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The old man
05-11-2006, 03:37 PM
This is my wife’s, 7 year old daughter’s and my yearly Disney trip. For reference I am 53 and my wife is 50. We plan our visit based on weather predictions and I found the perfect weekend with a range of 70 to 78 degrees. We drove up about 65 minutes from Carlsbad, CA. Arrived at our favorite hotel—the BWPPI around 10am on Friday. It’s our favorite due to its proximity, but also its OK rooms. Even though you can’t check in until 3pm they give you a parking pass right away that’s good through 3pm on the day you leave.

We had the Costco Play 4 and traded the voucher in at the ticket window with no problem and headed to DCA. Our plan, as always, is to spend the entire Friday at DCA and, since it closes early we get to sleep, to rise at 7am for an entire DL day on Saturday.

Each trip is brings us something new as our daughter meets height requirements. This year she is tall enough to do CS. I however have an ear imbalance that makes me nauseous on rides like that—but oh well; I knew I would ride it at least once.

Used my best FP techniques but they weren’t really needed it was kinda slow—waits for CS were 20 minutes and 10 at TOT. Still I did use them to reduce waits when needed.

Began by getting FP for SOC & GRR and then walked over to CS. We had a short wait and we all rode. And I was immediately sick—didn’t really recover for hours. Mine daughter’s reaction-- “again”. Fortunately my wife had no problem and rode two more times that day. We rode Monsters Inc. for the first time. My opinion, and daughter’s, was that it was good, but no need to ride it again on any visits. (Yes my daughter has liked the thrills ever since is rode the Dragon at Legoland at 3 and the Matterhorn when she was 4 ½.) I thought MI was cute and a better dark ride than Pooh, but that was it.

We went back to the hotel at 3pm to check in. We got a very nice double queen room on the third floor. This is the best room we’ve had on three visits. Returned to the park at 4pm. We ate dinner at Ariel’s at 6:30pm and was told that they don’t offer AAA discounts—I know they do so, so at the suggestion of Darkbeer I have written Guest Relations. Anyway, I had the meatloaf which is good because it has some spice to it and my wife ordered a salmon special. Both arrived luke-cold and we sent them back. New dishes came back quickly and they were hot (a test of service is how they handle and problem and this was well taken care of.) I had a good shiraz that went well with the spice of the meatloaf. Our daughter had the Minnie Burgers and holy cow! She ate them! --She normally never eats. Good princess action—Sleepy Beauty, Ariel, Jasmine, Belle, and filling in for Snow White—Mary Poppins (!). Mary was excellent in her costume and manner. They all do an amazing job and should be given a lot of credit.

Anyway here are my stats: SOC 2x, GRR 2x, MI 1x, CS 3x, TOT (our family’s favorite since riding it the first time last year) 4x. Average wait: 5 minutes.

Went back to the hotel and we were asleep by 11pm—a little later than I like.

Saturday instead of eating the just OK free continental breakfast, we microwaved food that we had brought. I like getting to the park about 20 minutes before opening, but due to a late wakeup we got there about 5 minutes before opening. There were about 50 to 60 people lined up in front of each turnstile and you know what that means—at least 10 minutes to get in. So we did the Early Entry gate trick and were one of the first people in at 8am. Walked into Main Street and found the old fashioned vehicles lined up and decided on the car, as opposed to the bus, since I noticed that it already have about 6 people in it so that it would leave right as we boarded—sure enough off it went, saving us the unneeded walk down Main Street. Excellent driver Stan (?) Class of 2005 gave Disney info as we went.

I told my daughter that we were going to try to really be aware of the sounds of Disneyland. All day she pointed out the changing music in and around the different areas. Also we really paid attention to the landscaping in each area. Particularly like the funerary purples and blacks at the HM, the Tyrolean plants at the Matterhorn and the edibles in Tomorrowland.

After getting off at the far hub I went to get Space M FPs while wife & daughter rode Snow White (first time for daughter). By the time I got back they had ridden it 3 times and we all rode Toad & PP twice each. Then to the MH for two rides. Indy to get FP and ride. HM, Splash and then we ate at my usual favorite—the Hungry Bear. Even though the menu hasn’t changed the food was not particularly good. I noticed that it’s now “hosted” but Dixie instead of Wonder (I think it was Wonder). Nothing like a paper cup company to run a restaurant. Still it’s a great location for a break.

Got a Splash FP, rode Pooh and did a first for us—the Canoes—we were the first people of the day so there was a very short wait. We had a great guy—can’t remember name but he’s a heavy-set non-kid. He was excellent.

After more rides we went back to the hotel around 4pm for our daughter’s swim and our relaxation. Went back around 5:30pm. We decided that rides and the fireworks were more important than the parades and Fantasmic—we hadn’t yet seen the 50th anniversary fireworks. So we planned our attack based on being in the hub for the fireworks later.

We went over to Indy with our FP’s but there was a very long FP line! I have never seen this before. In fact it was long two hours later so we gave it up since we had already ridden it twice. We ate at the Pizza Port—good change-of-pace food, but not good enough that I’d make a point of eating there again.

We rode Autopia for our daughter’s first time ever—we also got FPs to ride it again at nighttime. Around 8:30 pm we headed over to the main hub and sat on the curb. Around 9:00 we were encouraged to sit in the street which gave us a perfect view of the castle and the Matterhorn. In other words we found ourselves in the perfect position to watch the fireworks. However at 9pm an announcement was made—something like this, “Boy and girls, moms and dads tonight’s (something, something) fireworks may be cancelled. A decision has not yet been made.” They played this again at 9:15pm. Then again at 9:20! Finally at 9:25 they announced it would begin shortly. They narrowly avoided a riot. It’s one thing to call them off hours before, it’s another just minutes before. But it all worked out. I can only say they are spectacular. Everyone should do everything they can to see them before they’re gone.

Anyway we stayed until closing—midnight. Here are our stats: Space 2x, Astro 2x, Snow White 3x (except me 0), Toad 2x, PP 2x, Matterhorn 2x, BTMRR 3x, Indy 2x, Splash 2x, Canoes 1x, Pooh 1x, Auto 2x, HM 2z and a train ride. Average wait: 6 minutes.

Slept till 10:30am on Sunday. Stopped for a great time at Newport Beach—Balboa Island and then the Laguna Beach tide pools and lunch at Las Brisas. Perfect, perfect and we have two more tickets left from the Play 4; we’ll probably go in October.

anniedg
05-12-2006, 07:28 AM
Thanks for posting, sounds like fun! Oh, what's the "early entry gate trick"?

lobotomomma
05-12-2006, 08:46 AM
Great trip report, Old man!! I can't get over your screen name...that's what my siblings and I call my Dad--he loves it!!!

Crazy4DL
05-12-2006, 10:19 AM
ahhh . . . .sounds like lots of fun :) thanks for sharing with us.

oregontraveler
05-12-2006, 10:24 AM
Thanks for posting, sounds like fun! Oh, what's the "early entry gate trick"?

I believe that entails waiting for the early entry gate to switch over to a regular gate and then going in with a shorter line.

The old man
05-12-2006, 10:54 AM
Great trip report, Old man!! I can't get over your screen name...that's what my siblings and I call my Dad--he loves it!!!
It also comes from all the great Jean Shepard stories such as "A Christmas Story". Thank you.
David

The old man
05-12-2006, 11:06 AM
I believe that entails waiting for the early entry gate to switch over to a regular gate and then going in with a shorter line.
You are correct. It has never worked better. We stood by the gate talking to the CM and she mentioned to us (as if we didn't know) that she was going to turn into a regular entry at 8am. Sure enough and in we walked.

Last year it didn't work as well. There was only one EE gate and the CM didn't really understand that he was to turn over to regular and it took a little fiddling for it to happen.
David

anniedg
05-12-2006, 08:13 PM
Thanks oregontraveler and old man -- good to know!