December 2-12, 2007 (Grand Californian Hotel) - First Trip to Disneyland for an Early Christmas & Dose of Disney Magic **Updated 10/30** COMPLETE About This Page:

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

What a great time at KBF!! Love the pictures!! I don't think I could have gone on all those rides!! Too scary!! Dinner sounded great as well, and congrats on finishing the Kitchen Sink!! Another great day!!

- we had a great time at Knott's, and look forward to re-visiting the park on our next trip

As for the kitchen sink dessert, we weren't leaving the table until we had finished it! It was so delicious! A definite thumbs up recommendation from us!

[Big Sister]

10TH ENTRY: SHOP TILL YOU DROP

TUESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2007

Today was the first day in what seemed like ages, that we were able to sleep in . The night before, I had set our alarm clock for 11am, giving us ample time to make our 1pm lunch reservation at Cafe Orleans - we wouldn't be worrying about breakfast today (thought I must confess to nibbling on leftover cheese pizza from the night before .)

We checked in at Cafe Orleans right on the dot of 1pm. When asked if we preferred indoor or outdoor seating, we chose the outdoor option so we could watch the goings on in the park while we ate . To begin our dining experience, Nest chose French Onion soup, while I opted for the seasoned pommes frites (fries tossed with parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley.) The dipping sauce they came with (a Cajun spice remoulade), was absolutely delicious - I wanted more more more! And after assuring Nest that they were alcohol free, we both had mint juleps as our choice of refreshment - these, too, were absolutely delicious.

Along with a second round of mint juleps, for our main course, Nest chose ratatouille (savoury veggie ragout consisting of tomato, eggplant, red onion, bell pepper, squash, and zucchini, served with corn cakes topped with cheese), and I chose the three cheese monte cristo, which came served with a side of fruit. I had been looking forward to trying a three cheese monte cristo (a battered deep fried three cheese sandwich) ever since I had first read about them years ago. Much to my extreme disappointment, I didn't like the monte cristo at all . At first, I thought maybe it was because I got a bit of the white skin of the cheese, so I tried a different part of the sandwich, but it still tasted the same, so I just stuck with my side of fruit as a main course, all the while wishing I had chosen the crab salad instead, even though by that stage I was no longer hungry. (Nest tried a chunk of the monte cristo, and didn't like it either. His own dish was delicious though .) The one good thing about finding this out at this stage, was that it wont ruin my eagerly awaited Blue Bayou experience next time, as that would've been the dish I'd chosen if I hadn't have chosen it at Cafe Orleans.

When our server presented us with our receipt after we had paid our bill, I thought it was a lovely gesture how she had accompanied it with a handful of candy canes .

Since this day was the last day available to us before we had to pack (), we decided to dedicate it to getting some serious shopping done, especially as the parks were absolutely packed once again, and the lines for the rides absolutely unbelievable.

We went into every single store we came to in the Disneyland Park (though we didn't buy things from every single one - I'm not that rich ) The only non-Main Street shops we bought anything from, were Pioneer Bonanza and Westward Ho Trading Post, both in Frontierland. In both stores, we bought lots of Disney Christmas decorations, candy, photo frames, figurines, soft toys, and small snow globes, the majority being gifts for our family back home .

There were two things we definitely wanted to get done that day in the Disneyland Park before switching over to the DCA Park and hitting the shops there. The first must-do, was going to the Main Street Photo Store and getting all our PhotoPass photos transferred to disc, not to forget choosing which three shots we wanted to get printed out right there and then. The line to get this done, was so long, yet we were determined in our mission, so I waited in line while Nest browsed in nearby stores. It took so long for our turn to be served, but once the transaction was completed, we felt a sense of achievement and were so happy .

The second must-do before leaving the park that evening, was getting a pair of Mickey Mouse ears personalised for Mum, as I remember her telling me how she used to watch The Mickey Mouse Club when she was five years old, and wished she had her own pair of Mickey Mouse ears, yet no one would buy any for her - fancy having to wait fifty years for a pair! It was really interesting watching the lady program the computerised sewing machine, and then seeing Mum's name stitched perfectly in the back centre of the hat. We got all this done at the Mad Hatter's in Main Street.

In-between these two tasks, I bought Nest a box of healthy fruit pieces to snack on from the Main Street Fruit Cart, and he bought himself a Nightmare Before Christmas pocketwatch from the Main Street Emporium, to add to his pocketwatch collection.

After exhausting all the shopping possibilities at the Disneyland Park, we headed on over to the DCA Park. First stop was Greetings from California, where we stocked up on yet more candy

The only other stop we made, was the absolutely brilliant Off the Page store - I absolutely it in there, as I'm sure I've said before. Since we had last dropped in, they had released these absolutely gorgeous light boxes - well-known scenes from selected Disney movies, presented in 3D in a smallish box, which lights up when you pop batteries in and flick the switch. They are so beautiful, and I really wish I could collect the whole series. With help from Nest, I ended up choosing the Cinderella light box to purchase (there was no way I wasn't not going to buy one due to the difficulty in choosing!) I also bought the soundtracks to the Haunted Mansion and both Disney parks (to help me get through reality once back home), and a big beautiful book of gardens at Disneyland, for my horticulturalist brother, Byron. Nest bought himself a boxset of Disney-Pixar DVDs, which he really enjoys watching.

After all that, I think we were right in returning to our room so we wouldn't spend anymore money! Doing just that is hard when you're at Disneyland though , and we soon found ourselves in the heart of Downtown Disney . We had originally gone just to use our dessert voucher at Marceline's Confectionary, but couldn't resist just one more visit to the World of Disney store .

It was around 5.45pm by this stage, and we had a lot to get organised for the following day's departure , so we thought we had better not delay packing any longer, as it would be so much more painful having to do it when we were tired and just wanted to sleep. A posh bag of lollies in one hand, and boxes of Christmas cards in the other hand, we returned to our room with a purpose. To keep us on track and motivated, we agreed on not being allowed to have dinner until the task at hand was completed .

The first thing we did once back in the room, was break open the lollies ! After a boost of sugar, balanced nicely by Chip 'n Dale shaped pretzels, we carefully packaged our Christmas tree in the box supplied, filled out the attached forms, and then called Bell Services to come and collect it and send it on its way.

Boxing the tree up was easy - it was trying to pack our suitcases that was the hard part, as we couldn't fit everything in . Even with removing the protective packaging from the photo frames and other items, and wrapping them in clothes instead, didn't solve our space problem (and we were getting hungry for dinner - this was serious!) Nest came up with the blatantly obvious solution - buy a new suitcase! Of course! I raced down to Acorn's Gifts and Goods as fast as I could (it was 17 minutes till closing), and bought the most suitably sized suitcase they had, plus a carry on duffel bag for things we wanted to keep with us on the plane.

With new storage space at our disposal, packing was a breeze after that - we clicked into automatic and just put stuff wherever it would fit.

One more boring thing I had to get done before dinner, was make a series of phonecalls so that our departure day would go as smoothly as possible. First, I rang Guest Services to enquire about late checkout, and was told to ring on the day of checkout at 6am. Easy.

Next, I tried to ring our Flight Centre in Oz, but for some unknown reason, kept on getting the University of Minnesota instead ! (I eventually worked out I was getting the preceding dialling code wrong.) When I finally got through to the Flight Centre to enquire about getting bulkhead seats due to Nest being in so much discomfort on the way over, but it was such a bad line I had to come up with another way of dealing with the problem.

I eventually came up with the idea of ringing Guest Services, and asking if they could give me Qantas' phone number at LAX, as I couldn't find our phonebook. (Turns out we had been given a new one, and it had been placed in the very bottom drawer of our cupboard - as if I'd look there for a phonebook! Next to the phone on the table where the old one had lived, would've been convenient.) As well as giving me Qantas' number, Guest Services also transferred me through, which I thought was nice (I didn't want to go ringing a random university again! ) The Qantas staff member I spoke to said she couldn’t reserve the bulkhead seats for us , and suggested we come in a bit before 1pm the following day when the Qantas desk opened, to try our luck then, even though our flight would be leaving at 10.30pm. I passed the message onto Nest, and he said no way

Finally it was dinnertime! At 9.21pm, our meals arrived . Nest feasted on vegetable soup, turkey cheeseburger with chips, and New York cheesecake. For the very last time , I had my most favourite spaghetti dinner followed by fruit cobbler. It was a sad feeling eating dinner and knowing it was the last night of our vacation . Our magical Christmas tree had already begun the journey home, and our suitcases were packed and ready to go. At least we were still technically in Disneyland . We forgot about the following day's journey when Seinfeld came on the TV. Cobbler, cheesecake, and Seinfeld - a perfect ending to a stressful evening!

[Meggera]

Knott's Berry Farm looks like it is so much fun. We plan on visiting there for the first time in 2010. Great updates! I'll definitely write about my Six Flags experience here when we are able to go. That will be awesome!

[Meggera]

Awwwww, I'm sad to see your trip coming to an end. I'm sorry you didn't like the Three Cheese Monte Cristo. I haven't had that, but I the Monte Cristo (with ham) at the Blue Bayou. I can't wait to go back.

New suitcases are always nice to have. What a clever way to pack everything up.

[PrincessSharon]

Sounds like you both had a great time at Knott's Berry farm. And now I'm convinced that I need to visit Disneyland at Christmastime. Glad you got your shopping done and managed to get it all packed up. I'm sorry this is coming to an end but looking forward to more.

[Grammy Grumpy]

Oh, I'm so sorry this TR is almost over. I've enjoyed hearing all about your holiday!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Meggera

Knott's Berry Farm looks like it is so much fun. We plan on visiting there for the first time in 2010. Great updates! I'll definitely write about my Six Flags experience here when we are able to go. That will be awesome!

Yes, Knott's Berry Farm certainly is a very fun place - I would definitely recommend it! It's a pity you have to wait so long for your trip there though

I'm really excited to hear you're going to Wally World! Will that be in 2010 too? Yes, definitely include your experiences of this park in your trip report! It will be great to hear your take on it.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

And now I'm convinced that I need to visit Disneyland at Christmastime. Glad you got your shopping done and managed to get it all packed up.

, you must visit Disneyland at Christmastime - it's so much fun and really puts you in the spirit of the season!

Because I had been saving up for so long for this trip, and had trained myself not to shop/spend money on non-necessities, it was hard at first spending up big after all this time - I felt so guilty to begin with! And I couldn't believe I didn't come up with Nest's idea of buying an extra suitcase to fit stuff in - it was such an obvious solution! I was so greatful to him for that!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

Oh, I'm so sorry this TR is almost over. I've enjoyed hearing all about your holiday!

I'm kind of delaying my last entry , as I know I'll be lost without a TR to work on - it has kept me busy in my rare spare time, all year! Having said that, I am aiming to get it finished sooner rather than later though, as I've yet to start on my annual Christmas letter - a task I've let slip big time! (Usually I write an entry a month for it, so the task, as exciting as it is, isn't so overwhelming, especially as there's 100 other things to get done in preparation for the big day. )

[DyanKJ130]

Just catching up! I don't know how I managed to miss so many of your wonderful updates. That park in Australia looks amazing! Especially that Harry Potter section! WOW! My DH would LOVE those coasters!! Looking forward to more!

[Big Sister]

11TH & FINAL ENTRY: DEPARTURE DAY

WEDNESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2007

I woke up briefly at 5.50am to ensure Nest and myself a late check-out, as there was only a limited amount that could be awarded. I secured us a revised check-out time of 12 noon (I tried for 3pm ... well you never know if you don't ask ), adjusted the alarm clock, then went promptly back to sleep.

Woke up for good on this day at 9.30am. We dined gracefully on leftover cheese pizza from the night before, for breakfast. Afterwards, we busied ourselves getting ready to check-out - last minute showers, finding space in our suitcases to shove our pyjamas, and check to see that we wouldn't be leaving anything behind. I was relieved when our Room Service bill arrived, and that there was no scary message blaring out at me from the page about lack of funds in my credit card - phew!

Reluctantly , we left our lovely room with the exciting view for the very last time, and trundled on down to Bell Services. Here, we left our luggage in storage, so we could spend all day in the parks - we were determined to make the most of every last minute left to us in this magical place.

As soon as we had our luggage stored safely away for the day, we headed straight into Disney's California Adventure park. Once in, we made a beeline for the Grizzly River Run for one last adventure on it, the plan being if we got too wet, that at least we had the whole sunny day ahead to dry off in.

From the Grizzly River Run, Nest and I then decided that it was time for one last journey into the Twilight Zone, so we walked on over to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot and checked into the Tower of Terror. I laughed and laughed at our resulting souvenir photo - Nest had been trying to pull a particular face, unbeknownst to me at the time, and it didn't turn out as planned. Needless to say, I purchased the photo on our way out.

On the way to Paradise Pier (we had never been there in the late morning/early afternoon before - only late afternoon onwards), we took a detour and found ourselves in Flik's Fun Fair for the first time this vacation. It was a nice little section of the park, and despite being an adult, I still found it exciting how it was designed to make you feel as small as an insect, what with the giant clovers towering overhead, strategically placed cereal boxes, and other larger than life objects.

During our exploration of the fun fair, we came across some attractions that looked fun, and seeing as they weren't too crowded, we jumped on them with enthusiasm. The first ride we met in this fashion, was Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. The train was Heimlich the caterpillar himself, and he took us on a short journey through what I can only describe as my own personal dream food garden

Our journey into the garden of food began by going under a rainbow-shaped bridge structure made from watermelon. As we approached it, I detected a faint sweet aroma. Passing under the watermelon, the aroma was much stronger, and I felt watermelon juice spraying lightly down on us as Heimlich munched his way through.

Next, we passed through a tunnel of animal cookies, and the lovely warm delicious scent they emit when baked - it made my mouth water in sheer anticipation.

Emerging from the tunnel, we found ourselves in the middle of a garden where there were giant cupcakes and giant kernels of candy corn! Absolute heaven for a sweet tooth such as myself!

Our last fun fair ride of the day, was Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies. Since we were in a Disney park, Nest and I felt we couldn't bump into anyone but each other, so we chased each other around the arena at a snail's pace, in our little beetle bumper cars - it was surprisingly fun and we had a good laugh due to the speed factor

Food must've been on Nest's mind ever since Heimlich triggered the idea, because as we were leaving Flick's Fun Fair, Nest announced that he desperately needed something healthy to eat. We both remembered seeing a health food stand on the way to Flik's, so we re-traced our steps and found what we were looking for. We then located a bench, so that Nest could relax while eating his box of raw vegies (carrot and celery sticks, and broccoli flowerettes), while simultaneously soaking up the atmosphere.

That was Nest's daily requirement of a serve of three veg taken care of - now all I needed to cater for was the meat. We decided to sacrifice our jaunt to Paradise Pier, and switch over to the Disneyland Park, where we would begin by having a late lunch at Bengal Barbecue. Nest had two Chieftain Chicken and one Bengal Beef kebobs, and I had three Bengal Beef kebobs (I hope nobody noticed how I skipped on my vegies! ) We ate them at our usual place on the wall in New Orleans Square (I'm starting to think one may need to make advance dining reservations if they want a seat in Bengal Barbecue's dining area! ), savouring every last bite instead of wolfing them down as usual, as it was going to be a very long time till we'd be fortunate enough to enjoy the pleasure of our favourite counter service meal again.

The first Disneyland Park ride on the agenda, was Splash Mountain - we thought there was still hours of sunlight left to dry off by if we happened to get a soaking. The line was so long for Splash Mountain, but we were determined to wait it out as we the ride so much. It wouldn't have surprise me in the slightest to find we had been waiting for over an hour. Once we boarded our log and begun floating away off on our adventure, the wait felt definitely worth it though! Unfortunately, Nest got incredibly soaked going down the drop , and were both worried that he wouldn't dry off in time for the onset of the evening, which seemed to be rapidly approaching. I suggested we go back to the hotel so he could change, but he didn't want to , so we bought a box of fruit pieces each, and sat in the last remaining patch of sun which we found outside the Village Haus in Fantasyland.

To account for time to collect our luggage, peak hour traffic, and crowds at the airport (not to forget the rule of arriving two hours before your flight, which happened to be 10.30pm for us - our flight, that is, not what time we had to be at the airport by, thank goodness), we thought it best that we got going at around 5pm. That left us one hour by that stage, to cram as much Disney magic in as we could.

Our first choice of activity was one last go on the Matterhorn, but both lines were way too long and seemingly unmoving for us to even consider investing any of our time left, in them, no matter how much we loved the ride, so we moved on ...

... and found ourselves at Space Mountain. The line for this coaster was out the door too, but we could see it moving at regular intervals, which looked promising, so we tagged ourselves onto the end of it and waited in anticipation for the excitement that was to come. While waiting in the line when it was outside, I remember looking up at the sky at an airplane going over (thinking that that would be us in a few hours), and seeing some eagles soaring in circles against the apricot sunset sky. After quite a bit of a wait, it was finally our turn to ride, and we were absolutely ecstatic! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as if it were the first ride on the first day of our vacation - from our great moods, you never would've guessed that as soon as we got off, we were heading to the bus stop back to reality.

As we were leaving the Disneyland Park for the very last time this vacation, I could tell from the people lining Main Street, that a parade was due to start. Nest and I collected our luggage from Bell Services with no dramas, then before we knew it, we were waiting in the Grand Californian Hotel's valet area for the 5.45pm Magical Express to LAX.

On the way to LAX, the Magical Express driver put on an introduction to Disneyland video, which I thought was funny, then had me seriously thinking why it wasn't run on the way to Disneyland And on that thought, I unfortunately went to sleep, despite wanting to watch the video. Nest and I were the last to be dropped off (there had only been one other family on the bus with us, and they had gotten off at a previous terminal.)

The check-in staff member we dealt with on arrival, was very friendly and accommodating, but still wasn't able to reserve for us the bulkhead seats we so desperately wanted (and needed.) I tried one last time once the desk at our departure gate opened, but no luck there either. Since there was nothing else we could do about this matter, Nest and I went and looked around the few shops available to us. We stocked up on puzzle magazines, munchies, soft drinks, and water. While Nest minded us both some seats and a little coffee table in our gate area, I went and got us both an early supper - a big cold roast beef salad roll for Nest, and a big turkey salad roll for myself. We filled the time in we had left before boarding our flight, eating, reading, and doing puzzles - it didn't seem long at all, and before we knew it, we were on our way home.


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so much for letting me share my experiences of my first visit to Disneyland with you guys - it has been loads of fun! I look forward to sticking around and reading what everyone else gets up to, so keep those TRs coming!

[Colexis Mom]

Glad you had a great last day!! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us!!

[Meggera]

Your last day sounds so wonderful, but I know you were sad to leave. I'm glad y'all had a great time. Is a trip to WDW in Orlando in your future?

[DyanKJ130]

Great update!! I can't believe your trip has come to an end! Sounds like you and Nest had a wonderful final day! What a wonderful bonding trip it has been!! for sharing your TR with us! Ihave enjoyed reading it.

(I'm also curious if a trip to WDW is in your future!)

[chezp]

What a great last day - but what a shame to see this trip report come to an end. It sounds like you had a great time.