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Thread: Pammer ~ August 22-25, 2018 ~ Offsite

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    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Apr 2004
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    Sacramento, CA

    Pammer ~ August 22-25, 2018 ~ Offsite

    Travel dates: August 22 25, 2018
    Travel method: Plane & Car
    Resort: Anaheim Desert Inn (Off-site)
    Accommodations: Standard
    Ages Represented in Group: Adult
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Veteran & Occasional
    Comments: Ladies Trip!
    Cast of characters:
    • Pam (57): trip planner/writer and self-proclaimed Disney Queen
    • Heather (55): friend from college


    The Planning

    My long-time friend Heather emailed me in March about us going together to the Disneyland Resort this year; since I already had a couple of trips planned with James, I checked my calendar and offered a few different timeframes to try for. We decided on August 22-25 and I started the planning!

    Lodging: Once Heather & I decided on our dates, I made reservations at the Anaheim Desert Inn on Harbor Blvd. (a 5-minute walk from the parks; total for 3 nights = $355, including the parking fee that Heather will pay for).

    Transportation: I booked airfare for me on Southwest Airlines from Sacramento to Orange County using points; total TSA fees & Early-Bird option came to $41.20 round-trip (without points the total cash cost would have been $108)]; Heather has elected to drive down and meet me at the motel.

    I also made reservations with SuperShuttle for travel to/from the motel ($23 round-trip after the AAA group discount was applied).

    Tickets: I have an active Deluxe AP + MaxPass, and we will take advantage of the AP "Bring a Friend Free" promotion to buy a 1-day park hopper ticket (plus MaxPass) each morning for Heather; this will save her $72 over a regular 2-day PH ticket!

    Priority Seating: I just made one dining reservation for our visit: Blue Bayou @ 11:30am on Friday (8/24).


    The Itinerary

    The pre-planning was done, and we were ready to go! Here was our planned schedule:

    • August 22: I fly down to Anaheim (Heather drives); check-in to the Anaheim Desert Inn; meet up with Heather; dinner @ Tortilla Jo's; shopping @ Downtown Disney
    • August 23: Disneyland/DCA; lunch @ Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen
    • August 24: Disneyland/DCA; lunch @ Blue Bayou
    • August 25: Check-out of the Desert Inn; Disneyland/DCA; depart for home


    Monday, August 6, 2018 (2 weeks before departure)

    Actual: Due to a problem I had with the Anaheim Desert Inn cancelling my reservation a few hours before I arrived in June 2017 because the deposit allegedly didn't get authorized, I started calling them two days before my subsequent trips to ensure no issues and had successfully stayed there in October 2017, February 2018, and April 2018.

    Imagine my horror when I called on August 6th to find out the GM (Teo) had a note connected to me (probably my email account) to automatically CANCEL any reservation that I make with them!!! The only reason I found out about it on this day is because I had received a cancellation form letter from them that day for a future reservation that I had just made (beware that their booking and cancellation numbers on the form letter DO NOT match their online booking system numbers) and had called; they informed me that they didn't have ANY future reservations for me, which included this one and the one I had for November!!!

    After several phone calls that day trying to reach Teo, we finally connected and he said that he would reinstate my reservation IF I prepaid my deposit now; however, that meant that I had to fill out a form with my credit card info on it, including my signature, PLUS I had to send photocopies of the card AND my ID ~ he wouldn't accept this same number over the phone (this is the same card I used on those other trips)!!!

    I obliged and later felt like I had sold my soul for an $84 room rate!!! Teo made me feel like a bad credit risk; me, who has impeccable credit & NO debt! I also realized that this blacklisting was probably due to the bad review I left them on Trip Advisor about the June 2017 fiasco.

    I will post a review on Trip Advisor after I return to warn future guests of their practice. If I knew how to contact their owners, I would write them as well and request they fire Teo and change their policies as this is NOT how the rest of the hotel industry does things (my best friend has been in hotel sales for 30 years)!


    Tuesday, August 21, 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 ($2.60). When I got back to the office around 12:30pm, I checked in and got my boarding pass (A34 via early bird check-in).

    I finished up work, drove home, finished my packing (except for the last-minute stuff), and was in bed by 10pm.


    Wednesday, August 22, 2018 (85o)
    Plan: I fly down to Anaheim (Heather drives); check-in to the Anaheim Desert Inn; meet up with Heather; dinner @ Tortilla Jo's; shopping @ Downtown Disney

    Actual: My alarm went off at 6:30am; I got up, fed & medicated our kitty Sidney, and worked until 9am. I then got ready, warmed up an Arby's sandwich in the microwave, and we were out the door around 9:35am; I drove us to the airport amid light-to-moderate traffic and James & I said our goodbyes.

    I checked in my main suitcase (20#), where the lines to drop off the bags were not very orderly! I took the tram over and went through the Pre-TSA line, where two older ladies were each having trouble getting through the sensor without setting off the alarm; I was through before 10:30am and noticed the line had grown quite a bit behind me due to these ladies!

    I filled my reusable water bottle and sat down to update my trip notes, since I had an hour to kill before boarding. I ate my Arby's sandwich around 11am and then headed down to Gate 20 to wait for my flight.

    We boarded and pushed back on time at 12pm, and I was able to snag seat 11C (the 2-seater exit row); I ordered Coke Zero, but it tasted like actual Coke so I think the flight attendant didn't hear me say "Zero". They also gave us 2 packages of pretzels, which I held for later, and I got a kick out of these two young males across from me who talked the entire flight! Everyone else on the plane was fairly quiet, but not these two; actually one of them did most of the talking and the other guy was mostly agreeing with him. 

    We arrived on time at 1:20pm and I collected my bag and walked up to check-in at SuperShuttle; we departed about 1:45pm and there were 4 other ladies on the van with me. The driver was quite chatty and kept throwing trivia questions at everyone so the trip went pretty quickly! After drop offs at the Disneyland Hotel and the Marriott (Convention Center), I was the last to be dropped off around 2:30pm at the Anaheim Desert Inn.

    Check-in went smoothly with Diana (who was both efficient and courteous), and she was also able to change my room from the 1st floor to the 3rd (top) floor as I had originally requested! While I was standing there during this process, I looked outside and saw that Heather had just driven up!

    We met up in the parking lot and went to the room; #326 looked great at first, until Heather used the restroom and said there were ants on the floor and walls! It wasn't an infestation, so we didn't report them; the ants seemed to be randomly searching for something and were gone by Friday night.

    We turned on the A/C, quickly got settled, and then I left a message for James to let him know we both had safely arrived.

    We left the room and walked over to Downtown Disney; Heather was interested in having a beer somewhere, so we started checking out the lounges along our route. We checked out the World of Disney, which was still partially under construction, and ended up going to the Hearthstone Lounge inside the Grand Californian Hotel, as it had been a favorite of Heather's 4 years ago.

    We sat at the bar and Heather ordered an 805 and I ordered a Diet Coke; unfortunately, they were out of the 805 and Heather ended up ordering some blonde ale. We used my Annual Pass for 10% off of my Diet Coke and Heather paid the bill; she was shocked that her beer was $9.50 (a bottle would have been $7.50)! She apparently had forgotten how high Disney prices can be; I had two free refills during the hour or so we sat there and visited, so that helped take the sting off of my $4 drink price at least ~ LOL!

    We left around 5pm, walked back into DD, and checked in at Tortilla Jo's; they said it would be about a 20min wait so I gave them my cell number and we headed over to the Disneyland Hotel. We checked out the murals, Monorail pool slides, models, and wedding gardens before heading back to TJs.

    A few minutes after we arrived, they called our name and took us to a table upstairs; the outside temp wasn't bad (low 80s), but I kept having trouble with the humidity so we sat inside at my request. Our server (Samantha) opened a door to the outside terrace behind Heather, which did give us a nice breeze to help cool me back down!

    I ordered a Diet Coke plus two chicken enchiladas ala carte and Heather ordered two Suiza enchiladas ala carte with a glass of water; all tasted great and we loved the chips & salsa too!

    We settled the bill ($37, after my 10% AP discount) and left around 6pm for the room. We got comfy and I called James around 7:15pm to tell him about our adventure so far; Heather got a big kick out of me telling James all about the talkative guys on the plane, when all she could hear was me talking on and on about it (and laughing too)!

    Heather played "Words with Friends" while I watched "Big Brother" at 8pm; unfortunately it was the Zingbot episode and his screechy voice almost pushed Heather's nerves over the edge! I ended up watching the rest of the episode muted so it would soothe both of us!

    I went in to take a shower after the show went off and got in bed just before 9:30pm; Heather was already asleep and then the fireworks started booming, which woke her up, of course! She started playing her game again and I tried to calm down enough to go to sleep. 

    Steps: 10,657


    Thursday, August 23, 2018 (84o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; lunch @ Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen

    Actual: I woke up around 6:15am to use the restroom and found Heather was already awake; both of us had had lots of dreams overnight (I attributed mine to the stimulation I always feel when at DL) and she thought her bed was a bit hard.

    We got ready, I had a protein shake, and we left the room around 7:30pm; we stopped for breakfast: toast for me, juice & cereal for Heather, and we shared a couple of hard-boiled eggs (yolks for me and whites for Heather).

    I realized that I had forgotten my water bottle in the fridge, so Heather went back to get it for me; however, I felt like I was getting a hot spot on the ball of my right foot so I tried calling Heather to bring me my sandals when she came back. She didn't answer, so I walked back to the room; we somehow missed each other, but she came back to the room thinking she hadn't closed the door all the way & I opened it to call her back. I had intended to wear the tennis shoes and put my sandals in a locker in case a blister developed, but ended up wearing the sandals instead (Heather was also wearing sandals that she said were very comfy), just in case!

    We left the room again around 7:50am and headed over to the resort; there were short lines for both security and the ticket booths, and we purchased a 1-day park hopper with MaxPass for Heather ($99) via the AP "Bring-a-Friend" offer.

    We sat down by Guest Relations (to the left of the Disney California Adventure entrance) and I entered Heather's ticket number into the DL app so we would be able to make MaxPasses as soon as we were through the turnstiles.

    The entrance lines were steadily growing, so we got in line for DCA around 8:20am and asked the two young ladies behind us to take our photo since my selfie attempts weren't coming out very well!



    They opened up the turnstiles at 8:30am and I made a MP for Radiator Springs Racers at 8:37am for 9:45am (next MP = 9:45am) once we were both through.

    We next went into Elias & Co. to look around while waiting for rope drop, and Heather found a really cute pink hat with a small embroidered Mickey ear ice cream bar with an ear tip bitten off on it that she liked; she purchased it and we headed back outside where they were making the opening announcement 5mins early!

    We headed to the back side of the park and rode Toy Story Midway Mania (practically a walk-on) via the Disabled vehicle (so I could avoid the stairs after you exit standby); I scored 165,100 and Heather scored 27,100 (my higher score was only due to experience; Heather was way more accurate than I was!).



    We walked through Pixar Pier to ride Pixar Pal-A-Round (stationary bucket; also a walk-on) and then rode Jumpin' Jellyfish (one cycle wait); both rides gave us a birds-eye view of the resort!

    We next walked on to The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure and then stopped at Grizzly River Run so Heather could ride around 9:45am; I held her purse and should have held her new hat too, as it flew off of her head at some point during the ride!  We spoke to a CM, who recommended that she report it to Lost & Found, and also come back first thing tomorrow to see if it was found when they drained the ride overnight.

    While Heather was on GRR, I made a MP for Guardians of the Galaxy ~ Mission: BREAKOUT! at 9:45am for 10:50am (next MP = 10:50am); after she was off, we walked over to ride RSR around 10:20am with our MP via the Disabled vehicle (so I could avoid the stairs after you exit standby). Heather enjoyed the ride even though she had her head down in the photo!



    We next cut through "a bug's land" to ride Guardians around 11am with our MP; I asked the CM for the front row to give my right knee a bit more room and I FINALLY got the We Want the Funk version of the ride!



    When we exited we stopped to watch a bit of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off! show and then walked over to Monsters Inc.; standby was listed as 25mins so we kept on walking. We also skipped the Chase Disney Visa meet & greet, since Heather wasn't interested in any character photos this trip.

    We were starting to get hungry, so we crisscrossed the park and exited via the Grand Californian Hotel; we cut through the lobby and went through their security so we could enter DD. We headed straight to Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen and were seated inside right away.

    There were a few parties already inside (it was around 11:40am) and service was a BIT slower than usual here, but maybe it was due to the timing of our arrival? We each ordered Diet Coke from our server Aaron, and then I ordered the filet mignon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese instead of jack cheese and Heather ordered the turkey melt, which was HUGE!

    I made a MP for Soarin' Around the World at 11:45am for 6:45pm (next = 1:14pm); I was shocked the MP return time was already so late in the day and hoped it would fit our plans this evening.

    We both enjoyed our food and I think I had at least TWO drink refills while we were there! We settled the bill ($43, after my 10% AP discount) and headed over to ride the Disneyland Monorail (Red) into DLP; I missed most of the scenery as I was making a MP for "it's a small world" at 1:15pm for 1:20pm (next = 1:45pm) while en route. 

    We disembarked the Monorail, stopped to get a return time at Alice in Wonderland at 1:30pm for 1:45pm, and then rode iasw; they marked the boat so it would return to the right side and I could avoid the stairs after you exit standby.

    I made a MP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at 1:50pm for 3:25pm (next = 3:21pm) and then we rode Alice via the exit (yellow caterpillar).

    We walked over to Jungle Cruise and I got a return time at 2:15pm for 2:40pm, and then we walked back to Critter Country. We rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh together (less than 5min wait) and then Heather went up the exit of Splash Mountain to ride via the Single Rider queue.

    I went into Pooh Corner, and bought a cherry Goofy Glacier ($5.32, after 10% AP discount), and sat down on a bench to enjoy some shade & my treat while waiting for Heather.

    We met back up and walked back to ride JC around 3:10pm; there was a long wait in the Disabled queue, but the CM merged us into the standby line just past the stairs to put us on much faster. We had a fun journey, but I forgot to write down the female Skipper's name and the boat name like I usually do!

    I made a MP for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin at 3:23pm for 4:20pm (next = 4:20pm) and we walked over to ride BTMRR with our MP via the exit (so I can avoid the stairs in the regular queue) = lots of fun!

    I bought Heather a Mickey ice cream sandwich ($4.75) as we walked towards Mickey's Toontown, and later made a MP for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters at 4:23pm for 5:15pm (next = 5:15pm).

    We rode RRCTS around 4:25pm in separate vehicles, so we could each spin however we wanted to, and then looked around Toontown; Pluto came over with a bunch of kids trailing him to pull on the door of the electric factory, so it was fun to see him!

    We left TT and headed back to Fantasyland; we rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (MacBadger), Pinocchio's Daring Journey, and Snow White's Scary Adventures (Dopey), all via their respective exits.

    We were going to see if we could get a return time for Indiana Jones Adventure, but it was down, so we went to ride Buzz with our MP around 5:15pm; we looked at the photos for several minutes afterwards, but could never find ours to email home!

    We looked through a few shops on Main Street and then exited the park; Heather went to Lost & Found to report her lost hat and I sat down to wait for her; I perused the app, but there were no more MPs available for the attractions we were interested in.

    We met back up and went back to DCA just after 6pm; we stopped at Award Wieners for some dinner: we each got the regular hot dog & fries, plus a large Diet Coke ($23.23, after the 10% AP discount).

    While we were enjoying our food, Heather saw an adult male wearing a pink hat identical to the one she had lost; she joked that it was probably hers!

    After we had finished eating, we checked out the wait for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree; it was 25mins, so we decided to skip it for now.

    We waited in a short line to get a free sample at Ghirardelli's and were told that they weren't giving any out "today" ~ is that a new thing for them? I didn't make it back by the end of the trip to find out.

    I got a free piece of sourdough bread (Heather didn't want one) at Boudin Bakery Tour, and we walked through to see what was in progress at the time.

    We next walked over to GRR so Heather could inquire about her hat; it hadn't been found yet, so we headed over to ride Soarin' with our MP just after 7pm. We learned that the left simulator has been down, which was causing the long waits all day; I asked when it would be back up and the CM thought the following week (bummer!). 

    It'd had been a long day and Heather wasn't interested in seeing the Paint the Night Parade; I would have loved to see it again, but just didn't have the energy to wait around another 90mins to see it!

    We stopped at Elias & Co. so I could purchase two tops I liked from earlier ($67.86, after 10% AP discount) and then we left the park.

    We stopped at Cold Stone Creamery so I could buy a Love It Oreo Cookie milkshake ($8) and we were back in the room just after 8pm.

    I enjoyed my treat and then called James around 8:40pm to update him on our day; I later worked on my trip notes while watching the eviction episode of "Big Brother" at 9pm. I told Heather that we had experienced a total of 21 attractions today between the two of us, of which 7 were via MP!

    I took my shower around 10pm and discovered that Housekeeping had left us only one washcloth (we had four when we checked in yesterday)! Fortunately, they use one to wrap around the shampoo, soaps, & lotion and we could use that too!

    We were both in bed by 10:30pm.

    Steps: 23,497


    ...to be continued
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    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



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  3. #2
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Friday, August 24, 2018 (82o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; lunch @ Blue Bayou

    Actual: I woke up around 3:45am to use the restroom and then couldn't go back to sleep for about an hour ~ BOO! We both were up by 7am, each having lots of dreams overnight again, and then had breakfast just before 8am in the motel's breakfast area (this time I had a bagel instead of toast, and we shared a couple of hard-boiled eggs again). Heather had also bought a Diet Pepsi from the machine near our elevator to give her a boost for the morning and she enjoyed that during breakfast!

    I left just after 8am, went through security fairly quickly, and purchased another 1-day park hopper with MaxPass for Heather ($109); she stayed behind to make a phone call and then we met up around 8:15am over by the Guest Relations window outside DCA where we were yesterday. We sat here for a few minutes so I could add her pass to the DL app and then we split up: Heather went to DCA (she wanted to check GRR to see if her hat had been found) and I went to DLP.

    The lines at DLP were pretty short and they started letting guests in around 8:30am; my plan was to ride Space Mountain (my favorite ride in this park, whereas Heather hates it!) first thing and then would meet up with Heather when she came over to DLP. I positioned myself near the rope by the Astro Orbiter and spent the time chatting with a very nice CM who was letting CMs through a side rope into the rest of the park.

    I realized my phone was ringing about 8:50am and it was Heather; they wouldn't let her into DCA without me (dang it; I'd forgotten about that rule for this ticket)! I offered to come to the entrance and get her in now, but she said to go ahead and ride Space since it was so close to park opening and I was only about 10 people back from the main rope! She would wait in the Esplanade for me until I had ridden Space and walked back to the entrance.

    Rope drop was at 9am and I walked over to the exit of Space to ride via the Disabled entrance; fortunately, the nice CM let me in right then without me having to come back later, since no one else was there. I was seated in my rocket (front row!) and watched many empty rockets being dispatched; finally I saw a rocket with guests go by and we were dispatched as the 5th car on the track!



    After my happy ride was over, I stopped to get my photo number and then called Heather to let her know I was on my way; imagine my surprise when I found her just inside the turnstiles when I arrived! The lines to enter were very short at this time, so Heather was standing near the turnstiles waiting for me to arrive; apparently a very nice CM saw her standing there and let her in; how lovely!

    I made us a MP for Indiana Jones Adventure at 9:25am for 10:05am (next = 10:05am) and then we rode Star Tours ~ The Adventures Continue via the Disabled entrance (walk-on; no line outside yet); we experienced a traditional version: Stormtroopers, Hoth, Yoda, & Boba Fett.

    We next went on Buzz (walk-on), where I was ranked #28 (at that time) with 276,300 and Heather got 25,900; we stopped to email the photo home...



    ...and then walked over to Fantasyland.

    We got a return time for Peter Pan's Flight at 10am for 10:29am and then walked into Frontierland, where I picked up FPs for Fantasmic! (9pm show) in hopes we'd be up for it tonight.

    I made a MP for Soarin' at 10:07am, when I saw that the return time was already 7:50pm (next = 11:45am) ~ WOW!

    We walked over to ride Indy but it was down, so we used the MP for BTMR (via their exit) and then rode Peter Pan (we can fly!), where the CM took us to the merge point of the main queue instead of using the exit.

    We walked over towards Critter Country and I mentioned maybe riding Pirates of the Caribbean now, since the queue wasn't too long; however, Heather figured she had ridden it lots of times in the past and could miss it this trip.

    Heather continued on to ride Splash via the Single Rider line around 10:45am and I sat down across from the Haunted Mansion, which was down getting its HM Holiday overlay, to wait for her; after a few minutes I realized I could hear a motor and I looked to the left and saw that the Sailing Ship Columbia had just backed out of its berth onto the Rivers of America! As I watched, they started moving forward & I could hear the onboard spiel over their speakers as they sailed past ~ always a treat to see the Columbia in service!



    We met back up and checked in 10mins early for our 11:30am reservation at Blue Bayou; we were seated a few minutes later at a waterside table, where there were no boats going by because Pirates was down!

    We were shown how they now have a reading light installed within the menus and then Heather noticed how high the prices were! We each ordered the chicken with Diet Coke to drink ($90, after the 10% AP discount), and at 11:50am, I made another MP with Indy for 1:35pm (next = 1:21pm). The boats finally started back up again before we left at noon.

    We went to the Disneyland Railroad station in New Orleans Square and boarded the next train via the Disabled entrance; I had a difficult time hoisting myself up those two steep steps into the car and had to use two hands to do so (I hate being so weak). We stayed on for a full circle and then got off at the Fantasyland station.

    We disembarked and found a seat to watch the Mickey and the Magical Map show at 1:05pm and then got two Mickey ice cream sandwiches from a cart ($9.50).

    We enjoyed our treats as we walked through the park and I made a MP for Guardians at 1:40pm for 3:40pm (next = 3:15pm), then we were FINALLY able to ride Indy with our MP!

    We left Indy and rode the Mark Twain Riverboat around 2:30pm, where we were surprised by a visit from Princess Tiana; she asked us if we wanted to take a photo with her, so Heather took one of me with Tiana.



    We stopped at the Candy Palace so I could buy a cherry Goofy Glacier ($5.32, after 10% AP discount) and then we exited the park. Heather went to check about her hat at Lost & Found (nothing still), and I sat down nearby to enjoy my treat while I waited for her.

    We met back up and went to DCA around 3:10pm, where we went to ride Monsters Inc. Afterwards, Heather went to check out the new Lamplight Lounge for a beer while I rode Guardians with my MP.

    I enjoyed Guardians again, and was amused that I got "We Want the Funk" again; twice this trip after NEVER experiencing it on any of my previous rides! It doesn't have as much energy as the other songs, so it's probably my least favorite version (which means I will probably have it more than the other versions in the future ~ LOL!).

    I thought about using Heather's MP for another ride (I had her ticket), but decided to use the restroom and then take a break instead; we met back up around 4:35pm outside the Hyperion Theater and Heather told me about how she tried to walk into the bar at the Lamplight and was stopped by a CM with an attitude who rudely asked if he could help her. When she said she just wanted to sit at the bar and have a beer, she was informed that there was a line to do that! There were only a couple people in that line, but she was so annoyed that she left and ended up getting a beer from Cocina Cucamonga instead (something else to sour her mood for the day).

    We stopped to get a snack: a box of popcorn for Heather ($5) and a box of popcorn and a Diet Coke for me ($9), and then found a seat downstairs to watch Frozen ~ Live at the Hyperion at 5pm. While we waited, I noticed that the Soarin' MPs were now for a more reasonable time, so I canceled the one we had for 7:50pm and made a new one for 5:25pm (next = 5:25pm)!

    We enjoyed Frozen together and then went to ride Soarin' around 6:20pm; the lines went much quicker today as they had both sides open now!

    We were both pretty tired and decided to call it a day; Heather called Tony Roma's to order some ribs to take home to her husband tomorrow and then left to pick them up; I stayed behind to order a hamburger and fries at Smokejumpers Grill ($11.63, after the 10% AP discount) and then took it back to the room.

    We met back up at the room and I enjoyed my food, while Heather worked on some of the side dishes that had come with her order.

    As I worked on my trip notes, I told Heather that we had experienced a total of 14 attractions today between the two of us, of which 4 were via MP! That doesn't sound like a lot, but we did see a couple of shows today and the MaxPass saved me from extra wear & tear on my knees & feet!

    We turned out the lights at 11:30pm.

    Steps: 18,871


    Saturday, August 25, 2018 (81o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Desert Inn; Disneyland/DCA; depart for home

    Actual: When I saw that Heather was awake at 6am, I got up as well. We both got ready and then chatted until Heather left around 7:50am (she had lunch plans with friends in Fresno at noon).

    I finished packing and ate two sourdough rolls from Tony Roma's that Heather had left behind for breakfast, along with a protein shake.

    I left the room, stored my luggage in a locker ($1.50), and then was checked-out by Diana at 8:25am (a balance of $249.21 for a total of $354.51).

    I left for DLP around 8:30am and noticed the lines at the ticket booths were MUCH longer today than they had been the previous two days.

    Once I got through the turnstiles, I made a MP for Space at 8:40am for 9:25am (next = 9:25am) and then got a return time at Peter Pan for 9:22am (at 8:52am); I next walked over to ride Pirates (walk-on) and was surprised to see the new Auctioneer scene I had forgotten about!

    I walked back to Fantasyland and made a MP for ST around 9:25am for 10:10am (next = 10:10am) along the way; I next rode Peter and then Toad via the exit (MacBadger again).

    I then walked around the corner to request a return time for Alice, and the nice CM let me walk right on through the exit now!

    I next walked over to Tomorrowland and happily rode Space with my MP via the exit around 9:50am; I then asked the CM if I could stay on for another ride and he said YES!



    I couldn't make a MP with Guardians work with my short morning today, so I made a MP for Buzz at 10:10am for 10:20am (next = 10:35am) and then rode ST with my MP via the elevator; I had a newer version that I really like: Kylo Ren, Jakku, Maz, and Crait.

    When I got off of ST, Buzz was the only return time that fit the short time I had left, so I made another MP for it, this time for 10:50am (next = 11:06am).

    I then went to ride Buzz with the first MP around 10:40am; standby was listed as 15mins and I was shocked when a lady in an ECV with two couples jumped the line from standby over into the FP return line right in front of me (we were still outside the building)! I held back at the FP merge point inside and reported them to the CM, who said the CMs unfortunately need to SEE the infraction; however, she would let them know up ahead in the Disabled area to watch for them. They appeared to be confused and tried to get on the ride the regular way and left their ECV originally in the main queue, so I told them to go through the exit door ~ maybe they thought they were in the wrong line originally and that's why they cut over, or maybe they just felt entitled; I don't know, but it's just not fair to everyone waiting in the standby queue.

    I ranked #67 (at this time) with 510,000 on my first ride...



    ...and then I rode again with my second MP, where I only scored 174,500.

    I stopped at Refreshment (Coke) Corner around 11:15am for a hot dog, chips, and large Diet Coke ($10.65, after the 10% AP discount), and sat down to enjoy my early lunch. I then went over to Clothiers ~ China Closet and purchased a Minnie top ($31.99, after 10% AP discount).

    I had decided on Thursday after Heather had lost her hat that I would buy a replacement one for her today if it hadn't been found; I went to several places on Main Street and couldn't find it, so I headed over to DCA around 11:50am because I knew they had them at Elias & Co.! I purchased the same pink hat for Heather ($24.23, after 10% AP discount) and then said goodbye to DL for this visit.

    I headed back to the motel around noon, retrieved my luggage, changed clothes, re-sorted my luggage, and then waited in the motel lobby for my shuttle; it arrived just before 1pm and we had a speedy trip to the airport.

    I checked in my larger bag (22.3#) and got my boarding pass (A36); however, I went back to print off another pass when I accidentally spilled water on the first one!

    I was through the Pre-TSA line by 1:40pm and saw that the previous flight to Sacramento that was supposed to have left at 11:05am had a 4-hour delay (so happy I wasn't on that one)! Of course, that might mean that some of those passengers rebooked onto my flight and make it completely full; we shall see!

    I refilled my water bottle and worked on my trip notes in a quieter area across from TSA until walking down to Gate 18 around 2:30pm. I realized that I had experienced a total of 7 attractions today in the 3.5 hours I was in the parks, of which 3 were via MP!

    I boarded and ended up in the exit row seat that has no seat in front of it; I was displeased that the other two exit rows had people saving seats in each of them, so I complained to the flight attendants about the unfairness of it as I sat down. They agreed with me and said they wouldn't stop me if I tried to sit in one of them, but I wasn't about to start an argument and get kicked off the plane! 

    We pushed back 10mins late at 3:15pm, and I enjoyed a bag of pretzels and Coke Zero during the flight; I couldn't see anything outside the window due to the clouds the entire way. We arrived a few minutes late (4:35pm) and I used the restroom, collected my suitcase, and called James to pick me up.

    After a quick stop at In-n-Out Burger for dinner, we arrived home around 6pm. I texted Heather to let her know I had safely arrived and she responded that she was also safely home.

    Steps: 12,100


    Up Next: James & I are scheduled to go together November 13-17; the holiday decor should be up, and hopefully most of the Halloween & Veterans Day crowds will be gone and it won't be TOO busy!


    Summary

    We had some ups and downs, but overall the trip was a success!

    Highlights included:

    • Spending time with Heather!
    • MaxPass!
    • Seeing almost everything that we wanted to!
    • The various live entertainment performances around the Resort!
    • The great weather, especially for August!


    Lowlights included:

    • The drama with the Anaheim Desert Inn
    • Heather losing her hat less than an hour after buying it
    • The hot spot on my foot
    • Missing Fantasmic!, the Together Forever fireworks, and the Paint The Night Parade, due to tiredness on both our parts




    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



  4. #3

    Love the trip report. Ive never been to DL so I always love reading them. Love the pics!!

    ~Wendy~ Trips to the World ~ 21 * 19 * 18 * 15 * 09 * 10/05 * 6/05 * 02 * 99 * 95 * 91 * 89 * 88 * 81 * 79 * 77 * 76 * 74

  5. #4

    Thanks for another great trip report, Pammer! I'm leaving a week from Monday for my trip, and I will write a trip report too, to get some action on this thread!


  6. #5
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by WDW heart View Post
    Love the trip report. Ive never been to DL so I always love reading them. Love the pics!!
    Thank you! I hope you get to come visit it some day; I love being in Walt's original park!

    Quote Originally Posted by betsyrina View Post
    Thanks for another great trip report, Pammer! I'm leaving a week from Monday for my trip, and I will write a trip report too, to get some action on this thread!
    Thanks and have fun! I look forward to reading your trip report and you're right, the trip report forums for both DL and WDW seemed to have a lot less activity on them than they used to...in fact, I have 4 of the last 5 threads on this forum!
    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

    Already back and trip report started.

    ~Wendy~ Trips to the World ~ 21 * 19 * 18 * 15 * 09 * 10/05 * 6/05 * 02 * 99 * 95 * 91 * 89 * 88 * 81 * 79 * 77 * 76 * 74

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by WDW heart View Post
    Already back and trip report started.
    Yay!

  9. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    Love your report as usual. I cant believe a hotel would cancel your reservations like that. Glad you had a good time. Im going back to Disney World in June 2019 but really want to get back to Disneyland


  10. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    Pam some of my family members are going to Disneyland and California adventure in Dec. they only have one day to do both parks. I mentioned the flex pass to them but I was wondering if the flex pass is good for both parks or if they need a separate flex pass for each park. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me


  11. #10
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by suejacken View Post
    Pam some of my family members are going to Disneyland and California adventure in Dec. they only have one day to do both parks. I mentioned the flex pass to them but I was wondering if the flex pass is good for both parks or if they need a separate flex pass for each park. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me
    Hi Sue...it's called MaxPass and you can add it when you buy your ticket ($10 per person per day) or via the app once your ticket has been activated via a turnstile; if you have a park hopper, it automatically applies to both parks (you also get free digital downloads of your photos, both PhotoPass Photographer and attraction...you just need to link them into the app too).

    • "Link" your passes into the DL app (this is different from the WDW app)
    • Click to make a FastPass on the Home page
    • Select the members of your party you want to include for this FP (for example, you have the flexibility of making a FP for two people to ride Space and then one for another 3 people to ride Guardians if you wanted)
    • Select which park you want the FP for (DL or DCA; you can go back a screen if you want to see the availability of the other park before finalizing; if you did NOT have a park hopper, you would only see the park which you were in at that time)
    • Select the attraction you want
    • Review the details
    • Click the "Confirm" button...the resulting screen confirms your FP attraction & time, plus also tells you when you can get another FP.


    Hope this helps!
    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
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    This was a great help. I appreciate the quick response. I thought of you immediately when my aunt said they were going. I sent her a screenshot of your reply. Thanks again and have a Happy thanksgiving. Susan


  13. #12

    Pam I loved catching up with your travels again. Great report as usual.
    Ellen


  14. #13
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA

    Thanks Ellen! I'm currently writing the one from our November trip, but I've had trouble finding the time to get it done! Next trip = January 30th!!!

    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



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