disney jones
01-02-2005, 12:48 PM
I've only been coming to this board for a month now, but i've learned some valuable tips from all of you. My girls (3 & 5) and I have been AP holders since June and have made 7 or 8 multi-day trips over to Anaheim since then, and I grew up in SOCal so I know the park fairly well. But the two trips in December were extra nice from the things i've gleaned here at MP - here they are:
1. The kiddie toilets at the Baby Care Center on Main Street - i have a 3 year old girl. We'd been using the big bathrooms around the park all summer and she'd done OK there with me taking her in the Men's but she'd also be intimidated and would hold it in. Our first trip in December she'd was repeatedly asked about going through out the day but never had to (uhhh, yeah right), finally about 4pm we headed there to the BCC on Main Street - though the privacy wasn't exactly there, obviously she did have to go and now we head there several times a day when we go (also provides Dad an opprtunity to eat the world's best corn dogs right outside the door).
2. HoJo's - haven't stayed there yet and don't know when we will as we have a van that can sleep me and the girls very comfortably so we camp a lot. We love the DLR hotels but the only problem is $$$, so i want something close and cheap - from the reviews here and other friends i've since asked, it sounds like this is the place to stay for cost, condition, and location.
3. The Holiday Tour - after 200 trips there, I'd never done a tour, but i was convinced this was the one to take after reading the reviews - with an AP discount, it even exceeded my large expectations. The (skeptical) girls also had a blast (and I couldn;t stop thinking about those cookies they gave out for the next two weeks until i went again). Very cool pin too!
4. Going at Christmastime - again, after 200 trips there, i'd never been at Christmastime. We had planned a trip Dec 22/23, but reading about the crowds and the excitement and beauty of it all, we pulled the trip in to Dec 10th and pulled Zoe out of school. Not only did we avoid the worst of the crowds, we still kept the Dec 22/23 trip, so we got to go twice! Christmas there is awesome - it's the best time to go if you haven't been (just go in early December on a weekday).
5. The new Disneyland dish set with the classic logo - those sounded so cool so we checked them out - the first trip we just got a coffee mug (with the Market House free cup of coffee thrown in). I mulled the budget the next two weeks, then ended up getting 3 plates, 3 bowls, S&P shaker, and two more mugs just before Christmas - they are very cool - next trip in Feb we'll definitely be getting some more! WARNING - as you can see, reading this board can save you money (like HoJO's), but more than likely, it will just convince you to spend more there - more trips, more souveneirs, etc.
6. Free Parking with a Premium AP - i'd upgraded to the Premium in Oct but was exactly aware of this benefit (though i was well aware of the merchandise discount.)
7. The Goat Trick - BTMRR here we come!
8. My obsession with DLR is normal (well, at least compared to some of you - you know who you are!)
9. HMH - we went in October and just bypassed HMH for several reasons - (a) i thought the overlay was just on the outside (surely they didn't change the inside of HM, did they? And for THAT movie? (b) i saw NBC about 5 or so years ago, didn't remember it well enough except that it was weird, so i wasn't a big fan of the movie, and (c) every once in a blue moon, i try to accomodate Sydney's wishes not to ride the scary rides - this was the one occasion i listened to her. But before the first December trip, i relaized that the overlay was still up and it wasn't just a Oct/Halloween thing, so we rented the movie right before going again. The girls and I just loved that movie now - we bought it soon thereafter. I can now understand why some people are almost cultish about it - for me, it just had to be watched a second time - that movie rocks - Thanks Jack!
10. Pooh and DCA - i could understand why some don't like DCA, but not liking the Pooh ride?!? They're both favorites of ours - heffa nice day!
1. The kiddie toilets at the Baby Care Center on Main Street - i have a 3 year old girl. We'd been using the big bathrooms around the park all summer and she'd done OK there with me taking her in the Men's but she'd also be intimidated and would hold it in. Our first trip in December she'd was repeatedly asked about going through out the day but never had to (uhhh, yeah right), finally about 4pm we headed there to the BCC on Main Street - though the privacy wasn't exactly there, obviously she did have to go and now we head there several times a day when we go (also provides Dad an opprtunity to eat the world's best corn dogs right outside the door).
2. HoJo's - haven't stayed there yet and don't know when we will as we have a van that can sleep me and the girls very comfortably so we camp a lot. We love the DLR hotels but the only problem is $$$, so i want something close and cheap - from the reviews here and other friends i've since asked, it sounds like this is the place to stay for cost, condition, and location.
3. The Holiday Tour - after 200 trips there, I'd never done a tour, but i was convinced this was the one to take after reading the reviews - with an AP discount, it even exceeded my large expectations. The (skeptical) girls also had a blast (and I couldn;t stop thinking about those cookies they gave out for the next two weeks until i went again). Very cool pin too!
4. Going at Christmastime - again, after 200 trips there, i'd never been at Christmastime. We had planned a trip Dec 22/23, but reading about the crowds and the excitement and beauty of it all, we pulled the trip in to Dec 10th and pulled Zoe out of school. Not only did we avoid the worst of the crowds, we still kept the Dec 22/23 trip, so we got to go twice! Christmas there is awesome - it's the best time to go if you haven't been (just go in early December on a weekday).
5. The new Disneyland dish set with the classic logo - those sounded so cool so we checked them out - the first trip we just got a coffee mug (with the Market House free cup of coffee thrown in). I mulled the budget the next two weeks, then ended up getting 3 plates, 3 bowls, S&P shaker, and two more mugs just before Christmas - they are very cool - next trip in Feb we'll definitely be getting some more! WARNING - as you can see, reading this board can save you money (like HoJO's), but more than likely, it will just convince you to spend more there - more trips, more souveneirs, etc.
6. Free Parking with a Premium AP - i'd upgraded to the Premium in Oct but was exactly aware of this benefit (though i was well aware of the merchandise discount.)
7. The Goat Trick - BTMRR here we come!
8. My obsession with DLR is normal (well, at least compared to some of you - you know who you are!)
9. HMH - we went in October and just bypassed HMH for several reasons - (a) i thought the overlay was just on the outside (surely they didn't change the inside of HM, did they? And for THAT movie? (b) i saw NBC about 5 or so years ago, didn't remember it well enough except that it was weird, so i wasn't a big fan of the movie, and (c) every once in a blue moon, i try to accomodate Sydney's wishes not to ride the scary rides - this was the one occasion i listened to her. But before the first December trip, i relaized that the overlay was still up and it wasn't just a Oct/Halloween thing, so we rented the movie right before going again. The girls and I just loved that movie now - we bought it soon thereafter. I can now understand why some people are almost cultish about it - for me, it just had to be watched a second time - that movie rocks - Thanks Jack!
10. Pooh and DCA - i could understand why some don't like DCA, but not liking the Pooh ride?!? They're both favorites of ours - heffa nice day!