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Thread: Pammer ~ May 17 - 21, 2021 ~ Offsite

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

    Pammer ~ May 17 - 21, 2021 ~ Offsite

    YAY...Disneyland has reopened!!! Time for another trip report; I hope you enjoy reading it!

    Travel dates: May 17 – 21, 2021
    Travel method: Southwest
    Resort: Tropicana Inn (Off-site)
    Accommodations: Standard
    Ages Represented in Group: Adult
    Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
    Comments: We're back, bay-bee!!!
    Cast of characters:

    • Pam, 60: trip planner/writer/self-proclaimed Disney Queen!
    • James, 61: Pam's hubby who likes Disneyland but is not as fanatic as Pam!


    The Planning

    When the Disneyland Resort announced their reopening plans effective April 28th with 15-25% capacity for California residents only, we decided to take advantage of that with a trip May 17th – 21st (despite having just returned from Walt Disney World in March)!

    Lodging: I booked a One-Bedroom Family Suite in March at the Camelot Inn on Harbor Blvd., but then they later emailed me to say that the Camelot would not be open during my stay after all and could they rebook me at their sister property, the Tropicana Inn (2 doors down from the Camelot)? I agreed and they booked us into 2 connecting double queen rooms for the same rate as I had at the Camelot ($198/night vs. the $232/night it would have been).

    Airfare: I had originally booked airfare on Southwest Airlines for our trip to Florida earlier this year; however, we ended up using American Airlines, so I changed the Southwest flights to go round-trip between Sacramento & Orange County instead ~ this way we don't lose the cash I'd spent on Early-Bird and TSA fees (the fares were points). The total equivalent cost of points, plus the total TSA fees & Early-Bird options for both flights came to $326.

    Ground Transportation: We will park our car at the Sacramento airport and use Lyft between SNA & Anaheim.

    Tickets: With our Annual Passes no longer valid, I had originally tried to buy 2 3-day Adult Park Hopper tickets from the DL website when they went on sale April 15th; this turned out to be a disaster with hours-long waits, crashed systems, and a lot of frustration! After a 3-hour wait in their queue, I went to the Undercover Tourist website (Mousesavers.com link) and bought them there instead ($688.68, a $40 discount!). They were delivered electronically to my email account within 15mins, but I was unable to link them through my DL website account and had to go through their app instead (which took another couple of hours to get the app updated and them properly linked)!

    Theme Park Reservations: Once the tickets had been purchased and linked to my DL account on April 15th, I used 2 browsers (Microsoft Edge & Firefox) and my phone app to have 3 chances to make my theme park reservations; I unfortunately was out to dinner when the first one came up on the Microsoft Edge browser, but the Firefox browser finally came through for me around 11:45pm! I was able to make all 3 reservations as I wanted to, and finally went to bed around midnight (17 hours after I had started this whole craziness; if I'd waited until the next morning, I still would have been able to make my desired reservations with an extremely short wait!!!):

    • May 18: Start at Disneyland Park
    • May 19: Start at Disney California Adventure
    • May 20: Start at Disneyland Park

    Priority Seating: I only made one dining reservation for our visit since the Blue Bayou isn't scheduled to be open yet; the rest will be counter-service (hopefully):

    • May 20: Lamplight Lounge @ 3pm


    The Itinerary

    Here was the result of my pre-planning:

    • May 17: Fly down in the afternoon; check-in to the Tropicana Inn
    • May 18: Disneyland/DCA
    • May 19: DCA/Disneyland
    • May 20: Disneyland/DCA; late lunch @ the Lamplight Lounge
    • May 21: Check-out of the Tropicana Inn; fly home in the afternoon


    Sunday, May 16, 2021 (1 day before departure)

    Actual: I packed most of our stuff yesterday, and we spent today doing last-minute house-cleaning, lawn-mowing, & packing. I dropped off our house key with our neighbor who was going to cat-sit for us, printed off our boarding passes around 4:30pm (A38 & A39), and then went to Subway to get James his veggie foot-long sandwich for tomorrow.

    I went to bed around midnight; my legs were hurting and keeping me awake, so I took OLLY. James went to bed around 3am.


    Monday, May 17, 2021 (68o)
    Plan: Fly down in the afternoon; check-in to the Tropicana Inn

    Actual: I got up around 8:30am (feeling a bit poorly from the OLLY) and James was up by noon; around 1pm I received a text from Southwest that our flight was delayed to 5:20pm (from 4:25pm) so we did a little research and saw that the flight got delayed in Oakland for some reason (it later went to Burbank before coming up to Sacramento).

    We took our time getting ready and left for the airport around 2:50pm; we arrived around 3:25pm and found that they had changed the procedure for using the Economy lot: you now insert your credit card into the machine, but get no ticket (apparently you will use the same credit card when you leave the lot at the end of your trip)! It took me a few minutes to figure it out, plus it was very difficult to read the screen due to the glare from the sun!

    We entered the lot and were shocked to find an end spot a few rows in right by the first bus stop! We parked, grabbed our luggage, and caught the first shuttle that came by a few minutes later.

    I checked our bag in (30#), and we were soon through TSA Pre-Check (no lines for non-TSA Pre-Check either); I filled our reusable water bottle and ate some Lunchables I'd brought, while James ate his sandwich. When we were done, we headed down to Gate B19 to wait for our plane to arrive.

    We were able to snag the 2-seater exit row, so we didn't have to share our row with anyone else (30 seats empty). We departed around 5:30pm (65mins late) and were given a choice of Coke, Diet Coke, 7-Up, or water for our drink, so we both opted for Diet Coke. They also gave us bags of snack mix, which had pretzels, Cheese-Its, and mini ranch bagel chips ~ very tasty!!!

    We landed around 6:45pm (55mins late), got our bag, and headed over to the Terminal C Garage to catch a Lyft; I'd read that there seemed to be a shortage of them, but we snagged one that arrived in about 10mins around 7:20pm!

    Our driver, Esmaeil, had a very heavy foot and we were surprised that he didn't use the carpool lane like most drivers do. His GPS had him overshoot the motel and come off just north of where we were staying, then make a U-Turn by the pedestrian entrance to DL; we arrived at the Tropicana around 7:40pm. I checked us in, received 3 of my 4 room requests (connecting & top floor by an elevator, but the room was not at the front of the property), and we went to our rooms (384 & 385). We checked things out briefly, locked our valuables in the safe, and headed out around 8pm.

    We walked down to The Pizza Press, where I got in line, and James continued on to the CVS down at Katella. I ordered the yummy Press Cheese pizza for me, plus two identical Publish Your Own pizzas (mostly veggie + Hawaiian with no cheese) for James and a soda for us to share. James bought 2 gallons of water and a sandwich and then met back up with me at the restaurant, shortly after our food was ready.



    We ate about half of our food and then took the leftovers back to the rooms, arriving around 9pm. I called for them to unlock our connecting rooms and then started the unpacking, scolding James for watching TV while I did all of the work!

    I showered, updated my trip notes, and set two alarms for tomorrow morning between 6:45am & 6:50am; I was in bed around 11:30pm (James followed around 1am).

    Thoughts about the day:
    • After an hour delay, we have arrived!!!

    Steps: 8,468


    Tuesday, May 18, 2021 (76o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA

    Actual: I was awake at 5:30am ~ EEK! I never got back to sleep, so I was ready to try for a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group way before 7am; I kept refreshing the screen repeatedly in the minute before and was thrilled to get BG 80 with an ETA of 360 minutes ~ whoo-hoo!!!

    I got up, got ready, left a note for James of our BG status, and was out the door around 7:50am; I'm using a cane this trip to help steady me and give me something to lean on when standing (and swat people with when they cut me off ~ LOL ~ just kidding!).



    The 2 queues for the temperature checks were already weaving around the ART bus stops, and I took a spot trying to social-distance myself from the group in front of me. In hindsight, I should have taken the right queue, as my initial destination was the ECV rental place, and would have been a little bit closer.



    Around 8:15am, they let the two lines approach the temp check tents, but then stopped them for another 5mins before letting them advance again. I was through the temp check & security check by 8:30am & then waited about 10mins to rent the ECV; I was surprised that I could NOT use a Disney Gift Card for my rental (I could at Walt Disney World, which also was $10 cheaper and did not charge tax!), so I used my Chase Disney Visa so I could at least get the 6% bonus reward they were awarding through the end of June (as opposed to the usual 2%).

    I got in the closest line for the turnstiles, using the social-distancing markers on the ground, and was inside the park by the 9am opening!



    I stopped at City Hall to ask about getting a Disability Access Services pass; they had a CM posted outside (the doors were closed) who instructed me to either scan the QR code for a return time or go to any of the umbrella-ed Information Kiosks located around the park for assistance. I'm not very adept at scanning codes, so I asked for the nearest kiosk and was told at the end of Main Street on the right side by the Plaza Inn. I also asked for an "I'm Celebrating" button, customized to celebrate Disneyland's reopening!!!



    I headed down there (lovely light crowds on Main Street!) and waited a few minutes behind 4-5 parties; the line didn't move, so I checked the park map for the kiosk in Tomorrowland and headed over there. I parked the ECV in the shade under the old PeopleMover platform and unfolded my cane to walk over to the kiosk. A very nice young man listened to my issues and kindly assigned a DAS pass to my ticket (I can add James once he arrives later); this will really help me since the queues are all outside right now and I overheat very easily due to a cancer medication I take ~ I was perspiring just talking to the CM at the kiosk, and it was lovely temperature-wise at the time!

    He gave me a return time for Star Tours - The Adventures Continue that was good now (9:10am!), and then I headed up to ride Space Mountain ~ my very favorite! I was sent up the exit right away and managed to ride 3 times in a row, due to low accessible demand at the time (which is what I was counting on!).

    I used the restroom and then walked over to ride Star Tours, via the accessible elevator (old school scenes: Darth Vader, Pod Race, Admiral Ackbar, & Coruscant).

    Since Buzz Lightyear was still closed for refurbishment (too bad for James, since it is his favorite attraction), I went back to the kiosk to get a return time for Smuggler's Run at 10:15am for 10:30am, and then went back to my ECV. I kept checking my phone for a call from James (he doesn't do texts) and still nothing. I'm sitting there for a few minutes, having a drink of water, when all of a sudden James walks up and asks me if I am ever going to answer my phone!

    After getting over the shock of him finding me in all of Disneyland at that particular time (even though I always hit Tomorrowland first thing in the morning), I again checked my phone. I had done a system update the night before over the hotel's Wi-Fi and even though it had rebooted, I apparently didn't have cell service, only Internet! Crazy ~ I rebooted the phone and then it worked properly; James said next time I need to also bring my daily phone (which doesn't have data; this one is only used on vacation & special occasions) in case I break the travel phone!

    We went back to the kiosk to add James' ticket to the DAS, got an updated return time for Smuggler's (now 10:36am), then went over to Fantasyland where we got a local return time at Peter Pan's Flight for 10:55am at 10:40am (some attractions in Disneyland offer "local" return times at the attractions themselves; these are different from the regular return times and one can be held simultaneously with a non-local return time; DCA does not offer any "local" return times, since their queues are all accessible-compliant).

    We went next door to ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride via the exit (Ratty) and then went over to ride Snow White's Enchanted Wish via their exit; however, we found out that they are only giving local return times for it since it is so popular right now. Since we had the local RT for Peter, we went next door to ride Pinocchio's Daring Journey in the Transfer Access Vehicle via their exit.

    We were getting hungry, so I checked the app for a return time for Red Rose Taverne around 10:50am; we could get one now, so we ordered the Pepperoni Flatbread (Artisanal Pepperoni and Classic Pizzaiola Sauce with Mozzarella Cheese) for me, the Chef's Chicken Chopped Salad (Grilled Chicken, Mixed Greens, Cabbage, Smoked Bacon, Apples, Hard Cooked Eggs, Blue Cheese Crumbles and Apple Vinaigrette topped with Garlic Croutons) for James, and a large Coke Zero to share.

    We next rode Peter via the exit, got a local RT for Snow White (11:35am at 11:10am), and then went back to RRT around 11:15am to pick up our order; we were very fortunate to find a table open up in the shade outside and James went inside to get the food.

    We enjoyed our lunch and then went back to ride Snow White via the Transfer Access Vehicle at the exit; the updates were great ~ we really enjoyed them!

    After a restroom break, we left Fantasyland and James walked ahead to get a local RT from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad since he is much faster than I am in the ECV (or even just walking!). We headed into Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, I parked the ECV, and we rode Smuggler's via the (eventual) FastPass entrance to avoid any stairs. It was interesting to be the only ones in the cockpit, so we chose to both be Pilots! I took the right side so I could send us into Lightspeed ~ LOL! It was nice to have the system take over the rest of the spots, to keep the motion-sickness possibilities to a minimum! We were given a rating of "Scoundrel" when we completed the mission.



    We stopped to take some photos of Kylo Ren with two Stormtroopers...



    ...and later Rey with Chewbacca...



    ...and then at the kiosk in the nice cool tunnel leaving SWGE to get a return time for Haunted Mansion (Indiana Jones Adventure was not available, due to the virtual queue which was already closed). Our next stop was to ride BTMR via the exit (I left the ECV parked nearby). The CM opened up the car seat for me to help me get in more quickly and held my cane until we returned; the train went to the opposite side and there he was waiting for me!

    I retrieved my ECV and then parked it outside HM, where we stopped to ride ~ ah, coolness inside! Darn James went a car too far forward and I barely got in & seated before the safety bar dropped into place! Geesh ~ he knows how unsteady I am on the moving platforms!

    When we exited, we stopped at the kiosk to get a RT for Pirates of the Caribbean and then James went to the popcorn ODV cart in New Orleans Square to get me a bottle of Diet Coke, as the line was very short & I was parched!

    We had intended to ride the Disneyland Railroad while waiting for our RT for Pirates to come up, but discovered that you can only board the train at the Fantasyland Station right now! You can disembark at any station, but can only do a full loop from the Fantasyland Station, plus they were stopping service at 2:30pm! We made a mental note to ride on one of our future days.

    When our return time for Pirates came due, I parked the ECV in the shade outside of Cafe Orleans and we went to check-in near the currently-closed Royal Street Veranda; they let us in the line at that point and we were able to ride fairly quickly, blessed coolness again! They were keeping the middle rows empty (like they were in WDW a couple of months ago) and we sat in Row 2. I have a lot of difficulty getting in and out of these boats these days, but we made it safely out of the Pirate's lair!


    ...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



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  3. #2
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Tuesday, May 18, 2021 (76o) ~ Part II
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA


    At 1:41pm, our RotR BG was called, so we headed towards Critter Country; we stopped to get a RT for Radiator Springs Racers at the kiosk outside of HM and then went to ride RotR. The outside queue was really filled in, so I parked the ECV and went to the entrance for the DAS bypass to avoid being in that sun. We missed the entire inside queue, but we've seen it a few times now and don't need to see it again. We had another wonderful experience on this truly magical attraction! It really helps to just have my cane and not the ECV like I used at WDW to maneuver with; there I constantly had trouble with the tight turns and it's really loud if you have to back up!

    We retrieved the ECV and James looked through some of the SWGE shops; he decided on an R2 hat so we bought that from Droid Depot around 3pm.





    We left SWGE and I noticed that my eyeglass lanyard had broken, so we found one at Adventureland Bazaar with Mickey on the ends.

    When I walked past The Enchanted Tiki Room, I looked for CM Maynard, but did not see him!

    I continued on to the Camera Corner to apply my Space Mountain photos from this morning to my PhotoPass account, while James went to get a cherry Goofy's Glacier from Candy Palace (with no discount because he didn't have the app to do so); the CM took a long time to find the pictures ~ he found the first one, and then added it to the account without locating the other two, then he put in the wrong time range and couldn't find either! James started calling me trying to find out where I'd gone!

    We met back up and headed over to DCA just after 3:30pm; I parked the ECV outside of Racers and we rode via the accessible exit.

    We next got a RT for Toy Story Midway Mania! and then rode The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure via the regular standby line (15mins); the CM kindly slowed the belt down for me to give me more time to get on and off!

    We were getting hungry for dinner, so I checked the limited offerings for Mobile Order; I put in an order around 5pm with Flo's V8 Cafe for pickup in about an hour: we both got a Ka-Cheeseburger (1/3 LB Angus Beef Patty, Cheddar Cheese, 1000 Island, and Caramelized Onions on a Sesame Seed Bun with Steak Fries; we customized both to be plain) and a Large Diet Coke to share.

    We next rode TSMM via the accessible vehicle and James beat me 190,600 to 171,600.



    We then got a RT for Soarin' Around the World. I remembered my friend Juanita had asked me to buy the mini mug ornaments from each Starbucks (except Epcot, who was out-of-stock) when we were at Walt Disney World a couple of months ago, so I went to Fiddler, Fifer, & Practical Pig to get the DCA one for her (a 20% Legacy Passholder Discount was accidentally applied by the server, which I didn't notice until later).

    We went back to Flo's to pick up our food just before 6pm, and found a table outside in the shade to enjoy it ~ very tasty!

    After we finished eating and used the restrooms, we went to ride Soarin'. I was getting pretty tired by now, so we didn't get any other RTs for today. Instead, we stopped at Elias & Co., where I bought the Disneyland Marquee Ear Band & was given the Legacy Passholder magnet! I wished I'd asked for a second one for James, since I wasn't given one during my subsequent purchases over the next 2 days.



    We left DCA around 7:30pm and James went to get a Large Pomegranate Paradise Smoothie from Jamba Juice in Downtown Disney (his is where he realized he didn't have a way to get the Legacy Passholder Discount), while I went back into DL to get their mini mug ornament from Market House, plus a slice of their lemon cake.



    James & I met back up and he told me that he'd gone to City Hall to inquire about the Legacy Passholder Discount; he thought it was part of his PH ticket! There were several CMs mulling around to the left side of City Hall (the doors are still closed to guests) and one of them took his info, went inside, and came back out with a paper ticket for his Legacy Passholder Discount! So, we went back over there & I got one for myself as well; this way we don't have to depend upon the app for our purchases. (Note: they seemed to drop off of the app after we got the paper tickets, so I just rescanned them back in.)

    We stopped at the ECV rental place around 7:45pm so I could return the key for the $20 deposit refund, and then we left the resort. We stopped at The Cove Market to buy 2 postcards, then went up to our room.

    James called the McDonald's up the street to see if their lobby was open for takeout (most in California still are not); they were, so we walked up there to get James a BOGO Big Mac without cheese so he would have something to snack on in the room (he'd finished off his pizza from yesterday, and I was only having a slice of mine each morning for breakfast).

    Back in the room, I updated my trip notes; this is where I realized that I'd accidentally been given a 20% discount at PP&P instead of 10%!

    We did our usual nighttime routine of watching TV and relaxing; I was in bed around 12:15am and James followed around 2am.

    Things we missed: Disneyland Railroad, Star Tours (James only), Alice in Wonderland, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Mark Twain Riverboat, Winnie the Pooh, Indiana Jones Adventure (could not get a RT, only virtual queue, which was closed when we checked), The Enchanted Tiki Room (me only; James is not a big fan), Guardians of the Galaxy (me only; James is not a big fan), Mickey's PhilharMagic, Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, Turtle Talk with Crush, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, & Jumpin' Jellyfish.

    Thoughts about the day:
    • The ECV & the DAS pass REALLY saved my back, knees, & feet today & helped keep me out of the direct sunlight much more than not having them; I know I really would have been suffering a lot more otherwise!
    • So excited to get the boarding group for Rise of the Resistance this morning!
    • We were very lucky that James was able to locate me this morning in Fantasyland when my phone wasn't accepting calls!

    Steps: 10,968
    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
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Wednesday, May 19, 2021 (75o)
    Plan: DCA/Disneyland

    Actual: I had decided last night not to rush over to DCA first thing this morning, so I didn't get up until 8:30am. I got up, got ready, and was out the door just before 10am. There were no huge lines for temp & security checks like there was yesterday, so I just breezed right on in.

    I waited a few minutes to rent my ECV, then headed over to DCA and was inside the park by 10:15am.

    I headed to the Info Kiosk across from Carthay Circle to get a RT; my DAS had dropped off of my ticket, so the CM added it back in (she was able to also enter James' ticket info, since it was on my phone). I got a RT for my favorite attraction here: Guardians of the Galaxy (10:43am @ 10:20am) and then went to ride Monsters Inc.; standby was posted as 5mins, but there was no indoor queue so we were outside in the big queue by the entrance. Entry was controlled by a CM, so you walked through the inside and practically on to your vehicle; the wait was probably a little more than 5mins, and there are still some people who don't pay attention to the ground spacing markers (some are further than 6 feet apart because you are queuing back and forth side by side and they are meant to keep the spacing from the side line too).



    I put a mobile order in at Award Wieners (Corn dog, chips, & large Diet Coke) and then rode GotG just before 11am; I got my favorite version, "Burnin' Love", so I was a very happy camper when I got off!



    I went back to the kiosk to get another RT for GotG again, and then went to Award Wieners to pick up my order; I had to sit back by the exit from Mickey's PhilharMagic, but at least I found a table with a bit of shade!

    James called from Harbor around 11:30am to see where I was, and we met up around 15mins later. I finished my food and waited until the minute before noon and SCORE! Boarding Group #90 for Rise of the Resistance, with an ETA of 85mins!

    I went to ride GotG again ("Hit Me With Your Best Shot")...



    ...and James looked around Off the Page while he waited for me. We met back up and went to the kiosk again; this time we got a RT for Star Tours (1pm @ 12:30pm) and we also mailed the postcards at the mailbox that was on a pole nearby.

    We decided to head over to DL and then remembered that we couldn't park-hop until 1pm (darn pandemic rules), so we veered over into Elias & Co. to look around in the meantime.

    A little after 1pm, we headed over to DL and rode ST via the accessible elevator; I'd forgotten to park the ECV before approaching the entrance, so they parked it to the side there ~ actually, they wanted ME to back it in and I laughed about that! They took care of it for me instead. 😊

    I'd hoped to get "The Rise of Skywalker" scenes, but we got Kylo Ren, Jakku, Maz, & Crait/Batuu, which is fine too.

    We came back out the way we went in, collected the ECV, and went to get a local RT for Alice in Wonderland; they let us go up the exit right then instead!

    We found that we'd been called for Rise at 1:35pm, so we headed in that direction; we stopped to get a RT for Smuggler's (2:20pm @ 1:50pm) along the way and then rode Rise!

    We next rode Smuggler's via the accessible route again (both Pilots) and this time were awarded the title of "Hot Shot"! We then got a RT for Pirates (3:20pm @ 2:50pm) from the kiosk in the SWGE tunnel.

    James was getting hungry, so I made a mobile order for Jolly Holiday Cafe: Jolly Holiday Salad (Mixed Greens, Spiced Pecans, Feta, Tomatoes, Dried Cranberries and Raspberry Vinaigrette served with a fresh Parmesan Breadstick) for James, Toasted Cheese Sandwich (Melted White Cheddar and Cheddar Cheese on Toasted Sourdough Bread) for me, and a large Diet Coke to share, and we headed in that direction.

    As we headed into Fantasyland, I noticed some guests with "Vaccinated" buttons that had some of the Disney characters on them! I stopped them to ask where they got them (too bad Disneyland didn't offer them) and they told me they bought them online from Mouse4Life ). We thought they were very cool and then one of the gentlemen gave me his button! It was so generous of him and I was so touched at his gesture; we thanked them profusely and we all continued on our way.



    I stopped to get a local RT for Peter Pan (3:20pm @ 3pm) and then we stopped in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle to pose for pictures since the line was very short.



    We then continued on to JHC; I parked the ECV and luckily found a table while James went inside to get our order.

    Everything was very good, and I really enjoyed the Toasted Cheese Sandwich! They used to only have it as part of a combo with Tomato soup, so I was pleased to see the sandwich offered on its own.







    We went to ride Peter, and then rode Toad & Pinocchio via their respective exits. I collected the ECV and we came back through the Castle entrance and saw a mama duck with her babies on the side of the moat.



    We next tried to get a local RT for Indiana Jones Adventure; however, they were only taking people via the virtual queue (which was closed). The CM said to come back in the last couple of hours, and they probably would have the standby queue back open. We then got a local RT for Haunted Mansion (4:25pm @ 3:55pm).

    We checked in to ride Pirates, this time in Row 5, and then went back to ride HM; thank goodness I was able to get seated in time before the safety bar was lowered!

    We got a RT for TSMM (5:18pm @ 4:40pm) and then perused the shops along Main Street before heading over to DCA around 5pm.


    ...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. #4
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Wednesday, May 19, 2021 (75o) ~ Part II
    Plan: DCA/Disneyland

    We headed to the back of the park to ride TSMM and were shocked that our scores were only 300 points apart (174,200 to 173,900)!



    We got a RT for Soarin' (6:20pm @ 5:40pm) and then found a Disney kitty back by the exit to Grizzly River Run. I kept calling to it, but it ignored me in typical kitty fashion (the picture is so blurry because I zoomed in so much)!



    We rode Soarin' and then got a RT for Snow White (7:05pm @ 6:50pm). There was a crossbody purse I was interested in at Elias & Co., so we stopped in there so I could buy it and the 2021 promotional tote. They didn't give me the Legacy Passholder magnet this time, and I forgot to even ask for it!





    We left DCA and headed into Downtown Disney; James went to Jamba Juice to get another Large Pomegranate Paradise Smoothie (this time he had the paper Legacy Passholder ticket to apply the 10% discount) and I went to Wetzel's Pretzels for some Original Wetzel Bitz. We met back up and headed over to DL.

    We went over to try for a local RT at Indy; however, it was down so we went to ride Snow White via the exit.

    I saw that Indy was back up on the app, so we went back and got the local RT (8:40pm @ 8pm). We weren't really interested in trying to ride anything else and James suggested we get something from Bengal Barbeque while waiting for our RT at Indy to come due. Fortunately, I was able to get a pickup time so I made a mobile order: Banyan Beef Skewer (hot & spicy) for me & Chieftain Chicken Skewer (Polynesian sweet sauce) for James. Wow, the Banyan one is spicy (which I love); good thing we had lots of water with us!

    We found a table inside next door and enjoyed our treat until we could ride Indy at 8:40pm. We usually ask to sit in the middle row as it's less jarring to James; however, that row was blocked out so we sat in the middle of the front row. The ride was VERY rough on me ~ either it had something to do with less people in the vehicle or I'm getting old! I was very happy to ride the ECV out afterwards, as my body was hurting (James thought it was rougher than usual too).

    The park was closed when we came out, so we headed towards Main Street; we stopped to peruse Disneyana for a few minutes, then headed out the exit. I stopped to return the ECV key & we headed for the motel.

    We did our usual nighttime routine of watching TV and relaxing, and I made sure my alarms were set for tomorrow morning. We made a list of must-see attractions for tomorrow & I updated my trip notes before heading to bed.

    Things we missed: Mickey's PhilharMagic, Turtle Talk with Crush, Radiator Springs Racers, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, The Little Mermaid, Disneyland Railroad, Space Mountain (me only; James hates it!), Casey Jr. Circus Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, Winnie the Pooh, & The Enchanted Tiki Room (me only).

    Thoughts about the day:
    • We were very excited to ride Rise of the Resistance together again!
    • The generosity and kindness of complete strangers who also love Disney blew me away again!
    • It sure is a challenge to ride Indiana Jones Adventure right now; if you don't ride first thing in the morning or get a Virtual Queue boarding group when they first open it up, you have to wait all day until the end of the night to get your chance!

    Steps: 8,139
    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. #5
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Thursday, May 20, 2021 (73o)
    Plan: Disneyland/DCA; late lunch @ the Lamplight Lounge

    Actual: I was awake just after 6am ~ darn it! No use trying to get any more sleep, so I was again ready to try for a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group before 7am; I kept refreshing the screen repeatedly in the minute before but missed out somehow ~ OH NO!!!

    I got up, got ready, left a note for James of our BG status, and was out the door just before 8am; lines for the temperature checks were slightly shorter than they were two days ago, and I took a spot in the right queue.

    I was through the temp check & security check by 8:35am, waited about 5mins to rent the ECV, and was inside the park by the 9am opening! While in line, I made a mobile order for another Toasted Cheese Sandwich at the Jolly Holiday Cafe, planning to pick it up after I rode rides in Tomorrowland (also a large Diet Coke).

    I again parked the ECV in the shade under the old PeopleMover platform and got a RT for Star Tours (9:09am @ 9:04am) from the kiosk, before heading up to ride Space Mountain via the exit.

    Ride #1 had no audio whatsoever; that made for a really eerie ride, especially if you are like me & know the music by heart! We told CM Lexi when we returned and were allowed to ride again right away. CM Lexi saw how I struggle to get in & out of the vehicle and told me to just wait in the seat when we return to see if I could ride again without disembarking.

    Ride #2 had audio ~ YAY!!! After we returned, I could see that CM Lexi was on the phone as we pulled in, so I waited in my seat (Row #1) for her to come over and let me know whether I could ride a third time right then or not. However, another CM came up and asked me if I needed help getting out, so I explained what I was waiting for. She left for a minute and then came back; she still didn't seem to understand what I was trying to explain to her (there was nobody else waiting to ride there at the time), and left for another minute.

    This time when she came back, she said that she was "going to have to ask me to leave" and her tone & the wording, albeit polite, just totally stung me and made me feel like I was in trouble and being asked to leave the park! It wasn't that serious, of course, but I'm tired, it's my third day, and I am emotional to be back at my Happy Place after such a long absence, so it just hit me wrong and I started crying as I got out of the vehicle. I told her that she had hurt my feelings and she was apologetic, but my mood had totally plummeted.

    I'm walking up the exit and am debating whether to speak to a Lead (not to get her into trouble, but just to explain my position), when I encounter CM Brittani & CM Gareth standing at the old Single Rider entrance. They asked me how my ride experience was, and I ended up telling them the whole story, while still crying (CM Brittani had noticed that I was upset as I was walking up the ramp). I said that I know she didn't mean to hurt my feelings, but the wording just did me in; they were so kind and I thanked them for listening to me.

    I expected that to be the end of things, but CM Gareth escorted me the rest of the way up the ramp and sprinkled pixie dust on me in the form of 3 Multiple Experience Fastpasses (I always called them Anytime FPs) for Disneyland (except for SWGE attractions) and also the ability to come ride Space as many times as I wanted to that day! (I'm getting teary-eyed all over again as I type this!) I certainly didn't expect such generosity and was very touched.

    I used the restroom and then rode Space one more time while I was in the vicinity; the CM that had hurt my feelings was still there and was SO apologetic about the whole incident! I told her it was just a misunderstanding and I know she didn't mean to hurt my feelings, and we both felt better about things afterwards. We wished each other a great day and I left after my ride.

    CM Brittani was still in the hallway and we chatted a bit about things before I headed out; then I found CM Lexi at the exit, who was also apologetic about the whole thing and tried to give me MORE Multiple Experience FPs! I told her CM Gareth had already taken care of me, and wished her well also. Wow...

    I rode ST via the accessible hallway and then got a RT for Snow White (10:40am at 10:20am), before grabbing my ECV and going over to JHC to collect my food. I found an empty table and spent a few minutes on my phone before eating; unfortunately, the sandwich wasn't very hot when I went to eat it which may or may not have been my fault!

    I next went to see The Enchanted Tiki Room at 11am; blessed A/C, but no CM Maynard!

    I went back to get my ECV that I'd left by JHC and James called, so we met up around 11:30am. Since he was now in the park, I tried for a Virtual Queue BG for Indy and got BG #132!

    We stopped to add James to the Snow White RT and then went to the back of the park, where I parked the ECV and we were able to catch the next Disneyland Railroad! We rode full-circle and enjoyed being on this classic Walt attraction again.

    Of course, 12pm came up while we were riding the train; fortunately, not while we were in the tunnel! This time I scored BG 92 for RotR with an ETA of 145 minutes! Uh oh ~ that might be a problem later on...

    We next finally rode Casey Jr. Circus Train, via the exit. Afterwards, we tried to ride Snow White around 12:30pm, but it was down so I cancelled the RT.

    We got a return time for Winnie the Pooh (12:30pm @ 12:30pm!) and then went to the exit of BTMR to ride with one of the Multiple Experience FPs. The Mark Twain Riverboat was just pulling in as we were passing by, so we got in line for it just before 1pm; we were the first ones to board and were able to go to the front of the boat!

    After docking, we rode Pooh around 1:20pm and then went to the RotR entrance to inquire about our options since it looked like our BG was going to be called just before our 3pm reservation at the Lamplight Lounge, which are on opposite sides of the resort from one another! They told us that we have TWO hours to return, not one like the app says, and that we should be fine. (HA!)

    We stopped to get a RT for TSMM (2:08pm @ 1:50pm) and we started the long trek across the resort in their direction. We asked at Lamplight Lounge if they could possibly take us earlier, since we had the RotR BG return looming, and she put us in the queue with no guarantees.

    James didn't want to wait around, so we headed over to ride TSMM in the meantime; however, LL called us just before we got in the vehicle, so we left. We stopped for another RT for TSMM (2:32pm @ 2:20pm) along the way and then went to LL to check-in for our late lunch.

    We took the elevator downstairs and were seated near the bar; CM Ramon took our drink order: Diet Coke for me and a 2319 (frozen Mocktail made with Strawberry Puree, Cream of Coconut, and Pineapple Juice, topped with Coca-Cola) for James. Unfortunately, he misunderstood when James asked for Diet Coke instead of regular Coke in his drink, and brought him a Diet Coke as well! OOPS





    I ordered the Cheddar Burger (Grilled custom Burger blend with Cheddar and Toasted Amish Bun served with Malted Fries, but without the Roasted Tomato, Red Onion, & Avocado Ranch Spread) and James ordered the Lobster Nachos (warm Lobster with Black Beans & Pico de Gallo, but without the Aged Cheddar-Oaxaca Cheese Sauce and Chipotle Crema). The food was really good and James said he would be willing to eat here again!





    Of course, our Rise BG was called at 2:38pm; there was no way we'd get there within an hour, not with my pokey ECV! We just hoped that the 2-hour return time was accurate.

    We left around 3:30pm and decided to ride TSMM one last time while we were in this part of the park; the ride kept stopping and was obviously malfunctioning, and James beat me 185,900 to 152,000 (notice the missing "prize" from the picture below).



    Because of the malfunction, they let us ride again and this time James beat me 205,500 to 161,300.



    We stopped to get a RT for Smuggler's (4:40pm @ 3:34pm) and we told them about our RotR BG dilemma; they tried their darnedest to try delaying the time, but they couldn't do it since the first hour had already passed. In hindsight, we could have just arrived late at LL, but we weren't sure whether that would be honored either ~ we kept getting conflicting reports!

    We made our way back over to SWGE and reported in at Rise around 4:35pm, just short of the 2-hour report time they'd said was in effect, and we had no issues whatsoever getting in so WHEW!!!

    After a wonderful third ride in as many days on RotR, we went to ride Smuggler's one last time, again as Pilots; this time we were told that we were "Marauders", so we kept improving with each ride!

    Our BG for Indy was called just after 5pm, so we headed in that direction; along the way, we got a RT for Snow White (5:35pm @ 5:15pm). I also checked us in online for our flight tomorrow.

    We rode Indy, even after it was so rough on me yesterday, and I immediately regretted the decision again today ~ still way too rough for me. I hope I don't have to add this attraction to the must-skip list, like I've done with the Matterhorn Bobsleds because it also is too rough for me.

    We rode Snow White and then rode Star Tours with a Multiple Experience FP; this time we got Kylo Ren, Kef Bir, Lando, & Crait/Batuu, so two of the three newest scenes!

    Since we were in Tomorrowland, I went to ride Space one last time with no issues whatsoever; James perused Star Traders while he waited for me.

    I got a RT for Monsters Inc., and we said goodbye to Disneyland Park for this visit.



    We headed over to DCA and decided to see Mickey's PhilharMagic just after 7pm, since it was just about to start.

    Afterwards, we tried to join the line for the 7:30pm showing of Turtle Talk with Crush, but just missed it, so we went to ride Monsters Inc.

    We were done, although I would have LOVED to ride Guardians one last time! We left DCA and I returned the ECV key; we were hungry, so we walked over to The Pizza Press around 8pm.

    We ordered the same thing as Monday night: Press Cheese pizza for me, plus two identical Publish Your Own pizzas (mostly veggie + chicken & Hawaiian with no cheese) for James and a soda for us to share. We enjoyed half of our food and took the rest back to the room for breakfast tomorrow morning (James likes food to snack on overnight as well!).

    I stopped at the lobby to request a late check-out of noon and we were back in our rooms by 9pm. We did some preliminary packing and I updated my trip notes, before turning in around midnight (James = 2am).

    Things we missed: We were able to hit everything on our must-do list we wanted to today, except for Guardians of the Galaxy (me only), Turtle Talk with Crush, & Soarin' Around the World. Other attractions we would have liked to do one last time but missed included Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Radiator Springs Racers, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Jumpin' Jellyfish, & The Little Mermaid.

    Thoughts about the day:
    • The misunderstanding at Space Mountain threatened to put a damper on my entire day, but then a few kind & thoughtful Cast Members turned the whole thing around just by listening to my concerns; the pixie dust they sprinkled on top of everything was so unexpected and brought a smile back to my face! (Note: I emailed Disney after I returned home, commending CM Gareth, CM Brittani, & CM Lexi; I didnt get the name of the CM who I had the misunderstanding with, which protects their identity a bit.)
    • The Lamplight Lounge is beautifully themed and the food was really good as well; we can see why it is so popular! We hope to return on a future visit.
    • Worrying about missing either the meal at Lamplight Lounge or Rise of the Resistance when they occurred at the same time at opposite ends of the resort was stressful; the Resort needs to have one policy of how to address this issue, and train ALL of the CMs on how to handle it! We were confused which should take precedence ~ the meal or the attraction ~ so we could still enjoy both.
    • I was sad to miss CM Maynard the entire trip!

    Steps: 12,120


    Friday, May 21, 2021 (75o)
    Plan: Check-out of the Tropicana Inn; fly home in the afternoon

    Actual: Since we had the extra hour this morning, I got up around 9:20am and James followed around 10:15am. I went into the DL app and purchased a 1-day PhotoPass ($19.99), intending to use it for 5-19-21, since that was the day we did the photos in front of the Castle and I want to use them for possible Christmas Cards later this year.

    We packed everything up & checked out around 11:45am.

    I requested Lyft to take us to the airport; after being accepted by a driver with a 20min wait, all of a sudden we were assigned to Anthony, who arrived around noon! Anthony was very friendly and again, did not use the carpool lanes! He dropped us off at the airport around 12:20pm.

    I printed off our boarding passes (A35 & A36) and checked in our large suitcase (33#); we were through TSA Pre-Check by 12:40pm.

    We had a lot of time to kill, so James walked around checking things out to see if he could find a smoothie somewhere (he couldn't). He eventually bought a bottle of orange juice at Carl's Jr. & I later bought a cheese quesadilla. After the flight before ours left Gate 17, thereby clearing out the crowds, we went down to wait for our flight.

    We again were able to snag the 2-seater exit row (full flight). We departed around 4:25pm (35mins late) and again had Diet Coke & the snack mix.

    We landed around 5:45pm (25mins late), got our bag, and hurried outside to the waiting Economy Lot shuttle. We paid for parking and stopped at AM/PM so I could buy some quick-picks for the Lotto drawing that night. There was a lot of commute traffic on the freeway, so we stopped at In-N-Out Burger for burgers, fries, and a shared soda. The traffic was a lot lighter when we were done eating and we arrived home around 7:30pm.

    Thoughts about the day:
    • Another short flight delay, but were home safely!!!

    Steps: 5,055


    Up Next: I just booked airfare and lodging for mid-November; hopefully there will be Christmas decorations up! I also have a friend who really wants to go back soon, so I may try to arrange something with her later in the year as well.


    Summary & Final Thoughts: It was so great to FINALLY be back at The Happiest Place on Earth again!

    Highlights include:

    • Disneyland being reopened at last!!!
    • Riding Rise of the Resistance together three times!
    • Riding my favorite attractions multiple times: Space Mountain & Guardians of the Galaxy!
    • Receiving the Disney character "Vaccinated" button from a complete stranger!
    • Our late lunch at the Lamplight Lounge; the food, service, & ambience was great and we hope to eat there again!
    • Getting the DAS; this medication I take makes me miserable (I overheat so easily, that I can't wear long pants or even short-sleeves in the wintertime!) and the combination of the DAS with the cane, ECV, & cooling towel got me through it!
    • GORGEOUS weather for mid-May ~ mid-70s; anything hotter would have been horrible for me!


    Lowlights include:

    • Flight delays, but they werent horrific
    • Missing Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Jungle Cruise, Sailing Ship Columbia, and the Disneyland Monorail as they are not open yet, as well as Blue Bayou and the live entertainment (Fantasmic!, World of Color, fireworks, & parades)
    • No FastPass/MaxPass or Single Rider lines
    • No more Annual Passes
    • Missing CM Maynard
    • The initial misunderstanding at Space Mountain
    • My declining health & stamina



    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. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Drexel Hill, PA

    I was so happy to see a trip report from you. I have really missed them. I cant wait to get a chance to go back to Disneyland. I have a long trip,to Disney World this year starting 10/29 so I can get my Disney fix there. You and Sue write the best reports with so much detail and you both share pics so thats more fun. I am sorry you are going through so many issues health wise.


  8. #7

    Thanks for sharing your adventures I always enjoy your reports. Glad you were able to enjoy all that you did. Stay strong 💪


  9. #8
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by suejacken View Post
    I was so happy to see a trip report from you. I have really missed them. I can’t wait to get a chance to go back to Disneyland. I have a long trip,to Disney World this year starting 10/29 so I can get my Disney fix there. You and Sue write the best reports with so much detail and you both share pics so that’s more fun. I am sorry you are going through so many issues health wise.
    Thanks Sue; I've missed writing them, since that meant I wasn't at Disneyland!!! I hope you have a wonderful trip to WDW; long trips are the best way to get your fix, especially if you don't go very often (or live so far away like me from WDW)...it's exhausting otherwise!

    Thank you about my health issues; I never wanted to be one to use a scooter, but it REALLY helps save me at the end of the day.
    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. #9
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by TulaBelle View Post
    Thanks for sharing your adventures I always enjoy your reports. Glad you were able to enjoy all that you did. Stay strong
    Thank you TulaBelle; it was a great trip overall and I was so happy to be back! It's a long time to wait now until November...LOL!
    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



  11. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Beautiful Orange County, CA

    Great trip report! I always like your details!!


  12. #11
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Quote Originally Posted by josephfive View Post
    Great trip report! I always like your details!!
    Thank you!!! My hubby says I'm "wordy", but I write the way I want to read them later (which I do at times)!
    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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