The Happiest Celebrations on Earth--Update 1/29 About This Page:

[Tink and co.]

Happiest Celebration on Earth—The changing of the plans!

The cast of characters:

Me (37, turning 38 on the trip) Queen Disney Dork
DH (38) Her loving supporter
DD (12) Princess Disney Dork
DD (10) Collector of Signatures, always on the lookout for her favorite little pig
DS (7) Getting more daring with every trip…chief snack eater/gift shop lover

I originally booked this trip in March of 2004. Why such a long time ago, you ask? Well, I wanted to assure that we’d get a room during the weekend of July 17, 2005. But it’s November, right? I had wanted to attend the “special, actual” anniversary day for as long as I knew there’d be one. It was sort of like a trip to Mecca of the Disney Dorkdom…

The first wrinkle in the plan began in the fall of 2004. Zoie was nominated to travel to Australia and New Zealand with People to People in the summer of 2005. After some consideration, we decided it was too good an opportunity for her to pass up. She assumed that we’d reschedule the trip and go when she got home. Sorry, sweetie, you’ll just have to miss this one. Of course, I was quite sad about going on a family vacation without part of the family. And she’s a super Disney Dork herself, so while she wasn’t happy about it, she did get over it, and I called to take her off of the reservation. I also pointed out to DH that we’d be saving some money on the trip, one of his favorite things.

So, on with life. That was until Hallie was asked to join a traveling softball team. We had no idea all that it would wind up entailing, but she seemed happy, so all was well. Until one evening in March 2005 when the coach announced that the team would be traveling to Florida for a tourney. Actually, wheels immediately began turning in my head about planning a trip to WDW. The dates would conflict with our Disneyland trip!!! I was not happy and we spent some days debating about what to do. DH suggested that he take Hal to Florida for softball, and Jack and I go to Disneyland. I thought it over and just didn’t want to. Part of the fun of it is the togetherness thing, and we’d already be minus one. So, after some whining, stomping (me, not the kids) and other self-pity displays, I found out the exact dates I’d be off in November 2005, and would you believe it…I would be off the week after Thanksgiving this year…a very important week as it contains both my birthday and 14th wedding anniversary. I did a quick consult with DH, and he was agreeable, so I called back and changed the booking, and added Zoie back to the reservation!

We actually were at WDW on July 17, at MGM specifically where Rob and Jack were quite sick, and it was ridiculously hot. The only nod we saw to the special day was pins on sale, which I bought several of. Yeah, I’m still sort of pouting about it…And, yes I am a BIG BABY![img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Up Next, our plans for the week...what's the temperature going to be?!

[Tink and co.]

Pre-Trip Part 2—The Plan

When I originally booked the trip, I booked the Grand Californian since this is a special trip! We generally make a yearly pilgrimage and stay at Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites, and we’ve tried Tropicana Inn as well. Both are fine places to stay, but the accommodations are not deluxe, shall we say. We’d walked through the lobby and always wanted to stay there…It’s so beautiful.

So, we’re staying in the fancy hotel Sunday, November 27 through Wednesday, November 30. I booked three days originally, and then got the free extra day deal. We need a couple of extra days to visit family and such, and I just couldn’t justify more expense on the lodging end of the trip. So, I called our two favorite budget places and one was completely booked, and the other was ridiculously expensive over the Thanksgiving weekend. So, I checked online with Candy Cane Inn (which I’d heard great things about) and got a great rate for Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26.

We decided on 3 day park hoppers so we could spend a day at Universal Hollywood or in LA at several museums we enjoy, and then we planned a day to go to the beach and visit my great aunt and her daughter. My cousin called and said they wanted to meet us at Disneyland on Sunday, but we weren’t planning on going that day. It would be way too crowded. But we always meet them one day on our trips, and we couldn’t imagine it without them, so I called and upgraded to 4 day hoppers and decided against Universal (We plan to go on our next family trip to Florida instead.).

About 10 days ago our package of goodies arrived FedEx, and we all ooohhhed and aaahhhhed over our tickets, vouchers for our “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour, and our new pins. We also got vouchers for a free 5x7 photo and crystal etched frame and another pin and lanyard for each of us. Score![img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img]

Here’s the plan:

Friday, November 25
Leave the house about 5 or 6 AM (which is normal for me on shopping day![img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]). Drive, drive, drive. We plan to stop in Carson City and drop my grama off at her house since she’ll be staying over for Thanksgiving, and stop in Bishop, CA for sheepherder bread from a local bakery[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/yuma.gif[/img]. We’ll stop in Independence, CA for our turkey sandwich lunch and to let the kids play. We should arrive in Anaheim by 3 or 4 PM depending on traffic.
We’ll check in at the Candy Cane and if it’s warm enough, I’ll take the kids for a quick swim while DH unwinds a bit, and then we’ll have some dinner. I’ve made a PS (They’re still Priority Seatings at Disneyland Resort!) at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in DTD unless something else strikes our fancy. After dinner, we should be ready to hit the sack!
Saturday, November 26
The girls and I will be up early, as they have an appointment for a makeover at Club Libby Lu. Jack and Rob plan to sleep in a bit, and then head over to the ESPN Club to play games. We’ll meet up at the PCH Grill for the Lilo and Stitch Breakfast at 11:00. After that, we’ll drive over to Redondo Beach and visit with my family, and then the kids will go over to my cousin’s house so Rob and I can go out to dinner for our anniversary.

Sunday, November 27
We check out of Candy Cane and leave our bags at the Grand, and meet the cousins in front of Disneyland’s gates at about 7:30. The park opens at 8. We’ll do whatever they’d like to do, and see Fantasmic! tonight, as it’s the only night it plays during our trip. At some point in the afternoon, Rob and I’ll go check in and we have a PS at Napa Rose for another anniversary dinner.

Monday, November 28
My birthday! We’ll do early entry today, and whatever else I want, cuz it’s all about me today! Woo Hoo! Dinner PS for Blue Bayou.

Tuesday, November 29
We meet for the tour at 9:00 AM, it lasts 3-31/2 hours, after that we’ll continue on with whatever we feel like doing.

Wednesday, November 30
Our actual anniversary. Our last day, so we’ll finish up on whatever we’ve missed or must do again.

Thursday, December 1
Check out of the Grand and drive home.

I just know it’s going to be a fabulous trip!

[DrDolphin]

That looks like a wonderful trip!! COngrats on the birthday AND the anniversary!!

[Grammy Grumpy]

Have a super trip! Happy Birthday AND Anniversary!!!

[lauren-roxy]

Sounds like a great time and a wonderful way to celebrate two wonderful occasions!! Can't wait to read about it when you get back!!

[Colexis Mom]

You're going to have a great time [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/zwavin.gif[/img] Can't wait to hear all about it [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/luck.gif[/img]

[DawnDenise]

A double celebration!!! How wonderful!!! Great start and can't wait to hear all about it!

[Tara O'Hara]

HAve a wonderful time and Happy birthday and Anniversary!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/birthday.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[snoozy]

Have a great time. Since we are staying at the GCH I want to hear all about your stay there, lots of details.

[Tink and co.]

Happiest Celebration on Earth
The Preparations and the trip down…

Since we decided to drive down the day after Thanksgiving, I started packing before Thanksgiving, so I could somewhat enjoy the day, and the cooking and cleaning that goes along with enjoying that particular day! After dinner, while everyone else was digesting on the couch, I put the suitcases in the car, and got all the little things ready. Our friends picked up our dog about 8:00pm, for her little doggy “vacation” while we took ours. Our plan was to get up and be on the road by 5:00am. Now, we always plan that but actually get going sometime around 7:00 most trips.

This trip would start out differently, though! DH and I were up and showered, ice in the cooler, the whole bit by 4:30!! We woke up grama (she stayed the night) and the kids. They all got dressed and brushed teeth. We were all loaded in the family mini van and pulled out of the driveway right at 5! That is nothing short of a miracle. We were so excited! We dropped grama off at her house (which is about 40 minutes from ours) and continued to Starbucks for breakfast. We made another stop for gas and at our favorite bakery for a loaf of sheepherder bread to take to my aunt who we’d visit the next day. We also stopped and checked out the Alabama Hills where lots of old western movies were filmed. There are some really cool rock formations and a fabulous view of Mt. Whitney (tallest peak in the 48 contiguous states) there. We stopped for lunch in the desert in the wind. It wasn’t a very pleasant picnic spot, so we basically gulped down our leftover turkey sandwiches and hit the road again.

We pulled into the Candy Cane Inn at about 2:30. Check in wasn’t until 3, but I thought I’d see if the room was ready. We had actually seen the Matterhorn and Space Mountain, and we could hear the people on California Screamin’…OMG! We’re finally there!!! I was told one room was currently available, but it was facing Harbor Blvd. and would be really noisy. The clerk suggested we wait vente minutos (she kept switching back and forth between English and Spanish, and I don’t think she realized it!), and we’d have a much better room. So we parked and hung out for a few minutes (picked up all the trash and discarded it), and then made our way to the room. It was on the second floor, and we were very impressed by the décor for the price of the room. The whole place was very nice for a budget motel. Jack had been begging to swim since we’d pulled up, so the kids suited up, and I grabbed my book and my cell phone and we headed down to the pool. Dad hung out in the room for a little rest and ESPN. The kids enjoyed themselves in the small, but very well kept, pool and hot tub. There was also a wading pool for little ones.

After the kids were done with their refreshing soak and splash, we went back to the room where the girls showered and they all got dressed to head for Downtown Disney for a little shopping and dinner. We drove over and were quickly parked and wandering within 10 minutes. We checked out most of the major stores, but we were starving! It was only 5:30, and our PS at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen wasn’t until 7. We decided to check at the podium, and the host said to return in 10 minutes and they’d seat us early, which they did. We were seated upstairs in a formal-looking dining room. The service was fabulous, but it was a bit expensive for our taste. I had rosemary roast chicken which was wonderful; Rob had a pasta dish that he said was okay, but not great. Zoie had coconut shrimp (she liked it), and the others had kid’s meals (grilled ham and cheese and mac and cheese). The macaroni was the old fashioned baked kind like my grama makes, and it was good!

We were tired after eating, so we only visited a few more stores and headed back to the room to hit the sack. We had an early appointment for the girls at Club Libby Lu for makeovers. It had been an early morning, and we were beat. We were glad (not really![img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] ) that we’d skipped the parks this evening, as Disneyland was no longer admitting guests, it was too crowded. As tired as we were, none of slept very well. The beds were not comfortable, even for the kids. They were so firm, that my arms kept falling asleep.

Up next…glitter, glitter everywhere, and a "bomb" in the bathtub! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]

[snoozy]

I love those long drives down to Anaheim. I had thought about staying at the CCI, now that I hear the beds were to firm I'm glad chose differently. I can't wait to hear more.

[Tink and co.]

Day 2

I was awake before the alarm clock because my arms kept falling asleep, and I had a really bad nightmare. Once it went off, I got up and hopped in the shower, and Rob followed me. The kids were up and dressed pretty quickly. We then went down to the complimentary continental breakfast served at the motel. It’s the best one I’ve ever seen. There were muffins, bagels, Danish, cereal, milk, juice, and coffee. We all ate our money’s worth [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] The plan was for us girls to head to Club Libby Lu to check in for the girls’ makeover, and the boys were heading to ESPN Zone for some games (we had $50 worth of free games with our park tickets). We were parked at DTD quickly and there were already two families in line at Club Libby Lu at 8:40. So, we queued up and waited. The guys came back in a few minutes and let us know that ESPN didn’t open until 10, so they were off to shop at World of Disney which had opened at 8:00. Club Libby Lu didn’t open the doors until about 9:15, and by then the line was about 30 or so families deep. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] I’d called and made an appointment about a month ahead of time, so right after we were inside the girls were called to the back to start their makeover. One of the dad’s in line in front of us tried to start a fight by saying they’d been first, and they kept telling him that we had an appointment, and so he wanted one too. So, she got out the book and said, I’m currently scheduling for February…The clerk handled it really well. Some people...

The Before Photos
The makeover was fabulous. I even had fun! Hallie chose the “rising star” hair do and Zoie chose “tween idol.” They were fully covered in glitter (I’m serious, from head to toe.), got a back pack full of goodies of their choice, and made lip gloss. It was serious girl fun, and the girl who did the hair-dos was great. I wanted to tip her, but she was not allowed to accept tips. It was $35 for each girl, which I thought was a good price. The backpacks full of stuff were worth at least $20, and the lip gloss was $12 if you paid for it alone. I’m glad we did it. Zoie will probably think she’s too old next time!
The After Photos

The guys came by just as we were finishing up, and we all walked over to the Paradise Pier hotel to check in for our Lilo and Stitch brunch at the PCH grill. Of course, none of us were really hungry except for Jack (he’s always hungry). Zoie ordered a fruit plate, Hallie and Jack had the buffet (which looked really good) and Rob and I split a breakfast burrito. I really liked that you could choose the buffet or order off the menu. It worked out well for us. And all of the food was really good! Stitch was a hoot and got into all sorts of trouble. There was the usual table to table character interaction and a little stage show and about every 20 minutes or so, they got the kids involved in some sort of game. It was really fun. We saw Lilo, Stitch, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and either Chip or Dale (I don’t remember which one it was!) It was one of the best character meals we’ve ever tried for both interaction and food.
We didn’t plan to leave for my aunt’s house for another hour or so, so we went to ESPN Zone where we all made short work of that $50. The girls had a ball on the virtual roller coaster thing. That would’ve made me sick! Then it was in the car and on to Redondo Beach where we had a nice time visiting with my great aunt and her daughter. My cousins came over, and there was quite a house full. About 5:00 my cousins took our kids with them to eat dinner and then back to their house for games. Rob and I went to the Cheesecake Factory for a romantic dinner for our anniversary. It was awesome. I had some kind of Tostada Salad and Rob had a different type of salad (I don’t remember.) Then we split a piece of really yummy chocolate cake. Yeah, I don’t like cheesecake at all (there’s always one in every crowd!). The best part of the restaurant was that it was near the pier and overlooked the water. Ahhhh….

We picked up the kids and visited for a few more minutes. We had to firm up our plans for meeting at DL the next morning. We were back at the Candy Cane Inn by 8:30 where the kids showered (actually, Jack used his bath bomb, he really liked shopping at Basin) and got ready for bed, and we all crashed.

Next up…we finally make it to Disneyland and we move on up to the Grand Californian.

[snoozy]

The girls look fabulous, how fun. I thought is was standard procedure to make an appointment for make overs and just going to a salon in general. It sounds like the lady working there set that guy straight.

I love Redondo Beach, one of my old stomping grounds as a kid. How long has your auntie lived there? It was a lot different looking when I was a kid. Lots of old craftsmen style beach bungalos. Its one of the places I miss about living in the South Bay area of LA.

I can't wait to hear about your stay at the GCH. I'm so excited about staying there. Great update

[Tink and co.]

Snoozy, my aunt moved there in 1950, when my grandparents did. It does look different, but her neighborhood still looks pretty much the same. I lived on Francisca, and our old brick house is still there. We'd be millionaires if my mom had been able to keep it. I still love it there, just like headin' home.

[snoozy]

We live in Torrance and the same would be true of my parents if they had not sold their house. We use to go to the pier at least a couple of times a week. There also use to be this movie theatre right across from the peir that our parent would drop us off to see a double feature. In those days you could see a double feature, get a sm popcorn, sm drink, and candy bar for $1.00. I use to love the way PCH looked with all the old beach houses. Now its just Condos and in some parts you cant see the ocean anymore. Ah, the good old days.