rgoble5972
Are we there yet?
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2001
THE GOBLE FAMILY CHRISTMAS VACATION
CAST
Robin 41 Trip planner/recorder
Bill/Dad/Husband of Dianne 66
Dianne/Mom/Wife of Bill 63
Lisa/Sister/Wife of Lemuel/Mother of Michael 43
Lemuel/Brother-in-law/Husband of Lisa/Father of Michael 37
Michael/Nephew/ONLY Grandchild of Bill and Dianne 11
Paula/Sister/Wife of Wes 31 Sparkly Princess
Wes/Brother-in-law/Husband of Paula 31
HISTORY
Okay, okay, you people that arent obsessive planners like me have my permission to skip ahead to the meat of the trip report. Wimps! I will warn you, however, that you wont do as well on the quiz at the end of the report. I understand that when some of you see the word history you flash back to your painful days in school trying to remember what year the War of 1812 took place in and how long the Seven Year War lasted. Never mind that I toiled for hours, typing my little fingers to the bone, to bring you the candid and intimate (and when I say candid and intimate, I mean candid and intimate in a mind-numbing and excruciatingly detailed way) moments from our trip.
The seed for this trip was planted back in December of 2001 when Paula, Wes and I made a quick trip to the Disneyland Resort (DLR) during the Christmas season to see the Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday Haunted Mansion overlay its first year. (Can you believe that there are actually people out there who consider themselves Disney fans who have never seen A Nightmare Before Christmas? Shocking, I know.) While we questioned the sanity of making a trip during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, once we arrived, everything was so beautiful and we had such a wonderful time, that we swore wed come back and do it again the first opportunity that we had, and, wed drag the rest of our family back with us.
So, fast forward to Christmas of 2003. Weve all spent way too much money on presents and weve all gotten way more gifts than we need or deserve. So we suggest, ever so gently, that perhaps next year we could scale back a bit on the Christmas gifts and put that money toward a family vacation instead. All of us adults dont really need anything and if we see something we want, we generally buy it for ourselves anyway. So, we reasoned, we might as well do smaller gifts for each other and use a family vacation to have some fun and make some lasting memories. And what place would be better for a family vacation than The Happiest Place on Earth? The suggestion wasnt met with open hostility or too many boos or threats, so we moved forward with the plan.
I figured that the Disneyland Resort, rather that Walt Disney World (WDW), would be better for this trip since some of the family has a harder time getting vacation time approved (Lisas a school teacher and has to work around the school districts schedule.). That way, we wouldnt need as long of a trip and we wouldnt have to take my nephew, Michael, out of school for as many days.
The only drawback to the plan was that, since we were taking Michael out of school for this trip, it would mean foregoing Michaels, Mothers and my annual week-long trip to WDW in November to the Food and Wine Festival. We figured we could be brave about it since we were getting a Disney trip in December. Little did we know how hard it was going to be to miss our November trip.
Now I had sworn off family vacations after we all went to WDW together several years back. This was before we had discovered the beauty of staying on-site, however. We stayed in Kissimmee for four days with one van for transportation. Michael was three then and needed afternoon naps/rest time and, while we still had a good time, it was hard coordinating everyones wants and needs with limited transportation and time.
Then came the joys of staying on-site and having Disney transportation readily available. Plus, at DLR, you dont even need transportation beyond your own two feet. The Grand Californian has its own entrance to Disneys California Adventure (DCA) and Downtown Disney (DTD), and Disneyland (DL) is just a quick walk through Downtown Disney. If someone wants to go back to the room and rest, or go to a different park than everyone elseno problem.
AIRFARE
By July we had a rough idea of everyones work schedules. Southwest Airlines put their fares on sale, so I booked our flights then.
HOTEL
The choice of hotel was easy. Paula, Wes and I stayed at the Grand Californian in 2001 and loved it, so we definitely wanted to stay there again. I made the hotel reservations in September using the Walt Disney Travel Company for a package deal as soon as Disney released their buy 3 nights get one free promotion. I went ahead and booked us on the concierge floor for a little added treat. Included with the booking were pins and lanyards for everyone, special seating for either Muppet Vision, Its Tough to Be a Bug, or the Aladdin show, and a free 5X7 photo for each room.
ADMISSION/MISCELLANEOUS
The theme park passes were also included in the package. You got a five day park hopper for the price of a three day hopper pass. DLRs tickets are a little different from those at WDW. For one thing, the park hoppers generally expire about two weeks after the first use. Also, there are no plus features like at WDW (admission to Pleasure Island, Wide World of Sports, the water parks, etc.). Since well actually be able to visit the parks all five days that were there, this seemed the best option.
When we go to WDW with my mother, we generally rent an Electronic Convenience Vehicle (ECVa scooter) for her to use since shes had knee replacement surgery on both of her legs and doesnt need to be doing a lot of walking. We rent the ECV from an outside company that delivers the scooter to our hotel before we arrive and picks it up again after we leave. That way, we have the ECV for the duration of our stay and for any activities that we go to outside of the theme parks, instead of just renting one from Disney when we get to a park.
I asked Mother if she wanted a similar arrangement for DLR and she decided that it would be okay to just take our chances and rent one at the parks each day. Shes been going to the gym and working out lately and her endurance is much better than it used to be, so even if she has to walk some, she should be fine.
In November, I went ahead a made a few priority seatings (a couple of character breakfasts, just in case, although we probably wont use them since we get a light breakfast in the concierge lounge, and the Blue Bayou in DL and Ariels in DCA). I also read about a tour that Disney offers November through January called the Holiday Time Tour. Its a 2-3 hour tour that showcases the Christmas decorations at Disneyland. You also get to ride the Holiday Haunted Mansion and the Holiday Its a Small World, and you get preferred seating (and hot chocolate--bonus!) for the Christmas parade.
It sounded like fun to me and something a little different to do together as a family. I consulted with Mother to be sure she was up to that long of a tour and then booked it as a surprise for the rest of the family. The tour is $49 per person but, if you have an annual pass (AP), you can get a reduced price of $39. Always being a lover of bargains and always feeling so much better when Im holding a valid annual pass for a Disney park (my WDW annual pass expired in November and I didnt renew it since Im not sure when Ill be back!), I decided to book the tour with the AP discount. I called to be sure that I could exchange my unused park hopper pass and pay to upgrade it to an annual pass. The savings for all eight of us to take the tour will more than cover the cost of upgrading my pass, plus Ill have an AP and the built-in excuse that I need to return before it expires so I can get my moneys worth. *And*, since Disneylands 50th anniversary celebration start in 2005, what better excuse to go back? Am I good, or what?
TRANSPORTATION
When Paula, Wes and I visited in 2001, we had used Super Shuttle as a way to get from the airport to DLR. Super Shuttle was very convenient and was reasonably priced so I just assumed that wed use them again this trip. Shortly before the trip however, Mother was asking how much transportation from the airport would cost. I looked up how much we had paid in 2001 and found that, for the three of us, it cost around $48 for a one-way trip from the airport to the Grand Californian. That was very reasonable for three people, but when you factored the cost of eight, it came to at least $128, plus tip. Also, Super Shuttle uses vans and, while our family would all fit into an eight-passenger van, Im not exactly sure where the drive would sit!
I considered a rental car since I dont mind driving, but we had the same problem. Wed need a van and they were fairly expensive to rent. Plus, we really didnt need a car beyond getting to and from the hotel, so it would just be sitting in the parking lot for the duration of the trip.
There is also a bus that you can pick up at the airport and, while its a bit cheaper than the Super Shuttle, it stops first at a depot in Anaheim where you have to transfer to a smaller vehicle to be shuttled to your final destination. That sounded like a waste of time and effort to me, so I ruled that out as well.
My next thought was hiring a town car or limousine. On the Mouse Savers website (www.mousesavers.com), there is a section about transportation and a link to a database that will help you find a limousine service for anywhere in the United States. All you do is put in you dates, number of people, pick-up and drop-off locations, and any special requests or preferences and it pulls up tons of available limousine companies. The companies are rated by feedback from customers and you can go one step further and request quotes for rates from as few or as many companies as youd like.
I took advantage of this website and received quotes from several different limo companies. I picked Discount Sedans and Limo because they not only had one of the lowest rates, but they had the most customer feedback (all of which was positive). I was quoted a rate of $95 each way (before taxes and tip) for an eight-passenger limousine. I was given the option of booking the limo on-line of calling a toll-free number to reserve the car. I opted for calling and booked the limo for our arrival and return trip. The booking agent asked if wed prefer complimentary champagne or sparkling cider in our limo and, seeing as how none of us drink, I chose the cider.
The agent took my cell phone number and flight information. She told me to turn on my cell phone as soon as we were off the plane and our driver would call us to arrange our location to meet. I got a confirmation number and their toll-free number to call if anything (such as our flight number) changed.
We were good to go.
Im bringing my laptop to type my trip report notes on again this trip (still not brave enough to attempt a live report however) *and*, thanks to the incessant nagging of my more technologically advanced friends, I now have a digital camera. Am I leaping into the 21st Century, or what? I also hear that they have these newfangled things called telly fones where you can talk to people clear across the country, or even world, without the use of string and tin cans! What will they think of next?
CAST
Robin 41 Trip planner/recorder
Bill/Dad/Husband of Dianne 66
Dianne/Mom/Wife of Bill 63
Lisa/Sister/Wife of Lemuel/Mother of Michael 43
Lemuel/Brother-in-law/Husband of Lisa/Father of Michael 37
Michael/Nephew/ONLY Grandchild of Bill and Dianne 11
Paula/Sister/Wife of Wes 31 Sparkly Princess
Wes/Brother-in-law/Husband of Paula 31
HISTORY
Okay, okay, you people that arent obsessive planners like me have my permission to skip ahead to the meat of the trip report. Wimps! I will warn you, however, that you wont do as well on the quiz at the end of the report. I understand that when some of you see the word history you flash back to your painful days in school trying to remember what year the War of 1812 took place in and how long the Seven Year War lasted. Never mind that I toiled for hours, typing my little fingers to the bone, to bring you the candid and intimate (and when I say candid and intimate, I mean candid and intimate in a mind-numbing and excruciatingly detailed way) moments from our trip.
The seed for this trip was planted back in December of 2001 when Paula, Wes and I made a quick trip to the Disneyland Resort (DLR) during the Christmas season to see the Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday Haunted Mansion overlay its first year. (Can you believe that there are actually people out there who consider themselves Disney fans who have never seen A Nightmare Before Christmas? Shocking, I know.) While we questioned the sanity of making a trip during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, once we arrived, everything was so beautiful and we had such a wonderful time, that we swore wed come back and do it again the first opportunity that we had, and, wed drag the rest of our family back with us.
So, fast forward to Christmas of 2003. Weve all spent way too much money on presents and weve all gotten way more gifts than we need or deserve. So we suggest, ever so gently, that perhaps next year we could scale back a bit on the Christmas gifts and put that money toward a family vacation instead. All of us adults dont really need anything and if we see something we want, we generally buy it for ourselves anyway. So, we reasoned, we might as well do smaller gifts for each other and use a family vacation to have some fun and make some lasting memories. And what place would be better for a family vacation than The Happiest Place on Earth? The suggestion wasnt met with open hostility or too many boos or threats, so we moved forward with the plan.
I figured that the Disneyland Resort, rather that Walt Disney World (WDW), would be better for this trip since some of the family has a harder time getting vacation time approved (Lisas a school teacher and has to work around the school districts schedule.). That way, we wouldnt need as long of a trip and we wouldnt have to take my nephew, Michael, out of school for as many days.
The only drawback to the plan was that, since we were taking Michael out of school for this trip, it would mean foregoing Michaels, Mothers and my annual week-long trip to WDW in November to the Food and Wine Festival. We figured we could be brave about it since we were getting a Disney trip in December. Little did we know how hard it was going to be to miss our November trip.
Now I had sworn off family vacations after we all went to WDW together several years back. This was before we had discovered the beauty of staying on-site, however. We stayed in Kissimmee for four days with one van for transportation. Michael was three then and needed afternoon naps/rest time and, while we still had a good time, it was hard coordinating everyones wants and needs with limited transportation and time.
Then came the joys of staying on-site and having Disney transportation readily available. Plus, at DLR, you dont even need transportation beyond your own two feet. The Grand Californian has its own entrance to Disneys California Adventure (DCA) and Downtown Disney (DTD), and Disneyland (DL) is just a quick walk through Downtown Disney. If someone wants to go back to the room and rest, or go to a different park than everyone elseno problem.
AIRFARE
By July we had a rough idea of everyones work schedules. Southwest Airlines put their fares on sale, so I booked our flights then.
HOTEL
The choice of hotel was easy. Paula, Wes and I stayed at the Grand Californian in 2001 and loved it, so we definitely wanted to stay there again. I made the hotel reservations in September using the Walt Disney Travel Company for a package deal as soon as Disney released their buy 3 nights get one free promotion. I went ahead and booked us on the concierge floor for a little added treat. Included with the booking were pins and lanyards for everyone, special seating for either Muppet Vision, Its Tough to Be a Bug, or the Aladdin show, and a free 5X7 photo for each room.
ADMISSION/MISCELLANEOUS
The theme park passes were also included in the package. You got a five day park hopper for the price of a three day hopper pass. DLRs tickets are a little different from those at WDW. For one thing, the park hoppers generally expire about two weeks after the first use. Also, there are no plus features like at WDW (admission to Pleasure Island, Wide World of Sports, the water parks, etc.). Since well actually be able to visit the parks all five days that were there, this seemed the best option.
When we go to WDW with my mother, we generally rent an Electronic Convenience Vehicle (ECVa scooter) for her to use since shes had knee replacement surgery on both of her legs and doesnt need to be doing a lot of walking. We rent the ECV from an outside company that delivers the scooter to our hotel before we arrive and picks it up again after we leave. That way, we have the ECV for the duration of our stay and for any activities that we go to outside of the theme parks, instead of just renting one from Disney when we get to a park.
I asked Mother if she wanted a similar arrangement for DLR and she decided that it would be okay to just take our chances and rent one at the parks each day. Shes been going to the gym and working out lately and her endurance is much better than it used to be, so even if she has to walk some, she should be fine.
In November, I went ahead a made a few priority seatings (a couple of character breakfasts, just in case, although we probably wont use them since we get a light breakfast in the concierge lounge, and the Blue Bayou in DL and Ariels in DCA). I also read about a tour that Disney offers November through January called the Holiday Time Tour. Its a 2-3 hour tour that showcases the Christmas decorations at Disneyland. You also get to ride the Holiday Haunted Mansion and the Holiday Its a Small World, and you get preferred seating (and hot chocolate--bonus!) for the Christmas parade.
It sounded like fun to me and something a little different to do together as a family. I consulted with Mother to be sure she was up to that long of a tour and then booked it as a surprise for the rest of the family. The tour is $49 per person but, if you have an annual pass (AP), you can get a reduced price of $39. Always being a lover of bargains and always feeling so much better when Im holding a valid annual pass for a Disney park (my WDW annual pass expired in November and I didnt renew it since Im not sure when Ill be back!), I decided to book the tour with the AP discount. I called to be sure that I could exchange my unused park hopper pass and pay to upgrade it to an annual pass. The savings for all eight of us to take the tour will more than cover the cost of upgrading my pass, plus Ill have an AP and the built-in excuse that I need to return before it expires so I can get my moneys worth. *And*, since Disneylands 50th anniversary celebration start in 2005, what better excuse to go back? Am I good, or what?
TRANSPORTATION
When Paula, Wes and I visited in 2001, we had used Super Shuttle as a way to get from the airport to DLR. Super Shuttle was very convenient and was reasonably priced so I just assumed that wed use them again this trip. Shortly before the trip however, Mother was asking how much transportation from the airport would cost. I looked up how much we had paid in 2001 and found that, for the three of us, it cost around $48 for a one-way trip from the airport to the Grand Californian. That was very reasonable for three people, but when you factored the cost of eight, it came to at least $128, plus tip. Also, Super Shuttle uses vans and, while our family would all fit into an eight-passenger van, Im not exactly sure where the drive would sit!
I considered a rental car since I dont mind driving, but we had the same problem. Wed need a van and they were fairly expensive to rent. Plus, we really didnt need a car beyond getting to and from the hotel, so it would just be sitting in the parking lot for the duration of the trip.
There is also a bus that you can pick up at the airport and, while its a bit cheaper than the Super Shuttle, it stops first at a depot in Anaheim where you have to transfer to a smaller vehicle to be shuttled to your final destination. That sounded like a waste of time and effort to me, so I ruled that out as well.
My next thought was hiring a town car or limousine. On the Mouse Savers website (www.mousesavers.com), there is a section about transportation and a link to a database that will help you find a limousine service for anywhere in the United States. All you do is put in you dates, number of people, pick-up and drop-off locations, and any special requests or preferences and it pulls up tons of available limousine companies. The companies are rated by feedback from customers and you can go one step further and request quotes for rates from as few or as many companies as youd like.
I took advantage of this website and received quotes from several different limo companies. I picked Discount Sedans and Limo because they not only had one of the lowest rates, but they had the most customer feedback (all of which was positive). I was quoted a rate of $95 each way (before taxes and tip) for an eight-passenger limousine. I was given the option of booking the limo on-line of calling a toll-free number to reserve the car. I opted for calling and booked the limo for our arrival and return trip. The booking agent asked if wed prefer complimentary champagne or sparkling cider in our limo and, seeing as how none of us drink, I chose the cider.
The agent took my cell phone number and flight information. She told me to turn on my cell phone as soon as we were off the plane and our driver would call us to arrange our location to meet. I got a confirmation number and their toll-free number to call if anything (such as our flight number) changed.
We were good to go.
Im bringing my laptop to type my trip report notes on again this trip (still not brave enough to attempt a live report however) *and*, thanks to the incessant nagging of my more technologically advanced friends, I now have a digital camera. Am I leaping into the 21st Century, or what? I also hear that they have these newfangled things called telly fones where you can talk to people clear across the country, or even world, without the use of string and tin cans! What will they think of next?
