puffkin
DVC Owner- SSR & AKV
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2001
Cast:
Woody- Disney nut and obsessive trip planner, age 23
Buzz- fiancé of Woody, tolerates Disney, age 25
Day 1 (Friday October 31, 2003):
Who would have thought that I would be going to California in just a few short hours? This trip came about very unexpectedly. Just a few short weeks ago, Buzz came home from work and said that he had to go to California on business. When I found out he would only be a few miles away from Disneyland, I schemed, connived, begged, pleaded and finally got him to agree to let me tag along. We already were going to Disney World in December, so this trip was a huge bonus for me.
Buzzs work took care of the hotel and car rental. They also were very gracious and worked with me on booking Buzzs flight. I researched flights and found in my price range, so they booked that flight for Buzz. Then, he called me right away and I was able to book the same flight for myself and even get the seats next to him for each leg. After some more begging and pleading, my parents agreed to watch our puppy, Murphy, so we were all set. I bought two guide books and scoured the Internet for hours during those few short weeks.
Before we knew it, we were on our way. I worked a half day and Buzz worked a full day on Friday. I cleaned and did laundry, and then we both packed when Buzz got home from work. I was extremely excited because this was our first trip to the West Coast, and I never thought that I would get a chance to see Disneyland. Buzz was worried because this was his first business trip and he was nervous about Monday. After saying good bye to Murphy, we were on the road to Philadelphia around 7:45 pm.
Well, of course we had to make a bunch of stops on the way, including Target, the gas station and Wendys for some dinner. We got to the Ramada Philadelphia Airport and checked in around 10:00 pm. I had reserved this room with an Entertainment rate of $65. This was our first time staying here and what a dive! I was so disappointed because the grounds and lobby area were really nice. Our room was dark and dingy with peeling wall paper, extremely frayed carpets, missing ceiling tiles, and horrible beds. I didnt even bother to complain because I wouldnt stay there again if it was free!
Off to bed for our very early flight
Day 2 (Saturday November 1, 2003)
Wow did the wake up call come early! 3:15 a.m. is just too early to get up. After showering and packing up, we headed downstairs to wait for the 4:00 a.m. airport shuttle. We knew from prior experience that the shuttles fill up pretty fast in the early mornings because they dont come as frequently, and we needed to be on the 4 oclock one. I am glad we got there early, because not everyone who was waiting made it onto our shuttle.
We arrived at Philadelphia International at 4:15 a.m. We have always flown US Airways, which is the airports major carrier. However, this time we were flying Delta. We were dropped off at ticketing and were greeted by a horrendous line, there must have been over 200 people waiting. I got inside and noticed only two people were using the e-ticket kiosks, which are my preferred way to check in. So, we got our boarding passes and checked our luggage in no time. I just dont understand why more people dont use the kiosks. They are so easy and fast!
We were flying from Philadelphia to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to John Wayne Airport. We had a ½ hour wait at the gate, before we boarded our 5:30 am flight. The flight was packed but it went quickly. Once in Atlanta, we only had to go down a few gates and we had about an hour wait. We boarded on time for the 8:30 a.m. flight. The flight was pretty empty, and no one ended up sitting next to us. We were given a sky deli bag for our meal, which included cereal, milk, water, yogurt, granola bar, and banana. Our movie was Freaky Friday, which we both enjoyed. We did have to pay $2 for the headphones though. I didnt mind too much though because we got to keep them and they were of a pretty decent quality.
We landed at John Wayne on time (10:30 a.m.). I was surprised at how busy this airport was considering its size. After picking up our bags, we waited about 10 minutes at the Hertz counter to get our rental. We ended up with a brand new White Ford Mustang. A great car for two twenty somethings in California! Of course we went the wrong way out of the airport, but we soon realized our mistake and found our hotel with little problems.
We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott John Wayne Airport, which was only about a mile from Buzzs work. It was nice and clean, but nothing spectacular. We checked in, dropped off our bags, and headed to the beach. We both hate the beach, but I wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. It was about 6-7 miles to Newport Beach from the hotel. We walked down to the water, said oooooh and aaaaaah, took a couple of pictures and left. Now that I got that out of my system, it was off to Disneyland.
The trip from the hotel to Disneyland was really easy and only took about 15 minutes. We took the 405 to the 55 to the 5. I get such a kick out of how all the highways in California are called freeways and people say The #. Plus, we were never on a road less than 6 lanes across, the whole time! That is insane. Around Philly, we are lucky if the highways are 6 lanes across, 8 lanes is unheard of! At one point, just one side of the I-5 was 8 lanes!
We ended up parking in the Timon parking lot, which was great. We never waited long for a tram, and it wasnt completely packed. I was so disoriented walking into Disneyland. I kept expecting things to look like the Magic Kingdom, but it was different. It was similar, but different. Very surreal. I knew the castle was small, but wow is it tiny! Some of the Christmas decorations were out on Main Street and it was very pretty.
The park was busy but not packed. We decided to grab fast passes for Indiana Jones and then grab lunch since we hadnt eaten anything yet. Buzz only would be in the parks Saturday and Sunday (2-day park hopper) so we wanted to do as much as possible during his two short days. We grabbed lunch at Pinocchios Village Haus in Fantasyland. We had two cheeseburger meals and two cokes for $17. The service was very slow. It took 15 minutes to get our food, and it wasnt even busy in the restaurant.
Before riding Indiana Jones, we walked down and grabbed some Fast Passes for Pirates of the Caribbean for an hour later. We rode Indy with a very short wait with our Fast passes and both liked it. I cant say that I like Dinosaur or Indy better, they are both fun. We then walked through the Tarzan tree house before heading over to Pirates of the Caribbean. We were still a bit early, so we walked through New Orleans Square, which was absolutely beautiful with all the decorations. We also looked at the Haunted Mansion exhibit in the Disney Gallery. Then we grabbed fast passes for Haunted Mansion before heading back to Pirates.
We both thought that Pirates was much better at Disneyland. My only complaint was that the boats moved so slowly! It felt like we were barely moving. It was then time for our Haunted Mansion fast pass. We both enjoyed the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, Buzz is a big fan of the movie. The standby line was 70 minutes, so this is definitely a great attraction to utilize fast pass. The ride did seem much shorter than the Haunted Mansion in WDW, but it might have seemed that way due to the layover.
We then headed towards Toon Town to grab fast passes for Roger Rabbit. By this time, the sun had started to set and it was getting very chilly, so we took the Disneyland Railroad around to the Main Street USA station. After a quick trip out to the car to grab our coats, we headed back into the park. We had gotten a photo taken when we first arrived, so we stopped by the Photo Shop to see it. Even though it wasnt great, we purchased it since it is rare for us to have photos with the two of us in it.
We were starving by now, and Buzz had caught a glimpse of those bread bowls of soup, so we headed to the New Orleans Café. We each had the clam chowder bowl, which cost $22 with drinks. We then headed back to Toon Town to use our fast pass for Roger Rabbit. This ride was fun, but definitely not a must see. We looked around Toon Town a little. I think Toon Town is much better in Disneyland. I wish they would change Mickeys Toon Town Fair in WDW to be similar.
We had seen most of the major attractions in Disneyland that we were interested in, so we headed over to Disneys California Adventure. The place was very empty. We grabbed Fast passes for Soarin Over California and then headed back to Paradise Pier. California Screamin only had a 20 minute wait, so we decided to go on. Buzz really liked this ride. We then headed over to the Sun Wheel and waited 30 minutes for a swinging gondola. I did not like this ride at all, it was not a sensation I enjoy. Rides dont bother me at all, but I was glad when that one was over.
We then walked back towards the front of the park and used our Fast Pass for Soarin Over California. We requested the front row and I thought this was a great and incredibly unique ride. Buzz liked it too. My only complaint was that there was a scratch in the print, which was clearly visible and distracting through out most of the film. I think this ride will be a great addition to Epcot. However, it would be nice if they would update the film to Florida or the region instead of an exact copy.
By this time, our long day had caught up to us. Even though it was only 9:30 pm, it felt like 12:30 am to us, so we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel. We only made one wrong turn and were back at the hotel in no time. After a quick shower and a little unpacking, we collapsed in bed around 10:30 pm.
Stay tuned for Day 3!
Woody- Disney nut and obsessive trip planner, age 23
Buzz- fiancé of Woody, tolerates Disney, age 25
Day 1 (Friday October 31, 2003):
Who would have thought that I would be going to California in just a few short hours? This trip came about very unexpectedly. Just a few short weeks ago, Buzz came home from work and said that he had to go to California on business. When I found out he would only be a few miles away from Disneyland, I schemed, connived, begged, pleaded and finally got him to agree to let me tag along. We already were going to Disney World in December, so this trip was a huge bonus for me.
Buzzs work took care of the hotel and car rental. They also were very gracious and worked with me on booking Buzzs flight. I researched flights and found in my price range, so they booked that flight for Buzz. Then, he called me right away and I was able to book the same flight for myself and even get the seats next to him for each leg. After some more begging and pleading, my parents agreed to watch our puppy, Murphy, so we were all set. I bought two guide books and scoured the Internet for hours during those few short weeks.
Before we knew it, we were on our way. I worked a half day and Buzz worked a full day on Friday. I cleaned and did laundry, and then we both packed when Buzz got home from work. I was extremely excited because this was our first trip to the West Coast, and I never thought that I would get a chance to see Disneyland. Buzz was worried because this was his first business trip and he was nervous about Monday. After saying good bye to Murphy, we were on the road to Philadelphia around 7:45 pm.
Well, of course we had to make a bunch of stops on the way, including Target, the gas station and Wendys for some dinner. We got to the Ramada Philadelphia Airport and checked in around 10:00 pm. I had reserved this room with an Entertainment rate of $65. This was our first time staying here and what a dive! I was so disappointed because the grounds and lobby area were really nice. Our room was dark and dingy with peeling wall paper, extremely frayed carpets, missing ceiling tiles, and horrible beds. I didnt even bother to complain because I wouldnt stay there again if it was free!
Off to bed for our very early flight
Day 2 (Saturday November 1, 2003)
Wow did the wake up call come early! 3:15 a.m. is just too early to get up. After showering and packing up, we headed downstairs to wait for the 4:00 a.m. airport shuttle. We knew from prior experience that the shuttles fill up pretty fast in the early mornings because they dont come as frequently, and we needed to be on the 4 oclock one. I am glad we got there early, because not everyone who was waiting made it onto our shuttle.
We arrived at Philadelphia International at 4:15 a.m. We have always flown US Airways, which is the airports major carrier. However, this time we were flying Delta. We were dropped off at ticketing and were greeted by a horrendous line, there must have been over 200 people waiting. I got inside and noticed only two people were using the e-ticket kiosks, which are my preferred way to check in. So, we got our boarding passes and checked our luggage in no time. I just dont understand why more people dont use the kiosks. They are so easy and fast!
We were flying from Philadelphia to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to John Wayne Airport. We had a ½ hour wait at the gate, before we boarded our 5:30 am flight. The flight was packed but it went quickly. Once in Atlanta, we only had to go down a few gates and we had about an hour wait. We boarded on time for the 8:30 a.m. flight. The flight was pretty empty, and no one ended up sitting next to us. We were given a sky deli bag for our meal, which included cereal, milk, water, yogurt, granola bar, and banana. Our movie was Freaky Friday, which we both enjoyed. We did have to pay $2 for the headphones though. I didnt mind too much though because we got to keep them and they were of a pretty decent quality.
We landed at John Wayne on time (10:30 a.m.). I was surprised at how busy this airport was considering its size. After picking up our bags, we waited about 10 minutes at the Hertz counter to get our rental. We ended up with a brand new White Ford Mustang. A great car for two twenty somethings in California! Of course we went the wrong way out of the airport, but we soon realized our mistake and found our hotel with little problems.
We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott John Wayne Airport, which was only about a mile from Buzzs work. It was nice and clean, but nothing spectacular. We checked in, dropped off our bags, and headed to the beach. We both hate the beach, but I wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. It was about 6-7 miles to Newport Beach from the hotel. We walked down to the water, said oooooh and aaaaaah, took a couple of pictures and left. Now that I got that out of my system, it was off to Disneyland.
The trip from the hotel to Disneyland was really easy and only took about 15 minutes. We took the 405 to the 55 to the 5. I get such a kick out of how all the highways in California are called freeways and people say The #. Plus, we were never on a road less than 6 lanes across, the whole time! That is insane. Around Philly, we are lucky if the highways are 6 lanes across, 8 lanes is unheard of! At one point, just one side of the I-5 was 8 lanes!
We ended up parking in the Timon parking lot, which was great. We never waited long for a tram, and it wasnt completely packed. I was so disoriented walking into Disneyland. I kept expecting things to look like the Magic Kingdom, but it was different. It was similar, but different. Very surreal. I knew the castle was small, but wow is it tiny! Some of the Christmas decorations were out on Main Street and it was very pretty.
The park was busy but not packed. We decided to grab fast passes for Indiana Jones and then grab lunch since we hadnt eaten anything yet. Buzz only would be in the parks Saturday and Sunday (2-day park hopper) so we wanted to do as much as possible during his two short days. We grabbed lunch at Pinocchios Village Haus in Fantasyland. We had two cheeseburger meals and two cokes for $17. The service was very slow. It took 15 minutes to get our food, and it wasnt even busy in the restaurant.
Before riding Indiana Jones, we walked down and grabbed some Fast Passes for Pirates of the Caribbean for an hour later. We rode Indy with a very short wait with our Fast passes and both liked it. I cant say that I like Dinosaur or Indy better, they are both fun. We then walked through the Tarzan tree house before heading over to Pirates of the Caribbean. We were still a bit early, so we walked through New Orleans Square, which was absolutely beautiful with all the decorations. We also looked at the Haunted Mansion exhibit in the Disney Gallery. Then we grabbed fast passes for Haunted Mansion before heading back to Pirates.
We both thought that Pirates was much better at Disneyland. My only complaint was that the boats moved so slowly! It felt like we were barely moving. It was then time for our Haunted Mansion fast pass. We both enjoyed the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, Buzz is a big fan of the movie. The standby line was 70 minutes, so this is definitely a great attraction to utilize fast pass. The ride did seem much shorter than the Haunted Mansion in WDW, but it might have seemed that way due to the layover.
We then headed towards Toon Town to grab fast passes for Roger Rabbit. By this time, the sun had started to set and it was getting very chilly, so we took the Disneyland Railroad around to the Main Street USA station. After a quick trip out to the car to grab our coats, we headed back into the park. We had gotten a photo taken when we first arrived, so we stopped by the Photo Shop to see it. Even though it wasnt great, we purchased it since it is rare for us to have photos with the two of us in it.
We were starving by now, and Buzz had caught a glimpse of those bread bowls of soup, so we headed to the New Orleans Café. We each had the clam chowder bowl, which cost $22 with drinks. We then headed back to Toon Town to use our fast pass for Roger Rabbit. This ride was fun, but definitely not a must see. We looked around Toon Town a little. I think Toon Town is much better in Disneyland. I wish they would change Mickeys Toon Town Fair in WDW to be similar.
We had seen most of the major attractions in Disneyland that we were interested in, so we headed over to Disneys California Adventure. The place was very empty. We grabbed Fast passes for Soarin Over California and then headed back to Paradise Pier. California Screamin only had a 20 minute wait, so we decided to go on. Buzz really liked this ride. We then headed over to the Sun Wheel and waited 30 minutes for a swinging gondola. I did not like this ride at all, it was not a sensation I enjoy. Rides dont bother me at all, but I was glad when that one was over.
We then walked back towards the front of the park and used our Fast Pass for Soarin Over California. We requested the front row and I thought this was a great and incredibly unique ride. Buzz liked it too. My only complaint was that there was a scratch in the print, which was clearly visible and distracting through out most of the film. I think this ride will be a great addition to Epcot. However, it would be nice if they would update the film to Florida or the region instead of an exact copy.
By this time, our long day had caught up to us. Even though it was only 9:30 pm, it felt like 12:30 am to us, so we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel. We only made one wrong turn and were back at the hotel in no time. After a quick shower and a little unpacking, we collapsed in bed around 10:30 pm.
Stay tuned for Day 3!
