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View Full Version : Holiday Trip Report--11/16-11/19



ktrm
11-21-2006, 09:03 AM
Well, I decided to take a last minute trip to Disneyland. It had been a rough couple of months for the family and we needed a break. My husband decided to stay home so I took the kids and my mom. It was a wonderful trip and so much happened so I am going to list the highlights.

1. We stayed at the Embassy Suites South. It is a huge hotel with a wonderful fullbreakfast. At $159 per night for a one bedroom suite, it was a fantastic deal. The only problem we had was that on Friday night we had a three false fire alarms. The whole hotel was evacuated and six fire trucks showed up. EEEKKK. The kids obviously were a bit groggy the next day.

2. I haven't seen too much written about it, but I absolutely loved the High School Musical Pep Rally at California Adventures. I liked it better then the Block Party Bash. The singers were very talented and I loved the cheerleading and basketball routines.

3. Thursday was a great day at the park. Wonderful weather! 5 minute wait for Space Mountain. 10 minute wait for Splash. People were so friendly and nice.

4. New Orleans Square was absolutely beautiful with all its Christmas decorations. Some of the entertainers there are fantastic. One woman sung "When the Saints Go Marching In" from the balcony above Pirates while the band played below. Her voice blew me away. The band handed out Marti Gras necklaces to all the kids who danced and gave them rattles to shake to the music.

5. Oh my gosh, the Jedi Training Academy is hysterical. Even if you don't have kids it is worth it just to watch. These tiny kids fight Darth Vader and Darth Maul. They are so proud of themselves for overcoming the dark side of the force. Tooo Funny.

6. Friday day was not too crowded but Friday night was a zoo. It is weird how the whole atmosphere changes depending on crowd levels. I ran into some very rude people who told me to "Get the F.....out of the way" Nice. In general, though, for every one rude person you meet, you meet at least 3 nice people. I think I might try to avoid weekends in the future if possible, however.

7. I finally watched the flag retreat ceremony. It is fantastic how even small events like this are so professionally executed. My mom loved all the patriotic music. They had veterans from the audience come up and be honored as the music played and patriotic speeches were broadcasted over the loud speakers. The veterans cried and I have to admit I also got teary.

8. I didn't like the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire as much as I thought I would. Not too much going on. A few crafts and the area does not look that much different then when it was Snow White a musical. It really was not that pretty. I wish the Princess Storytelling was still in the "Once Upon a Time" store. The atmosphere was better. Maybe it will improve over time.

9. Small World was gorgeous. The light show on the face of the building was very cool. I went on the ride four times this trip.

10. I loved the pirates enhancements. One observation though. Why don't they have the sound as loud as they used too? I noticed on Saturday and Sunday, the sound was a bit louder then on Thursday, but it still wasn't loud enough. I could barely hear any of the pirates on Thursday. I like the ride louder. I really want to hear the guns blasting as the ships are fighting each other. Its just not as scary with the volume down.

11. I still love Fantasmic. I have seen it numerous times and it is as great as always. The 10:30 showing is definitely less crowded then the 9:00 showing.

Well I have now been to Disneyland at Christmas, in the Spring, and in the Summer. Christmastime is still by far my favorite time to visit the park.

kikid
11-21-2006, 09:29 AM
Well, I decided to take a last minute trip to Disneyland. It had been a rough couple of months for the family and we needed a break. My husband decided to stay home so I took the kids and my mom. It was a wonderful trip and so much happened so I am going to list the highlights.

1. We stayed at the Embassy Suites South. It is a huge hotel with a wonderful fullbreakfast. At $159 per night for a one bedroom suite, it was a fantastic deal. The only problem we had was that on Friday night we had a three false fire alarms. The whole hotel was evacuated and six fire trucks showed up. EEEKKK. The kids obviously were a bit groggy the next day.

2. I haven't seen too much written about it, but I absolutely loved the High School Musical Pep Rally at California Adventures. I liked it better then the Block Party Bash. The singers were very talented and I loved the cheerleading and basketball routines.

3. Thursday was a great day at the park. Wonderful weather! 5 minute wait for Space Mountain. 10 minute wait for Splash. People were so friendly and nice.

4. New Orleans Square was absolutely beautiful with all its Christmas decorations. Some of the entertainers there are fantastic. One woman sung "When the Saints Go Marching In" from the balcony above Pirates while the band played below. Her voice blew me away. The band handed out Marti Gras necklaces to all the kids who danced and gave them rattles to shake to the music.

5. Oh my gosh, the Jedi Training Academy is hysterical. Even if you don't have kids it is worth it just to watch. These tiny kids fight Darth Vader and Darth Maul. They are so proud of themselves for overcoming the dark side of the force. Tooo Funny.

6. Friday day was not too crowded but Friday night was a zoo. It is weird how the whole atmosphere changes depending on crowd levels. I ran into some very rude people who told me to "Get the F.....out of the way" Nice. In general, though, for every one rude person you meet, you meet at least 3 nice people. I think I might try to avoid weekends in the future if possible, however.

7. I finally watched the flag retreat ceremony. It is fantastic how even small events like this are so professionally executed. My mom loved all the patriotic music. They had veterans from the audience come up and be honored as the music played and patriotic speeches were broadcasted over the loud speakers. The veterans cried and I have to admit I also got teary.

8. I didn't like the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire as much as I thought I would. Not too much going on. A few crafts and the area does not look that much different then when it was Snow White a musical. It really was not that pretty. I wish the Princess Storytelling was still in the "Once Upon a Time" store. The atmosphere was better. Maybe it will improve over time.

9. Small World was gorgeous. The light show on the face of the building was very cool. I went on the ride four times this trip.

10. I loved the pirates enhancements. One observation though. Why don't they have the sound as loud as they used too? I noticed on Saturday and Sunday, the sound was a bit louder then on Thursday, but it still wasn't loud enough. I could barely hear any of the pirates on Thursday. I like the ride louder. I really want to hear the guns blasting as the ships are fighting each other. Its just not as scary with the volume down.

11. I still love Fantasmic. I have seen it numerous times and it is as great as always. The 10:30 showing is definitely less crowded then the 9:00 showing.

Well I have now been to Disneyland at Christmas, in the Spring, and in the Summer. Christmastime is still by far my favorite time to visit the park.


wonderful report, glad you had such a great time (even through the fire drills;)