Taking Grandma to Disneyland: PTR 3/9-3/12/2019

[VandVsmama]

I love every single bit of your plan and can relate so much to your family dynamic. My ODD and DH are so much like that I was laughing so hard and nodding as I read your Sunday morning plan. Pretty sure I could copy/paste for my Monday morning plan!

I also love your prioritization and expectation setting. I'm definitely doing that with my kiddos. DH is the kind of partner who has pretty much zero interest in the pre-planning. I know he appreciates things when they go well even when issues come up(like the year I had everything planned out so well for the group that even though I was too sick to do the park one day, they had a great time following my directions), and he has a great time in the parks once we are there. His ideal vacation is definitely more a sit by the pool/beach/fire/anywhere you can reasonably sit for an entire day and chill. The downside is, when I ask him what his 'must do' things are, he's non-specific - 'whatever makes you happy dear' and 'anything that puts a smile on the kids' faces'. Lovely sentiments, but so unhelpful while planning

I can't wait to see how things go for you guys! I know you will have fun! Our trips are overlapping (11-15th for us). If we make it to a rope drop maybe we'll see your group

It's really hilarious how predictable my family is with getting out the door in the morning. Once we actually get into the parks, DH has a really great time. But getting him out the door in a timely fashion is sometimes problematic because he's pretty grumpy until he's had his coffee!

 

[AJA55]

VanVsmama, we do the same on every vacation....participants have to pick a few things that they really want to do. And those deff get done.

You have to understand that this is mom's 87th birthday trip. Yep....87 and she wanted to go to Disneyland for Food and Wine.
She looooves EPCOT's Food an Wine.

I understand vacation poor planning/hangry. Been there...done that.....don't want to do it again.

 

[VandVsmama]

2 weeks from tomorrow and we'll be at Disneyland! I am so totally ready for this trip. Kind of wish we could go tomorrow!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

...Kind of wish we could go tomorrow!

Make sure to check the DLR weather report right before your trip! It's so cold here right now! There was ice on our trash cans this morning -- so weird! (Novel, yes, but definitely weird!)

 

[VandVsmama]

Make sure to check the DLR weather report right before your trip! It's so cold here right now! There was ice on our trash cans this morning -- so weird! (Novel, yes, but definitely weird!)

Oh, definitely! At this point before a DL trip, I usually am checking the weather every other day!

 

[VandVsmama]

After reading another thread, I temporarily thought, "OMG! We're going to get stuck in a huge line at security on Sunday morning!" So I paused for a moment to consider logistics of leaving the hotel at 7:00 am instead of 7:15 am. Everyone in my family wants to take advantage of the free breakfast at Park Vue Inn. So it would be foolish to skip that.

I also considered having ME leave at 7:00 am and have everybody else catch up with me in line. But I don't think that will work for a couple of reasons:

• people in line behind me will probably be very frustrated to see a group of 4 people going in front of them. And that doesn't seem fair to them.
• out of everyone, DH will be slowest to get going in the morning. And if I leave him in charge of getting MIL & the kids over to the main gate by 7:30 am, there's a chance that they won't get there until 7:45-7:50 am...which means that they'll miss rope drop entirely.
• There's also the Grandma/MIL factor. Her normal breakfast is usually a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and a cup of coffee. But when she's having breakfast with others (like us!), she likes to savor her coffee and sit and talk for an hour. DH is going to MIL's today and he's going to talk to her about our plans & remind her of them so she knows what to expect. She's the sort of senior citizen who does NOT like 'going with the flow.' She likes knowing WHEN she's going to eat and WHAT she's going to eat. And she likes to know exactly when she's leaving to go somewhere, how long it will take to get there, etc. Flying by the seat of her pants really stresses her out and that results in nobody having a good time. So there's definitely a "babysitting Grandma" factor to this trip.

What I will probably do is on Sunday morning, if DH & MIL aren't ready to rock and roll at 7:15 am, then the kids & I will head over to get in line at the main gate and MIL & DH can catch up with us later.

I used a pedometer map/calculator tool online and it says that it's a 5 minute walk from the Park Vue Inn (at the front of the hotel) to the Esplanade. The walk is basically a straight shot. We've never stayed anywhere so close before! I'm looking forward to it!

 

[DLfan4]

We were at DLR during Christmas week, on Dec 27 & 28. I was really worried about long lines at security and long lines to enter the park, as I know that week is one of the busiest.
The lines were long, but they actually went pretty fast. I didnt find the lines in the morning that bad really.

When we were there, it got busier in the afternoons.

 

[Jaina]

That is definitely a prime spot! I've never stayed there, but we've stayed at the Desert Inn & Suites several times while growing up, and it was so awesome to get to go right across and be there!

 

[VandVsmama]

DH is not in agreement about which car we should use for the drive from AZ to Anaheim. He wants us to use our minivan, which has almost 250,000 miles on it. I, on the other hand, would prefer that we use our other car, which has 108,000 miles on it. Our other car doesn't have as much room in it as the minivan does. But it's a no brainer to use it instead of the van because of the mileage on it. Besides, YDD tends to get car sick when we've been on road trips in the minivan.

Could we rent a car? Unlikely. I've looked into it and because of the time of year (spring training), there are no decent rates on rental cars and I'm not interested in paying $500 to rent an SUV or a minivan. So we'll just be a little cozy in the backseat and we'll stop to stretch our legs every couple of hours on the drive. It'll be fine.

 

[Jaina]

DH is not in agreement about which car we should use for the drive from AZ to Anaheim. He wants us to use our minivan, which has almost 250,000 miles on it. I, on the other hand, would prefer that we use our other car, which has 108,000 miles on it. Our other car doesn't have as much room in it as the minivan does. But it's a no brainer to use it instead of the van because of the mileage on it. Besides, YDD tends to get car sick when we've been on road trips in the minivan.

Could we rent a car? Unlikely. I've looked into it and because of the time of year (spring training), there are no decent rates on rental cars and I'm not interested in paying $500 to rent an SUV or a minivan. So we'll just be a little cozy in the backseat and we'll stop to stretch our legs every couple of hours on the drive. It'll be fine.

Will you have enough room for all your luggage in the car? I wouldn't worry as much about the miles, as long as your mechanic says the car is good for the trip. I would just get it a full "check up" before you go with either vehicle. As you know, there's a whole lot of nothing between here and California... as my sister and I were well reminded of when we realized how low we were on gas, with like 100 miles to go through the CA desert on the way back last time. Luckily, with some careful speed control, some googling for exact numbers, a whole lot of prayer, and a hybrid we made it, but I was so nervous... Also, we give our kids chewable dramamine if there's any chance of car sickness. It doesn't seem to make any of them sleepy. We generally avoid medication, but no one has time for multiple stops to help with car sickness or to clean up...

 

[VandVsmama]

The car w/fewer miles is definitely more road-trip-ready. Luggage won't be an issue in the trunk because ODD & YDD are going to share a small suitcase. I'm putting my stuff in a carry-on bag & DH will have a small piece of luggage, too. MIL has 1 bag & a CPAP machine, so there's plenty of room for everything. We aren't going to bring a big cooler like we've done on prior road trips, so that will save lots of trunk space.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

DH and I had similar disagreement a couple years ago before a road trip from Spokane, WA to various places in Texas. Total trip was around 3k miles. I wanted to do minivan, he wanted suburban which was newer to us, but 3 years older and had more miles. Well, we ended up in 'limp home mode' due to an oil pressure issue in the middle of rural west Texas. He was so chagrined I didn't even hit him with an I told you so dance!

 

[VandVsmama]

It's a week and a half until we leave for Disneyland! It also looks like Disneyland has posted the menus for Food & Wine---> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...RL7kZnkY7Ea2WRTIjUysozTobPVF7vtWepwXDobFuzLzw

Stuff that I'm interested in trying:

• At Citrus Grove - Citrus-brined Pork Roast with Tangy Barbecue Sauce and Lemon Pepper Slaw
• At California Craft Brews near Carsland - Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls with Marinara and Pesto Sauce
• At Avocado Time (near Wine Country Trattoria) - Petit Impossible Burger with Guac and Pepper Jack Cheese
• At Cluck A Doodle Moo (near Paradise Gardens) - Harris Ranch Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Chimichurri Sauce & the Salt and Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings
• At Garlic Kissed (near Golden Zephyr) - Black Garlic Soy-braised Pork Belly Banh Mi

According to the Disney Parks Blog post, there will be a Sip & Savor pass that you can buy. DH & I might have to buy 1 and share it between the 2 of us. None of the Food & Wine food interests our kids. LOL! Of course! Apparently, you can buy the passes at multiple locations in DCA:

1. Trolley Treats
2. Elias & Co.
3. Seaside Souvenirs
4. Sip and Savor Cart
5. Festival Marketplaces
6. Festival Gift and Artist Corner
7. Studio Store in Hollywood Land

This evening, I was watching a Fresh Baked video on YouTube...holy cow, those purple Mickey ears are really cute and my YDD is going to want a pair!

 

[VandVsmama]

It appears that our Fantasmic plans have hit a big of a snag. I was just reading this thread --> https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...and-woc-with-a-scooter.3736847/#post-60313006

Right now, we have a Fantasmic dinner package reservation for the 5 of us at Hungry Bear for Sunday 3/10. I mistakenly assumed that MIL would be able to remain in her scooter in the Hungry Bear viewing area so we could all watch Fantasmic together & spend time chatting about our day while we waited for the show to start. However, it sounds like she won't be able to bring the scooter into that viewing area. Now that I think about it, this makes sense because a scooter can totally block the view of people sitting next to or behind her. And that's not good!

So what I think will happen is that the kids & I sit in the Hungry Bear viewing area while DH & MIL go to the disabled viewing area.

 

[VandVsmama]

I cancelled our Hungry Bear Fantasmic reservations. MIL won't be able to last until 9:30-10 pm, so there isn't much point. I'll probably grab paper FP for Fantasmic earlier in the day so we'll have them in case we change our minds. At least now dinner on that day will be a lot less expensive! My wallet is thankful!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I cancelled our Hungry Bear Fantasmic reservations. MIL won't be able to last until 9:30-10 pm, so there isn't much point. I'll probably grab paper FP for Fantasmic earlier in the day so we'll have them in case we change our minds. At least now dinner on that day will be a lot less expensive! My wallet is thankful!

Someone posted here last summer that they (large family group) were among the first to line up for the free FP section and that they got to be seated right next to the RBT section, up at the rail. Great views for even the little ones! Ask the CMs when you get your FPs what time people start lining up -- then be back earlier to see when the line really starts forming.

 

[VandVsmama]

We leave for our trip at the end of this week! In typical fashion just before spring break, the kids have lots of tests and quizzes this week. They are definitely looking forward to a week off from school. I just checked the weather forecast and Accuweather shows Anaheim like this:

• Sat 3/9 - high 62, low 46. sunny to partly cloudy. 16% chance of rain (which means slim to none)
• Sun 3/10 - high 62, low 46. mostly cloudy. 25% chance of rain
• Mon 3/11 - high 64, low 49. Rain & drizzle possible. 30% chance of rain
• Tues 3/12 - high 66, low 45. 7% chance of rain

Good thing we're planning on doing most of DCA on Saturday afternoon/evening. We'll be able to do almost all of Carsland that day (I'm not standing in a 45+ min line for RSR though). There's plenty to do here the rest of this week...normal life stuff, plus packing & cleaning the house. I HATE coming home from a trip to a messy/dirty house. The funny thing is that once I'm ON the trip, I totally forget that I've cleaned everything at home. So when we do get home, it's a very nice surprise! LOL!

 

[VandVsmama]

Looking at those temps, I am pretty certain that my kids are going to be COLD! We live in AZ and for us, anything below 70 is pretty darn chilly! I better pack an extra scarf or 2 so the kids can bundle up. And probably pack a couple of long sleeved shirts instead of the t-shirts that they normally wear. I saved our ponchos from our WDW trip last summer, so I'll have those just in case we need them.

I highly doubt we'll need rain gear like umbrellas, but we'll pack a couple in our bags. We went to DL a year ago at about this same time of year. It rained early 1 morning before the parks opened. But the rain was just drizzle. We didn't even need umbrellas or ponchos. It was enough to shut down all of the Carsland rides all morning, though. RSR didn't reopen until about noon that day!

 

[VandVsmama]

Ack! The weather forecast has changed now. Dang it. Here's what it looks like right now:

• Sat 3/9 - 12% chance of rain, high of 62, low 46.
• Sun 3/10 - 55% chance of rain, high 61, low 47
• Mon 3/11 - 56% chance of rain, high 62, low 47

I think that I need to go find some rain boots. Time to make a trip to Walmart! Now I'm glad that we cancelled our Fantasmic dining package plans!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

I've been looking at the same forecasts and I am so frustrated! Even comparing weather.com and accuweather I get different things. Also been looking at something called darksky that was recommended here, and yesterday everything seemed to be in agreement things were getting warmer and drier, and then today it drops down again and chance of rain increases. The weather is clearly drunk.