one for James.



    We were held for rope drop at 10am, and then I took all of our tickets to get FPs for Radiator Springs Racers (already 11:25am by 10:03am!) before meeting up with them at Toy Story Midway Mania! I went to the disabled entrance so I could avoid the stairs at the end (186,100).



    I found Rod & Molly outside the gift shop exit (Sarah & Chase were on King Triton's Carousel) and then we walked over to Goofy's Sky School, where I rode with Molly & Chase (5mins; FUN!). The 3 of us next rode Jumpin' Jellyfish together and then met back up with Rod & Sarah.

    We rode The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure (5mins) and then I called James just before 11am to touch base with him. We got a sourdough bread sample from The Bakery Tour and then Sarah went in to the Pacific Wharf Cafe to buy a loaf using my 10% AP discount.

    We stopped in to Ghirardelli's for a sample (pumpkin spice caramel = YUCK) and then went to ride RSR with our FPs. It broke down before we could ride, so they gave us a pass for up to 6 people to use later today!

    We met up with James around noon and headed to the Chase Disney Visa meet & greet with Stitch in Hollywood Land.





    Next James took everyone's tickets and got FPs for Soarin' Around the World around 12:20pm (3:30pm) and then we all headed out the park exit through the Grand Californian Hotel and over to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. I used my Landry's Select Club card to get priority seating and we were shown to our table about 10mins later.



    We enjoyed a yummy lunch together: I had the chicken tenders & a Diet Coke, James had a shrimp salad with a raspberry tea, Rod had the chicken parmesan and an iced tea, Molly had the turkey club, Chase had the kids' popcorn shrimp & chocolate milk, and Sarah had onion rings with her entree (which I didn't find in my notes later!). The Bakers treated us so thank you!

    James took the leftovers back to our room and the rest of us went to ride the Disneyland Monorail back in to DL. I then took our tickets to get FPs for Buzz around 2:25pm (3pm) while the Bakers headed to "it's a small world" Holiday. I joined them in line and then James just missed joining us (after picking up his own Buzz FP for 3:10pm) before we boarded our boat; he told us later that I was looking right in his direction and never saw him ~ OOPS!

    Afterwards, we met back up and went to ride Buzz; for some reason I dont have Molly's picture or score, but the rest of us scored 633,500 (James; #28), 570,600 (Rod; #39), 235,700 (Sarah), 102,100 (Pam), & 82,400 (Chase).







    ...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, November 14, 2016 (87o) ~ Part II

    I next went to the exit of Hyperspace Mountain to get a return time (4-5pm) and then we all headed over to DCA to ride Soarin' with our earlier FPs around 3:30pm (row B3).

    We walked over to RSR but their FP line showed 45mins, so we did Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters instead after a 10min wait (Rod bailed out beforehand for some reason).

    We headed back to DL around 4:35pm, where "A Christmas Fantasy" Parade was in progress (I really love their parade song!); James & Rod went to ride Buzz a couple of times [James scored 563,900 (#56) and 464,400 (#98) respectively; I don't have Rod's scores), while Sarah, Molly, Chase, & I went to ride Space (FUN for me, but scary for the others!).



    Afterwards, I called James to meet us at SWLB for the DV meet & greet; we got a kick out of his interaction with Chase!





    Boba Fett was next door, so we went to see him next...



    We next headed over to ride Sarah's favorite attraction: the Pirates of the Caribbean (20mins); always a classic!

    I wanted a snack, so I stopped at Refreshment (Coke) Corner for a kids' hot dog meal with chips ($6.79, after the 10% AP discount) around 6:25pm, and ate the hot dog as we walked back over to DCA. We headed to RSR to ride with our earlier FPs, and we had no wait on the disabled side!



    We passed by DJ's Dance 'n' Drive playing his 7pm show and headed over to the Pacific Wharf. Molly & I went to Ghirardelli's where I got a large Oreo milkshake ($7.80, with a 15% AP discount instead of the usual 10%) and Molly got a sundae. We took our treats back to the seating area, where James had gotten a teriyaki chicken bowl from Lucky Fortune Cookery ($11.65, after the 10% AP discount) and Rod, Sarah, & Chase got food from there as well.

    About 7:45pm, we went over to the BLUE viewing section to wait for the WoC to begin; I was disappointed that there was no Fun Wheel Challenge tonight.



    My feet were already hurting from all of the walking today, and standing on the concrete waiting for WoC to start at 8:15pm didn't help them or my back at all; none of the Bakers were used to all of the walking either and didn't last much past the start of the show as it turned out (they never did see the show this trip)!

    DCA was now closed, so James & I headed out with the masses; the DL fireworks began around 8:40pm so we saw a bit of them as we walked across the Esplanade towards the Harbor Blvd. bag check area. We found Molly sitting on a bench, so we stopped to chat with her until the rest of her family showed up (I needed to sit down for a few minutes as well).

    Rod, Sarah, & Chase had gone to World of Disney looking for lanyard pouches (no luck) and arrived a few minutes later. We all headed to our respective motels and then James left around 9pm to take their RFC leftovers back to them.

    I did my usual nighttime routine of watching TV, showering, and updating my trip notes; the new neighbors arrived with a couple of screaming kids right after James left ~ fortunately, they quieted down about 10:30pm and James missed it all by coming back around 11pm. 

    He went to bed around midnight and I followed about 30mins later, after watching Despicable Me 2.

    Steps: 21,436
    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, November 15, 2016 (80o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I was up at 8:15am and getting ready when I received a text from Sarah saying that they were using their Magic Morning option at DL; I replied back with my intent to go to DCA and ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror before it closed.

    I headed out around 9am and was inside DCA within 15mins; I picked up a FP for ToT at 9:20am (10am) and then rode RSR via the Single Rider queue ~ the park was much quieter than yesterday morning!

    I picked up a sample at Ghirardelli's and then rode Ariel (walk-on), before picking up a FP for Soarin' at 10am (10:40am). I rode ToT with my earlier FP and then bought a Last Call shirt & keychain ($37.89, after the 10% AP discount).

    I went to ride Monsters Inc. (5mins) and started getting emotional because I was alone and not hearing anything from the Bakers. You see, we had found out a month or two before the trip that Sarah & Rod had invited another couple to join them during our trip; they were driving down Tuesday morning and driving back home on Thursday evening ~ one had never been to DL before and the other one had only been once. Unfortunately, this caused my jealous streak to emerge during these few days ~ I had planned this family trip for us together and I felt abandoned when I wasn't hearing from them. It wasn't reality, but it was the way I felt and I had to deal with it on my own.

    I went to use my FP at Soarin', but it was down so I headed to Elias & Co; I ended up buying a Christmas shirt and two luggage tags ($42.66, after the 10% AP discount; never go shopping when you are upset! ) and headed back to the motel around 11:15am.

    As I approached my room, there was a young boy banging on the door trying to get into the room next to mine; this was just the tip of the iceberg. For the next hour, we heard the two kids next door making a very loud racket; at some point we heard the mother come back ~ these two kids had been left alone from before I had returned from DCA!

    Once James was ready, we went down to the lobby & asked for the manager; he was onsite but involved with the remodel and never came to talk to us. He finally spoke to James on the phone, and agreed to move the family to another room a few doors down for tonight (their last night); since we were staying for a week (and paying a grand for the pleasure) it wasn't fair to make us move. We were surprised that the mother left these two young kids (about 6 & 9) unsupervised for over an hour; we also suggested that they check the room for damages based on the amount of banging we had heard earlier!

    We walked up to The Pizza Press around 1:20pm and bought a veggie pizza for James and a cheese pizza for me ($20.20, after the 10% coupon I'd gotten off of the Orange County Visitors website); we took them back to the room and enjoyed a (now) peaceful meal!



    Around 2pm, we left for DL and first picked up FPs for Star Tours (3pm) and then got a return time for Peter Pan @ 2:25pm (2:45pm). The line for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was less than 5mins, so we did that next (Ratty) and then rode the King Arthur Carrousel (5mins).

    By now it was time to return to Peter, so we did that and then got a return time for Alice in Wonderland at 3pm (3:30pm).

    We walked over to ride ST with our earlier FPs and saw Darth Vader, the Tatooine pod race, Yoda, & Boba Fett. When we exited, the Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple show (I still call this the Jedi Training Academy!) was in progress so we watched that before going to ride Alice (green caterpillar).

    We next went to get a return time for Jingle Cruise at 4:10pm (4:30pm) and then got FPs for Indiana Jones Adventure (5:05pm), before walking over to ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (2mins).

    We walked back to ride JC (Evergreen Una) and then got a return time for Haunted Mansion Holiday just before 5pm (5:15pm). We crossed back over to wait for our Indy FPs to become valid, and then rode at 5:10pm ~ YAY!

    We got a FP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at 5:30pm (6:05pm), and then went to Rancho del Zocalo for a carne asada & enchiladas platter, with brown rice & veggies substituted for Mexican rice & refried beans and a Coke Zero ($17.28, after the 10% AP discount).

    We shared the food and then went to ride HMH just before 6pm; afterwards we rode BTMR with our earlier FPs ~ it's a different experience at night!

    We went to Tomorrowland and picked up FPs for Buzz at 6:40pm (7:20pm) and then I got a return time at Space for 7:15pm. We went to SWLB for the meet & greet with Darth Vader...



    ...and then also saw Chewbacca, since the queue was short.



    We walked over to Mickey's Toontown and I took pictures of the iaswh faade along the way...



    ...we had not ridden Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin in several visits, so we did that around 7:15pm (<10mins).

    We left Toontown and James went to ride Buzz with the two FPs [755,600 (#59) & 553,100] while I went to ride my favorite: Space!

    We met back up and went to Galactic Grill for a kid's turkey sandwich with fries & apples for James & a holiday dessert for me ($12.61, after the 10% AP discount); YUM!

    After eating, we went to Buzz one more time, where I beat James for once (P=459,700 & J=393,300) ~ whoo-hoo!!!





    The Believe in Holiday Magic Fireworks Spectacular was in progress when we exited Buzz, but there was no one at ST so did that instead of watching the fireworks (walk-on; DV, Jakku, Ackbar, & Coruscant).



    The park was now closed, so we looked through Star Traders & the Emporium, where I bought a Christmas bell lanyard ($14.57, after the 10% AP discount). We then walked over to 20th Century Music Company across the street so I could buy the 6-piece Christmas pin collection ($29.15, after the 10% AP discount).

    We next had a look-see around the Disney Gallery and left the park around 9:35pm; James went to visit the Bakers while I went back to our room, updated my trip notes, and watched The Big Bang Theory on TBS. James came home a couple of hours later, and we went to bed around midnight.

    Steps: 24,328
    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, November 16, 2016 (70o) ~ Part I
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou @ 11:30am

    Actual: My legs hurt overnight, but I was up at 7:20am; I received a message from my coworker friend Mandie asking me to get a couple of the Disney chocolate Advent calendars for her kids while I was getting ready so I made a mental note for later.

    I left at 8:35am and there were HUGE lines for bag check again; only two were open at first but then they opened the third one about 8:45am and I went over to it. There were lines for both parks, but this time I remembered that DCA wasn't opening until 10am (like on Monday) and went to DL. Those lines went all the way back to the Monorail berm!

    I was through the turnstiles by 9am and headed up Main Street, where people were beginning to line up for the first filming of the Christmas Parade at 10:30am. As I exited Sleeping Beauty Castle I found the line for Peter, so I went to ask for a return time and the CM put me right through since I was solo (Magic Moment #1 for the day)!

    After Peter, I rode Toad (<5mins; Ratty again) and then went around the corner to ask for a return time on Alice; the CM put me on the next caterpillar (green) when I told him I was solo (Magic Moment #2!).

    I next walked over to Tomorrowland and picked up a FP for ST at 9:35am (10:30am); Buzz was down so I went to get a return time for Space and the CM put me right in to the queue (Magic Moment #3)! When I came off, they gave me a return time of 10:35am at 10am but also said they were cycling down to locate someone's glasses so I left.

    I headed across the park to JC, where they let me walk-on to the next boat (they were already queuing upstairs) with Skipper Chynna (Magic Moment #4) and then James called to say he was in line for Buzz (20mins; 371,200 = #18). I told him that Sarah had recently texted to say that they had gone to Toontown earlier but now were at the Matterhorn and that I was going to ride ST with my FP now (around 10:30am).

    When I came off of ST (DV, Hoth, Admiral Ackbar, & Naboo), I looked for James as I headed over to New Orleans Square but he apparently had gone over to the Matterhorn to meet up with the Bakers.

    I had to wait for the parade to pass by The Hub...





    I checked us in at the Blue Bayou for our lunch reservation and James and the Bakers arrived around 11:15am with their friends, who had a separate reservation. We were seated waterside a few tables apart...



    ...and perused the menu; James ordered the Portobello Mushroom, an iced tea, and a Mint Julep and I ordered the Flat Iron Steak with a Diet Coke ($91, after the 10% AP discount; I don’t remember what the Bakers ordered, other than Rod had steak). Once we finished ordering, James collected everyone's tickets and got FPs for HMH (12:10pm).

    While waiting for our entrees, Rod, Sarah, & I discussed my hurt feelings from the day before (they said they were waiting to hear from me & I said I was waiting to hear from them, among other things!) and then we all enjoyed a very tasty meal together.







    Our server also brought me some chocolate mousse as an early birthday present!




    ...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, November 16, 2016 (70o) ~ Part II

    We left BB around 12:30pm plenty stuffed, met up with Sarah's friends, and rode HMH with our FPs before heading over to DCA. James then collected everyone's tickets again to get FPs for Soarin' (3:25pm) and met up with us at the Disney Visa meet & greet in Hollywood Land (Minnie).





    We left Minnie and waited about 20mins for Monsters Inc., and then went inside the Disney Animation building; we looked through the Sorcerer's Workshop and some of us did the personality test inside the Beast's Library (Pam = Cinderella, James = Marlin, Chase = Tigger, Molly = Merida, Sarah = Elastigirl). We then did Turtle Talk with Crush around 2pm, which was a lot of fun!





    We left the Animation building around 2:30pm and split up: Molly went with Sarah's friends and the rest of us walked through a bug's land to ride RSR single rider.



    After a quick bathroom break, we rode Mater's Junkyard Jamboree (Chase with James & I and his parents rode separately); none of them had ridden this before and we all had a lot of fun!

    We headed into the Pacific Wharf and picked up a sample (peppermint bark = YAY!) at Ghirardelli and then met up with the others around 3:25pm at Soarin' to use our FPs.

    After we saw the world, we split up again: James & I went to Trolley Treats to buy the Advent calendars for Mandie ($28.17, after the 10% AP discount) and the others went to Grizzly River Run. We then took our purchases back to the motel around 4pm and James helped me start some laundry (two loads wash & dry at $2 each = $8).

    James called Rod around 5:30pm, who said they had upgraded their tickets to APs and gone shopping at DD; now they were planning to take the Monorail into DL so James left to meet up with them. I was tired, so I stayed behind to finish the laundry & relax, while working on my trip notes.

    James called at 6pm to say the Bakers were skipping DL and going to The Pizza Press for dinner and then back to their motel; he also said the park was very busy, so he was going to ride Buzz a couple of times (466,300 & 946,400 = #42) and then leave.

    I ate my Pizza Press leftovers from yesterday with some Goobers and watched some Seinfeld reruns; James called around 7pm to say that he had gone to see the Bakers (the kids were swimming and the adults were relaxing) and was now going to stop at McD's for dinner. He bought BOGO Big Macs (J) & a hot fudge sundae (P) for $6.57 and brought it all back to our room.

    We watched TV (Survivor, Designated Survivor, & The Big Bang Theory reruns) and both of us were in bed around 11pm.

    Steps: 13,533
    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, November 17, 2016 (74o) ~ Part I
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: My alarm went off at 7:20pm, I got ready, and was out the door at 8:25am. FINALLY there were short lines at bag check and also for both parks, and I headed to DCA. I was in line for rope drop by 8:40am and chatted with an older couple next to me who were visiting from Washington State; it was their first visit ever to DCA, so I gave them touring advice which helped pass the time!

    At rope drop, I picked up a FP for RSR (10:15am) and then walked back to TSMM; I rode after a 15min wait (196,800 with 41% accuracy)...



    ... and then met up with the Bakers who had ridden right after me. Molly & Chase rode California Screamin' with Sarah's friends...



    ...who then rode Mickey's Fun Wheel while Chase & I rode Screamin' in the front row ~ eek! I hadn't ridden this in years, since I never have anyone to ride it with; however, once a trip is enough for me!



    We all headed to the Corn Dog Castle around 10:45am, where James met up with us. I got a corn dog with chips & a large Diet Coke ($11.84, after the 10% AP discount) and shared the chips & soda with James; the others got corn dogs as well.

    Just after 11am, I headed to ride RSR with my FP before it expired at 11:15am, stopping for a sample at Ghirardelli along the way; the others went to the Pacific Wharf Cafe for a loaf of bread and also got samples from Ghirardelli & The Bakery Tour. I got off of RSR when the others arrived to use their FPs, and so James & I went in to the single rider queue (we beat them off!).



    I took everyone's tickets to get FPs for ToT at 12pm (2:35pm), while James rode RSR via single rider again and the others went to ride Luigi's. I headed on over to the Disney Visa meet & greet and worked on my trip notes while waiting for everyone else to arrive. CM Chester (custodian) walked up whistling loudly to the Christmas tunes playing in the area and I complimented him; he then sang to me and gave me a "Happily Ever After" button! He also spoke to me in rhymes ~ a very entertaining gentleman!

    Everyone showed up & we got in line for the meet & greet; CM Chester came by again and entertained all of us this time! We saw Daisy...



    ...and then rode Monsters Inc. (<10mins).

    The others wanted pasta, so I went to Award Wieners for a hot dog, fries, & large Coke Zero ($11.84, after the 10% AP discount). I ate my food alone by AW, while everyone else ended back at the Pacific Wharf and got different things; I realized I had James' AP and called him several times (he doesn't do texts) but he never picked up so he paid full price for his chicken teriyaki bowl with brown rice ($12.95) from LFC.

    I saw Five & Dime drive by with Anders (who also plays with Kirk Wall & the Hillbillies over at Knotts Berry Farm), so I went to watch them over on Buena Vista Street for a while...



    ...before going over to check out Off the Page. James finally was calling me back, but I ignored his calls for a bit since I was upset that all of them had left me alone to eat something that they ended up not eating after all (maybe I would have liked something from the Pacific Wharf area instead of AW!).



    I finally called James back and we met up outside of Disney Junior; he then went to get us FPs for Soarin' around 2pm (4:35pm) and we met up to see the Moana sneak peek being shown in the It's Tough to be a Bug! theater (James had seen it already without me) ~ it was VERY GOOD and entertaining!


    ...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



  11. #10
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Thursday, November 17, 2016 (74o) ~ Part II

    We met back up with everyone around 2:35pm to ride ToT with our FPs; Rod wasnt feeling well afterwards.



    We split up again: they were headed to DL and James & I went to see the 3:30pm showing of Frozen ~ Live at the Hyperion; we were about 20mins early and they let us enter the Orchestra section so I could avoid the stairs. It was a good show, but was missing the opening sequence that I had seen in August. I enjoyed it, but it was just OK for James; he really preferred Aladdin.







    We were out in time to use our FPs for Soarin', so we did that next ~ it was starting to get chilly! After Soarin', we stopped at Guest Relations so I could leave a compliment for CM Chester and then we headed out around 5:15pm. We walked to The Pizza Press for the same pizzas we got on Tuesday (veggie & cheese = $20.20, after the 10% coupon) and brought them back to eat in the room.

    We put on jackets and left for DL around 6:15pm; James picked up FPs for ST (7:10pm) & I went to get a return time for Space (7:40pm). We met back up and did the Disney Visa meet & greet with Darth Vader in the SWLB...







    ...and then walked in to see the Path of the Jedi.

    After the show, James picked up FPs for Buzz just after 7pm (7:45pm) and then we rode ST with our earlier FPs (DV, Tatooine pod race, BB8, & Boba Fett).

    We missed meeting up with the Bakers and their friends; they left DL around 7pm and went to The Cheesecake Factory over at the Anaheim GardenWalk for dinner (their friends were driving back to Merced later tonight).

    James went to ride Buzz three times (with no scores on any of the pictures) while I went to ride Space and then watched some of the Christmas Parade just before 8pm from a rock ledge near the Astro Orbiter (Id also seen James waiting in the Buzz queue as I passed by).

    I called James to join me when the parade was done, as HORDES of guests were coming from Fantasyland via Tomorrowland to wait for the fireworks on Main Street; we met up and worked our way over to the JC in Adventureland around 8:30pm. We had Skipper David on board the Peppermint Miss, who was just OK.

    The fireworks ended up being cancelled, so everyone began leaving DL at once; we exited out the Backstage area on the west side of Main Street and we left around 9pm. We stopped at Cold Stone Creamery for a Gotta Love It Oreo Overload ($5.99) and took it back to the room to share. We did our usual evening routine and I went to bed around 11:30pm, with James following sometime later.

    Steps: 18,217
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  12. #11
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Friday, November 18, 2016 (78o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: Our last full day at the Resort...

    The alarm went off at 6:40am and I got up, got ready, and was out the door by 7:40am; they had added a 4th bag check area between the middle & right sections and I was through in about 2mins. I headed to DL and was through the turnstiles in about 2 more minutes; they were giving away buttons in honor of Mickey's 88th birthday today so I picked up a couple for James & me. I walked up Main Street and waited for rope drop at The Hub (the Bakers had elected to sleep in this morning).

    I walked up to get a return time for Peter, and they sent me right in since I was by myself (Magic Moment #1 for the day); I then went to Toad (3mins; Moley) and walked around the corner to Alice, but it was down. I headed on to Tomorrowland and then rode ST after a 5min wait in the standby queue (Stormtroopers, Wookie planet; General Ackbar, & Coruscant).

    I next went to Space and waited about 5mins to ride (standby was posted as 10mins); I then got a return time for it and waited the 8mins until it was valid to ride again!

    I walked on to Buzz (236,500 = #49) and then waited about 10mins to see Tinker Bell.



    Alice was now up, so I got a return time for 8mins later and looked around the Mad Hatter shop while I waited to ride.

    Fantasyland was now getting busy, so I walked over to BTMR for a return time and they directed me right in (Magic Moment #2)!

    I checked on HMH, which was closed (and would be all morning), and went to Indy for a return time a little after 10am; it was for 2mins later so I waited and then rode ~ YAY!

    I texted a few times with Sarah, and then called James to let him know the Bakers were going to breakfast at Denny's in case he wanted to meet up with them (they didn't want to wait for me to join them).

    I headed over to DCA and picked up a FP for ToT around 11am (12pm); I was feeling a little hungry and was interested in a Kalua Pork Slider from the Winter Sliderland kiosk (Festive Foods Marketplace, as part of the Festival of Holidays event) so I bought one. However, they couldn't make it without the pineapple so I got a refund instead. I checked out a couple more kiosks, but had now lost interest, so I went to the Pacific Wharf for bread & candy samples and then bought a large Oreo milkshake ($8.26, after the 10% AP discount) from Ghirardelli.

    I sat at a table outside and updated my trip notes while enjoying my treat; I noticed the lines were getting LONG!

    I picked up a cheddar garlic parmesan twist from the Cozy Cone ($5.39) and ate it while walking over to ride ToT with my FP at noon. James called as I was being assigned to an elevator to say that he was going to DL with the Bakers ~ WTH? I had told Sarah that I was going to DCA to ride ToT one last time; why were they going to the other park?

    James called again as I was leaving ToT and said the others were going to Space for FPs, so he came over to meet me at DCA. We picked up FPs for a final ride on Soarin' (this trip anyway) at 12:45pm (3:35pm) and then did the Disney Visa meet & greet with Minnie.



    We stopped at Elias & Co. just after 1pm, where James picked out a new Dooney & Bourke purse, whose design had just been released that day ($192.46, after the 10% AP discount), as an early birthday present for me and then we left the park. We went back to the motel to put the purse in the safe, and then walked up to the valet at the Camelot to pick up Rod's truck.

    While James was doing that, I went next door to McD's for a large Diet Dr. Pepper ($2.47) and then he drove over to get me. We drove up I-5 to the Citadel Outlets and stopped at the Disney Outlet Store. They were having a great pre-Black Friday sale and we purchased clothes & Pirates FP holders ($283.93, after the 10% Disney Visa discount).

    We left just before 4pm and stopped at a convenience store so I could buy some Powerball quick pick tickets, before driving back to Anaheim. James dropped me off with our purchases at the Del Sol, and then returned Rod's truck to the Camelot.

    James went next door to McD's for BOGO Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, another large Diet Dr. Pepper, and a hot fudge sundae ($9.69) and brought it all back to our room just before 5pm. I ate my leftover pizza and the sundae, while James ate one of his sandwiches.

    James left around 5:30pm for DL so he could ride Buzz a few more times, while I stayed behind to update my trip notes. I left around 6:30pm and found short lines at both the bag check and the turnstiles. I went in to DL and found the first Paint the Night Parade arriving at The Hub about the same time I got there; I went over to meet James at the Buzz exit. He picked up FPs for Buzz at 6:45pm (7:25pm) and then we went to the SWLB to see Darth Vader.





    We next crisscrossed over to HMH for a return time at 7:20pm (7:35pm) and then went to Critter Country to ride Pooh (10mins), before going back to ride HMH around 7:45pm.



    Molly was coming over to meet us, but got hung up in long lines at bag check, so we arranged to meet her at the Space exit. She had some FPs for Space that were good now so she & I rode twice with them via the accessible entrance (so I could avoid the stairs at the exit), while James rode Buzz twice with the FPs we'd picked up earlier (493,500 & 487,900).

    Molly & I checked on the next showing of Path of the Jedi around 9pm, but had just missed it so we went to meet up with James. They then went to ride the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, while I went to get a holiday dessert at Pizza Port ($5.82, after the 10% AP discount).

    I walked over towards the Alice bathrooms and found that area closed, so I walked back to sit behind the Tomorrowland Terrace stage & eat my dessert while waiting for Molly & James. I watched the fireworks at 9:30pm from my seat until they arrived...





    ...and then we went to see Path of the Jedi ~ Molly really liked it and now wanted to see all of the movies!

    James & Molly next went to ride Autopia and I went to see the Enchanted Tiki Room at 10:20pm; when I came out the second Paint the Night Parade was in progress. I called James and found out they were in Town Square watching the parade, so I headed in that direction, watching the parade come up Main Street as I walked down it.





    We met up after the parade passed by, and I pointed out Walt's apartment above the Fire Station to Molly.

    We said goodbye to DL for this trip, and James went to World of Disney looking for an AP car magnet (they later sent one to us in the mail as part of us being passholders), while Molly went to the Del Sol with me. I showed her our purchases while we waited for James to arrive, and then he walked her back to her room along with our purchases that they were driving back for us.

    James came back and finished his other chicken sandwich & microwaved some popcorn, while I updated my trip notes and dozed off & on; we both were in bed around 12:30am.

    Steps: 24,094
    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
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Saturday, November 19, 2016 (73o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Del Sol Inn; James flies home in the afternoon & I fly to Las Vegas to see Donny & Marie Osmond at the Flamingo

    Actual: The alarm went off at 8:40am; we got up, packed, and were downstairs by 10:45am ~ the lobby was VERY busy! I checked us out a few minutes later ($1,008.50, after they reversed the resort fees due to the bad neighbor problem from Tuesday, and applied the $10 Trip Advisor review credit).

    Our shuttle arrived about this time (15mins early!), and had a few more pickups before delivering us safely to the airport by 11:30am. We got our boarding passes (A29 for James and A24 for me) and checked our big bag (42#), before going through the TSA Pre-Check line.

    We went to Carl's and got a Famous Star combo for me and a bean & rice burrito for James ($14.33); we sat at James' gate (16) to eat, sharing the fries & soda from the combo, while waiting for his flight since he was supposed to depart for Sacramento about 35mins before my flight to Las Vegas.

    About 12:40pm, my flight changed from Gate 19 to 16; then they announced that James' incoming flight from San Francisco was delayed due to weather, so they changed my gate from 16 to 21 and I departed before him! James got home eventually to a rainy Sacramento and made a quick stop at Big Box Clearance Outlet on his way home since he was in the vicinity (SMF parking = $80).

    I had my usual Diet Dr. Pepper during my flight to LV, and I arrived on time at 3:10pm. I found the SuperShuttle kiosk and was checking in at The Flamingo by 4pm. I was given room #18-165, which was a long hike away from the elevator (that made me a bit nervous since I was alone, although it was very quiet). There was trash in one of the garbage cans and the bathroom shower grout was discolored with rust stains on the ceiling, but the rest of the room was very nice. The toiletries had a very strong scent that I wasn’t fond of, so I didn't take the leftovers home with me the next day.





    I had a lot of trouble getting a signal in the room for both the phone and the internet, and the phone kept cutting off when I tried calling James, so I will call back later. I got ready for my evening and left around 5pm; I hiked to Johnny Rocket's and got a bacon cheddar burger and Oreo milkshake ($19.36). After I finished eating, I checked out the area around the Showroom and saw a sign that said no cameras, so I knew I needed to take mine back to the room (darn!). Before I did that, I stopped at the gift shop and bought some Donny & Marie socks, program, & magnets, plus some Snicker Bites ($49.56), and took it all back to the room.

    I freshened up and went back downstairs around 7pm; I walked around the casino floor and then went over to the Showroom. In hindsight, I should have gone around to the VIP side (which had a shorter line), but I had plenty of time. They gave me the photos for later and my VIP lanyard, and showed me to my seat, which ended up being in the middle of a bunch of women who all knew each other & had seen the show multiple times before but weren't seated together this time.

    The show began promptly at 7:30pm and finished just after 9pm; Donny's youngest son was in the audience and looked just like his dad! It was a great show and similar to the one I'd seen 5 years before. After the non-meet & greet guests had left, they escorted us to the same small banquet room/lounge as before and we met with Donny first and then with Marie. I was near the front of the line and was done around 9:45pm; now I just had to kill time until the photos were ready (at least an hour) and all I wanted to do was go upstairs and go to bed!

    I got another Oreo shake from Johnny Rocket's ($8.60) and played some penny slots for a while. I chatted with another couple also waiting for their photos who were from New Jersey, and then decided to play some quarter slots. I found an older-style one with a 5x reward and ended up winning $187.50 (one triple bar symbol and two 5x symbols)!!! I was so excited and unable to share it with anyone, so I wouldn't get robbed on my way back to my room! I cashed in my ticket and then went to the gift shop to buy a liter of water since I was very thirsty ($5.45 ~ OMG!).

    My pictures were now ready, so I picked out the ones I wanted, paid for them ($147 ~ EEK!), and made it back to my room around 11pm. I tried calling James but we got cut off again, so I took a shower, watched some TV, and went to bed around midnight.

    Steps: 9,870


    Sunday, November 20, 2016
    Plan: Check-out of the Flamingo; fly home in the late morning

    Actual: The TV woke me up at 2:20am; I thought I'd set the sleep timer! I went back to sleep and slept well until my alarm went off at 7am; I got ready and left the room around 8:15am. I did the express check-out ($32.48 for the resort fee & tax, as the room rate had been prepaid when I had reserved it), and stopped at the gift shop near the exit for a tote bag and t-shirt ($9.91).

    I got lost momentarily on my way to the shuttle, but took the elevator downstairs and came out right by where needed to be; I arrived around 8:30am and the shuttle arrived about 20mins later. We made one more pickup and arrived at the airport by 9:10am.

    I got my boarding pass (A23) and headed to TSA; both the Pre-Check and the standby lines were short and the TSA agent was friendly. He asked me if I was a surfer, and I said no; then he asked if I was a model and I said retired ~ LOL!

    I stopped at Wendy's for a plain single burger combo ($11.13), ate, and then called James around 10am when my incoming plane arrived early. I boarded on time and we had a full flight to Sacramento; it was a long plane with 3 exit rows! I got an aisle seat in an exit row, enjoyed some Diet Dr. Pepper, peanuts, & pretzels during the flight, and updated my trip notes. We arrived on time, and I called James to pick me up from the cell phone lot ~ it was raining again but I was very happy to be home!

    Steps: 5,736


    Up Next: I had friends running in the Star Wars races in January 2017 and was going to do a quick trip in the days before the races (Wednesday – Saturday), but ended up canceling the trip. However, James & I will probably return together in late April 2017 (I have the motel & $49 flights reserved for that already!).


    Summary: Except for my jealousy with sharing this family trip with others, I was so happy to be at my favorite place with some of my most favorite people!

    Highlights include:

    • Being at Disneyland with the Bakers again!
    • Our delicious lunches at the Blue Bayou (waterside table) and the Rainforest Cafe, plus the yummy pizzas at The Pizza Press!
    • Seeing the Resort dressed up for the holidays!
    • SHOPPING!!!
    • The great weather!


    Lowlights include:

    • My jealousy 
    • The loud neighbors at the motel
    • The crowds...I thought this was supposed to be a quiet week (according to TouringPlans.com!)



    Until next time...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



  14. #13
    Registered User Silvercat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Birmingham, UK

    Wow Pam, great trip report, as usual! I do enjoy your reports, because the way you detail things makes me see them in my head - uh, that sounds weird, but I know what I mean! We had such a great time in 2014 at DL and DCA, and I can remember where everything is really clearly, so I can really relate to your trip reports.

    Oh, the Water World show in Universal - we went to this in Singapore last year, I'd never seen it before and thought it was spectacular, really funny and so entertaining. We sat in the 'splash' zone, not the 'soaked' zone, purely because it was the only area with seats left when we got in there, and there was one horrifying moment where a guy on a jet ski did doughnuts in the water in front of us, SOAKING me to the skin! I was watching him and saw this HUGE wave of water go up into the air, thinking it would land on the poor saps in front of us in the 'soaked' zone, but it missed most of them and I swear the whole lot dumped itself on me! DH was sat next to me and could barely stay on the bench for laughing at me, as I looked horrified at him and had water running off my nose!! But the show was so good, I wish they had this in Florida.

    Silvercat

    (Enjoy reading trip reports? Why not try my books, "Tiggerific Travels" - all 4 books available now as e-books)

  15. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    Loved your report as usual. It's funny because I am going to Las Vegas for a week in June and I am taking my niece to Hollywood for two days and staying overnight. I am thinking of taking a day trip to DL/DCA. I have been there before but she hasn't. Glad you enjoyed your show at the Flamingo


  16. #15

    Wonderful report. Makes me feel like I was there. One question what exactly is a frozen butterbeer?

    Sent from my SM-T357T using Tapatalk

    Always on my way to Disneyland: 84, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11

  17. #16
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    I've read through Universal. Love Waterworld. We watch it more than once a trip. We haven't been since before they added Fast and Furious to the tram.
    Sounds like a good flight was had? Yay!
    ETA: Pumpkin spice caramel? Gag and um, I'd likely need my epipen. What a let down.


  18. #17
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercat View Post
    Wow Pam, great trip report, as usual! I do enjoy your reports, because the way you detail things makes me see them in my head - uh, that sounds weird, but I know what I mean! We had such a great time in 2014 at DL and DCA, and I can remember where everything is really clearly, so I can really relate to your trip reports.
    Thanks (as usual)!

    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercat View Post
    Oh, the Water World show in Universal - we went to this in Singapore last year, I'd never seen it before and thought it was spectacular, really funny and so entertaining. We sat in the 'splash' zone, not the 'soaked' zone, purely because it was the only area with seats left when we got in there, and there was one horrifying moment where a guy on a jet ski did doughnuts in the water in front of us, SOAKING me to the skin! I was watching him and saw this HUGE wave of water go up into the air, thinking it would land on the poor saps in front of us in the 'soaked' zone, but it missed most of them and I swear the whole lot dumped itself on me! DH was sat next to me and could barely stay on the bench for laughing at me, as I looked horrified at him and had water running off my nose!! But the show was so good, I wish they had this in Florida.
    LOL - yes, it's really funny for the people who don't get wet! To date myself, this was originally themed as Miami Vice! It's been themed as Waterworld for nearly two decades, I believe; in fact, I'm surprised it hasn't been re-themed by now. There have been rumors to it getting closed sooner rather than later, but I don't know how accurate those rumors are.

    Thanks for reading! When are you coming back to the US again? I've missed reading your trip reports lately.
    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



  19. #18
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by suejacken View Post
    Loved your report as usual. It's funny because I am going to Las Vegas for a week in June and I am taking my niece to Hollywood for two days and staying overnight. I am thinking of taking a day trip to DL/DCA. I have been there before but she hasn't. Glad you enjoyed your show at the Flamingo
    Thanks Sue! I hope you do go to DL/DCA with your niece...even though it will most likely be busy, it's still fun to see things they don't have at WDW!

    BTW...I'll be there 6/10 - 6/13 (dodging the Grad Nites!)!
    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
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by lweigel View Post
    Wonderful report. Makes me feel like I was there. One question what exactly is a frozen butterbeer?
    Thanks for reading!

    Ahhh...YUM (just thinking about the Butterbeer)! If you remember in the movies, the kids drank Butterbeer in Hogsmeade; Universal created a regular and a frozen version for their Orlando parks (which I believe was approved by JK Rowling as well), and then brought it to Hollywood. I've only had the frozen version, but it's similar to an ICEE or Slurpee in consistency; it's kind of a butterscotch or cream soda flavor (and they top it with a bit of cream too); oh so good!
    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



  21. #20
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    I've read through Universal. Love Waterworld. We watch it more than once a trip. We haven't been since before they added Fast and Furious to the tram.
    More than once a trip? Wow, that's cool!
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    Sounds like a good flight was had? Yay!
    Yep, now that hubby can manage his sleep apnea and his high blood pressure, his confidence is back with flying! We just try not to have early flights. In fact, he's ready to fly back to Orlando some day, so now I need to save up vacation time for another trip out there (hopefully by late 2018)!
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    ETA: Pumpkin spice caramel? Gag and um, I'd likely need my epipen. What a let down.
    Yeah - that's what I thought! So happy when they switched to the peppermint bark (keep reading, you'll find that out)!!!
    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
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    When is Grad night. If I go to DL it would have to be Thurs. 6/22. That's her birthday.


  23. #22
    Registered User Silvercat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Birmingham, UK
    Quote Originally Posted by Pammer View Post
    Thanks (as usual)!

    LOL - yes, it's really funny for the people who don't get wet! To date myself, this was originally themed as Miami Vice! It's been themed as Waterworld for nearly two decades, I believe; in fact, I'm surprised it hasn't been re-themed by now. There have been rumors to it getting closed sooner rather than later, but I don't know how accurate those rumors are.

    Thanks for reading! When are you coming back to the US again? I've missed reading your trip reports lately.
    Miami Vice? Wow! I can see how that would have worked. I think I'm one of the few people that really enjoyed the Water World film, so that is what made me enjoy this show so much. I'm really glad we've seen it, in case it does get reimagined again at some point.

    We are back in WDW this October, and are currently in negotiations with several members of my family regarding 2018 - this will either be a big family holiday (potentially 11 of us) to WDW, or if that falls through (we need to make decisions by the end of April due to the offers UK residents get from Disney), then we will look at either WDW or DL with just my sister and my hubby.

    However, I'm still in the process of writing up last year's trip report - we went to Disneyland in Tokyo and Hong Kong, and then spent a week in Singapore, and I am only about a third of the way through - I need to get a move on with it!
    Silvercat

    (Enjoy reading trip reports? Why not try my books, "Tiggerific Travels" - all 4 books available now as e-books)

  24. #23
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by suejacken View Post
    When is Grad night. If I go to DL it would have to be Thurs. 6/22. That's her birthday.
    You are good; they conclude on 6/17. Here are the dates for this year:

    • Friday, May 5, 2017
    • Saturday, May 6, 2017
    • Wednesday, May 10, 2017
    • Wednesday, May 17, 2017
    • Friday, May 19, 2017
    • Saturday, May 20, 2017
    • Wednesday, May 24, 2017
    • Tuesday, May 30, 2017
    • Wednesday, May 31, 2017
    • Friday, June 2, 2017
    • Saturday, June 3, 2017
    • Tuesday, June 6, 2017
    • Wednesday, June 7, 2017
    • Friday, June 9, 2017
    • Saturday, June 10, 2017
    • Wednesday, June 14, 2017
    • Friday, June 16, 2017
    • Saturday, June 17, 2017
    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
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercat View Post
    We are back in WDW this October, and are currently in negotiations with several members of my family regarding 2018 - this will either be a big family holiday (potentially 11 of us) to WDW, or if that falls through (we need to make decisions by the end of April due to the offers UK residents get from Disney), then we will look at either WDW or DL with just my sister and my hubby.
    That's great! Maybe our paths will overlap in 2018 if the stars align...LOL!

    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercat View Post
    However, I'm still in the process of writing up last year's trip report - we went to Disneyland in Tokyo and Hong Kong, and then spent a week in Singapore, and I am only about a third of the way through - I need to get a move on with it!
    I look forward to reading it!
    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



  26. #25
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    Thank you very much for the info. The last thing I would want to do is take a day trip and have it be a special day with a lot more people than usual.


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •