Diva & 27th Anniv Trip w/1500+ Pics, Photopass starts #765!!

So I'm assuming the Holiday Tours are ok with little ones then? I know a lot of the other tours they suggest for older kids & adults.

It sounds like it would be worth the expense to do the tour......at least in my book!! Thanx for the info! So do you do the rides while on the tour, or any time after?? One of the tours I took, gave us FP's for certain rides.....so was just curious if that's what they do.

Yes, from everything everyone says, this is a great tour for kids - especially because you get the seats for the parade and don't have to worry about standing, and you can get right on those 2 pivotal holiday rides without the hideous lines. You go on the 2 rides while on the tour, I think. Although, I recall reading someone's tour experience last year and for some reason something happened and they had to go on IASWH after the parade at night...but that's not the way it usually works. I think the parade is supposed to be the last thing you do, at the end of the tour, and the rides are before that.
 
So I'm assuming the Holiday Tours are ok with little ones then? I know a lot of the other tours they suggest for older kids & adults.

It sounds like it would be worth the expense to do the tour......at least in my book!! Thanx for the info! So do you do the rides while on the tour, or any time after?? One of the tours I took, gave us FP's for certain rides.....so was just curious if that's what they do.

I do the tour every time I'm at DL for the holidays - I love it! Yes, it is good with little ones. You go on IASWH and HMH and your seating for the parade is the last thing you do. Seats are right across from IASWH and you pick up your hot cocoa and treat in Toontown before sitting down. I am not a huge fan of parades but love the Christmas Fantasy Parade!

If any little ones don't want to ride HMH, you can just sit it out and meet the group at the exit. And Sherry describe the tour perfectly!!
 
Yes, from everything everyone says, this is a great tour for kids - especially because you get the seats for the parade and don't have to worry about standing, and you can get right on those 2 pivotal holiday rides without the hideous lines. You go on the 2 rides while on the tour, I think. Although, I recall reading someone's tour experience last year and for some reason something happened and they had to go on IASWH after the parade at night...but that's not the way it usually works. I think the parade is supposed to be the last thing you do, at the end of the tour, and the rides are before that.

I do the tour every time I'm at DL for the holidays - I love it! Yes, it is good with little ones. You go on IASWH and HMH and your seating for the parade is the last thing you do. Seats are right across from IASWH and you pick up your hot cocoa and treat in Toontown before sitting down. I am not a huge fan of parades but love the Christmas Fantasy Parade!

If any little ones don't want to ride HMH, you can just sit it out and meet the group at the exit. And Sherry describe the tour perfectly!!

Thanx Sherry & Bridget!!! I think the tour would be worth it for seating at the parade!! I'm not sure the twins would do well on the HMH or not....they're not big fans of any rides. They did ok on IASW & the train (oh & the tram back to the parking garage....lol)......but Peter Pan was a bit much for them & so was POTC. Not so much the dark but the jerky or drop feelings.

I imagine we'd pick up a GAC for both of them this trip. We don't usually do much with them, other than allowing them to stay in their strollers in places you usually have to leave them outside.....but we did use it for 2 rides last summer. (depending on crowds, we might need them a little more this trip)

I know the twins would enjoy the parade because they love music......music seems to be the one thing we can rely on to calm them.....so getting to relax & watch with them in seats would be great!!!
 
Awww its always sad to see your TR's end but it sounds like it wont be long before your gonna be starting a new PTR!!! how exciting, This year Monte and I and the kids are planning on going the first week in October but I think were gonna try and stay at all 3 on-site hotels :cool1: We've never stayed at one let alone all 3! It will be a challenge but I think it will be worth it and the kids are old enough that they can deal with it just fine! So when I start to nail things down I think Im gonna maybe start my ptr. Look forward to seeing your photopass pictures! :hug:
 


Awww its always sad to see your TR's end but it sounds like it wont be long before your gonna be starting a new PTR!!! how exciting, This year Monte and I and the kids are planning on going the first week in October but I think were gonna try and stay at all 3 on-site hotels :cool1: We've never stayed at one let alone all 3! It will be a challenge but I think it will be worth it and the kids are old enough that they can deal with it just fine! So when I start to nail things down I think Im gonna maybe start my ptr. Look forward to seeing your photopass pictures! :hug:

WOW!! All 3?? That will be fun to see!! As much as we loved staying at the PPH, it's really hard to justify the expense of staying on site. They're really pricing themselves out of most families budgets. Pricing out on site at the PPH vs staying in a suite off property was twice as much!! :eek: I wish they'd drop the prices when purchasing the travel package through their travel company!! I can't afford on-site with a family of 6......we have to upgrade to a suite or get 2 rooms & that holds true at pretty much all the motels......so that sucks big time!

Will the park have the Halloween stuff up & the HMH overlay in place when you go??

Will be watching for your PTR!!
 
WOW!! All 3?? That will be fun to see!! As much as we loved staying at the PPH, it's really hard to justify the expense of staying on site. They're really pricing themselves out of most families budgets. Pricing out on site at the PPH vs staying in a suite off property was twice as much!! :eek: I wish they'd drop the prices when purchasing the travel package through their travel company!! I can't afford on-site with a family of 6......we have to upgrade to a suite or get 2 rooms & that holds true at pretty much all the motels......so that sucks big time!

Will the park have the Halloween stuff up & the HMH overlay in place when you go??

Will be watching for your PTR!!

We havent nailed down a date yet, but hoping that at least the HMH overlay is up, we seem to like that version ALOT! There are some BIG changes happening at our place over the next few months so it will largely depend on how the time between April and September go. Will let everyone in when we have details!
 
After each trip, I like to go back & figure out what we did & what we missed. Some things we miss is on purpose.......lol

DISNEYLAND~~~MAIN STREET:

Did:
Disneyland Railroad
The Disney Gallery
Great Moments with Mr Lincoln

Didn't:
Main Street Vehicles
Main Street Cinema

Tasted:
Blue Ribbon Bakery
Carnation Cafe
Gibson Girl Ice Cream
Coke Corner
Candy Palace

Didn't Taste:
Plaza Inn

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ADVENTURELAND:

Did:
Enchanted Tiki Room
Indiana Jones

Didn't:
Jungle Cruise
Tarzan's Treehouse

Tasted:
Bengel BBQ
Tiki Juice Bar

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NEW ORLEAN'S SQUARE:

Did:
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Carribean

Didn't Taste:
Blue Bayou
French Market
Royal St Veranda
Cafe Orlean's (weird to miss this one, since I had 2 different ressies & cancelled both)

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CRITTER COUNTRY:

Did:
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Didn't:
Splash Mountain (closed for refurb)
Canoes (closed except for last day)

Didn't Taste:
Hungry Bear Restaurant (closed)
Harbour Galley

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FRONTIERLAND:

Did:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Ranch
Golden Horseshoe

Didn't:
Pirate's Lair
Shootin Exposition
Mark Twain Riverboat
Columbia Sailing Ship (closed but reopened with issues to tracking, so closed again & sat in dry dock)

Tasted:
Stage Door Cafe
Rancho del Zocalo
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ

Didn't Taste:
Golden Horseshoe Cafe
River Belle Terrace

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TOONTOWN:

Didn't even step foot into this area this trip!

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FANTASYLAND:

Did:
Alice in Wonderland
It's a Small World
Mad Party Teacups
Matterhorn
Mr Toad's Wild Ride
Peter Pan
Snow White's Scary Adventure
Pinocchio's Daring Adventure
Princess Fantasy Faire
Pixie Hollow

Didn't:
Casey Jr Train
Dumbo
King Arthur's Carousel
Storybookland Canal Boats
Sleeping Beauty Walk-Thru

Didn't Taste:
Village Haus
Troubadour Tavern

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TOMORROWLAND:

Did:
Space Mountain
Captain EO
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
Monorail

Didn't:
Astro Orbitor
Autopia
Finding Nemo Subs
Innoventions
Starcade
Star Tours (closed for refurb)

Didn't Taste:
Redd Rockett's Pizza Port
Tomorrowland Terrace

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Meet-n-Greets:

Did:
PFF
Pixie Hollow

Didn't:
Rapunzel/Tangled

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Entertainment:

Did:
Fireworks
Family Fun Weekend-Mardi Gras
Disneyland Band
Dapper Dan's
Firemen's Band
Flag Retreat
Billy Hill & the Hillbillies
Jambalaya Jazz
Fantasyland Band

Didn't:
Fantasmic (due to problems with Columbia & so the show was cancelled)
Magic, Memories & Me
Laughing Stock Company
Royal St Bachelors
Jedi Training
Other bands playing at Tomorrowland Terrace


So did way more this trip then we did our summer trip last year. Being with the Diva's for the first half & just Mike & I the 2nd half, allowed us to take in a lot more of the exhibits & entertainment. The only thing I wished we would have gotten to was the Magic, Memories & Me show on IASW. Timing never worked out for us.

Next post will have the DCA stuff!!

 


Moving on to Disney's California Adventure Park!!

HOLLYWOOD BACKLOTS:

DID:
Monster's Inc.
Disney Animation Building
Animation Academy
Turtle Talk with Crush
Aladdin

Didn't:
Tower of Terror (I don't think so!!)
Playhouse Disney (closed to change over to Disney Junior)
Muppet 3-D

Tasted:
Schmoozies

Didn't Taste:
Award Weiners
Studio Catering

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SUNSHINE PLAZA:

Didn't Taste:
Baker's Field Bakery
Burr-Bank Ice Cream

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BUGS LAND:

Walked in this area for the Scavy Hunt but didn't do anything.

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PARADISE PIER:

Did:
Toy Story Midway Mania
California Screamin'

Didn't Do:
Mickey's Death, I mean Fun Wheel (eeeeee-yikes!)
Goofy's Sky School (closed for refurb)
Silly Symphony Swings
Golden Zephyr
King Triton's Carousel
Jumpin' Jellyfish
Games of the Boardwalk

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GOLDEN STATE:

Did:
Soarin' Over California
Grizzly River Run
Blue Sky Cellar

Didn't:
Redwood Creek Challenge
Mission Tortilla Factory
Bakery Tour

Tasted:
Lucky Fortune

Didn't Taste:
Pacific Wharf Cafe
Cocina Mexican Grill
Pacific Wharf Distributors
Mendocino Terrace
Wine Country Trattoria
Sonoma Terrace
Taste Pilot's Grill (really surprised we didn't eat here....we love it!)

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Meet-n-Greets:

Did:
Lightnin' McQueen & Mater
Sailor Mickey
Duffy the Bear
Visa Private Meet-n-Greet

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ENTERTAINMENT:

Did:
World of Color
Aladdin, the Musical
Pixar Pals
Green Army Men

Didn't:
Electronica
Disney Channel Rocks
Disney Dance Crew
Miner 49'ers
Mariachi Band

Think we got a lot done & enjoyed during our trip......felt we accomplished all the things we really wanted to do this time!!


PS: I HAVE ADDED AN INDEX ON THE FIRST POST IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC.

Thanx for reading!!! :cloud9:
 
Laurie! We got our pins today! :goodvibes THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I remember us looking at the Chip & Dale one and saying we'd buy it later and never did! It is perfect! And who can go wrong with Mickey! :cloud9:
 
Hi Laurie, thanks for the link on FB to your Magical, Fantastical, Awesome Trip report!! wow!! I loved every picture, every word! You made me feel like I was there, and got me very excited for our upcoming trip! Can't believe we'll be there again in a couple of months!

Have some questions...why do you call Mickey's Fun wheel "Death Wheel"? did you have a bad experience or have you never been? What about the Tower of Terror, I'm really a chicken on rides, but only certain ones, like the high up ones (other than Splash Mountain) DON'T like BTMRR (had a horrible experience years ago and will never go again)...my daughter is trying to say that I might be ok on TOT, but I'm not sure!

I love Soarin', Monsters Inc., GRR, POTC, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan (actually all the rides in Fantasyland) but I also love things like the Monorail, Train, Carousel, and just people watching, strolling down Main Street, watching shows like Fantasmic, etc!

Love popcorn, so all your popcorn cart pics were especially meaningful for me! ;)

Thanks again, Kelly P.
 
Hi Laurie, thanks for the link on FB to your Magical, Fantastical, Awesome Trip report!! wow!! I loved every picture, every word! You made me feel like I was there, and got me very excited for our upcoming trip! Can't believe we'll be there again in a couple of months!

Have some questions...why do you call Mickey's Fun wheel "Death Wheel"? did you have a bad experience or have you never been? What about the Tower of Terror, I'm really a chicken on rides, but only certain ones, like the high up ones (other than Splash Mountain) DON'T like BTMRR (had a horrible experience years ago and will never go again)...my daughter is trying to say that I might be ok on TOT, but I'm not sure!

I love Soarin', Monsters Inc., GRR, POTC, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan (actually all the rides in Fantasyland) but I also love things like the Monorail, Train, Carousel, and just people watching, strolling down Main Street, watching shows like Fantasmic, etc!

Love popcorn, so all your popcorn cart pics were especially meaningful for me! ;)

Thanks again, Kelly P.

Hi Kelly!!!!

Glad you made it over here!!

Ok, Mickey's Fun Wheel.........it's lovingly called Mickey's Death wheel by all us big chickens!! I, personally, would have a heart attack if I got on it. I'm afraid of heights & it's really, REALLY tall!!!

Won't do ToT, hate the feeling of falling. I can handle small drops (POTC, GRR) but even Splash Mtn bugs me.

I love BTMRR......my favorite ride......could do it over & over & over!!

I enjoy the rides, but have just as much fun (or more) watching the shows, entertainment, etc. I could do DL without going on a ride......I'd be itching to get on a few....but I'd be happy just being there!!

Looking forward to seeing pics from your trip!!!
 
Hey Laurie......Check out my new ticker but shhhhhhhh, we havent told the kids yet and my kids are nosy little boogers who are all over FB!
Yay!
My husband is leaving the first part of May to go to Alaska to work for 6 months so yesterday we decided to go on a quick trip b4 he heads out for so long....yay! I cant wait, got it all booked yesterday! :thumbsup2

Still not sure wether I should do a trip report or not?!?! still havent finished the last day of the previous trip....hmmmm may have to think a little harder. Between work and only having 24 days till we leave AND not telling the kids, it may be harder than the previous ones were?!?!? I just knew I had to tell you! woohoo! :banana:

:dance3: :cheer2: :woohoo::banana: :cool1: :thumbsup2
 
Hey Laurie......Check out my new ticker but shhhhhhhh, we havent told the kids yet and my kids are nosy little boogers who are all over FB!
Yay!
My husband is leaving the first part of May to go to Alaska to work for 6 months so yesterday we decided to go on a quick trip b4 he heads out for so long....yay! I cant wait, got it all booked yesterday! :thumbsup2

Still not sure wether I should do a trip report or not?!?! still havent finished the last day of the previous trip....hmmmm may have to think a little harder. Between work and only having 24 days till we leave AND not telling the kids, it may be harder than the previous ones were?!?!? I just knew I had to tell you! woohoo! :banana:

:dance3: :cheer2: :woohoo::banana: :cool1: :thumbsup2

YAY!!!! :cool1: How exciting!!!! I'm just sorry to see that your hubby is gonna be gone for 6 months! :eek: That would be so hard!!

Where are you gonna stay?? How many days?? Anything special you're gonna do when there (WoC dinner, Fantasmic dessert)

If you don't do a trip report......just make sure to take lots of pictures to share on FB. I won't say a thing on FB......I know nothing...... :rolleyes1

Please feel free to let me know on here your plans.......and what exactly is hubby gonna do up in Alaska??
 
YAY!!!! :cool1: How exciting!!!! I'm just sorry to see that your hubby is gonna be gone for 6 months! :eek: That would be so hard!!
It will be ok, were both pretty independant and pretty good at handling things on our own, after much talking and consideration we think we'll be fine :thumbsup2

Where are you gonna stay?? How many days?? Anything special you're gonna do when there (WoC dinner, Fantasmic dessert)
Were gonna stay at LaQuinta, its cheap and they have a big suite for $1000 less than PP which is where I wanted to stay, but DH has already promised to take me to all three on-sites when he gets back as my reward for holding down the fort while he is gone and a great pay off for all his hard work. We'll be in the park for 5 days but they are doing some sort of Pirates screening on the island so no Fantasmic while we are there or else we had planned on doing the dessert, maybe next time were there. We did WoC dinner last November so we'll def see the show but maybe this time we'll choose the picnics instead or maybe just try and wing the FP for seating since weve all seen it already....not sure yet on this one.

If you don't do a trip report......just make sure to take lots of pictures to share on FB. I won't say a thing on FB......I know nothing...... :rolleyes1
Yay, thank you, I know my kids are nosy and if my plans were discovered I would be bummed out a little! lol

Please feel free to let me know on here your plans.......and what exactly is hubby gonna do up in Alaska??
He is going to be helping to re-do a 80 mile stretch of highway about 80 miles north of fairbanks. The pay is OUTSTANDING and they pay him $75 a day on top of that for his food and lodging which he wont use because him and some other people are staying in a motorhome/trailer thingy. We hoping to be able to pay off our car and our one major credit card and save for our awesome DL trip in November. :banana:
Yay, im so excited, If I can just figure out how to keep my excitement contained...for the kids sake! LOL
 
That sounds amazing!!! I'm not sure I could handle Mike being gone for 6 days, let alone 6 months!! But the pay is wonderful & definitely tempting!!

The kids are gonna be so surprised!!!! How are they handling dad being gone??

Looking forward to hearing all about it!!
 
That sounds amazing!!! I'm not sure I could handle Mike being gone for 6 days, let alone 6 months!! But the pay is wonderful & definitely tempting!!

The kids are gonna be so surprised!!!! How are they handling dad being gone??

Looking forward to hearing all about it!!

I think the key is to give them something to look forward to. One being a probable trip to Alaska over the summer to see some family we have in Fairbanks and also the promise of another trip to DL when DH gets home...they are in great spirits about the whole thing, but you know as well as I do that could all change the minute he leaves! :confused3
 
I think the key is to give them something to look forward to. One being a probable trip to Alaska over the summer to see some family we have in Fairbanks and also the promise of another trip to DL when DH gets home...they are in great spirits about the whole thing, but you know as well as I do that could all change the minute he leaves! :confused3

:hug: Here's to hoping they handle at well as you!!! A trip to Alaska....that will be fun!! Is that where you're from?? I imagine when the kids are in school, time will fly by, but this summer could seem long to them.......but I really hope they do ok (and you too!!) You could always come to Salem & have a giant sleepover in my front room!!! :rotfl: The invitation is always there!!
 
:hug: Here's to hoping they handle at well as you!!! A trip to Alaska....that will be fun!! Is that where you're from?? I imagine when the kids are in school, time will fly by, but this summer could seem long to them.......but I really hope they do ok (and you too!!) You could always come to Salem & have a giant sleepover in my front room!!! :rotfl: The invitation is always there!!

DH's family lives in Fairbanks so we love going up there, well technically the kids have never been there but were planning on changing that this year! and I may just take you up on that giant sleepover! sounds like a BLAST!
popcorn::
 
DH's family lives in Fairbanks so we love going up there, well technically the kids have never been there but were planning on changing that this year! and I may just take you up on that giant sleepover! sounds like a BLAST!
popcorn::

:dance3: S*W*E*E*T !!! :dance3:
 

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