He said...She said TR About This Page:

[buckinghammr]

Loving this!

[BeckiO5]

Welcome Kent, and I am loving the start to your TR both you and Jen are tag-team writing. I have a feeling my 3 year old fits in with how you've described
Ty & Ethan(who are too adorible). Kent, how Jen described you in her last TR, you are a keeper! I do love how you are from Denver, my DH grew up in Colorado Springs and has many memories in Denver, and I can say it is gorgeous out there as I have visited a few times! More please Kent & Jen.

[aleece1]

Great start!

[MinnieJen]

Before Disneyland, we actually spent the first week of our vacation at a condo in Oceanside that my family has and drove up an hour to Disneyland on Sunday morning. We arrived at noon and waited in line to check in. They have a cute little area behind the check in line that has a little flat screen TV running old Disney shorts for the kids. The area also has an adorable kid-sized couch and a couple of chairs, so there’s something to keep them busy while you’re checking in. It’s a nice Disney touch that is one of so many all around the resort that it’s easy to take them for granted. Stay somewhere else, though, and I’m sure they’d all be missed.

Upon check-in, we were told that while we did indeed pay for an upper floor room, there wasn’t any guarantee that it would necessarily overlook Downtown Disney. It could have a pool view. That caught us by surprise and we were prepared to “go to the mattresses” for it, but after a brief delay and some conferencing with the room assigner, they were able to get us a room in the newly remodeled Dreams tower on the 9th floor, overlooking DD. We breathed a sigh of relief and headed to our room.

The CM started out being very vague about this and what kind of room we paid for and might be able to get. I was very worried about this as we have not had the chance to see fireworks since the boys have been born as it is always past bedtime. We did see them at WDW because we stayed at the Poly and could watch from the beach. After she left to chat with the room assigner (for 10 long minutes) she came back in a much more magical mood and she was able to grant us all of our room wishes. So I guess she was more grumpy when she thought she could not do much for us. Either way it worked out great and we thank her for doing all she could.

If you haven’t seen the newly remodeled rooms in the Disneyland Hotel, you must. They are amazing. I’m sure my wife has posted the pictures we took from our last stay, so I won’t here, but check them out – it’s a great room. It was great that our room was ready when we got here (noonish), so we didn’t have to go into the park and then come back to get settled in. We were able to put everything away, rest for a few minutes and then head into DCA with a refilled tank.

I was so amazed and pleased that our room was ready at noon. I did post several pics of our room in our last TR. I wish we had taken more though. here is a pic of our view it is all we managed to get.



Our first stop, as it always is, was the area in A Bug’s Land where they have all the statues of the characters scattered around. For some reason, this is the Holy Grail for our kids and the thing that they are always most excited about doing first. We just let them run around like little ecstatic maniacs and greet all their friends. Jennifer followed Ty on his visits, and I got the challenge of trying to run interference for Ethan who made a beeline to whichever character was next, regardless of whoever (or whatever) may be standing in his way. But the smiles on their faces as they pointed and identified each one (Heimlich! Ladybug! Gypsy! Manny!, etc.) is something that I’ll always treasure.



They both, however, ran into a stumbling block when it turned out that the walking stick bug Slim wasn’t where he was supposed to be. All the bamboo that surrounds the area was still there, but no Slim. They were both crestfallen a bit at his absence, but quickly moved on to the next bug. I assume that he was down for refurbishment, but there wasn’t a sign stating so.

I tried to warn Kent that Manny was missing in action so he could distract little Ethan but I was not fast or loud enough. Later in our trip Ty decided one of the larger bamboo shoots was Manny and he said hi a few times as we walked past.

After greeting all the bugs, we went into Flick’s Fun Fair, where we rode the ride that’s always first for us, Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train (a charming little ride where you ride a train version of Heimlich the caterpillar through some of his favorite snacks – all giant since you’re supposed to be the size of a bug). Since it was the 4th of July, we expected some pretty big crowds, but were pleasantly surprised when the line for Heimlich was just a couple of minutes. The boys were so excited! Afterwards, since the lines were so small, we quickly went on Flick’s Flyers (a fun spinning ride that has you in huge Chinese takeout boxes and animal cracker boxes and flying around in circles) before heading over to get some corn dogs at the Farmers Market in A Bug’s land. If you haven’t had a corn dog at Disneyland (or DCA) and like corn dogs, you need to try one of these. These aren’t your father’s corn dogs. They’re huge beef hot dogs with a fantastic cornmealy batter that is perfectly fried and very tasty. And you can get them with apple slices instead of french fries if you want to make up for the calories you’re blowing on the corn dog.

Is "cornmealy" a word? Usually I am the one making up words....hmmmm

After lunch (and a little more visiting with the bugs), we went back to Flick’s Fun Fair and Ty rode the Tuck & Roll bumper car ride with Jennifer while I took Ethan on Heimlich again. Then we did Francis’ Ladybug Boogie (a little faster version of the Teacup ride in DL), Flick’s Flyers again, and Heimlich again. Since the wait times were so small, we were able to bang these all out in quick succession.

To calm down after all the rides, we went to PT Flea’s pin store to look around and then headed over to the Paradise Pier area. After a brief stop to pick up some fresh tortillas as the Mission Tortilla Factory experience (corn tortillas today), Jennifer stopped to shop for a few minutes so I could sit down some with the boys and snack. She found a really cool blue shirt with multiple Mickeys on it that she wanted to get for both boys, but they didn’t have both sizes in that store. She vowed to track them down in another store as we moved on to the midway game area. I got one of the game cards and tried my hand at the horse racing game in an attempt to win Ty one of the large Bullseye stuffed animals from Toy Story. I was unsuccessful on my three attempts, but the boys still had a blast watching the horses race across the board – Yeeee Haaaawwww!

I was quickly realizing I had purse/bag issues. Usually we carry a small diaper bag and then a tote bag with snacks and a few extras. In this tote bag I usually toss my wallet and a my Blackberry and carry it with me when we go on rides but on the stroller when we walk. The tote I brought this time was new and the straps were a bit short and was not easy to carry. I will not leave my valuable on the stroller of course so this first day I was carrying my credit card/ID/AP/room key in my back pocket and my Blackberry in my hoodie pocket. This would not work for the whole trip for sure as I do not always have pockets. So I was searching for a small bag I could carry across my chest so it would be easy to manage and keep my hands free for chasing boys. Kent held back from rolling his eyes when I told him I needed a bag (I have a small purse addiction) since he knows an organized Jen is a happy Jen.

Up Next: Jellyfish? Are you sure?

[BeckiO5]

Another great update Kent & Jen. Bug Land sounds like a lot of fun. Glad to hear your boys love it and love to search for the bugs and identify them. Sorry to hear some were missing. That corrdog souds delicious(will have to have one if and when I ever get to make it to DLR/DCA. Thanks for the wonderful description of it). What a view you had, and adorible picture of Ethan. So Frameworthy! How wonderful you were able to get your room preferance and so much done in so little time that you were checked into your room. Jen, don't feel bad about the purse addiction. I get eyes rolled at me all the time
too and am told I don't need another purse. We're woman, purses, tote bags, etc. are needed. More please.

[ilovedisney247]

Great update! I'm enjoying reading both sides! It sounds like the kids had a blast in the Bug's Life area!

[Pinkyt177]

Very nice format, loving it!

[chezp]

Another great update - I love hearing from both of you!

[Colexis Mom]

Great update!! More please!

[disney_duke]

It's so fun to hear from both points of view! And yes, I think cornmealy can be a word. It sounds good and we all know what he's talking about!!! What a great morning, I'm so glad you got your room you paid for without having to fight for it (mattresses comment, ) and it was ready at noon - !! I totally understand the bag/purse issue. Now that we're almost ready to give up the diaper bag, I'm struggling with what to carry with us on our next trip!!?? Looking forward to more!

[MinnieJen]

Originally Posted by BeckiO5

Welcome Kent, and I am loving the start to your TR both you and Jen are tag-team writing. I have a feeling my 3 year old fits in with how you've described
Ty & Ethan(who are too adorible). Kent, how Jen described you in her last TR, you are a keeper! I do love how you are from Denver, my DH grew up in Colorado Springs and has many memories in Denver, and I can say it is gorgeous out there as I have visited a few times! More please Kent & Jen.

Kent wanted to say thank you for the "keeper" comment. He had to read my last TR to see what I had said about him. I guess he didn't know how much I talked him up. See how we are pulling him onto the boards slowly but surely.

[MinnieJen]

As we continued around the lake (which finally had the walls surrounding the World of Color construction down), Ty showed interest in riding Jumpin’ Jellyfish, a ride where two of you sit in relatively open seats as your “jellyfish” is pulled up to a height of around fifty feet and then slowly bounced up and down. At first, I thought he might not understand what he was getting himself into, but we got in line anyway.

I am usually the parent in charge of what rides to try next with the boys as they get bigger and braver. This was the first time Ty asked to try a ride all on his own without us asking if he wanted to try it. There were several kids on it when Ty asked and they seems to be having a ball so I gave my mommy thumbs up.

After a couple of minutes in line, though, I realized that if we waited to complete the ride, we would miss the Pixar Parade, which was scheduled to start at 5:15pm. Both Ty and Ethan love pretty much every Pixar movie, so this parade is the be-all-end-all for them, and not to be missed if at all possible. So I got him out of the line, met up with Jennifer and Ethan and we got a good seat for the parade while we munched on some Dryer’s Nibs (tasty little bites of chocolate covered ice cream with krispy bits, yum!).

If your kids are at all into the Pixar characters, you should definitely catch the parade. The lineup includes characters (and dancers) from Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Ratatouille (gone for a while, but now back), Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story (now including more soldier characters and Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear), and Cars. Our boys love it so much that they often ask to watch a video I shot of it last time when we’re at home so they can relive the magic. During the summer months, the parade sprays you with water from all sorts of sources, but it’s never too much to make you angry, I guess it’s just the right “fun” amount (I bet Disney did all sorts of research to figure out how much water was too much, so they didn’t anger their patrons).

I will say that the first time we took the boys to see this Ethan was only a few months old and I was not about to let him get sprayed. He was sleeping in my arms and it really seemed some of the parade CMs went out of their way to spray this mommy and a little baby. I was less than pleased and did my very best to block it all. Now of course Ethan is almost diving into the water.

After the parade, I made good on my promise to take Ty on Jumpin’ Jellyfish. He’s cautiously adventurous for a four year-old, but I thought this might be a bit much for him. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He loved it so much, I think he might have sprained his cheeks from smiling so much. Every second was pure joy. He could see all around the park, and when we dropped down a bit, he could smile and wave at his mom who was smiling and waving, glad to see him having fun. Jennifer shared my worry and was very glad to see him enjoying himself so much. It just goes to show that if you make all the decisions you think may be right for your kids without playing a little outside of the box sometimes, you may miss a great opportunity.

After Jumpin’ Jellyfish, we headed back the way we came around the lake and I decided to give the Bullseye game one last try. Before we got there, though, they announced that DCA would be open ‘till 11pm, but that they were adding an additional 11:15pm showing of World of Color. Fast Passes were newly available for this show since it hadn’t been previously scheduled. So if you come to DCA and haven’t gotten a Fast Pass for WoC, don’t fret, they may add a show. Back to my quest for a stuffed horse. My game started off slow and I was sure that I would fail for a fourth time to win my eldest son the coveted Bullseye. I finished with a flourish, though, and came out on top! As I handed Ty his beloved Bullseye, I got an enthusiastic “Yeeeee Haaaw!” as a thanks. Again, I was worried about sprained cheek muscles his smile was so enthusiastic.

Heading back to the front of DCA, Jennifer said that she’d like to go shopping in the big store at the front of the park, so I decided to take the boys on Mike & Sully to the Rescue, a great recreation of the movie Monsters Inc., that’s in the Hollywood Backlot. Again, since the lines were basically nonexistent, we went on it three times in a row, much to the delight of both Ty and Ethan. Ty even danced his way through the line the second time, he was so happy. After the third ride, I took the boys over to the Toy Story Zoetrope that they have at the Disney Animation attraction. A zoetrope is a collection of images that when run together and viewed through slits, gives the appearance of sustained action, like a flip book. The Toy Story zoetrope takes it to the next level and does it with sculptures rather than pictures and flashing lights instead of slits. They have 18 different poses of various characters from the Toy Story movies doing all sorts of fun things set up on a turntable. They then spin the turntable at a high speed and then flash some strobe lights. What you end up seeing is all of these characters “moving” and acting out their little scenarios (Woody riding on Bullseye, Buzz hopping on a ball, etc.) Ty is four, I’m forty, and we’re both completely fascinated with it. While Ethan quickly became bored and played with a toy, Ty and I stood and watched, transfixed, for fifteen minutes.

On our way back to meet up from my failed search for a new bag we criss-crossed paths, with the boys ending up looking for me in the store and me on the way to the zoetrope. A few quick texts had me back at the store with my boys! Although I did not find the bag I was looking for I did find the blue tshirts for the boys in the right sizes! Haha! It can be tricky to find the XXS size for Ethan so I was very pleased.

After a full and VERY productive day at DCA (and, surprisingly, no time at Disneyland), we headed back through DTD to our room. Jennifer stopped at the Fossil store to look for a smaller purse/bag that she could just carry a few essentials in while having it strapped across her chest. After a bit of searching, she found a great tan leather bag that looked like it would work out great. I have to admit that it wouldn’t occur to me that I mention this, but Jennifer insists that it’s important, so I’ll defer to the PassPorter expert’s judgment.

Shopping is an important aspect of any good TR , right? The bag was more than I had planned to pay but it was leather instead of canvas and was the perfect size with two main sections as well as two outside pockets. It worked perfectly for the whole trip and will be well used in the coming trips. I also got an additional 10% off with my AP so always remember to ask in DTD if there is a discount. Some of the stores give a discount for AAA members and such so it never hurts to ask.

When we got back to the room, I collapsed on the bed and barely moved a muscle for the next twenty minutes. Jennifer was nice enough to watch the boys and order room service while I tried to recover from the physical stresses of the day (it was hard to win that stinkin’ Bullseye stuffed animal!) We had a really good dinner from room service. I had their grilled chicken sandwich, which was on a brioche style bun, cooked perfectly with grilled onions and melted parmesan cheese. I also got mashed potatoes instead of french fries and they were very tasty as well. The boys had the grilled cheese sandwich with fruit instead of fires and they enjoyed it. The real smart cookie, though, was Jennifer. She wanted steak, but didn’t want to eat (or pay for) a huge one, since she also wanted to try their onion soup. In a touch of genius, she ordered the children’s prime rib at a fraction of the cost (and size) and had the perfect amount of food to go with her soup. To top it all off, she was able to procure me an entire carafe of iced tea, instead of just a glass, since I was so thirsty, I was contemplating consuming all of the boys’ juice boxes. Thank you, sweetie! We would both highly recommend DHL room service. It came relatively fast (for such a busy night), fresh and hot, while being extremely tasty.

I should also say I was not very hungry this night so the dinner I ordered was perfect. It would not have been enough on a normal evening. The soup was very good and Prime Rib with the Jus was very tender and yummy. Ethan wanted some too and helped me finish it off so I did nibble on the last bit of the grilled cheese and dipped in the last of my soup. They did offer fresh veggies with the kids menu items and well as choices of fruit or french fries so we did one of each so there was lots for the boys to pick and choose from. Also the CM who delivered our dinner was very sweet and chatted with the boys and told us to enjoy the fireworks.

To cap the night off, we were able to take advantage of the extra perks we paid for by watching the stellar 4th of July fireworks show that exploded in the sky over Disneyland. From our room on the 9th floor, we had a view that I’d dare to say was the best in the house. We sat in our pajamas, listening to the music through channel 47 on the TV (how awesome is that?!) and snuggling with our boys. We could see both the fireworks above It’s a Small World as well as the ones that were going off above Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The show was about half an hour long and was, true to Disney’s exacting standards, breathtaking. Timed perfectly, colorful, inventive and powerful, it was the perfect ending to a pretty perfect day.

Ethan did not make it through the whole show but since we were in our room this was easy! He just snuggled down into his little bed and closed his eyes. Perfect!! Ty went to sleep right after and Kent and I went over the day and he made notes and such for his first TR.

Can we possibly top this tomorrow? Tune in to your same Bat channel to find out! For right now, though, I’m totally bushwhacked and need to brush my teeth and go to sleep. Night, night.

Next Up: Surfin' with Mickey

[Disney4us2]

What a great start to you Disneyland trip. So glad that you got the room that you wanted and it was ready.

[Pinkyt177]

How magical fireworks in your jammies in bed, love it

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update!!