June 24-26: To DLR with the newbies!
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Cinderella_68 · 06-29-2008, 03:12 PM

What is it about pixie dust: the more you get, the more you want? We just got back from our last-minute trip on the 24-26th. My friend from Texas and her two kids came to visit. At first, the plan did not include DL. Her husband thought the kids would be too young to enjoy it. After a series of fortunate events, her husband and my husband, both whom are deployed, decided it would be a great idea. Hmmmm, wonder how they got that idea. Actually our youngest decided she wanted to celebrate her birthday at Disneyland, and that's pretty much all it took for my husband. LOL
Unfortunately, I couldn't take vacation days for her trip, since it was last-minute, and our schedule is made months in advance for the summer, so I couldn't get out of work, but we planned Disneyland for a stretch of four days off. The first day, we spent shopping for things we would need. They were trying to do this trip inexpensively, so we bought snacks, juice boxes, cereal, paper bowls, soda, plastic spoons and pastries for the trip, along with pre-packaged fruits and veggies. We also stopped at the Disney Store to purchase our tickets. The So Cal three day park hopper was only $99! We had planned on getting the two day park hopper for $99 on the base ticket shop, but with the new deal, it was like getting an extra day for free! They had some pretty good sales at Disney Store, so we picked up some tees for $4.99 each and I picked up a swimsuit cover up for $14.99! I had to show my ID with our zip code to buy the park hoppers, but they never once asked for ID at the parks, for us or our friends, as we were told when we bought them. Just in case anyone was wondering.
My Passporter was ready to go, with our PS's for Ariels' Grotto, Blue Bayou and Goofy's Kitchen, reservation information and the top three to-do's from each child, along with notes and tips from the board, menus from allearsnet and other tips.
After we got back home, we went for a swim while I grilled some chicken and beef for dinner. We put the kids to bed early, then finished packing before falling into bed about 10:30.

tdandboys · 06-29-2008, 04:33 PM

I'm glad you got to go. IT is something you'll never forget.

Cinderella_68 · 06-29-2008, 06:32 PM

DAY 1: Princesses or Bust!

The alarm on my phone rang at 4:30 am like clockwork. Who's brilliant idea was it to get up so early?! Oh....yeah...mine. After a shower, the excitement started to build as I packed the truck, got the kids up and dressed and we finally left the house! My friend was less of a morning person than I, and we ended up leaving later than we had planned. This would become a theme throughout our trip.
But never fear, although we would not make opening of Disneyland, we'd still be able to make opening at DCA!
A quick stop to check the air in the tires, get coffee and chocolate milk and we were on the freeway! The traffic was lighter than anticipated and we didn't hit anything I could really call a jam. Love the car pool lanes!
We stopped off at McDonalds in San Luis Rey for some breakfast. The kids were back awake by then. June gloom was strong in the sky this morning. Report was it would clear up later and be in the 80's, and I didn't doubt it!
We pulled into the portico of the hotel at 8:30, excited to get to the parks! Checking in was a bit of a snag, as they had "lost" my friend's reservation!

Actually, they said that "someone" had cancelled the reservation. Ummmm, no. They were able to reinstate the reservation, and we were able to check in directly despite the early hour! The person who was handling my check-in was even nice enough to make sure our rooms were close together, on the same floor! (I had purchased my hotel through Priceline for half the going rate.)
We waiting a while for bell services, and the kids had to use the restroom, so I headed to our room with the kids to let them go potty, while my friend waited with our luggage downstairs. After bell services picked up our luggage, she got her kids and went to her room to wait for her luggage. After what seemed like an eternity, our luggage finally arrived. It was still the longest wait I've ever had for luggage!
The hotel shared a private bus shuttle to and from the parks with the Hyatt Regency. It ran twice an hour, which was adequate. The shuttle was often packed during peak hours so that standing was necessary.
We finally arrived at the Esplanade, bursting with excitement!! The line was already long for entry into DCA and we were inside before we knew it. The air was filled with the familiar smells and we entered the park! My friend stopped to take a survey, which almost killed me with impatience! LOL While she did that, I used my Disney Visa to get a stroller, as she had forgotten hers in her car. We finally start moving towards Paradise Pier to see about Toy Story Mania! The small side trip had cost us, and the line was past Ariel's Grotto!! The wait was 2 1/2 hours long, at just 15 minutes after opening!!

That's almost as bad as getting PS's for Cindy's at WDW! We 86'd Toy Story, and never did make it back to try it. Next trip, it is on our must-see!
Instead, with the heat building, we decided to head to Grizzly River for a cool refreshing raft ride! The line was less than 15 minutes! We did a stroller pass, since the littlest ones were too short. My friend waited with the girls while I rode with the older kids. Our raft-mates were friendly and added to the ride! It was such a blast, and we got SOAKED! It felt so goooooood!
After we returned, I got my friend's tickets and she and her son rode, he got to ride several attractions twice, which was cool! While they rode, I took the little ones to the bathroom by Soarin' and picked up fastpasses at the same time! We made it back in time to take a picture of my friend and her son on GRR.
The consensus for the next attraction was Tower of Terror! We got sidetracked by the Monsters Inc. attraction, first.

Everyone had a blast touring Monstropolis!

Vending Machine of clogged arteries!

Now, one thing I learned about touring with a large group, as there were 8 of us, is that the large group will move twice as slowly as a smaller group. And it is proportional to the amount of people in your large group. If you are going with a large group, try to coordinate potty breaks so that you are not stopping between every attraction to let one of the group use the facilities!
Tower of Terror was just as terrorizing as I remember. I usually let my DH go with the kids, but as my 3 year old was tall enough to ride, and she really wanted to, I was left with no choice. LOL Afterwards, Hayleigh said she liked it, but didn't want to do it again. I had wanted to purchase the photo of her first ToT ride, but she was hidden behind the person in front of her. But she did get a nice bouquet of lollipops to commemorate her ride. LOL

Waiting for the stroller switch pass group!

While we rode, my friend Theresa took her daughter to see the show in the Backlot, Drawn to the Magic. She got to meet Cinderella, who happens to be her favorite princess! After Theresa used her stroller pass, we headed over to the Pacific Wharf Cafe for some lunch, we were starved! How did it get to be 1:00 already?!?! My daughter rarely eats mac and cheese, but it was her signature food this trip. She loved the toddler meal, and it was the right size for her. She ate up every bit, and then helped me by tearing off pieces of my bread bowl. The Sonoma Chicken Salad was very good! I hadn't had it in a while, while my son went with tradition and had the clam chowder in the bread bowl. My oldest and my friend each had the beef sandwich, and her kids had the mac and cheese and the Mickey chicken nuggets. I totally forgot to take pictures of our food to share on this trip!

Cutest catch of the day!

Rested and refueled, we moved to the tortilla and bakery tours. The kids really enjoyed these. The bakery tour is one of my favorites! I just love sourdough bread!!
When we finished, it was time for our fastpasses for Soarin'! Woo hoo!
Again, Hayleigh was tall enough to ride, and we used the stroller switch pass again. I love this ride! My friend and her son were blown away!
At this point, we were feeling the early wake-up call, and our beds were callling us, but not before we were sucked into the gift shop on the way out!
It was almost 4 before we got back to our rooms. We had stayed out later than we had planned. A swim was out of the question, but my kids didn't complain, and we took an hour power nap! My friend couldn't get her kids to take a nap, and spent the time watching tv in their room.
Promptly at 5, we woke up and got dressed for the evening, long pants, and our little princesses put on their princess dresses! It was finally here, the moment they had waited for, they were going to have dinner with the princesses....maybe.
We were running late waiting for my friend, so I had the hotel call a cab for us. After waiting 25 minutes,

, I called for a cab myself. It arrived within 5 minutes! We were going to be late for our PS, so I called to see if there was a later PS available and let them know we were having trouble getting a cab to the parks. Meanwhile, my friend's parents had arrived at the hotel! It was beginning to look like dinner with the Princesses was not going to happen!

I prepared my princess, and she was okay with it. She was too busy doing twirls in her Cinderella dress. Kids! I was afraid my friend's daughter was going to dissolve into a tearful high-pitched mess, so I warned my friend that they only hold PS's ten minutes, then they are under no obligation to seat you. The woman who I spoke to on the phone at Disneyland Dining was very nice and entered a note into the computer that we were running late. The restaurant was booked, so there were no later PS's available. I just left it up to God and we finally headed to the park. The cab was $10 to the parks, in case anyone was wondering.
We hurried to the restuarant while my friend's parents looked for an open ticket booth to purchase their tickets. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were 20 minutes late. I was already thinking of other places to eat, as we were hungry again. The pixie dust was thick, as they were able to seat us after a little wait! We hadn't eaten at Ariel's in a while, since before the Princesses had taken over. Our dinner was delicious!! It was a fixed price meal including appetizer, entree with sides and dessert. The fish and chips were so good, and the steak fries were crispy outside. The salad was very good, too. I wish I'd remembered to ask for the dressing on the side. They have a kid's drink with a light up Tinkerbell or Capt. Hook clipped onto the straw, a color change straw and a plastic cup. The drink tasted like mixed fruit juices. The kids enjoyed these. My friend, her mother and I had a Champagne Mojito which was very, very good! The chocolate cake was to die for! It had a chocolate mousse filling. It was light and rich, a perfect ending to dinner. We saw Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora and Belle! It was so much fun to be in the company of such royalty!

Her Royal Highnesses!

Our server, Adam, was delightful and did an awesome job! As our meal wound down, the Electrical Parade moved by and the kids stopped to watch. When making PS's, they asked if we would be celebrating anything on this trip, and I told them it was my DD's 4th birthday trip. Adam brought out an apple with caramel topped with a scoop of ice cream and a candle!

Happy Birthday to our Princess!

We sang Happy Birthday to Hayleigh and were soon moving across the esplanade to Disneyland accompanied by the fireworks overhead!
At Disneyland, we moved into Tomorrowland and split up. The older kids and my friend's dad hit Star Tours while we picked up FastPasses for Buzz and shopped at Star Traders. Hayleigh picked out a set of pink Princess ears and we had her name embroidered on them. I sure do miss the days of hand embroidery. It's tradition. Then it was time to defeat Zurg as we launched at Buzz's Space Ranger Spin! I never get tired of this one!! Everyone agreed it was a favorite as we emailed our photos home.

Space Cadettes!

It was going on 11, and we agreed that the thing that would feel best right now was our heads on our pillows, and we took the bus back to the hotel. Quick round of baths and showers and set the alarm, and we were off to dream of pirates, princesses and mice....

**chezp** · 06-30-2008, 01:21 AM

Great start.

Thank goodness you were able to get into Ariel's.

I can't believe how long those lines were for Toy Story Mania - I've been worrying about long lines to get on to Nemo, but it sounds like that one's going to have long lines as well.

**DyanKJ130** · 07-01-2008, 12:49 PM

Great start!! You certainly got a lot done in one day!! WOW! Glad they were able to fit you in at Ariel's! Can't wait to hear more

Cinderella_68 · 07-01-2008, 01:32 PM

Thank you, Tina, Cheryl and Dyan! It was unexpected Pixie Dust to get to have dinner with the princesses after all! The girls were in seventh heaven!
Finally uploaded our pictures to photobucket and started adding them to the TR. Will have another installment after we come back from the beach!

**DyanKJ130** · 07-01-2008, 01:34 PM

the photos!!

Cinderella_68 · 07-15-2008, 12:54 AM

Day 2: I Love the Smell of Churros in the Morning!

The next morning was a little painful getting up, but not for long! We were going to Disneyland!! We called room service for coffee, danishes and milk for the cereal we packed. Then we were up and getting ready! Thank goodness we did our showers last night, so it wasn't long before we were ready. Unfortunately, our order never appeared. Calling back, they had no record of our order, and offered to send it. Never mind, we've got places to go and Mice to see!
As we left our room, our friends were barely getting up. We were determined not to miss opening, because it was rather crowded, being peak season, and we wanted to do some attractions! They hit their snooze too many times, I guess. I instructed them to call us when they arrived at the park. So with a plan in place, we set off!
Nothing like the first shuttle to the park! We arrived shortly before the bus, and were greeted by other smiling, excited faces.
The lines outside of the park were long, and we waited about ten minutes to get in. There was fanfare and a countdown as they opened the park and we were allowed in. Yay! In the park, it was like being back at a special friend's home. But no time to dally, Matterhorm was waiting!
Now, this is a photo of what awaits you if you arrive early:

Line?!?!? What line?!?!? Oh...WE are the line! I love getting to the park early!
After we eluded the deathly grip of the Abominable Snowman's grasp, we headed over the Alice's ride, a perennial favorite of our three-year-old, followed by Teacups. And then teacups again!
On the way to Fantasyland, we noted that the line for Nemo was 45 minutes long. By 9 am, the line for Peter Pan was 45 minutes as well. Peter Pan needs a FastPass!

The sweetest cup!

We headed through the castle courtyard towards New Orleans Square for a ride with some swarthy pirate-type folks! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! (I tried to explain to the three-year-old that we would later be eating at the restaurant that we passed while on the ride. I'm not sure she a) understood the concept of a restaurant in the ride, or b) believed me.) I LOVE that ride! Nathan had brought his pirate headband on this trip from a Happy Meal a while ago, and insisted on wearing it most of this trip. So we got sucked into the shop at the POTC to find a suitable sword for such a scurvy lad! His new treasure in hand, we exited the shop....to the most delicious smell!!
The Cafe Orleans was right in front of us, and since we had missed breakfast, save for a box of cold cereal, minus the milk...thank you room service, we were kind of really hungry!! Cautiously, I asked what the walk-up wait would be. To my amazement, it was less than five minutes! Breakfast, here we come!
We were seated inside, and were soon sipping on fresh-brewed coffee and orange juice! Ahhhh. Our server was great, and we chatted a bit. She had two children the same age as my younger two. The restaurant was slow, yet, so the service was quick! Something on the menu caught my eye, Monte Cristo French Toast! Sounds promising!
And it certainly was, three cheeses, Brie for sure, I can't remember the other two, between layers of bread, soaked in batter and grilled to perfection! It was so good! The accompanying bacon was as good as always! What is it about Disneyland bacon? Applewood smoked thick cut bacon never tastes this good at home!
Three cups of coffee later, my caffeine meter is finally registering, and my friend calls, they are in the park! We agreed to meet up in Adventureland, Theresa's favorite land.
Once in Adventureland, we decided to pick up some Fastpasses for Splash Mountain. We whiled away most of the time shopping in Adventureland and went on another cruise with the infamous pirate crew! Arrrrrgh! Did I mention I LOVE that ride?
Finally, it was time to take my daughter on her very first ride on Splash Mountain, my favorite mountain!! Theresa's Mom waited with her little one, who was a couple of inches shy. And she didn't want to ride, anyway. The last few times we've gone to Disneyland, it's been during the winter when it is cold. So I haven't gotten to ride this attraction in quite a while. I had missed Brer Rabbit!
And once again, Mickey Magic saved us from a plunge into the briar patch! The photo of her first ride was duly purchased and tucked away to add to my growing collection of frames in our hallway gallery! My son's first ride, they allowed him to ride in the front, before the rehab, and I am holding on to his shirt for dear life! This ride, Hayleigh was tucked safely into the back seat with my friend's son. Theresa's dad was such a sport and went along!
After Splash Mountain, we split up again. They were headed to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, and we headed to Adventureland to see about a Jungle Cruise.

Running away from the infamous boulder!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!

The June gloom had, indeed, lifted and we were getting hot and thirsty, so we stopped to grab some drinks and snacks in Adventureland to enjoy with the cheese and crackers we had brought along. If the orange substance in the packages resembling cheese counts.

The heat of the day made the cheesy stuff easy to spread, at least! Gotta love kids and their choices of snacks to bring to Disneyland with them. While we were enjoying our snack sitting in the shade in front of the Jungle Cruise, we heard the music of Indiana Jones! We shifted our gazes upward to find Indy in a life or death battle over a map! The very cool show continued in spurts, first over the Jungle Cruise, then across the way, over the shops, then on the bridge of Tarzan's treehouse! Indy even walks through the crowds. He IS a brave man! LOL
What a totally magical experience to have in Adventureland. My friend's son, who stayed with us, was mesmerized!

"Has anyone seen a guy around here wearing a red turban?"

The drums of Tarzan's Treehouse lured us in and we played around for a while. The kids especially loved the part where you get to bang on things.
Following that, we got our pirate on and headed to Tom Sawyer's Island, which has been overrun by pirates, I had heard. We ain't skeered of no pirates!! gulp.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me!! Arrrrgh! Shiver me timbers!

Now, I hadn't been to Tom Sawyer's Island in a while, definitely before the rehab. I have to say that the kids all gave it two ears up!! So did I! It was like Tom Sawyer's Island reinvented! The caves were definitely a hit, especially the buried treasure part! I'm not going to spoil it, but my kids jumped! We climbed, crossed, cavorted and generally had a great time!
We got a call from Theresa, her dad had to leave back home soon, so we sent Zach back across the river to his waiting grandfather so that they could ride Screamin' together before he had to go. But we were having so much fun, we stayed on the island and explored some more. The coup was finding the treasure!

My treasure on the treasure!

We still had time until our 2:50 PS for Blue Bayou, so we decided to head over to a thotful spot and see a Pooh about some honey. The line for Pooh was 15 minutes, so we hopped into line. Before we knew it, we were in the air conditioning, er, I mean the blustery day! Heffalumps and Woozles, oh my! Upon exiting, I asked the three-year-old, who was working on her first autograph book by herself, if she wanted to meet Pooh and friends. So we waited in line about 20 minutes or so to meet Pooh and got a three-fer! Pooh and Piglet and Tigger got lots of hugs!

All of us were getting a rumbly in our tumbly!

**chezp** · 07-15-2008, 01:49 AM

Wow, you did get a lot in, arriving that early - and how cool to have no lines as well!

**Colexis Mom** · 07-15-2008, 08:58 AM

Just found your report

Great updates and pictures!! What a great time you're having, and congrats on no lines for the latest update

Cinderella_68 · 07-15-2008, 01:58 PM

Thank you, Cheryl and Marnie! I'm having fun reliving our trip while writing this. I'm using my photos and my Passporter notes to jog my memory, since it's not what it used to be.

Day 2 continued: Oh, Monte Cristo, how I have missed thee...

Once the last hugs with Tigger were given and received, the rumblings in our tumblies could not be ignored. It was a little early, but we decided to head over to the Blue Bayou for our lunch. This place is popular, folks, so if you think you may want to eat here, be sure and make a PS! We had called about three weeks out, and they could not accomodate a party of 9, so we had to make two separate reservations. If you really want to sit together and have a large party, make sure and make your PS as soon as you can.
We walked up to the podium and politely requested a water table. We were told it would be an extra 30 minute wait, but we all agreed it would be worth it. We were celebrating Hayleigh's birthday, and it was her first meal here, at least that she would remember. She was a baby for our other visits.
Imagine our surprise when we were seated in less than 5 minutes! We had a perfect table! It takes a while for our eyes to adjust to the low light from the bright California sun outside. Meanwhile, Hayleigh is mesmerized and is trying to wrap her head around the fact that it went from being daytime to nighttime. I love Mickey magic!
We had a great meal! I really, really tried to order something else, but I couldn't. Monte Cristo sandwich it was. There was something different about it, but it wasn't the flavor. That was just as I remember. Bottomless mint juleps were new! And the bread service was on top of things. When we finished our meal, our waitress brought out a dish of chocolate mousse with a cloud of whipped cream on top, and a candle. When making our PS's, the CM had asked if we would be celebrating anything on this trip. We had told them about the birthday girl. I had forgotten about that.
We only got half way through our sandwiches and had to take the rest with us, they made a great post-nap snack, btw. But the key lime pie was calling us, so my oldest and I shared a slice for a taste each. Very goooooood! Meanwhile, Hayleigh polished off her mousse.

Blurry photo of the inside of the Blue Bayou.

Theresa and her party arrived at the restaurant as we were being served our entree. They opted not to wait for a water table and were seated quickly. It worked out well, as Theresa got to spend the meal with her mom and dad, before her dad had to leave.
As we were exiting, her littlest, the three year old was done and getting antsy already, so we took her with us and headed out into NOS, my favorite land! A quick stop was needed to take some photos of the kids at my favorite spot in NOS! I have a secret wish for one of my children to marry at this spot. It would have to be a small group, but we could manage.

My favorite spot in NOS with two of my favorite people!

I took this opportunity to take some photos around NOS to print in black and white for my living room decor. Yes, I have a problem, but I'm okay with it!
We heard some lively music as we exited the courtyard, and followed the sound to some street performers. If you ever get the chance, they were great! There was a woman and the band. Very entertaining! One of the highlights of the trip! The two little ones were enjoying the show and one of the performers slipped bead necklaces onto them. They were thrilled! The singer tossed a necklace at me while we were all singing "As the Saints go Marching In." Very unexpected and fun! They had the whole audience into it!
Theresa and her group came out just as they were finishing up their set.

The best little band in NOS!

We all agreed that it was nap time! We were full and happy and ready for a nappy!
We headed back to the hotel via shuttle, and were soon dreaming of Mickey Magic!