Birthday Magic!
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YumiBr · 02-25-2005, 01:52 AM

I can't believe it's Thursday already! We came home Monday evening from quite an eventful weekend. It all started Friday after work 2/18. I got home and DH and two DDs and I got ready in record time, 30 min.! We drove in the rain 2 hrs from San Diego to DLH. Upon arrival we had the bellhop take our 3 bags and when I asked how to get to the concierge lobby, they directed us to the main lobby. Okay, so we went to the main lobby, stood in line and picked up our tickets, itinerary and keycards. The reg CM made up birthday buttons for all of us because although Sunday was my birthday, one daughter (9) had her birthday end of Jan, other daughter (11) is having her birthday beginning of March and DH is having his birthday mid March so I thought it would be fun for all of us to have buttons. They also gave us a signed photo of Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Owl as a special memory gift! We went up to the room next which was in the Sierra Tower 10th floor. DH was surprised by the gift baskets in the room that I ordered beforehand. DDs baskets had Tinkerbell travel bags that say "spoiled, naughty, sassy" with stationery, etc. Very appropriate I thought. I got bath robes and coffee cups for DH and I. Then DH noticed there wasn't a coffee maker in the room and was anxious to see what the concierge lounge was like so I called concierge to find out where it was. This is when panic struck. I was told that I didn't have concierge and when I responded that I paid for concierge and even had a half hour conversation with the reservation specialist about it, was told it was a holiday weekend and rates were more! He then put me on hold and came back and said that someone just didn't put the code on the reservations. He said we didn't have the right keycards so to come up to the lounge and they would exchange them. I requested the coffee pot too. So, we went to the lounge and made it in time for desserts! The girls chose a DVD to borrow and we rode the glass elevator down and walked to DD to the Jazz Kitchen for some beans and rice and bread pudding. Yum! On the way we had some magic lessons (and sponge ball and trick cards purchase) from the magic kiosk. When we got back to the room we were ready for sleep, well at least us adults. We had a great view of DD with DL on the left and CA on the right. I waved at the people through the window. Then the coffeemaker arrived. Yay! After turning out the lights, the girls were excited to notice the glowing wallpaper boarder.

2/19: The next morning it was pouring down rain. Lightning and thunder too. We were ready to go though, even though we didn't get up early enough for EE. We got on the Monorail and headed for Star Tours via Star Trader for ponchos and Rockets due to CM making special request to fill up the ride for takeoff. ST was walk on. I've never been on ST as a walk on before. Then off to River Belle for Mickey pancakes for breakfast. After breakfast we did the reverse route and hit HM, Pirates, and Indy and backtracked to Pooh. Then we went to TM for a disturbing wait in line where a small boy was being treated by First aid taking bloodpressure and administering oxygen. The mom was very calm. I would have been freaking! I tried the infamous goat trick and it worked! That was fun. Next we went to the Snow White show to check in for our PS only to be told to come back because they don't know if it would be cancelled or not due to rain wreaking havoc on the electrical system. The house stopped during the last performance. So, off to Small World then back for hot chocolate and a little lunch next to Snow White waiting area. Snow went on as planned and I happened to get front and center! It was so wonderful I cried. Then it was back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. The beds were made. We watched the DVD and slept for a couple hours to prepare for the evening activities. 5:30 we stopped in the concierge lounge for wine and cheese and then we went back to the park, through the front entrance via guest services to get our tickets for Fantasmic! balcony viewing. We took the Emporium route for some shopping and back to, yes, Pirates and JC in the dark. We then checked in to balcony viewing of Fantasmic! We had to wait for a while to get seated. When we did, we got the back row but that was okay because we could stand up and mill about if we wanted. Desserts were delicious and I had hot chocolate, two mugs. DH was busy videotaping the whole show. My youngest saw the show for the first time because she was always asleep before and afterwards was so excited she wanted a sorcerer's hat and soundtrack! Then we went back to the hotel. Much to our amazement, we had turn down service and another coffeemaker! Two coffeemakers? Considering each one made one cup, it made sense.

2/20: Anyway, the next morning no EE because it was Sunday and CA opened at 10 so we took our time, went to the lounge again for breakfast snacks, returned the DVD and hoped the rain would stop. I donned my birthday button so I was greeted with many happy birthdays by CMs and every character (by button pointing). We went to the lobby stores for more shopping and hat/cd purchase, intermixed with cell phone calls from family wishing me happy birthday. We headed to CA in the rain and proceeded to cross the park many times starting with Tower of Terror, getting a fast pass, over to the "Mickey Mouse Roller Coaster", back to Tower of Terror, back to the coaster and then lunch at Ariel's Grotto. Lots of photos and happy birthdays, then PS at the Aladdin show. Genie was the star with new jokes and all. I cried at that one too. Then back to the hotel for a nap and watching Mulan II we bought that morning. Beds were made again. I felt bad about moving the pillow! 6:00, we headed in the downpour to Jazz Kitchen for my birthday dinner res at 6:30. Thank goodness because there were at least 40 people in line in the rain!DH somehow got the entertainment to sing happy birthday to me with help from the whole room! My youngest was passed out on silverware wrapped in a dinner napkin and towards the end complained so much that I finally, after dinner, took her back to the room while DH and other DD waited for the bill. Again, we were met with turn down service and, this was funny, our bed had 2 pillows and the girls' bed had 4 pillows, all the stuffed animals, and sorcerer's hat on it. Mousekeeping has a sense of humor! When DH came back he had with him about 20 Mardi Gras beads which he promptly put over my head and two special desserts in take out containers. That was an unexpected treat. So, my birthday was saved as I sat there in my fuzzy MM bathrobe eating my birthday dessert while looking out at DD, CA and DL.

The next morning we still couldn't get up early enough for EE but it was pouring down rain. We went the Monorail route again to DL, made an unexpected stop to the Arcade where I challenged my older daughter to Dance Dance Evolution II. Then we went to Star Tours again and then Mickey's house for photos, off to Pirates where we got stuck for quite a while right before the gates to disembark until engineering got us going again. By this time our photos were ready. We went back to the hotel to check out, our now 6 bags were picked up to be taken to storage for the day and off to Goofy's kitchen for our last PS res. There were so many people waiting that I had time to pick up an autograph book in the lobby store. During breakfast Alice in Wonderland and Alice our waitress sang happy birthday to me, all caught on camcorder. What a feast! Breakfast must have taken 2 hours! Next it was back to CA for Tower of Terror, California Soaring and the finale, Grand Rapids thanks to my youngest's puppy dog eyes. We figured, we were wet anyway from the rain, what difference did it make. Then off to the lobby to pick up our bags and vehicle and prepare for the trip home. I did not want to leave! Three days flew by so fast and it was so much fun, even through the storms. What a truly magical birthday, even without fireworks (cancelled for the entire weekend)except for fireworks in the Fantasmic! show. I've now talked DH into another trip in October for 4 days. I can't wait! (And to think, this was the condensed version of this post!)

**DebiDebiDebi** · 02-25-2005, 08:46 AM

Despite the rain, it sounds like you had a fantastic time!

snoozy · 02-25-2005, 11:22 AM

I'm happy to hear you all had such a great time

Diz · 02-25-2005, 06:11 PM

Sounds like you had a great weekend despite the weather. Nice added touch with the gift baskets. Good thing you caught the "non-Concierge" keys right away!

I'm sure the time went by quickly, but you have some wonderful memories!

Fantasmic! kid · 02-25-2005, 11:40 PM

Wait a second -- when you got the Fantasmic! reserved seating, you got to sit on the Disney Balcony?! That's weird, because the Gallery is closed right now....... so glad the show wasn't called off! So you said you cried at the end of Snow White and Aladdin, but did you cry at the end of Fantasmic! ?

YumiBr · 02-26-2005, 08:46 AM

The gallery is being redone. There are two stairways up to the balcony. The one from the left is closed. The one from the right has a CM standing in front of it starting in the evening. All the pictures are off the walls with pieces of paper stuck to them where the paintings were. Also Haunted Mansion event signs turned backwards. It's a bit messy there but the balcony is still open. Oh, and I might have cried, I think I was just too tired. I was drinking hot chocolate you know. I was just happy DD9 stayed awake for it all. Being up in the balcony really doesn't impact you like seating in front of the Riverfront seating, waiting 3 hours for a good spot, in the summer, feeling the spray from the water, then the heat from the fire and seeing the ship up close. I *did* cry that time.

**Colexis Mom** · 02-26-2005, 04:35 PM

Glad you had a great trip

Thanks for sharing it with us

**LizardCop** · 03-05-2005, 07:02 AM

Great trip report!!! Looks like you made the best of the weather and had a fun trip...

loobyoxlip · 03-05-2005, 09:07 PM

That's funny you say that about Star Tours. I've never been to DL when it HASN'T been a walk on. Every time.

YumiBr · 03-06-2005, 10:10 AM

Times have changed all right. When it first opened I took my cousin to DL and all she wanted to do was ride Star Tours. (She's from Japan.) The first ride took 4 hours in line and the next took 2 1/2 hours. That's what makes it so amazing to me.