The Fantastic Five Family Furlough Disneyland Report - Updated 3/6 **Complete** About This Page:

[Colexis Mom]

Welcome back Can't wait to hear all about your adventures

[ilovedisney0_0]

Saturday, February 24, 2007

We had an early start on Saturday, but that’s ok…I was too excited to sleep, anyway! We had an 8:35am AZ time flight on Southwest. Sky Harbor airport was pretty uncrowded at that time of the morning, so we had no problems there.



I am not a big fan of the ‘no liquid policy’, and it sure makes it a hassle for packing! Otherwise, though, our plane was only half-full, and it was an uneventful flight to Ontario.

We landed a few minutes earlier than our 8:50am land time, which was fantastic. Kaitlyn and I dashed through the airport, and my sister, Lisa, and my nieces were waiting for us at the arrivals area. We jumped in the car, and were on the road by 8:40am CA time!

Our first stop was the Disney Warehouse Outlet at Orangefair Mall. We headed off to Fullerton, which is only about 30 minutes from the airport. We got there not long after they opened at 9:00am, and we did some serious power-shopping! Thanks to Mousesavers, we had 10% off coupons for our purchases there. Lisa was able to find a really cool Space Mountain t-shirt for $6 (which we later saw at the parks for $24!! ) She stocked up on lots of shirts and some scrapbooking stuff. She also purchased some souvenirs for Morgan and Madison. I was sad that I didn’t find anything that I loved, but Kaitlyn found a really cute Tink t-shirt that she bought. She loves it so much, she wants you to check it out in my sig pic! I purchased a Halloween sweatshirt for her, since we will be at WDW for MNSSHP this year!

I was able to snag a fantastic deal on Priceline for our hotel this trip. I got a 3 star for $45!! We stayed at the Crown Plaza, which is a mile away from the main gate. It was a beautiful hotel, and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again. I was really thrilled when I checked their website, and rooms were going for $139 per night! We headed over there after our shopping spree. It was only a little after 10:00am, and we were unable to check in yet. However, they let us park there, and take the hotel shuttle to the parks. I was very excited about this, because that saved us additional money in parking fees. Plus, we didn’t have to park and then worry about taking the tram. For some reason, that always seems like such a hassle to me.



Madison, Kaitlyn, and Morgan on the shuttle to Disneyland!



Me, on the left, and Lisa, on the right, on the hotel shuttle

We arrived at the DCA not long after it opened. I love getting to the parks when they first open, because it seems like for that first hour or so, you can get so many attractions in! We headed to TOT first.



It was showing a standby time of only 5 minutes!! We jumped in line, and soon were in our elevator to the Twilight Zone! This was a different sequence than the last time I rode. It seemed like there were less drops, and we didn’t have that whole part about seeing the people who disappeared in the elevator when lightning struck. Still, I love this attraction. It is so fun!! Morgan and Madison weren’t quite sure what to expect after that! Lisa had never been on TOT before. Her very first time, and we got the front row!

[Colexis Mom]

Great update and pictures Amy I can't believe how quickly you were at the park after getting off the plane and your other stop

More please

[clio]

Great start. I can't wait to read more.
Liz

[ilovedisney0_0]

Morgan is our thrill-seeker, but I think she really did not like the dark. It took her a little while to snap out of it. L After that, we immediately got in line at Hyperion Theater for Aladdin. Can I just say how much we absolutely love this show?? I still think that this show is worth the price of park admission. We didn’t have to wait too long before we were seated.


Madison and Kaitlyn, waiting for Aladdin to start


The Genie is just wonderful, and every time I see this show he is so dang funny! He told some real zingers about Britney Spears. His jokes are always so timely!



(I am a dummy, and didn't realize that I could zoom in on some things with Kaitlyn's camera until after the Aladdin show! )

Next, it was off to Monsters, Inc. This is the first time I have been on this attraction, and we probably wouldn’t have tried it if my nieces weren’t with us. It is really cute, and the theming is magnificent, as we have come to expect with Disney!


Madison thought the Monster phone looked pretty cool!

The posters on the wall in the queue were very funny. They had a Monsters vending machine that had Bag-O-Calories as one of the selections, which I just thought was a hoot! I think it would be such fun to be an Imagineer, and be able to sit around and brainstorm with them! J


Madison, Morgan and Kaitlyn waiting in the Monsters queue




By this point, we had only been at DCA for only a couple of hours. I was thrilled that we had been able to knock out a couple of the major attractions in such a short time. We stopped at the food stand right outside of Monsters to get a bite to eat about 1:30pm. It was very nice and peaceful, with not a lot of people around. Kaitlyn got a roast beef sandwich on ciabatta bread, and I chose the turkey sandwich on ciabatta bread. We also got a rice krispy treat to share with the family. We had brought bottles of water into the park with us, so we drank those with our lunch. The total for those three things was $20.76. We found a table with 5 chairs, and had our lunch. I was very happy to see that Disney is offering a much better food selection, and we were able to purchase food that wasn’t deep-fried. During the weekend, we saw a lot of vendors offering things such as fresh fruit, and I am so happy to have that option!

After we were all full and happy, we started off again. We immediately saw Belle, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, and Frozone. Then, I heard the funniest thing! A boy of about 12 walked by, and said, ‘Dad, look! There is Antifreeze!!’ We had bad luck getting autographs this trip. As soon as we got in line for Belle, her handler came out and said she would be leaving in 30 seconds. We jumped in line for Mrs. Incredible, and the same thing happened. We didn’t even make it over to Mr. Incredible or Frozone (aka Antifreeze ) before they started walking away. Oh well, we had a character dinner scheduled at Ariel’s Grotto for the girls that night, so we promised them that they would get lots of character interaction then. Turtle Talk with Crush was right there, and that was something that I had read great things about on this board. There was a fairly long wait, considering…we had just missed the last showing, so there was a 25 minute wait. The girls were restless, but I talked them into waiting. When the doors opened, we ended up sitting on a lily pad up front. It was really a good show, and it is amazing how Crush is able to interact with the crowd. There was some dumb lady in the audience, though, who really ruined it, I thought. Crush brought out one of those foam-finger #1 things, and asked her what it was. She was making suggestive comments in a room full of kids, which I thought was completely inappropriate. Crush asked her what she did with one of those, and she was like, “I can’t say in public. You tell me what to do with one of those!” I have to say, Crush handled it very well, and the face he made was hysterical! He was able to avert that disaster without the kids in the audience knowing what was going on, and the show quickly came to a close. I was sad that that was how my first experience with the show went, but oh well. I am hoping for better luck when we go to WDW in October!

[DyanKJ130]

So glad you have started your TR!!

I love Kaitlyn's shirt! Very suddle. I didn't notice it was Tink until you pointed it out....I thought it was just a cool design! Nice find!!

Too funny about Antifreeze!! And its too bad not everyone realizes there are children around.

Can't wait to hear more!!

[chezp]

Great updates - it sounds like you got some great bargains to start your trip off! Heading about Aladdin makes me think we really need to make a return trip to Disneyland, as we sadly missed that on our last visit - big mistake on our part I think.

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update! Glad you had a great time at Aladdin! Sorry there was an idiot in Crush

More please

[ilovedisney0_0]

Thanks, guys! I am having so much fun re-telling it for you! And Cheryl, , you must go to DL again if only to see Aladdin. It is so wonderfully done!! I would gladly pay the park admission just to see that show. Even if there is a long wait, (and I have stood in line for a long time for it on other occasions), it is so worth it!

[lauren-roxy]

Glad you had such a good time!! Can't wait to read all about it!!

[ilovedisney0_0]

After that, the kids wanted to try a roller coaster. First, we walked over to Mulholland Madness. There was a 50 minute wait, because the crowd level had really grown. We got FP’s, and then we scooted over to the Jumpin’ Jellyfish. Lisa and Madison rode on one, and Kaitlyn and Madison rode on another. I had picture-taking duty!


Madison and Lisa


Kaitlyn and Morgan



Afterward, we walked over to Soarin’ over California. On the way, we saw Lightning McQueen and Mater. I Mater, so I was really happy to see him! “Life Is A Highway” was playing, and everyone started dancing in the streets. It was great!





Soarin’ had a huge line, and nobody wanted to wait. We headed back to the boardwalk area, instead.

I have been doing my homework, and thanks to Princess Sharon I was alert to the fact of the times on the FP when a new ticket would be available. Our window opened before our FP return time for Mulholland Madness. We walked over and let the girls ride the Carousel.


Kaitlyn and Madison

Then it was time for Mickey bars. We sat on the boardwalk and counted down with the California Screamin’ riders…5…4…3…2…1!! Blast off!! After the ice cream break, we were able to get FP’s for California Screamin’, and then we walked back to ride Mulholland Madness. On the way over there, we caught the tail end of High School Musical. It was really good, and the CM’s were all very energetic. We have a family full of HSM lovers, so this was a winner for our girls! We continued on our way, and we zoomed through the FP line at Mulholland Madness. We were on the ride fairly quickly. Morgan, Madison and Kaitlyn all had a great time on this ride. Lisa and I ended up in the car in front of them, and it was so fun to watch them come off of the attraction just laughing with delight!

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update and pictures Amy More please

[ilovedisney0_0]

We tried Soarin’ again, but the line was just too long. By this time, all of the FP’s were gone for the day, so our only hope would be stand-by. Plus, the kids really wanted to go on Grizzly River Run. It wasn’t very warm, but they insisted. The line here was about 40 minutes, but the kids really wanted to go. We stood in line for this one. My sister and I spent the time just chatting, and the girls were goofing off. Madison is 6, and her teeth are loose and falling out like crazy. While we were standing in line, one of her teeth fell out!! We told her that special things happen when your tooth falls out at Disneyland, and you don’t just get a visit from the Tooth Fairy. We told her that she most likely would get a visit from Tinkerbell in the night, and she may end up with some pixie dust!




Madison, Lisa, and Morgan


Kaitlyn and I


Madison, just after losing her tooth, while waiting to board Grizzly River Run


Kaitlyn, Morgan, and Lisa (Lisa's back is to us in this picture!)

We finally made it on the ride, and had a great time. Madison and I got soaked, of course. Morgan was sitting in the middle of Kaitlyn and Lisa, and I don’t even think she got a drop!! She couldn’t help but rub it in as we sloshed off of the ride, and up the walkway. She thought it was great that we were dripping and cold, and she was dry as a bone! We tried Soarin’ one more time, but by now the line was waaayyy too long. I was disappointed because I love this attraction, and I try to ride it at least once every time we are at DL. However, nobody else was as anxious to experience the flight over California as I was, so we forged on.

We headed off to Screamin’ California, which is Kaitlyn’s favorite ride. They were pumping Red Hot Chili Peppers music through the speakers on the ride, and it was fantastic!! We wanted to ride it before dinner, just in case anyone might get sick with a full stomach! It was really energizing, and such a fun time. Luckily, my nieces absolutely loved it, and as soon as they got off they were asking to go again. We got FP’s to ride again after dinner.

[snoozin]

Your story makes we wish DL was closer; we, too, grew up in SoCal and had many, many visits before we moved to Colorado...

I miss DL! More, please!

[ilovedisney0_0]

We had reservations at Ariel’s Grotto at 5:30pm.



It was really busy, and it was about 30 minutes before we were seated. Thank goodness we had reservations, though, because I saw walk-ins being turned away. While we were waiting, we were able to watch the Block Party across the water. It looked like a lot of fun, and we really enjoyed what we could see of it. I have eaten at Ariel’s Grotto before, and while I don’t think the food is exceptional, the character interaction is great. I was especially looking forward to it for my nieces, because we hadn’t had great luck in seeing characters so far. When we were called, all three of our girls were crowned. The CM’s called them all ‘princess’, which thrilled them…even my too-cool-for-school 14 yo!


Kaityln and Madison



Morgan


After we were seated, our waitress took our orders almost immediately. We all tried to choose different things on the menu this trip, so we could each sample a little bit of everything. Kaitlyn ordered a Shirley Temple which was not on the menu, but our CM was kind enough to make for her. She ordered the Ship Shape Cheesy Onion soup, and the High Striker Penne Pasta as her entrée. For dessert, she chose the Chocolate Paradise cake. Of course, Morgan and Madison had to have Shirley Temples, too! So they ordered those, along with Octa-dogs with Mac ‘n Cheese. We were really happy to see that their starter was carrots and celery sticks with ranch dressing. The girls gobbled that right up! Lisa and I ordered iced tea. She chose the Swimmin’ Chicken Noodle Soup, which we both thought was on the salty side. Her entrée was Cove’s Chicken & Biscuit Pot Pie, and her dessert was Midway Triple Madness. I ordered the Boathouse Salad with light Italian dressing, and they put wayyy too much dressing on the salad. I would recommend asking for it on the side. My main course was Maliboomer Meatloaf. It came with white cheddar mashed potatoes and vegetables, which were quite good. However, we all came to the conclusion that the meatloaf tasted somewhat like a baked sweet cat food loaf , so I probably wouldn’t order that again! I chose a yogurt parfait for dessert, and it was quite good. It had fresh berries and granola… The desserts were all delicious. Morgan liked my sister’s so much, she commandeered it! The bill came to right under $100, but they added gratuity into the check. They shouldn’t have done that, because we had planned to tip more than the amount that was automatically added. Lisa and I discussed that, and we came to the conclusion that Disney probably did that to make sure their CM’s were tipped at all. I don’t know, we couldn’t think of another reason. ::shrug::

(One thing I forgot to add--this establishment honors AAA cards and you receive a discount off of your check. I could have kicked myself for forgetting to bring my AAA card!! )

Like I said, the food here is good, but the atmosphere and character interaction are outstanding. Morgan and Madison were soooo excited to see lots of Princesses! Kaitlyn was, too, secretly…but she was too cool to show it!!


Madison, Ariel, and Morgan

Snow White was beautiful, and very elegant. She was so gentle with the girls, just as you would imagine Snow White to be!


Madison, Snow White, and Morgan


Madison, Cinderella (Madison's favorite princess!, can you tell?? ), and Morgan


Madison, Belle (Morgan's favorite princess!), and Morgan

Alice was wonderful! She was VERY in character. She asked the girls about the White Rabbit, and asked Madison if she knew where he went. Madison got the funniest look on her face...she looked so guilty, like 'I didn't do it!' We all laughed, because if you know Madison then you know that she normally IS the one to do it!


Madison, Alice, and Morgan