What?? No More Disney?? We'll see about THAT! ~~ Trip Report Starts on Pg 2 (Post 24)

[twinspirit]

I completely agree. We've never had an issue at any of the other character meals. We just have rotten luck at Goofy's.

I was so happy that I started feeling better so quickly. I just wish George had been doing better.

We found the same experience at Goofy's kitchen. In the end, we refused to leave until DD had a chance to see Jasmine. The staff FINALLY got her to come over, but we had only met 2 of the many characters roaming around. The kids AND DH were quite disappointed and didn't understand. We had reservations and were sat a booth near the entrance. The characters just didn't make their way over.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Now that I think about it, we were sitting in the same section on both unfortunate visits. We were in the first section on the left by the windows. There might be a pattern here, but I'm not willing to spend a ton of money to see if a new seat will make it any better.

I was most surprised by the CM reaction both times. Very dismissive.

 

[tlovesdis]

We stopped going to Goofy's Kitchen a few years ago because of the lack of character interaction! Since then we've done Minnie's a few times and Surf's Up and Ariel's once each and had great experiences every time!!!

 

[Escape2Disney]

We stopped going to Goofy's Kitchen a few years ago because of the lack of character interaction! Since then we've done Minnie's a few times and Surf's Up and Ariel's once each and had great experiences every time!!!

I'm sorry that happened to you too, but am glad it isn't just me! We've never had a bad visit to Minnie's!

 

[Escape2Disney]

Planned:

• Have a leisurely brunch at Carnation Cafe
• Tour the parks
• Take a mid-day break
• Have dinner at our favorite restaurant – Cafe Orleans
• More park touring before heading back to the room to get sleep

What Happened:
We decided to attempt early entry at DCA, and actually made it with 15 minutes to spare! We headed to RSR, but the line was already stretched back to Luigi's. We headed toward the FP line. We stopped to chat with the CM there, and she told us TSMM was open! We were so excited since we thought it was down for refurbishment. We decided to head to the Paradise Pier area and then come back to try for a RSR FPs. When we got to TSMM, we discovered we were right all along – the ride would be down for the rest of our stay.

We made the best of our misstep, and DD road Screamin. We wandered for a bit, looking in shops before heading to our late breakfast at Carnation Cafe. We had a lovely meal that included a visit from Oscar! Sorry, no pictures. I had the huevos rancheros and DD had a couple of eggs, fruit, and potatoes. We took our time at breakfast, chatting about what we wanted to do for the rest of the day.

Once we left Carnation Cafe, we took a trip on BLAB. While DD beat me squarely on TSMM, I nearly doubled her score on BLAB. We decided to head to Fantasyland where we rode Alice, Peter Pan, Snow White, and Pinocchio. By then, it was 1:30 and I was getting really tired. We headed back to the hotel where I slept until nearly 3, and DD went swimming.

When we went back to the parks, I talked DD into going on ToT with me. It's the only thrill ride I can go on, so she was a good sport. We had a lot of fun, though I think my hands are permanently dented from her grip! We decided to go with something a bit tamer, and headed to Animation Academy. The sign said Steamboat Willie was the next character to be drawn in the art class, so we went in. It ended up being Finias and Ferb. Not our favorite characters, but it was still fun. We also spent a little time going through the sorcerer's workshop. It was pretty crowded, so we made a mental note to come back later in the week.

We had dinner at our favorite DL restaurant – Cafe Orleans. We had the Pomme Frites as an appetizer. DD ordered the salmon sandwich, and I had the chicken crepes. It was all great! We couldn't finish it all! We chatted about the trip so far. We were both a little bummed that we hadn't got to do as much as we'd wanted to up to that point. We decided to call a friend to see if we could stay at her house (10 minutes from the parks) on the 19th so we could have another full day of park time. The more we talked about the plan, the more excited we got! I'd call her when we left the restaurant.

After dinner, we visited HMH. When we exited the ride, DD kindly volunteered to get my scooter from near the hearse. As she climbed the stairs, she fell, ankles first, on the brick stairs. She lurched forward and narrowly escaped a fall flat on her face! Her hands got a little scraped, and her hands and legs were already bruising. She cleaned up in the bathroom, and decided to soldier on.

Her next stop was Indy, while I went shopping for some more goodies for my grandson. I found a great little noisemaker that will absolutely drive his mama crazy! I also picked up a tigger pillow pet. There were other things I liked, but decided to wait until later in the week before choosing anything more. When DD got off of the ride, she decided it'd be a good idea to get an ice pack or two from first aid. She iced for a while, and they gave her supplies for more ice packs back in the room.

As a consolation prize, I bought her some ice cream. We went back to the room and stretched out. I called our friend, and she was thrilled to have us at her house on the 19th! YAY! More park time!!


Highlights:

• Lot of rides completed (YAY)
• Plans to extend our vacation by a day!
• Two great meals in the parks

Challenges:

• DD's legs HURT from her fall.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Planned:

• After breakfast in the room, tour the parks
• After a quick service lunch, head to the room for a mid-day break
• Dinner reservations at Napa Rose
• More park time!

What Happened:
We woke up nice and early! After a quick breakfast of Joe's O's and bananas with soy milk, we headed to the front entrance of DCA. The line for RSR FPs was stretched a little further than Disney Jr. DD got into the line while I headed to Fiddler and Fife for my first DLR Starbucks. I got my coffee and walked toward the front of the FP line where DD was walking toward me. Both of us were successful in our missions.

After meeting up, we wandered a bit before deciding we should start to put our PP+ to good use. Our first stop was at the waterfall. The photographer took a series of 5 or 6 photos, including a couple of balloon shots. We looked for other photogs with no luck, so decided to head to DL. There we got a TON of photos at the front entrance, at the giant pumpkin, and at the Partner's statue. At each stop, I had them do a few shots with both of us, and a few of just DD. I'm NOT photogenic, so I wanted to be sure to have some of her alone that I could share with people. The one's I'm in are for DD. She's been begging me for photos, and I figured it was the least I could do for her. Thankfully she gets that I don't really want them on FB or other places if I think they look bad

After our diva photo shoots, we headed to Pirates, anxious to ride. Unfortunately, it was down when we got there just like the day before. We headed to Fantasyland and rode Dumbo. I must be getting old – I got SO CARSICK! Instead of riding something else, I decided to settle my tummy and checked out the new princess area.

The crowds were starting to get a little bigger, so we headed back to DCA to ride RSR. Now I'd never been on this ride because I was afraid it would hurt my back. I asked around, and everyone said it was just like a fast car. Since I tend to be a speed demon, so it couldn't be that bad! I have to say it wasn't that bad. It isn't something I could ride more than once a day because it did bump more than I thought it would. It's a wonderfully themed ride, and I'm glad we decided to ride.

Our next choice was a little less appropriate. Right after our race, we headed to ToT for a little free-fall. The ride the day before went well, so I figured WHY NOT? Here's 'why not'...I'd just been in a race (a little jarring). I should have never done one thrill ride right after another! I was sore the rest of the day (though I had absolutely no regrets!).

First Carsick Dumbo, then Racers followed by ToT, I was really testing the limits of my gag reflexes! I bought a Mickey Pretzel for DD and I to share. The carbs helped settle my tummy, and satiated our hunger for a while. After eating our snack, DD and I headed back to DL. We wandered a while looking at all of the Halloween decorations. We were surprised to see that most areas of the park completely ignored the holiday. The few areas that were decorated looked fantastic though! Hopefully like the Christmas season, the parks will slowly build up the rest of the parks.

After a while, we got hungry and agreed we should probably have lunch. We decided to split a veggie burrito at Rancho del Zocalo. It was good! One note: I'm allergic to carrots, and there were big chunks of carrots in the burrito. Thankfully I caught it right away and removed them all from my half.

After lunch, we decided to head back to the room for some rest. DD's feet were hurting, so she took the train back to Main Street. I drove the scooter to meet her at the gate. We rested in the room until we left for our Napa Rose reservation. We left with plenty of time to spare. When we arrived, they sat us right away.

The restaurant is beautiful! If you have not been, I suggest you go at least once. You can eat at the restaurant, or order some light snacks in the lounge. It's a beautiful, relaxing restaurant that I'm sure we'll visit again someday. I have to say, however, that we weren't thrilled with the dishes we ordered. They were prepared to perfection, but we weren't aware that both fish options would be white fish (not our favorite). Next time we'll confirm what fish will be available since we couldn't eat any of the other options (allergies). We thought the truffle mac and cheese was great (seems to be nearly the same as the one at Club 33), and the service was top notch. DD and I are considering the chef's table on our next trip, but I'm not sure how well that will work with all of the allergies.

We spent the rest of the evening in Disneyland, shopping. Once the park closed, we grabbed a Jamba juice on the way back to the room.


Highlights:

• We took advantage of PP+
• We rode RSR

Challenges:

• Would have preferred a red fish available at NR

 

[Escape2Disney]

You might be wondering why I haven't posted many pictures. I'm still going through them all! At the end of the trip report, I'll post a few.

Planned:

• Breakfast in the room, followed by a little time in the parks
• Head back to the room to change clothes
• Long leisurely lunch at Club 33
• Spend time on rides and seeing shows
• Leftovers for dinner

What Happened:
We started the day with a bowl of cereal and fruit before getting ready for the parks. On the way out of the room, I decided that a cup of decaf sounded good, so we headed into DCA. I got a caramel macchiato, and DD had a cup of iced tea. We each got a small pastry for the sugar rush. We left DCA and headed for Disneyland.

Once in DL, we wandered a bit, taking pictures and shopping. We thought about going to Fantasyland. We passed through and saw the lines were pretty long, so headed to Frontierland instead. We checked the time, and it was 11:30am. That left plenty of time to take a relaxing ride on the Mark Twain. We sat facing the island and it was almost as if we weren't in the middle of a theme park. That's one of the many reasons we love DLR so much. There's always a feeling of escape – even if what you're trying to escape is the park itself.

We arrived at the Club 33 door about 15 minutes early. After snapping a few pictures in the soon-to-disappear Court of Angles, we decided to wait by the door so we could ring the bell at our appointed time. A group of three twenty-somethings were taking pictures near the door while referring to a scavenger hunt list. When they were finished, DD and I helped to point them in the right direction for some of the items on their list. We parted with the grateful group to buzz into that wonderfully private door.

Last time we went to the club, I was wheelchair bound. It was nice to go through the door upright (though still leaning on a cane). We were escorted to the French lift, and were soon escorted to our table. We had a nice corner table with a little view of the Rivers of America. After receiving our drinks, we made our way to the appetizer buffet. My favorite, by far, was a piece of seared tuna on a piece of toasted bread. It had a light sauce and edible flower. It was so tasty, I went back to get another piece! The corn chowder was good, as was the selection of cheese and fruit offerings.

DD and I were deep in a discussion about her school tours and which school she decided to attend when our entrees arrived. DD had a wonderful veggie pasta, and I chose the salmon. Both dishes were fantastic! My only regret would be that we had so many appetizers, we couldn't finish the entrees (well, not if we planned to sample the desserts that is)!

We gave our tummies a rest while visiting the balcony. It's funny to realize nobody looks up in that area! We were able to take a ton of pictures of the view. We took our time getting back to the table and the dessert buffet. If your wondering, we tried all of them and finished none of them! No regrets! I'm glad I tasted each one.

We didn't take many pictures inside since we have quite a few from our December visit. The harpsichord wasn't there then, so I took a few pictures this time. On the way out of the club, we stopped to see what swag we could purchase. There were 3 things I wanted (none of which were available in December). As luck would have it, all three were there!! I got a silver key chain, a latte mug, and …. Club 33 Mickey EARS! That's right, folks! The elusive ears were there, and I snatched a pair for myself!
For the rest of the afternoon, we toured DL. Here's what we rode (in no particular order):

• Haunted Mansion (both of us)
• Indy (DD) – This broke down while she was on the ride.
• Mr. Toad (both of us)
• Peter Pan (both of us)
• Pirates (both of us)
• Space (DD)

We also headed to DCA where we road Soarin'. Between rides, we spent a considerable amount of time gathering PP+ pictures! So much so that DD finally said “I think I'm finished with photos tonight, mom!” We ended up sharing a bread bowl of tomato soup for dinner (YUM!).

We grabbed some Ghirardelli's on the way back to the room. Before we crashed for the night, we packed and DD took some things down to the car to make it easier the next day.

Highlights:

• We took a TON of pictures!
• We had a wonderful second visit to Club 33!
• We rode quite a bit considering we had a LONG lunch.
• DD finally hit that point of becoming completely relaxed.
• DD and I had a fantastic discussion about her future while at lunch. I'm so excited for her!

Challenges:

• I got second degree sunburns on my hands the day before. The blisters were pretty sore today.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Day Twelve (9/19) : Saying goodbye to our favorite place


Planned:

• Have an early lunch at WCT
• Hit the road no later than 2pm
• Arrive in Fair Oaks exhausted but happy!

What Happened:
Since the first part of our DLR visit was interrupted by me getting sick, we decided to stay at DLR until it closed on this last day. Instead of driving to Sacramento, We'd camp our at our friends' house 10 minutes from the parks. We were so happy not to have to rush through the morning to then jump in the car for a 6 ½ hour drive.


NOTE: While the rest of this trip report has been based on notes, from this day forward, I'm relying on memory. The notes are far more informative and accurate!


Even with packing some things the night before, we had a lot left to put in the car before we checked out of the hotel. I woke DD early, and we went through the process of making sure nothing was forgotten. (What I DIDN'T do this time was give her any guidance as to where things should go in the car, but more on that later) It took us a little less than an hour to empty the room, since I couldn't help her get things down to the car. We'd been going on cereal and fruit, and found we were still hungry once we finally got into DCA at 10:30. We knew we had an early lunch scheduled at WCT, so we didn't want anything really heavy. We decided on Fiddler and Fife for a snack and beverage.


When we realized we were staying an extra day, we originally planned to stay in DL all day (with the exception of lunch). Our late start helped us to decide to hang out in DCA until after lunch. We visited some of our favorites, and a few we hadn't seen. In no particular order, here's what we did before lunch:

• Animation Academy
• Turtle Talk
• Monster's Inc
• Muppets 3D

We had a fantastic lunch at WCT. Chef Francis helped us find the best meal for our tummies. I know this restaurant gets a lot of flack, but we've always loved the ambiance and food. We each had pasta with veggies we could eat, and were STUFFED by the time we'd made it half way through the bowls.


After lunch, we headed over to DL. Now, we'd were on our 6th day in the parks, and there was still a list of things we hadn't done. We went through our list and accomplished everything but Innoventions. Now I know, most people hate this monstrosity, but DD adores it! Sadly, we never ended up going in. There are rumors that this space will be going away, but I hope I get to take her there one last time before they do, or I'll never hear the end of it!


The only obligation we had besides doing items on our list was meeting up with another friend and her family. Since we were going to stay the extra day, I decided to contact a friend who hadn't been able to meet any other day. We were meeting at 8pm at the restaurant in PPH.


Our day was so relaxed and fun, I honestly forgot what we rode! We just drifted from land to land, riding whatever looked good at the time. At around 6 that night, we started to get hungry, and found that Carnation Café had an opening. Our dinner was okay (hard to find veggie options other than their veggie burger). We did a little last minute shopping, and said goodbye to our happy place.


We headed over to PPH to meet our friends, who were running a bit late. They arrived at around 8:30, giving us just enough time to order dessert for everyone before they closed the kitchen. We stayed and talked for quite a while. A waiter nicely asked us to leave at around 10 because they were scheduled to have the carpets cleaned.


Once again we bid a fond farewell to friends, wishing we had more time to reconnect. This seemed to be a running theme throughout our journey. I quietly planned to include them in our next adventure.


Here's where things got interesting.


Our friend wanted us to call her when we were on our way so she could meet us at the front of the complex to guide us to where her apartment was. Well, she didn't answer her phone! We were beginning to wonder if we were arriving too late. We decided to drive there anyway with the hope that she'd call us before we arrived.


The entire drive was a bit stressful as we realized we may need to just start our drive if we couldn't get a hold of her! Our next stop was 6 ½ hours away (since there was no traffic in the middle of the night). If we couldn't reach her, we were looking at an all night journey. Thankfully she sent us a text about 5 minutes before we reached her Winchester apartment.


Once we arrived, everyone was wide awake, so we ended up talking until 2am.




Highlights:

• We had bonus time at the parks! YAY!
• Our lovely friends let us stay with them for a night on short notice.
• We had extra time with our friends

Challenges:

• Staying up until 2am would cause some challenges for the next morning.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Planned:

• Have breakfast with our gracious hosts
• Meet up with a Disney friend for lunch
• Meet up with our friend (the newlyweds) for Dinner
• Get back to the house so DD and friend can do some serious painting!

What Happened:
Well, this day was NOTHING like we had planned! The meet up with the Disney friend had been canceled earlier in the week because she had appointments, and we postponed dinner with the newlyweds because we were still in SoCal. This day was all about driving. Well, it was once I could convince DD to wake up!


We all slept in a bit, but DD was just exhausted from the trip. This wouldn't have been a big deal if I could drive, but since she was taking that role this time, we needed her eyes to be open before we could proceed. As she slept, my friend and I chatted. She eventually woke up at around 11. We had a leisurely breakfast to give her time to shake the sleep out of her eyes, and were on the road again by 1pm.


We called our friend in Fair Oaks to let her know our approximate arrival time, and were off. Our timing couldn't have been better! We missed every traffic snarl, and managed to make it to our destination by 9pm. That included a long stop for dinner, and 4 or 5 rest stops!


Before I continue, it's important to know that these friends are like family to us. When we started our journey, they gave us a key to their house so we could come and go at will. It was still odd that when we arrived, nobody was home. Lights were still on in the house, but not a person was to be found. We assumed they went to bed early, and quietly brought our stuff in the house and settled in to go to sleep.


About an hour later, their son came in the house with a few friends. He looked very upset, so I asked him if he was okay. He barked NO before walking downstairs. DD and I were puzzled, but let him go. It was another half hour before the parents came home and we learned what had happened. Apparently their son's close friend committed suicide that morning. The families were very close, and the suicide came as a total shock.


Had these been any other friends, we would have quietly left in the morning. This was a different situation. I couldn't do much, but I could be there for my friend as she processed her grief. It was such a sad situation! The boy was barely 17, and had a lot to live for. Though we didn't know them, I was glad I was there to listen. We decided to say the next couple of days to be of support where we could.


Highlights:

• We were able to avoid traffic through LA! Amazing!

Challenges:

• Our friends were having a terrible time.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Planned:

• Another breakfast with our hosts
• Surprise party for an awesome friend
• Dinner with my cousin and cousin-in-law

What Happened:
On top of dealing with the tragedy from the day before, my friend had already committed to hosting her mom's 75th birthday party. Instead of canceling, she decided to go forward with the celebration in hopes of bringing some normalcy back to her son. It ended up being a great distraction. Her mom (who is also a friend of ours) turned 75 with a lovely celebration with friends and family. We got to see people we'd been separated from for 5 years, and my friend and her family relaxed a bit – playing chess and chatting with the party goers.


When we left the party, they needed to go to the wake for the young boy. DD an I made our exit and headed out to see my cousin and her husband. We had a lovely visit, and arrived back at the house just as the family was returning. My friend and I stayed up and talked about the wake. I wished I could do more for them all!


Highlights:

• We had a nice time at the party despite current circumstances.
• We had a nice dinner with my cousin and her husband.
• I was happy I could be there with my friend when she needed me.

Challenges:

• My friends were in so much pain surrounding this suicide! I really wished I could do more to help! We offered to leave a day early, but my friend asked me to stay and help, which we decided to do.
  

 

[Escape2Disney]

For these three days, DD and I planned out days based on the needs of our friends. We discussed what we should do, and both agreed that our friends needed support more than we needed to go home. Part of each day they spent helping their friends, and the rest of the time we were there to listen as they processed their grief.

On the 21st, DD spent some time away from the house by hanging out with a friend at the local mall. My friend and I spent that time helping the family create a funeral program, and talking. When we took a break, I headed for the kitchen to get a snack. I noticed she was nearly out of food. She'd told me the night before that the family was having a hard time making ends meet, and I wondered if she'd be able to afford groceries for the rest of the month. When DD got back that evening, and our friends headed out for a while, I had DD drive me to Trader Joe's. We got back a few minutes before they did with enough food to last them a few of weeks. I'd been under budget on the trip, and couldn't think of a better use for the money. Once we were all back at the house, I took them out to dinner.

Things quieted down on the 22nd and 23rd. We spent the time just talking about everything. There were the obvious topics like the tragic decision of a young man and how it impacted so many people. We also talked about everything we were grateful for, and how precious every day is to us. We played games, talked, and ate. I saw my friends relax a bit, and to me that was the best we could hope for. By the night of the 23rd, I figured we'd done as much as we could. Our friends decided they would return to work the next day, and I let them know we'd be leaving the next morning.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Our trip was an awesome, life affirming journey that we'll never forget. The long car ride gave us a lot of time to talk, laugh, and simply reconnect. I saw my daughter relax for the first time all year, and we were able to do many wonderful things. While Disney was the primary reason for the trip, we are eternally grateful for everyone we got to visit with along the way. While the end of our trip was very sad, I was honored to be there to help my friends when they were in need.

We got home to more medical bad news, and I tend to plan Disney trips when reality comes crashing down. I'll be going on two trips next year - one before my next surgery (in February), and one after (in December). Life is the stuff that happens between Disney trips, right?

Thanks for following along! I hope it wasn't too boring!

 

[ttig34]

Sounds like it was all in all a pretty good trip. That is great that you were able to help your friends out, am sure they really appreciated it.

How's George doing, you mentioned earlier that you might be retiring him.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Sounds like it was all in all a pretty good trip. That is great that you were able to help your friends out, am sure they really appreciated it.

How's George doing, you mentioned earlier that you might be retiring him.

George had a lot of breathing problems on this trip, and spent about half of the trip in the room. I called the vet mid-trip, and was told to put him on an antihistamine and give him lots of time to rest. When we got back, I took him to the vet. With all of the medical tests he went through during the training process, they missed a problem with his lungs. He's got a form of asthma that is a problem when in polluted areas. Since we live in an area with clean air, he doesn't seem to have the problem at home. He was fine in certain cities on the trip, but in Sacramento and Los Angeles, he didn't feel well at all. For now he'll continue working when I'm at home (with the vet's blessing), but won't be able to travel with me anymore. As much as I hate to retire him, I've put in an application for a new service dog. Once I have the new dog, DD will take George as a pet. The waiting list for a dog is 2 years, so we'll have time to make the adjustment.

 

[ttig34]

Oh, poor George. Glad to hear that he does okay at home though. Also good to hear that he will be your daughter's pet when he retires. Would hate to hear that you were just gonna say "See ya" to George. Hopefully, all works out with George and your new dog when you get him. And I certainly wish you well with your health, too! Nice that you have two trips to look forward to.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Oh, poor George. Glad to hear that he does okay at home though. Also good to hear that he will be your daughter's pet when he retires. Would hate to hear that you were just gonna say "See ya" to George. Hopefully, all works out with George and your new dog when you get him. And I certainly wish you well with your health, too! Nice that you have two trips to look forward to.

There's no way I could just say 'see ya'! I'm sad just handing him to my daughter! He's such a huge part of my life, that I'm happy my daughter will care for him once he completely retires.

Thanks for the well-wishes! I might post reports for the two trips in 2014.