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

    Pammer ~ April 24-28, 2018 ~ Offsite

    Travel dates: April 24 28, 2018
    Travel method: Southwest
    Resort: Anaheim Desert Inn (Off-site)
    Accommodations: Standard
    Ages Represented in Group: Adult
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
    Comments: A spring trip to the Resort!
    Cast of characters:
    • Pam, 57: trip planner/writer/self-proclaimed Disney Queen!
    • James, 58: Pam's hubby who likes Disneyland but is not as fanatic as Pam!


    The Planning

    While planning trips to the Disneyland Resort with James this year, I came up with April 24-28 and then another one in mid-November. Pixar Fest will be in full swing, and we will have multiple chances to see both the new fireworks show and the Paint the Night Parade again! Fantasmic! is also playing on our last night; James has not seen the updated show yet, so we will try to see that together as well.

    Lodging: I booked a C-1 Parlor Family Suite in January at the Anaheim Desert Inn on Harbor Blvd. (a 5-minute walk from the parks); our sleeping habits are so different nowadays that this arrangement works very well for us (James could stay up as late as he needed to and I wouldn't disturb him when I left early for the parks each morning!), although it is a lot more expensive. 

    Transportation: I booked airfare on Southwest Airlines from Sacramento to Orange County for both of us using points at the equivalent cost of $69 each leg ; the total TSA fees & Early-Bird option for all flights came to $82.40 (without points the total cash cost would have been $336).

    I also made reservations with SuperShuttle for travel to/from our motel in Anaheim.

    Tickets: I had activated a Deluxe Annual Pass with MaxPass on a recent trip to the resort in February; we have another voucher to activate for James when we go this trip.

    Priority Seating: I only made two dining reservations for our visit; the rest will be counter-service, although we will probably try to eat at Rainforest Cafe one last time before it closes to make room for the new hotel:

    • April 26: Blue Bayou @ 11:30am
    • April 27: Fantasmic! On-the-Go Package @ 5pm (1st show)


    Disney Visa Rewards Card: I transferred $66.68 out of our rewards balance on our Disney Visa Rewards Card (DVRC) to help cover our Disney park meals and any park incidentals! 


    The Itinerary

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

    • April 24: Fly down in the afternoon; check-in to the Desert Inn; Disneyland/DCA
    • April 25: Disneyland/DCA; Rainforest Cafe
    • April 26: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou
    • April 27: Disneyland/DCA; Fantasmic! picnic package
    • April 28: Check-out of the Desert Inn; fly home in the afternoon



    Sunday, April 22, 2018 (2 days before departure)

    Actual: Because of a problem I had with the Anaheim Desert Inn cancelling my reservation once last year because the deposit didn't get authorized, I now call 2 days before to make sure it does! I confirmed with Juliana that all was in order and then spent the day doing laundry & packing.


    Monday, April 23, 2018 (1 day before departure)

    Actual: I worked all day and went to Arby's at lunch to pick up some roast beef sandwiches, one of which I would eat tomorrow at the airport. I then printed off our Early-Bird boarding passes at 3:25pm (A46 & A47) and later stopped at Subway on my way home to get James his veggie foot-long sandwich for tomorrow.

    We spent the evening getting ready (last-minute house cleaning & packing), and I was in bed around 11:30pm; James couldn't fall asleep until after 3am!


    Tuesday, April 24, 2018 (72o)
    Plan: Fly down in the afternoon; check-in to the Desert Inn; Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I got up around 7:15am, fed & medicated our kitty Sidney, and then worked 3 hours until James got up around 10:15am. We finished getting ready and left around 12:45pm for the airport; we had light traffic and then James scored a great end spot in the economy lot across from the 41H bus stop!

    We caught the next bus to the terminal and I checked our big bag in (35#); the lines weren't too bad at TSA and we both were through the Pre-TSA queue by 1:50pm. I refilled our reusable water bottle while James ate his Subway sandwich (I had ended up eating my Arby's sandwich at home around noon).

    We headed up to our Gate B15 around 2:25pm; it was very crowded so we sat at B17 to wait for our flight. James walked over to check out the Brookstone store while I sat with the bags, listened to Disney music on my MP3 player, and ate some goldfish crackers.

    We boarded and left on-time (FULL flight); I sat in a window exit row and James sat across the aisle in the window seat with no seat in front of him. They served peanuts and I had my usual Diet Dr. Pepper and James had his usual ginger ale.

    We arrived 5mins early, collected our big suitcase, and walked down to catch our SuperShuttle van; we left around 5:25pm with 3 other ladies and had VERY heavy commute traffic to Anaheim. They were dropped off first and then we were dropped off at our motel, where we checked in and got room #211.

    We dropped our stuff off and left around 6:30pm to walk down to The Pizza Press for dinner; I got their cheese pizza, James got a veggie pizza without cheese, and we shared a Coke Zero Sugar ($24, after they honored an old 10% coupon I had from a couple of years ago). Their pizza is SO YUMMY!!!

    We took our leftovers back to our room and left for Disneyland around 7:10pm, where we first stopped at the ticket booths so James could activate his Deluxe Annual Passport and add MaxPass ($75); we then headed over to DL.

    Note: I had originally planned for us to go into Disney California Adventure tonight, as I wanted to see the Paint the Night Parade again; however, I had learned from a co-worker that there was 8000 Future Farmers of America students there for a private party until 1am (her daughter was one of the students), so I had wisely changed our destination to DL for tonight!

    I was surprised that James' previous picture came up when he went through the turnstile, as mine hadn't when I activated my pass two months ago & I had to have a new picture taken; this made me concerned that his pass had the same expiration date as mine so I checked online and confirmed his date was a year from today ~ whew!

    I also saw that his new pass was automatically linked in the app (NICE!), so we walked over to Peter Pan's Flight for a return time (8:02pm at 7:30pm) and then I booked a MaxPass for Haunted Mansion for 7:35pm! We walked over there and rode around 7:45pm and then walked back to ride Peter about a half hour later.

    The park was very busy (darn Pixar Fest!) so our MP options were very limited and regular queues were quite long; we decided to go to Jungle Cruise, where we boarded through the exit and rode the Suwanee Lady with Skipper Jen around 8:35pm.

    We were tired so we decided to leave at this time; on the way out, we noticed long lines at the popcorn cart in Town Square (we later learned that a new AP Little Green Alien popcorn bucket had been released today; we debated buying one, but felt that it might break on the way home! They were out-of-stock two days later).

    James walked over to The Cove Market to buy two gallons of water, while I got in a long line at Cold Stone Creamery; James joined me and we finally had two Love It Skinny Vanilla milkshakes after 25mins!

    We finally made it to our room around 9:30pm, enjoyed our treats, & unpacked; I also iced my knee, showered, said good night to James when he went to his room, and I was in bed around 11:30pm.

    Steps: 14,879


    Wednesday, April 25, 2018 (74o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; Rainforest Cafe

    Actual: I had taken a Tylenol PM last night and slept very well, albeit with a ton of dreams! I got up around 7:20am, had a protein shake, got ready, and left the room around 8:25am. I stopped at the breakfast room to make two slices of buttered toast, and ate them on my way over to the parks.

    There were long lines for bag check, so I went to the far left; I jumped in the extra line when they opened one and our line split. The CM was VERY thorough, but I was later waved to bypass the metal detectors, so I headed to the short lines to get into DL.

    I was through just before 9am and rented a small locker ($7) to store my outer shirt and extra battery charger; the welcome message was playing as I exited the building. I made a MP for Space Mountain (8:50am) and headed over to get a return time for Peter (9:34am), then I rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with a 2min wait (Mr. Toad).

    I walked around to Alice in Wonderland, but it already had a long queue, so I went back to ride Snow White's Scary Adventures (15mins; Sleepy). Before CM Lorie dispatched my vehicle, she handed me a current Disabilities Guidebook and told me to go to the exits for all Fantasyland attractions (except Peter & Alice, where I can just get return times) due to my knee brace; I thanked her and enjoyed my ride until it stopped, three feet from the exit!

    I was evacuated by the CM and I went over to ride Peter since it was time for that, and then I got a return time for Alice (10am @ 9:40am). I walked over to Pinocchio's Daring Journey, but it was down like Snow White still was, so I walked over to ride Space with my MP at 9:50am. There were several people in front of me, so I didn't get into a vehicle for 25mins; however, I had a wonderful time on my favorite DL attraction!



    While waiting for Space, I made a MP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (10:10am @ 10am) and then after I finished riding Space, I was able to book a MP for Star Tours (11:15am @ 10:25am) ~ I truly love the flexibility of MP!

    I rode Alice around 10:30am, and then walked to the exit of BTMR to ride with my MP; later I was feeling hungry and needed to kill some time before my next MP so I went to the Red Wagon for a corn dog, chips, & large Diet Coke ($12.37, after the 10% AP discount).

    I sat down on a bench across from First Aid to eat and watch the CMs go to & from backstage; there was also a mama duck with her ducklings walking around ~ so cute!



    I made a MP for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (11:40am @ 11:15am) and then went to ride ST with my MP around 11:30am (Stormtroopers; Jakku; Maz; Crait/Batuu). When I came out I checked my phone and saw that James had called a few minutes before; I called him back and told him that I was about to ride Buzz with my MP. He was ready to leave and wanted to go to the Rainforest Cafe to eat lunch! Darn it ~ I never know when he is going to be rested enough to join me; if I had, I wouldn't have eaten less than an hour ago!

    I offered James my Buzz MP since it was his favorite DL attraction, but he told me to ride and then take the Disneyland Monorail over to meet him at the restaurant. I got in a long MP return line to ride Buzz, and there was no score on my picture at the end.

    James went through security and then in & out of the turnstiles at DL to activate his MP for the day, before heading over to the RFC; he called me as I was exiting Buzz to touch base, and then I rode Monorail Orange (walk-on) over to Downtown Disney to meet up. Along the way, I made a MP for Guardians of the Galaxy ~ Mission: BREAKOUT! (4:55pm @ 12:10pm).

    I checked us in with my Landry's Select Club card and we were sent immediately upstairs; I took the elevator & met James at the top of the stairs, where we were seated a couple of tables away. I ordered the chicken tenders appetizer for my entree, along with a Diet Coke, and James ordered the Cobb Salad and iced tea; everything tasted great, but we had trouble using our gift cards when we went to pay ($48.13, after the 10% AP discount) ~ it was a problem with their system and they had to call to determine the cards' value and then redeem them in full, but not give change (which meant that I also had to leave some cash)! It was a pain ~

    While we were waiting for all of that to get worked out, I made a MP for Soarin' Around the World (5:35pm @ 1:45pm). 

    We later walked through the retail store; we were interested in getting some "Downtown Disney"-specific merchandise before the location closed. They had some BOGO offers and items on clearance; we ended up with 5 shirts and again had problem using a gift card. I ended up having to use a credit card and they gave me a free DD-specific hurricane glass for our trouble.

    We rode Monorail Orange back to DL around 2:30pm; the Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple show was in progress so we stopped to watch for a few minutes from the back side of the stage. We then went to see Darth Vader at the Chase Disney Visa Star Wars meet & greet inside Star Wars Launch Bay around 3pm.



    When we came out, I looked to the right and sure enough, Boba Fett was there doing a meet & greet too!



    I then stopped to get my stuff organized and there was a PhotoPass photographer nearby with a couple of light sabers, so we stopped to take a few pictures.





    I booked a MP for Buzz (3:50pm @ 3:20pm) and we walked over to get a return time for Alice (4:03pm @ 3:40pm). James then went to put our RFC purchases into the locker and later met back up with me to ride Buzz; however, it was down, which gave us a MP for any other attraction at DL! We decided to ride ST with it and got the same scenes I had this morning (Stormtroopers; Jakku; Maz; Crait/Batuu)!

    While waiting for ST, I booked another MP for Buzz (4:35pm @ 3:55pm), even though it was still down; after ST, we went to ride Alice and then sat down on a bench across from the Matterhorn Bobsleds entrance to take a short break while waiting for our next MP.

    Buzz was still down at 4:35pm, so we went to use our MP at the Indiana Jones Adventure; there was a malfunction with our vehicle (James said the headlights stayed on the whole ride, but I never noticed!) and they had us exit the vehicle and then put us on the next one so we got to ride twice!

    We left DL and went over to DCA to ride GotG with our MP; that took 30mins and James ended up leaving at the last minute because he didn't feel up to being dropped multiple times after just getting shook up riding Indy twice in a row (he should have taken a ginger pill, but didn't think he would need it at the time). I sat in the front row and thoroughly loved my favorite DCA attraction (Free Ride)!





    We met back up and went over to Smokejumpers Grill to get dinner around 6:10pm; I ordered a hamburger & fries, James ordered a chicken sandwich & fries, and we shared a large Diet Coke ($27.12, after the 10% AP discount). It was a LONG wait for our food to come out, and later orders came out before ours! Not sure what happened there, but we had to eat very quickly so we could make it to Soarin' before our MP expired at 6:35pm!

    After Soarin', we walked over to Ghirardelli for a free chocolate sample (milk chocolate caramel) and then to Boudin Bakery Tour for a free piece of sourdough bread (YUM!).

    We next went over to the bathrooms in Cars Land & I sat on a bench to rest my barking dogs (feet!) while James went to check out the single rider line wait for Radiator Springs Racers; it was about 30mins, so we decided to go see the Pixar Pier preview at the Blue Sky Cellar, only to find that it was already closed for the day!

    We were plenty tired, so we walked through Elias & Co., and then James went over to DL to empty out our locker; I sat down to rest for a few minutes on Buena Vista Street and then found a bench across from Esplanade Stroller to wait for James.

    We met back up and walked over to Harbor; I then went to the room while James went to McDonald's for BOGO Big Macs for him and a hot fudge sundae for me ($6.87). He got back just after 8pm and we watched Survivor while eating (he saved one of the Big Macs for later); however, the sundae didn't sit well with me for some reason & I ended up getting sick later on! 

    I iced my knee, showered, said good night to James, & went to bed around 11:30pm.

    Steps: 20,859


    ...to be continued
    Last edited by Pammer; 05-28-2018 at 11:42 AM.
    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. #2
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Thursday, April 26, 2018 (71o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou

    Actual: With the help of another Tylenol PM, I slept well again until around 8:20am. I watched TV & ate my Pizza Press leftovers for breakfast, then worked on my trip notes. James had problems getting to sleep (4am!), but was up around 9:45am; we got ready and were out the door around 11am.

    There were LONG lines at security, but not at the new "no bags" line they now had, so I took James' stuff and he went through that line and in to DL so he could check us in for our 11:30am Blue Bayou reservation. It took me 10mins to get through security, another 5mins to get into DL, and then I stopped to get a small locker ($7).

    I saw that I had missed calls from James, so I called him back to say I'd be there in a few minutes; he was already seated by the water (although it's not as entertaining when Pirates of the Caribbean is closed, as it was today!) but I had trouble locating him in the dark after being out in the bright sunshine!

    The Surf & Turf had been taken off of the lunch menu, so I got the Maison chicken without veggies and a Diet Coke; James got the chicken as well with an iced tea. Another change to the menu is that the salad/soup is now an extra fee and not included in the entree price anymore (of course, they didn't lower the prices of the entrees when they made this change!); we didn't know that and had ordered salads. Fortunately, they forgot to bring them to us before our entrees arrived! We notified our server and told them it was fine, we didn't need them anyway, but they insisted on bringing them now at NO extra charge! James ended up eating both salads as well as his chicken, and I was plenty full just from my chicken, the potatoes, & the bread ($90, after the 10% AP discount).

    We usually will head over to DCA to do the Chase Disney Visa meet & greet before it ends at 1:30pm, but we decided to stay in DL instead; therefore, I booked a MP for Buzz (12:05pm @ 12pm) and later one for BTMR (1:35pm @ 12:35pm) while we were eating.

    We left BB and I went to get a return time for Space (2:21pm @ 12:50pm) while James took his jacket to the locker; we met up at Buzz to ride with our MP where James scored 478,900 (ranking #45 at this time) & I scored 315,600!

    We next walked over to Fantasyland where we rode Toad around 1:10pm (Mr. Toad), followed by Snow White (Bashful), Pinocchio & Casey Jr. Circus Train (using the exit for all rides).

    I made a MP for Toy Story Midway Mania (7:40pm @ 1:35pm), and then we walked over to the exit of BTMR to ride with our MP followed by a trip on the Rivers of America aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat.









    James went to ride Buzz while I went to ride Space at 2:30pm...



    ...he then changed his mind due to the long queue and decided to go shop on Main Street instead. When I exited Space, I called him to see if he wanted to go see Darth Vader; he didn't so I went down to Disneyana to meet up with him.

    James was interested in an engraved picture frame at Crystal Arts, so we walked over to check it out & ended up ordering it; I then shopped at China Closet Clothiers and purchased 4 shirts & the promotion tote bag.

    We were ready for a break, so we stopped at Disneyana to check out the Pixar Fest AP merchandise and then headed out; I took our stuff back to the room and James went to McDonald's for BOGO Artisan chicken sandwiches, 3 plain burgers, and a large Diet Dr. Pepper ($11.91).

    I stopped at the front desk to inquire about a possible late checkout on Saturday and then asked the Housekeeper to empty our trash and swap out the used towels (due to James' odd hours, we usually keep the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door throughout our stay).

    I took my shoes & socks off so my feet could breathe (I wish I could just go barefoot all the time!), made a MP for ST (6:20pm @ 4pm), and then James arrived. We ate about half of our food while watching Judge Judy and then James went to his room to nap with his sleep apnea machine; I didn't sleep, but I did rest while I updated my trip notes. I also tried on my new shirts, one of which I wasn't that crazy about, so I decided I would return it when we went back to the parks later.

    James got up around 6pm, so I booked a MP for Buzz (6:30pm @ 6:10pm); we freshened up and were out the door around 6:35pm. The lines at security were short and then we stopped at Esplanade Stroller to rent a wheelchair for me ($12 + $20 deposit). James wheeled me in to DL and then to China Closet Clothiers, where I returned the shirt.

    We went to ST to ride with our MP around 7pm (Kylo Ren, Jakku, Maz, & Crait/Batuu), followed by Buzz with that MP; it seemed extra loud in there and I had trouble hearing and had lousy aiming ~ I even tried both guns, but both were awful! I only scored around 193,000 + 800, although that didn't show up on my picture, and James scored 694,100 (ranking #50 at this time)!

    We stopped at Crystal Arts to pick up the frame, stored it in the locker, and then headed over to DCA around 8pm; we went all the way to the back of the park to ride TSMM, where James beat me 196,600 (Best in Car) to 163,600!





    We stopped at Knick Knacks to see all of the Pixar Fest merchandise and then went to the AP Corner, but it was already closed. James parked me across from Bayside Brews and then went to Paradise Garden Grill for the mole verde con pollo (chicken, rice, beans, & tortillas; $11.63, after the 10% AP discount).


    ...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



  3. #3
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Thursday, April 26, 2018 (71o) ~ Part II
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; lunch at Blue Bayou

    The Paint the Night Parade started 10mins late at 8:55pm, but was still SO GREAT! I had a fantastic view and it was MUCH cheaper to only spend $12 for a seat rather than mucho bucks for a dining package!





















    James stood behind me most of the parade and afterwards we followed the end of the parade to the exit as the park was now closed.

    James parked me in the Esplanade to wait for the 9:30pm Fireworks, while he went in to DL empty out the locker. They announced that the Fireworks had been cancelled, so I started wheeling myself over to Esplanade Stroller so I could return the wheelchair (-$20 deposit back).

    I joined the masses leaving DL and was almost to the security tents when James called me; he was about 20 feet behind me and easily caught up to me a couple of minutes later. We got back to the room around 10pm and ate our McDonald's leftovers from earlier; the rest of the night was our usual routine and I was in bed by midnight.
    Last edited by Pammer; 05-28-2018 at 11:59 AM.
    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. #4
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Friday, April 27, 2018 (70o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; Fantasmic! picnic package

    Actual: I again slept well, with the help of Tylenol PM! I got up around 6:40am, did my usual routine, and left the room around 7:35am; I stopped for a couple slices of buttered toast and ate them on my way over to the parks like I had done on Wednesday.

    Security lines were again long, but I made it inside DL around 8am; I immediately made a MP for Space (8:40am) and then stopped to rent a small locker ($7).

    I walked into Tomorrowland, where ST was a walk-on and they were not even filling the simulators (Kylo, Jakku, Poe Dameron; Crait/Batuu). When I exited into Star Traders, I saw a brand new blue "Star Wars: Galaxy Edge" tank top in front of me, so I bought it ($31.99, after the 10% AP discount) and chatted with the friendly CM for a few minutes.

    I saw that Buzz was not queueing outside (5min wait), so I went on that next and scored 386,700, which was very good for me and I ranked #7 at this time!



    I got to enter my initials when I emailed my photo home and I also took a picture of the Top 10 monitor too! Very exciting for me ~



    I booked a MP for BTMR (8:45am @ 8:40am) and went to ride Space with my earlier MP; I asked the CM if I could get another return time while I was there, and he told me that since it was only a 10min standby wait to ask the CM at the ride if I can stay on to ride again when I came back into the loading zone.

    I rode Space the first time in Row 1; I got out and asked CM Scotty if I could ride again. The new party had just arrived and he directed them to Row 1 and then directed me to Row 4 where I rode the 2nd time! As it turned out, I got to ride a total of 5 times in a row!!! Every time we came back, I just turned to CM Scotty and held up my index finger to signal another ride and he would nod "yes" ~ it was AWESOME!!!



    I did exit after the fifth ride and went to Image Capture to get my photo numbers so I could link them in my PhotoPass app, then I booked a MP for GotG (11:20am @ 9:15am) before walking over to Fantasyland. I stopped for a return time on Peter (10:07am @ 9:37am) and then went to the exit of BTMR to ride with my MP.

    I returned to Fantasyland and rode Toad through the exit (Ratty) and then went to ride Peter; the CM walked me over to merge in near the head of the regular line and I was on in just a few minutes.

    I went to see the Enchanted Tiki Room show at 10:40am...



    ...and then stopped by the locker to drop off my outer shirt. At the end of Main Street, I recognized CM Steve who drives a Horseless Carriage and stopped to chat briefly with him (I had recognized him from the DL Christmas Parade section of the Disney Parks Christmas Parade TV show that aired a few months ago).

    I headed over to DCA around 11am and stopped at Guest Relations to leave compliments for CM Lorie (Snow White on Wednesday) and CM Scotty (Space today). I then went to Award Wieners for lunch: hot dog, fries, & regular Diet Coke ($11.23, after the 10% AP discount). I sat down to eat and update my trip notes in the adjacent seating area, before making a MP for Soarin' (12:40pm @ 11:30am).

    I next had another FANTASTIC ride on GotG (Free Ride again)...



    ...and then saw Stitch at the Chase Disney Visa meet & greet around 12:30pm.



    While waiting to see Stitch, I saw a HUGE cockroach in the foliage next to the check-in podium; I kept my eye on it and let the CM know when it went under the podium near her feet! It ended up near the building across the way and I'm not sure what happened to it after that (we kept warning the passing CMs going to & from backstage about it, so one of them might have killed it) ~ ICK!

    Monsters Inc. had a 20min wait, to I skipped it and went to ride Soarin' with my MP just before 1pm (LONG return line).


    ...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



  5. #5
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Friday, April 27, 2018 (70o) ~ Part II
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; Fantasmic! picnic package

    I next walked over to Blue Sky Cellar to see the Pixar Pier preview; James called when I was almost done around 1:30pm, so I told him to come meet me and I sat down outside in the shade to wait for him. As soon as I was able to include him in a MP party, I knew he was in the park! We met up and I booked ST after a brief discussion (4:25pm @ 2:10pm), and then we checked out BSC together.





















    ...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. #6
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Friday, April 27, 2018 (70o) ~ Part III
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; Fantasmic! picnic package

    We next went to check out the AP Corner; we got our decals from the past two weeks and the ones that had come out today (I would have preferred buttons though) and then took a picture together in front of the backdrop.



    We went next door to Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, where I got a slice of cheese pizza and James got the chicken pasta; we also shared a Coke Zero Sugar ($21.88, after the 10% AP discount).

    We left around 3pm to ride The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure (less than 10mins), and then did the single rider queue at RSR; I got on right away in the disabled access...



    ...and then sat over between Flo's & Sarge's to wait for James, where I made a MP for Buzz (4:05pm @ 3:35pm).

    We met back up and went to get chocolate and sourdough bread samples; we then wanted to ride Mater's Junkyard Jamboree but it was down, so we left DCA.

    We stopped at Esplanade Stroller to rent a wheelchair for me ($12 + $20 deposit), and then James wheeled me in to DL. The Pixar Play Parade was in progress, so we got to see some of it as they went backstage and we were waiting to cross the parade route and continue up Main Street.

    We finally were able to cross over and stopped at the locker to drop off the AP decals; we then went to ride Buzz with our MP around 4:10pm. The ride stopped a lot, so James scored 1,167,600 (ranking #23 at this time), but I only scored 253,800!







    We next rode ST with our MP, where it was the same scenes as this morning (Kylo, Jakku, Poe Dameron; Crait/Batuu); the good thing about that is James got to see the Kylo Ren & Poe Dameron segments for the first time!

    Around 5pm, we crossed the park over to The Hungry Bear Restaurant to check-in for our Fantasmic! On-the-Go Dining Package.

    Note: I had done this package two months ago and absolutely HATED the so-called BBQ chicken (which tasted NOTHING like you think BBQ chicken would) and I wasn't interested in their other offerings; however, this was the cheapest way to get guaranteed FPs to the early show for both of us since James didn't get over to the parks early enough to do so from the kiosk. What TRULY convinced me to do this package again was that I had read (and later confirmed with Disneyland directly) that you could order off the regular menu instead of from the dining package menu ~ this would work for me!

    I ordered a plain hamburger, fries, & Coke Zero Sugar and James took a chance with the BBQ chicken and iced tea ($58.16, after the 10% AP discount); it was an expensive way for us to see Fantasmic! together, but I enjoyed my food SO MUCH MORE! James wasn't crazy about his dish, although he did eat it, and agreed that it had no BBQ taste whatsoever.

    At some point, I made a MP for Haunted Mansion and later one for Buzz (6:15pm @ 5:45pm); after we finished eating we rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (5mins) since we were in the area.

    We rode HM with our MP just after 6pm and then took the Disneyland Railroad from the New Orleans Square station over to the Tomorrowland station, where we disembarked and went to ride Buzz with our MP. My notes say that I scored under 300k and James scored around 500k; however, the score wasn't on James' picture and I had no picture at all!

    James went to the locker to get his jacket and my outer shirt, while I wheeled myself back over to the Tomorrowland station.



    I took a picture of the Pixar wrapping on Monorail Blue (Just Keep Swimming)...



    ...and then we met back up and took the train back over to NOS station.

    We spoke to CM Gina about sitting in the disabled section by the River Belle Terrace restaurant, rather than the designated area that our FPs were for, and she escorted us there after getting permission from her lead. There were already some people sitting there in the seats closest to the railing, but we took up residence to the left and behind them for now (around 8:10pm), me still sitting in the wheelchair.

    We chatted a bit and then I worked on my trip notes while James went off to get us some churros; he finally returned just before the show without them as the lines were too long!

    We watched Fantasmic! at 9pm, our view obstructed much more than it would have had we been in our designated dining section; I would have been fine sitting in the wheelchair there but James didn't want to stand so long before the show and there wasn't much he could do because of the crowds. Oh well ~

    We stayed in place for the Together Forever Fireworks at 9:30pm; most of the fireworks were obstructed by the trees but we did get a good view of the scenes projected onto Tom Sawyer Island.



    We made a stop at the bathrooms near the Tiki Room while the crowds dispersed a bit and then emptied out our locker, too tired to ride anything else. We went over to World of Disney to look through the store; part of it was still under construction as it was two months ago so still no collectible section. The store was packed, as it usually is in the evenings, and we found a few things we were interested in; however, the checkout lines were HUGE so we left and went into DCA.

    James left to go back to the motel for more Disney gift cards (they were in the safe) while I perused Elias & Co.; I could hear the 10:45pm Paint the Night Parade going by outside and hummed along to the catchy music while waiting for James to return. In hindsight, I wished I gone out the door to watch some of it too, but I was afraid I would miss a call from James.

    I tried on some shirts I was interested in, but in the end we only bought a decorative bottle opener and a Pixar Fest t-shirt.

    We left DCA and returned the wheelchair around 11:45pm (-$20 deposit back); I went back to the motel and James went to McDonald's for BOGO Artisan chicken sandwiches & 3 plain burgers ($9.44).

    We ate about half of the food, watched TV, & I went to bed around 1:45am.

    Steps: 17,083



    Saturday, April 28, 2018 (71o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Desert Inn; DL/DCA; fly home in the afternoon

    Actual: We got up around 9am and started packing up; I called the front desk to see if we could have a late check-out, and they gave us an extra hour until 12pm. We ate our McDonald's leftovers for breakfast and left the room around 11:40am; I checked us out and we sat down in the lobby to wait for our SuperShuttle van to arrive.

    They called to say they would be arriving about 12:10pm (10mins early! Good thing we were ready) and it took almost an hour to pick everyone else up and arrive at the airport! I checked our suitcase in and got our boarding passes (A34 & A35), and then we went easily through Pre-TSA.

    We went to Carl's Jr. and ordered a Six-Dollar Burger Combo and bean burrito ($17.70; we shared the fries & drink); James said the burrito was a bit on the spicy side, and I hoped that it wouldn't cause problems for him later on!

    We went down to Gate 19 to wait for our plane; there were a lot of very small children in the area ~ uh-oh! We boarded and were able to get exit row seats on opposite sides of the plane; however, we each ended up with small children directly behind us (usually they seem to go further back in the plane)! The one behind me kicked my chair repeatedly as his mom was trying to entertain him before takeoff; I eventually turned around and politely said that I know he is little and doesn't know better, but could he please not do it because I was getting a headache. She apologized and did her best to restrain him; fortunately, he settled down once we took off.

    We had our usual drinks with peanuts during the flight, and we soon landed on-time around 4pm; we collected our suitcase, took the shuttle back to our car, paid for our parking, and drove home ~ another fun trip in our history book!

    Steps: 6,615



    Up Next: My long-time friend Heather wants to go back for a couple of days with me this year, so I currently have flights & lodging booked for August 22-25 with her (although I expect it to be MEGA hot!). 



    Summary: It was a bit crowded even during the week (it seems to get harder & harder to find a slow time anymore), but the weather was perfect and we had a nice vacation together!

    Highlights include:

    • Being at Disneyland together again!
    • Riding Space Mountain five times in a row!
    • Seeing the Paint the Night Parade again!
    • MAXPASS!!!
    • Me ranking #7 on Buzz and James getting over 1 million points on a different ride
    • Riding Star Tours & Indiana Jones Adventure INSTEAD of Buzz via MP, when Buzz was down
    • Perfect weather


    Lowlights include:

    • The crowds
    • The slow delivery service at Smokejumpers Grill
    • My sore feet
    • James' sleep issues (which he also has at home)



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



  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    Love your trip report as usual. Great pics. Im heading to Disney World on 6/30 to 7/8 and your report makes me even more anxious to get there.


  8. #8
    Registered User Silvercat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Birmingham, UK

    Wonderful trip report and photos! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this, I really enjoyed it, as usual. Makes me realise that we need to start planning for next year - I have been so busy with planning for WDW this year, I haven't had time to think much about 2019, but we are doing a bit of a road trip around the West Coast in June 2019. Plans so far include a few days at Disneyland with some friends to celebrate Larry from Scotland's 60th birthday, a trip to Las Vegas (with a possible Elvis-themed wedding vow renewal for us!), and maybe the Grand Canyon and another National Park. We are also still debating Arizona for a couple of days, but we really need to sit down and plan all this properly!

    Anyway, sorry, didn't mean to hijack your trip report - you did manage to cram a lot into a few days, well done you!

    Silvercat

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

  9. #9
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by suejacken View Post
    Love your trip report as usual. Great pics. Im heading to Disney World on 6/30 to 7/8 and your report makes me even more anxious to get there.
    Thanks Sue; I hope you have a wonderful (and hopefully as cool as possible) trip to the World! I haven't been there since March 2013 and want to go back again SOON!

    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercat View Post
    Wonderful trip report and photos! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this, I really enjoyed it, as usual. Makes me realise that we need to start planning for next year - I have been so busy with planning for WDW this year, I haven't had time to think much about 2019, but we are doing a bit of a road trip around the West Coast in June 2019. Plans so far include a few days at Disneyland with some friends to celebrate Larry from Scotland's 60th birthday, a trip to Las Vegas (with a possible Elvis-themed wedding vow renewal for us!), and maybe the Grand Canyon and another National Park. We are also still debating Arizona for a couple of days, but we really need to sit down and plan all this properly!

    Anyway, sorry, didn't mean to hijack your trip report - you did manage to cram a lot into a few days, well done you!
    Thanks Carolyn; I've been enjoying your WDW trip report you posted recently as well!

    As far as DL in June 2019, do try to avoid the Grad Nites if you are going in the first half of the month; those actual dates won't be released for several months but you can always look at past DL Resort Updates for a general idea of when they will be held.

    Hopefully you will be able to coincide with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge; however, the crowds will probably be insane so maybe not! It looks like my pass will be blocked out a big chunk of that month, or I would love to try to come down and meet you!
    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. #10
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    Weekends are blocked, but weekdays are not.


  11. #11
    Registered User Silvercat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Birmingham, UK
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    Weekends are blocked, but weekdays are not.
    Oh, that's helpful, thank you! Pam - as soon as we have some proper idea of dates, I'll let you know. It would be lovely to finally meet up in person!
    Silvercat

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

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