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Julia McCrone -- December 2001 -- DisneylandDecember 14-17, 2000 Cast Of Characters
DAY 0 - Getting There..... The kids got out at 2:40 from school. I left a note in the office explaining the kids absence (I had already told their teachers) and passed out gifts to the teachers. Friday is a noon dismissal at school, and neither teacher seem to care we were taking the kids out. In fact, Michael's teacher has been to DL more times than her age! A girl in Michael's class will also be at DL, and we hope to run into Brooke and her family. We were on the road by 3:30 (leaving San Jose). Thankfully, we hit little traffic going across Pacheco Pass, and were soon on I - 5, racing down the road (It's always amazing to me, as our speedometer reads 70, to need to be in the slow lane-we were frequently "left in the dust") We stopped to pick up food at Burger King, because the kids wanted the new Pokemon toy in the Kids Meal. Luckily, I checked their hamburgers we special ordered (only Ketchup!) and they were all wrong. I raced back in to the store, receipt in hand (which clearly said "plain-only ketchup") and the clerk was very nice and had things fixed in a few minutes. We ate on the road and after dinner (in the dark) the kids played with their toy. I don't know how they could enjoy them, since it was pitch black, but I never complain when the kids are happy and content (and it lasted a good half hour!) We then played a favorite game-I'm thinking of a Disney character who...... (has big ears and flies in the sky, or is the father of Ariel, and so on) and then changed the game to "I'm thinking of something at Disneyland that (is a ride with dancing dolls, or the place where Mickey Mouse lives) After all this, the kids started dropping off to sleep, and we pulled into our hotel (Anaheim Best Inn) about 10pm. Check in went fast and when I asked for a downstairs room (the kids were asleep and Brian didn't want to carry them up the steps) we were accommodated. There were only about 10 or 15 cars in the parking lot, so were anticipating a quiet day at DL for Friday. I was pleasantly surprised with the room. A fridge, microwave and coffeemaker were inside, as well as a wall mounted hair dryer. No table, just a single chair, but there was a lot of room between the end of the bed and the wall (maybe 16 feet?) Enough room that the kids could stretch out on the floor and not be on top of each other. Shampoo and lotion were in the bathroom, although I felt the bar soap and shampoo were definitely budget variety. The bed I slept on was quite comfortable (not at all a saggy mattress, which I was dreading!) We have a rate of $49 per night. Day 1 (12/15/00) We decide to use EE, which starts at 8:30 (the park opens at 10). We are up and at the front gate of DL by 8:10 (an 8 minute walk from our door at the hotel to the front gate at DL). Brian is convinced the CM checking us in has done it wrong, and I promise to have it checked out as we leave (I mean, how can it be done wrong????) We head straight for Dumbo and ride three times. We were the first people on Dumbo, and rode alone our first ride!! Brian then took Michael and Emily to the carousel, and Peter Pan, while Thomas and I rode Dumbo another two times. Thomas is still ready to ride Dumbo some more, but we sidetrack him by talking about Peter Pan, which we ride, while Brian and Michael ride Mr. Toad. We all ride Snow White, then go off to Star Tours, and meet Pinocchio and Geppetto near the castle. Our first catastrophe occurs when Thomas is measured for Star Tours-he is about an inch too short. The CM trying to measure him takes a long time, because every time he fixes his feet on the line, Thomas goes up on tip toe! When he fixes his feet, Thomas stretches his neck and leans back his head. I wish I had the Camcorder-it's really funny (and no, we had said nothing to him about height-it's all him!) So, we get a baby swap, and while Brian and Michael ride Star Tours, I take the kids to Astro Orbiter (another very short line) We ride twice and I work hard on not throwing up-I can't believe the kids like this! We meet Buzz (a big thrill for Thomas, who ADORES Buzz and Woody) and Brian and I switch (I ride Star Tours and he takes the kids on THAT ride). It's now about 10am and the park is opening. We run over and get a fast pass for Autopia (return 10:45-11:45) and hop over to the Matterhorn. The boys ride and I take Thomas and Emily on the teacups and Alice. We meet up and all ride Alice and the teacups, and then head over to Autopia. It's 15 minutes from the minute we walk in line to the ride being over (we now love Fastpass!). The kids are now hungry, so we head over to Hungry bear for lunch, so we can sit and watch the ducks and riverboats. (2 salads and 2 kids meals $24.15) There is no line for the canoes, so we go on (except Brian, who doesn't want to get the camera bag wet-sure.....) There are two kids behind me paddling and by the end of the ride, my left side is soaked. Brian takes the boys to Tom Sawyer Island and I take Emily to Country Bear Jamboree. We are lucky-we walk in and the doors are opening for a show (no wait time at all!) I should add that Brian and I are carrying walkie talkies ($19.95 each-a day after Thanksgiving sale price) Emily and I are soon at Tom Sawyers Island, where the kids are having a great time. I play my role as mean, rotten mom and decree that everyone needs to go back to the hotel and nap, so we can stay up and watch the fireworks. We make our way down Main Street and see the cookie decorating at the firehouse and let the kids decorate a cookie ($3 each) Brian decides to check out the sweatshirts in a shop (he has birthday money burning a hole in his pocket) while the kids do cookies. As we get our hand stamped, I ask about our passes (remember my crazy husband?) Well, he's right....they are stamped wrong. There is a line for your EE day, and two others for the other days. So, our EE day isn't stamped. I ask if it's a problem, because we did do EE today, and not only is it not a problem, we can do EE tomorrow! I ask if that's fair, and she smiles and says that our pass says we have an EE day left, and we should use it of we want to. WOW! We get back to the hotel and fall asleep. Brian walks to a convenience store to get lottery tickets and orders pizza ($23.14) for dinner. We get back to DL about 5:30 and take the train to Toontown to see Animazement. It's the same show as last October (1999) but we still enjoyed it. The kids loved it. At this point, we are totally shocked at the crowds at DL tonight. We have come at this time probably 4 out of the last 5 years and the crowds are usually quite small. We are definitely bummed. We pick up a FP for Small World and then head to get a spot for Fantasmic (It's only about 6:45). It's totally crowded in the roped off section, so we head off to Thunder Mountain. (we get a baby swap), while I take Emily and Thomas to Riverbelle Terrace to sit. A nice CM stopped by to clear the table, and brought the kids a soda, since I couldn't go anywhere (wasn't that nice?) He even apologized he couldn't bring more! He said that the crowd was at about 60,000, and it wasn't expected. He had been asked to work a longer shift as they were shorthanded. Brian and Michael returned and I went and bought drinks ($13.31 for a mocha, latte, 2 hot chocolates and a sprite) We decide to stay here to watch Fantasmic, as I have this fear of losing the kids in a crowd. So Michael and I ride Thunder Mountain (baby swap) and I buy a popcorn ($2.50) on the way back. After Fantasmic, we try to get to Small World (FP) but we can't get there because of the crowds for the fireworks. They were nice, but we had a hard time seeing through the trees and the castle. We also aren't in a position to touch or see the snow. We finally make it to Small World, with about a minute to spare! The decorations are beautiful-it looks so new and fresh. Even Michael liked it. After Small World, we leave the park. We are so happy not to be waiting for a shuttle-we take our quick walk and we are back at the hotel. We can't wait for tomorrow! Day 2 (12/16/00) DL opens at 8am today, which means EE starts at 6:30. While I absolutely believe in getting to the park early, we just can't make it by 6:30, but we were there by 7am. Brian and Michael head over to Star Tours, while I take Emily and Thomas to..........you guessed it.....Dumbo. We ride twice, and then ride the carousel and Peter Pan. We meet up with Brian and Michael and ride Mr.. Toad, and now it's 10 minutes until the entire park is open. We head straight for Adventureland. There are about 50 people in line for Indy. Michael and I get in line (the CM's are telling everyone that it will not open until 8am, on the nose) Brian is waiting at the FP line, to snag FP for Indy, also. We are on and off quickly, and get in line for Jungle Cruise, except there is no line, and we walk onto a boat and take off. Thomas loves seeing all of the animals. We then head over to Pirates, and I decide to get Blue Bayou ressies. Now, for those of you who have read my other posts, you know this is a budget trip, and the Blue Bayou is off limits. But, our friend Kevin, who was supposed to join us, has bailed on us. I had my mom e-mail him Friday, telling him to call us at the hotel and we have heard nothing. I understand something might have happened, but couldn't he have called? So, I am still ticked, and decide the way to get over my disappointment is to go to the Blue Bayou (we wanted to take Kevin there, as he has not been to DL since 1972) We are able to get ressies for 1:50, which I want, so we can then head over and see the parade. We go back to Indy, for FP and Brian and Michael ride while I take the other kids to the Tarzan Treehouse. It's empty, basically, which is great, because the kids have a great time with the interactive stuff at the end (the pots and all that stuff). Brian comes with Michael and everyone but me does the Treehouse. The kids are now hungry, since we really didn't eat this morning. Brian suggests eating right where we are, but I want to take the kids to the Plaza Inn for the character breakfast. Oops, I didn't realize it was a buffet ($17.99 for adults and $9.99 for kids) Then I suggest Carnation bakery, and I see the Carnation café next door-wow, we can sit down and be served! This becomes our choice! Emily and Thomas share a kids meal, and Michael orders the cinnamon roll French toast (as does Brian) I order the waffles, because I am afraid that Michael won't like the French toast. The food arrives quickly, Michael takes one look at the French toast and gets a funny look. I casually say, "Hey Michael, that looks good. Would you like to trade with me?" He eagerly trades and Brian and I both agree it's good. Total cost, with 2 coffees and tip: $30. With everyone refreshed, we head to Autopia to pick up a Fastpass. I call my mom, just to see if she knows anything about Kevin (it's about 10:15) and discover that he has been trying to contact us, but the hotel desk clerk kept denying anyone with that name is at the hotel. She gives us Kevin's phone number in Orange and I call, but he has gone to get a car battery. I am fuming, livid, madder than you know what at the dumb hotel clerk. When I calm down, Brian pops over to change the ressie at Blue Bayou and I take Michael and Thomas to the Matterhorn. While waiting in line, Thomas picks up gum and gets it all over his fingers. It's sticky and now it's all over MY fingers. Thomas explains he picked it up so no one would step in it. The people behind us are cracking up, as I very calmly suggest that we make a new rule-that he tells a mom or dad to pick up the gum instead. A nice young girl offers to run to the bathroom and get some paper towels (she says "I know you don't want to leave your kids alone in line). She brings back both wet and dry paper towels (THANK YOU! THANK YOU!) and by the time we are done cleaning up, we are at the front of the line. We meet back near Autopia and I get a hold of Kevin. His car had broken down and he was a bit frustrated with the hotel. We will meet at 12:15 near the newsstand. We ride Autopia and I wait outside the newsstand for Kevin. He shows up at 12:20-yeah! Brian and the kids have been inside the Main Street cinema-they have been having a wonderful time watching the old cartoons. We decide to head over to Pirates, and get sidetracked for just a few minutes by the cannon near the entrance of Frontierland, and the shooting gallery. We check in early at the Blue Bayou, asking for water table, but the wait will be an hour or so. The hostess says we might get the 2nd row, and we say okay. There are no more ressies for the day, just the stand by line. I am so glad we made our ressies-I really wanted to take Kevin here. We wait for our name to be called and the kids hang out in the Pirate store-their favorite. (Lunch $73) After lunch, I decide to treat the kids to something from the Pirate store-we walk out with a spyglass ($1.95) , and skull ring ($3) and a bag of jewels ($6) I again decide that the kids need a nap. Michael wants to stay with Kevin and Brian, so I walk with the younger kids (I remembered to give the guys their passes, so they can use Fastpass) On the way out, I use my three tickets to get FP for Indy, since the time is 3 or 4 hours away. The kids sleep for almost 1 1/2 hours. I wake Emily up, and just put Thomas in the stroller, still asleep and we meet the guys at 5:40. They have already staked out a place for the 8pm parade. They rode Thunder Mountain while we were gone, and the Mark Twain. Michael, Kevin and I use FP to ride Star Tours, and then Indy. We pick up a FP for Pirates (we never made it there this afternoon) and return to our parade spot. We end up with a few snacks (churros-2 and sodas-3, which is $12.50) When I walk over, a voice says, "Hello, Julia". It's an aide in the class I work with (I'm a speech therapist for a class for children with autism) She and her friends just happened to sit behind my family! We watched the parade and then battled the crowds to reach Pirates. Our plan is for Brian to race with Emily to Main Street after Pirates, to see the snow (she has been waiting for this!) We will just use the walkie talkies to figure stuff out afterwards. As we exit Pirates, we are standing near the candy vendor while Fantasmic in playing. It's an ace oit spit, so Kevin gets to see half of Fantasmic. Afterwards, I decide I have to see the snow also, and we brave the crowds to make it to Main Street. It is packed, and I mean packed. There are now signs up, saying Main Street is full. They are asking people to walk through the shops, but I have to see the snow. So we walk along the walkway and miracle of miracles, there is a spot right near the bakery. (I assume people have shifted in) We slide in under the rope and watch the fireworks and discover we have the one of the best spots for seeing the snow. After the show is over, people are leaving in droves and we stay put. We find out that Brian and Emily were right near us, but we just couldn't see them. I decide to take Thomas home and Emily wants to go, also. Michael again wants to stay and hang with the guys. So I leave with the kids and head back to the hotel. There is no EE tomorrow, thank goodness, but we need to have the car packed, so it's not likely we'll make it there by 8am. Day 3 (12/17/00) It's our last day at DL, and since it's a Sunday, there is no EE at the park, which opens at 8am. I would like to get there right when it opens, but the kids are really tired and we need to pack the car. Brian gets up first, and I drag myself out of bed at 7:20. We quickly pack the car, check out and head for DL and arrive about 8:30 (not bad, I think) At check out, I let the manager know about our very frustrating experience with receiving phone calls and messages (I'll talk more about this in the summary) Anyway, we haven't yet seen Toontown, so we take the train over and ride small world-the sign says 5 minutes wait, but we were on as fast as we could get on a boat. We walk to Toontown and Mickey is in the doorway of his house (not inside) We get in line and are the last family to get pictures like this-cool. We pop over to Gadget's Go Coaster, which all the kids love (even Emily) and ride, only waiting a few minutes. Because the line stays so short, we ride another 4 times, each time only waiting the length of time for one or two coaster cycles. When we leave, the line suddenly gets a lot longer, and we suggest to the kids to try the acorn crawl. Well, that's not open, so we head over to the Bounce House, and the kids get to go right in. Since Toontown can be SO congested, we figure we have done pretty well! We head over to Fantasyland, to ride he Storybook boats-the line is pretty long, but about halfway through our wait, about 4 boats are added, so it goes quickly (just the time it takes to load the boats) I like these boast, and prefer them to Casey Junior, which the kids have finally outgrown (and I don't care!) Brian pops over to the Autopia, to get once again another FP, while I take the kids on Alice. Since our fast pass time is 11-12, and it's now 10:40, Brian then head over to Thunder Mountain for FP, which he can get at 11. We meet at Autopia and ride, and then Brian and Michael go to Thunder Mountain, while I let Emily and Thomas have some popcorn, while sitting in the Mexican restaurant area. It won't open for awhile (2/6/01), but you can use the seating, and there is someone assigned to clean it up (sweeping, wiping tables, etc) which I think is nice. Brian and Michael come back, and then I head over to Thunder Mountain with Michael, while Brian takes the other kids to Bear Country Jamboree. They really like the Christmas show. Michael and I ride Thunder Mountain (love that FP!) and get in line again. We are 4 people away from riding when it shuts down. Everyone is asked to leave. Michael is disappointed, but I remind him how lucky he was to ride twice in a row, without waiting, while the other people didn't get to ride at all, and he is a good sport. We take the train again, to New Orleans Square, and exchange the spyglass we bought. It broke less than 5 minutes after we bought it. I know it's not that great (I mean, it was $1.95 at DL!) but I did hope it would last longer than our trip. I bring it back, and the CM very nicely lets me exchange it (I also still had my receipt) We get a Fast pass for Pirates, which the kids want to ride yet again, and then take the train back to Tomorrowland, to eat at Red Rocket's. Michael really wants to eat here, and we never have so decide to try it. It was a bit chaotic at first, especially since we need to be in three different lines (salad for Brain and I, pizza for Michael and pasta for Emily and Thomas), but we figure it out. Brian has Thomas and is looking for a table. Lunch is $36-more than we planned, but I am glad to not be eating burgers. Brian found a table and the kids like their lunch. Emily and Thomas love their plastic plates shaped like Mickey (the kind of plastic you would find with a lean Cuisine package) and I ask a CM for a bag, so we can take them home. Normally I wouldn't do this, but we have one more ride, and are heading home in the car, so it's not any trouble. He gets me one and we leave to ride Pirates. After Pirates, we head down through Adventureland, looking in shops. I decide, since the kids have been so good this trip, to treat them to a t-shirt (I should also add, that both Michael and Emily really need some t-shirts-they have outgrown everything) Michael gets an Indiana Jones t-shirt-Thomas wants one, but there is not one small enough. We find Emily a 45th anniversary shirt on Main Street, as well as a shirt with Mickey in a canoe for Thomas (since he paddled in the canoes-last time I would let him) We head out the Main gate, and back to our car at the hotel (the manager let us keep it there today). Its about 3pm, and we hit a lot of traffic in LA, and don't make it home until 10:30 (and we are tired!) Final Thoughts/Summary
I can't wait for our WDW trip! Julia McCrone mccrone@gte.net Mail a Comment to Julia McCrone |
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