A Last Hurrah - June 2012 PTR

[nataliakristine]

Hey everyone! I’m kinda new here, been reading some trip reports recently to fill the Disneyland void I’ve been having in my life recently. My plan was to wait until we had this trip officially booked before I posted anything, but I didn’t quite make it. I’m too excited!

DH and I decided that we could go on this trip a few months ago after we realized we would be getting a huge refund for school this semester. We are both in our last semester of college and wanted to go on a Disney trip to celebrate our graduation. Originally we were looking at WDW, but since it is about $1000 cheaper for us to do Disneyland, we figured that would be more responsible. We just found out today the amount that we are getting back and should have that refund in our hands on January 26. So by the end of the month, the trip should be booked!!

The main reason to go on this trip is to celebrate our graduation from college. But we also just wanted to go on one more trip before we have to settle down into real "grown-up" jobs. Also, since we can't go to Disneyland very often due to money and distance, this may be our last trip before we have kids. So, in a sense, this i a "last hurrah" for our young, spontaneous lives.

When we first started talking about the trip, we were talking to his parents about it. They live about half an hour away from us and haven’t been to Disneyland for about 10 years. DCA was brand new when they went and they have never even experienced it! DH and I went for our honeymoon in June 2010 and have just been itching to go back, so we talked with the in-laws and we all decided to take this next trip together! I’m so excited that we get to share this fun time with them!

Here are the details we have so far:

Dates: June 2-6. These are pretty much set in stone. My DMIL teaches early elementary ages at a local school and doesn’t get out until June 1. We wanted to go as early in the summer as possible because we are hoping that DH will get a youth ministry job this next summer and we want to be flexible.

Transportation: Flying to Orange County from Boise via Southwest. Once there, we will just use Super Shuttle to take us to and from the hotel and airport.

Hotel: Still debating on this one. Either the Fairfield Inn (where DH and I stayed on our honeymoon, loved it!) or HoJos, which is about $200 less if we book now. Opinions anyone?

Everything else is still in progress. I have a subscription to Touring Plans since we will be there during a pretty busy time. I’m hoping that Cars Land and Buena Vista Street will be open by then so that we can enjoy DCA to its fullest. But the crowds will probably be horrendous. Has anyone been to Disneyland on or near an huge opening? How were the crowds?

Next post I will introduce myself, DH, and the In-Laws. Can’t wait till June!

 

[DizNee Luver]

We loved our stay at the HoJo!! Beautiful grounds, nice rooms, comfy beds!! We paid extra for the Prem. View Rooms & enjoyed watching the fireworks & seeing the lasers & lights coming from WoC from our balcony.

I wouldn't hold my breath on CarsLand being open that early.....it will probably be mid to late summer before it opens. (just a guess) I know the Little Mermaid ride last summer was supposed to open before summer hit & it was delayed opening. Crowd levels for when you're going probably won't be too bad.....schools in Oregon don't even get out till mid June. I imagine late summer/early fall the crowds will be nuts with all the new stuff opening. I was there in December & it was tons of construction walls....kinda like going thru a maze in places......lol

Congrats on finishing college....you should have a wonderful trip!!!!

 

[nataliakristine]

Yeah we are leaning toward Howard Johnson because of the price difference. Then we can spend that $200 on other stuff on the trip.

I wasn't sure on opening time because I know they like to have things open before the summer crowd. But since this is a pretty big project it makes sense that it might be later. Oh well. Both have their advantages. Either we get to experience CarsLand or the crowds will be good.

 

[PlutoRocks]

Hey! I'm fairly new here myself so welcome! My two sisters and I will be there the same time we are driving in on June 2nd and leaving on June 6th...maybe we'll run into each other.

 

[nataliakristine]

That's awesome! Any idea where you will be staying yet?

 

[nataliakristine]

Well just found out that most likely CarsLand will not be open when we go. Also discovered that Matterhorn will still be closed for refurb. While I am kind of bummed about both things, the upside is that the crowds will be small enough that we can experience everything we want to and take a slower pace. plus now we have an excuse to come back in a year maybe?

 

[PlutoRocks]

We are staying at the Desert Palms which is next to the 7eleven on the corner of Harbor and Katella - last year we stayed at the Clarion and the walk was a bit much and the shuttle NEVER seemed to arrive for that route so...we moved a bit closer.

I am also bummed about the Matterhorn - it was down last year when we went too so this is two years running that I haven't been able to ride it...maybe next year

 

[Goofy_Mom]

We'll be there the same time, too. Just becasue the grand opening won't be till (likely) mid June, there is still a chance we may see some of it. You see, they do a soft opening to work the bugs out and fine tune things for the grand opening. Unfortunatly, we won't know for sure until we get there. Sending good vibes for good luck We are also staying at HoJo's.

What are you going to school for?

 

[nataliakristine]

We are staying at the Desert Palms which is next to the 7eleven on the corner of Harbor and Katella - last year we stayed at the Clarion and the walk was a bit much and the shuttle NEVER seemed to arrive for that route so...we moved a bit closer.

I am also bummed about the Matterhorn - it was down last year when we went too so this is two years running that I haven't been able to ride it...maybe next year

Yeah, I have stayed at some hotels where you have to take the ART and it's kind of a pain, so it is a priority for me to be able to quickly walk to and from the parks.

Luckily the Matterhorn was up last time I went, but it is one of my Father-In-Law's favorite rides, so he will be bummed when we tell him.

 

[nataliakristine]

We'll be there the same time, too. Just becasue the grand opening won't be till (likely) mid June, there is still a chance we may see some of it. You see, they do a soft opening to work the bugs out and fine tune things for the grand opening. Unfortunatly, we won't know for sure until we get there. Sending good vibes for good luck We are also staying at HoJo's.

What are you going to school for?

That would be pretty great if we get to experience some of it! But I'm pretty sure I'll be content either way! I'm at Disney!

I'm going to school for teaching, although I'm not sure if I am going to pursue that after graduation. I may choose to do something else with my degree...we'll see.

 

[nataliakristine]

Ok, I decided it is time to introduce you all to the people going on this trip! Thanks to everyone who is following! I am so excited to be sharing the planning process with other Disneyland addicts.

So, onto who is coming. First up, I will introduce myself!

I'm Natalia, aka Tali. I did not grow up going to Disneyland very often, I think my parents have taken me a total of about 3 times. However, during my senior year of high school, our concert band participated in a program there and the preparation for that trip is when I fell in love with Disney! Since that trip, I have been obsessed! I listen to a few podcasts, check websites frequently, and basically just dream about going there. I'm definitely the biggest Disney fan going on this trip and the biggest planner!!

This is my husband Justin. He is pretty great. Until our honeymoon he hadn't been there since he was in Junior High. He definitely enjoys Disneyland and it is really fun to see him get excited about sharing it with his parents! My favorite thing about him is that he basically lets me take over in the planning department. He gets some input, but he is content to just go with what I plan.

Here is a picture of us on our honeymoon June 2010, the last time either of us were at Disneyland:

Joining us on this trip are my in-laws, Justin's parents, Kent and Joani.

The last time they have been to Disneyland was also when my husband was in Junior High, so it has been awhile! DCA had opened not long before they were there but they have never been. We are pretty excited to share this with them! It's going to be pretty different than they remember, but they both really enjoy Disney and I think they will be really fun company! Both are good at showing excitement at new experiences, and that is the best kind of people to go with.

Anyway, there you have it! I'm super stoked about sharing this experience with them and I think we are going to have such a great time!!

 

[nataliakristine]

A quick update as to where we're at in the booking process. We booked airplane tickets last night. We decided to fly into LAX instead of Orange County because the tickets were cheaper. We are getting in early enough to spend a good chunk of the 2nd in the park, even though it is a grad night. And we are leaving late enough on the 6th that we will have a lot of time to do our shopping and hang out in DtD.

The dilemma that we're at now is still where to stay. After doing the math, the HoJo at the Entertainment Rate actually would not be saving us as much money as we thought and we just don't feel like jumping through the hoops to book it like that (buying the book, booking through the hotel instead of a bundle, etc.) So we were looking at the Fairfield Inn, where DH and I stayed on our honeymoon a few years ago. But then DMIL brought up PPH since that is where they had all stayed when they went about 10 years ago. We decided that, if that is what we choose, we can splurge and spend the extra money since this will be our last trip for awhile.

My question is, is it worth it to spend the extra money and stay on property? We can't stay at anything more expensive than the standard room at the PPH. But DMIL really likes staying on property because she wants to stay as far away from the real world as possible.

 

[nataliakristine]

Ok. Time for some new info. Our trip is completely booked now! And....drum roll please.....we're staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel!!! I'm so excited! DH's parents surprised us and splurged for the extra price. I have never stayed on Disney property before, so even though this may not be the prime choice for on property hotels, it is still going to be great!

Anyway, here are the official details of our trip:

We will fly into LAX instead of SNA (Orange County) like previously planned. The tickets were much cheaper. What is nice, though, is that our plane gets in at 11:45 in the morning, so I'm hoping we will be at the park by 2:00 on June 2nd!

We will be staying at the PPH (yayayay!) for four nights. We're taking Super Shuttle from and to the airport. We've used them before and are very happy with them. However, I've only taken Super Shuttle from SNA. I'm a little concerned that it is gonna be more difficult at a larger airport. But I'm sure we'll figure it out.

We are getting a 4-day park hopper and will be in the parks the 2nd through the 5th. On the 6th, our plane doesn't leave until 6 pm, so we are just planning on hanging out in DTD and finishing up shopping. Also, both DH's and DMIL's birthdays are within 60 days of our trip, so we will be getting the $30 off coupon for some of the restaurants in DTD.

Anyway, more details will come, but I am just so excited about everything that is settled so far!

 

[PlutoRocks]

So cool! What a fantastic surprise! From what I've read here you will enjoy the PPH - I've never stayed there but I've read some fun trip reports from people who did - what can I say, I live vicariously

 

[nataliakristine]

So cool! What a fantastic surprise! From what I've read here you will enjoy the PPH - I've never stayed there but I've read some fun trip reports from people who did - what can I say, I live vicariously

That is exactly how I live too! One day, I would love to be able to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, but until then I will just read other people's reports.

 

[niklynn1]

Also, both DH's and DMIL's birthdays are within 60 days of our trip, so we will be getting the $30 off coupon for some of the restaurants in DTD.

Please tell me more about this. We're planning a trip now that will be about 6 weeks prior to my son's b-day. Is this something special you get for b-days at DLR?

 

[nataliakristine]

Please tell me more about this. We're planning a trip now that will be about 6 weeks prior to my son's b-day. Is this something special you get for b-days at DLR?

If you go to the Patina Group's website, you can register for their birthday club thing and get a coupon for Catal, Naples, or Tortilla Jo's.

Here is the specific link:
http://www.patinagroup.com/joinus.php

We haven't registered yet, but when our trip gets closer, both people who have birthdays close will do this!

Hope this helps!

 

[nataliakristine]

We are within 60 days of the trip now!! Yayayay! To mark this milestone, I decided to share what the tentative plan is for dining (and general schedule) for the trip. I usually plan things out in a lot of detail, but that is mainly just so we have a plan if we need it. I am pretty flexible when we are actually in the park, I just hate standing around going "What do you want to do?" all the time.

Anyway, here is what we have for now:

June 2 - Probably won't get to the park until around 2 pm, but I'm thinking we go to Disneyland as soon as we can. I haven't eaten at the Jolly Holiday Bakery yet, but it looks delicious! So a late lunch there would be nice. Since we have no specific plan for the day, I think that our only table service restaurant would be good for that evening. I haven't made reservations (priority seating, whatever) yet, but maybe 7 or 7:30 at Cafe Orleans. I really want a Monte Cristo and I want to try the Pommes Frites and my DFIL wants the gumbo. Poor DH will just have to find something to eat (he is pretty picky).

June 3 - This day we have being mainly a DCA day. There might be a little parkhopping, but in general we will be at DCA. Lunch will probably be at Lucky Fortune Cookery. I know a lot of people don't like this, but DH loves it! We ate there at least twice during our honeymoon, so we like it a lot. Dinner will probably be at Taste Pilot's Grill, mainly because we had such a great experience there last time.

June 4 - This day will be mainly at Disneyland. I have lunch that day at the Hungry Bear restaurant. I have actually never eaten there and the Fried Green Tomato sandwich looks sooo good! This is the one restaurant I want to make sure I try this time. Dinner will be at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port. I know that this is another restaurant that has a lot of negativity around it, but I love the chicken fusilli! Can't go to Disneyland and not have it!

June 5 - This will be our last day in the parks, so I figured we would just do some parkhopping to hit any rides we want to do again or missed on the other days. I have lunch at DTD in Tortilla Joe's. I've never eaten there, but since we will be using two of the $30 off coupons, we decided on Tortilla Joe's and Naples. This may end up being dinner on this day, but if we want to use both coupons, one has to happen on this day. Dinner I have at both Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grille. Since they are across from each other (right?) it should be easy for those who are pickier (DH, mainly) to find something they like. PGG looks really good to me and I want to try it!

June 6 - This is just a DTD day since we will get picked up for our flight at 3:00 and we didn't want to spend money on another ticket just for a few hours. We will be getting all of our souvenir shopping done on this day. Lunch will be at Naples since it should fill us up until we get to the airport later that day. That is the only meal I have planned for that day.

A few other snacks I want to do during this trip are:
Tigger Tails (I've never had one!)
Bacon-wrapped Asparagus @ Bengal BBQ (again, never had this but it sounds so good!)
Ice Cream during Fireworks (a must do for DH and me)

Any advice, critiques, or recommendations you have would be great! Food can actually make or break a trip for us, in a sense, since DH is so picky and both of us have sensitive stomachs.

Also, I'm a little bummed that it is basically official that we won't be able to do any soft openings for Carsland, but oh well. Looking forward to the (hopefully) low crowds!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

your trip sounds so exciting!

I have a trip that is somewhat close to yours, May 7-16. I'm a bit bummed as well that Matterhorn will be closed and Carsland not open yet, but I think there will still be plenty to do.

 

[nataliakristine]

Ok, so I may have misunderstood about the Patina group birthday coupon. Is the coupon good at all before someone's birthday, or just within the 60 days after? Both people in our group have birthdays later in June and for some reason I thought we could use them before their birthdays. Recently, I read something that made me think differently. Anyone know the answer to this?

If that is the case, it won't be that big of a deal since we would still be spending about as much at those restaurants with the coupon as we would if we ate at an average priced restaurant. Plus, DH kind of wants to go to Rainforest Cafe since he has never been there, so maybe we will just do that on our final DTD day.