A Dream is a Wish--Mini-TR [UPDATED WITH PIX posts 316 & 320] - Page 18 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Last night DS reminded me that at WDW in 2014, we had a motto. I couldn't remember, but together, the closest we can come is "We have all the time in the world". Not as good this time since we are going to DisneyLAND, but we're going to resurect it. This motto reminds me to stop and smell the roses, and to take a freaking chill pill. Yes, I can have a cold at Disney and still have fun. Cold sore? Yup. Stomach flu? Ok, maybe not so much, but with 9 possible park days, we could roll with it if needed. I need to chill the *$& out! (Can you hear my anxiety? Yes, you can!)
I have all the time in the world to prep, pack etc too. Deep breaths.
I like that motto, but it could be something to do with the fact that song (Louis Armstrong) was one of the ones at our wedding, as we felt it summed up the start to our married love.. yeah, I know - slushy, but it is a very good motto.
As a New Englander, I would scoff at your need for a coat and gloves for those temperatures, but after having to buy coats and fleece in San Franciso this July, well.....I don't have a leg to stand on.
Hope you are able to meet up with your friend. How fun would that be!?! Quick side note, my BFF growing up (4 years old thru high school!) now lives on the west coast. We lost touch for decades, and I found her several years ago and sent a Christmas card. We keep in touch via Facebook and email now. We've seen each other once in 28 years, but she's one of us too! Living on the west coast all of this time, her "home park" is DLR. After tossing the idea around for a bit, we now have plans for a girls trip to WDW this August. Thank you, DVC points! I'm hosting her!
I'll post a real TR later, this will just be tiny "live" updates from the trip. I don't have a way to upload photos yet, so I won't be posting pics till after the trip.
11/28 Eugene OR to Stockton CA
The morning started a bit later than planned. We were going to be in the car at 4:45, but at 4:45 I woke up and Dad was in the shower. He was out, dressed, and puttering at about 5:15, and then realized he couldn't find his man-purse. We finally hit the road at 6:15, as his man-purse was located in the car under the driver's seat, finally. Everyone kept their cool and their sense of humor during the search. Happily, DS slept through the whole thing.
We took a lunch break at a great children's park in Redding, CA, that I had found via google maps. Had some conversations with some of Jehovah's Witnesses at the park, mostly about living in Eugene and sports, while DS played.
We arrived at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in Stockton at about 4:30. Stockton sure is a hole. Yuck. But the hotel is really nice. Kind of awkward, def. a 2 1/2 star hotel that looks like a 3-4 star on the outside and in the rooms. It's trying to be nice, and the outside courtyard is beautiful, but the inside feels like a college dorm lobby. Can't describe it, but it's awkward.
I think of myself with a poor person with good taste. I know what I like, even if I can't afford it, KWIM? So, I would never ever have paid for the rooms at this place, but I know that they aren't quite hitting the mark their going for. That said, it's not priced at the mark they are going for either. Rooms are under 100 for a night, just as they should be.
Now it's 6:45 AM. Dad and I are having coffee, August and mom are having a lie-in, and everything is mellow.
We are about 5 hrs to Anaheim, maybe 5 1/2. We're going to have a decent breakfast (in-room granola and milk) and then we're going to hit the road.
Our rental with VRBO has check-in at 4pm, but we're planning to head to DTD once we get in town. Whoo Hoo, I'm going to Disneyland, and I'm going to be there SOON!!!!
__________________
Themed environment junkie
Last edited by KimmyAnn1147; 11-29-2015 at 09:52 AM..
I'll keep it brief. What should have been a 5.5 hr drive took us, basically, a lifetime. Left stockton at 8:30, with visions of parking and visiting DtD while we waited for our condo. Arrived, road weary, and with DDad being not so D... at just shy of 6pm.
Now, this is a good time to remind you all that while I'm traveling with my beloved parents and son, I'm also TRAVELING with my PARENTS. ALONE. Except my son. No buffer, no commiserating, just me and them. So all that crap I couldn't wait to escape as a teenager is right there in my face.
Background: I love my parents. I spend lots of time with them, practically more than anyone else I know, I love being at their house, I love their relationship with my adult nuclear family, I joke that I could live in a trailer on their property. Blah blah blah. I was also a 15 year old run-away. That's not a joke, that's real. The week after I turned 15, I decided I'd seen enough, and I was out of there. Whew. Never regretted it, even for a minute, even on a really bad day. I'm 38. I was ready to get the H.E. double-hocky sticks outta their house. Cause they have issues.
Anyways, enough with the trauma drama! DS and I passed a lot of car time playing a great ipad game I'm happy to recommend, "The Lost City". It's a really fun puzzle adventure game, no killing or monsters. I got it for free on a Black Monday download special, but I woulda' paid for it. I think it took us about 6 hrs to solve and it was totally fun.
We finally arrived at nearly 6pm, with my dad in grouchy but reasonably civil form. The rest of us held up better than he did.
I knew it would be better if we split up, so I suggested DDad take DS to DtD while Dmom and I did the grocery shop for the week+ we will be here.
After our grocery shop, Dmom and I walked over to DtD. Our condo is a block from the DL hotel, and as we walked I saw the front (North) side of the hotel for the first time ever. I didn't actually cry, but I was overwhelmed and really wanted to take it all in. Breathe in, breathe out. I'm HERE!!!!
There's a big but less ornate gingerbread in the lobby, BTW. I'm excited to check it out in detail on one of our non-park days.
We met up and went to Guest Services in the Esplanade to get our tix. Yay! They are still using paper tix here at DLR. No choice on what ticket you get either. I got Mater. DDad got Minnie Mouse (!?!?!). DMom got Pluto, and DS got Olaf. He was happy, even though he was bummed we didn't have the same tickets, he and I. (love!!!)
We trammed back to the Mickey and Friends lot, went to the top of the parking structure to catch DL Forever (without the music), then moseyed home. Ddad and I stayed up too late BSing, mostly about how great DL is, and now it's nearly 1am. I'm up in 5-7 hrs, depending on how life goes.
Tomorrow is our first day in the parks! We're rope-dropping Peter Pan's Flight.
G'night!
__________________
Themed environment junkie
Last edited by KimmyAnn1147; 11-30-2015 at 03:45 AM..
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We finally hit the road at 6:15, as his man-purse was located in the car under the driver's seat, finally. 
Everyone kept their cool and their sense of humor during the search. Happily, DS slept through the whole thing. 
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