Trip Report from DL....happy mother's day!

**Colorado Belle** · 05-12-2009,11:49 AM

Even tho I'm back, I think I 'll report in a day by day on this one thread, especially as the trip was so short:

Left Friday, May 8. It's a 2 hour drive and park to the airport and flight is about 2 1/2 hours. Easy peasy...and no ticket this time like last year. Couldn't sleep well the night before, but got up early to finish packing and cleaning up paperwork before I left at 8 for a noonish flight.

Arrived early, caught the shuttle from John Wayne Airport (without traffic this is a 15 min. drive) and checked into the Doubletree Anaheim. Got my free hot baked choc chip cookies and saw the heavenly bed in the room...thought if I lay down that I might not get back up! DD called and said she was about 15 minutes away....she drove down from Santa Barbara instead of 1000 Oaks because she didn't work (fire evac day off).

I'd found tickets on craigslist from a guy in Santa Barbara who couldn't use his second day. Although there was a bus from the Doubletree to DL on the hour, we decided to drive and park. I don't think I'll ever do that again. First, we spent at least a half hour trying to find the darn parking lot...we followed the signs, which, as I've learned at WDW not to do!!!

We had to park far away from the exit to tram...it was a hike. Then got on the tram and it was a long tram ride to downtown disney and then walk through DTD to entry gate. Compared to last year,when we stayed at a Harbor Drive motel, we could walk to the entry in less time than from our parking spot to the tram....so, if I had my druthers, and couldn't stay on site, I'd stay in one of the 'walkables' as opposed to using parking. EXCEPT: I might park in the down town Disney parking which is 3 hours free and 2 extgra with validation...and then @ $5 per hour. We weren't theme parking on Sunday, but parked at DTD just to eat and it was a no brainer...park, take the monorail, come back for a meal with validation, move the car to either take a break at your hotel or not, and back again for evening and take the monorail again. SAVES FEET!!!!!

All done, we went first to DCA to check out the scene. Seemed like lots of peeps but the lines weren't all that bad. FP'd Soaring and went into the single line for TSM and waited 10 minutes. DD wouldn't let me do it again...but I wanted to! Rode Scramin, and then did a Wine tasting which was fun...and we didn't have to wait as long as the complimentary wine tastings at WDW so that is nice. Did Soarin on our way out. Next: DL. There were lots of people waiting in lines and not many fast passes left. Park was open til midnight. Stopped somewhere to eat and had an ahi tuna salad that was yum...esp for fast food!!!!! Do I remember where? Nope, but I'll look it up on my receipts. We did SM and Indy first, an d got FPs for another round, did Pirates and Buzz. They weren' t doing Fantasmic and DD didn't want to do the fireworks in front of the castle (which isn't as fun as at WDW granted, but still.......) We watched the last part of them from outside Pirates. We were both pretty tired and I had a blister on my foot tween the toes from my thongs..ouch. Plus, I'd gotten up at 5a.m. I was much relieved that DD didn't wnat to stay until closing. We made it to 11:45 and that was cuz I insisted we walk through the castle diarama which is cute and a must do at least once. We walked out, across the plaza, through DTD and to the tram only to find a long line of peeps and not enough tram. Finally got to the parking structure and walked and walked to the furthermost corner to our car. Exhausted. We were asleep within 5 minutes of returning to our room and that included a bath!!!!

We really accomplished a lot that first day, considering we didn't get into the parks til about 3:30. I think I've read that Friday is the busiest day at DL and now I believe it...so plan accordingly.

**Rozzie** · 05-12-2009,02:42 PM

Sounds like a great trip so far! The tuna sounds yummy.

**nono** · 05-12-2009,02:48 PM

Girl, you know how to eek the most out of a day!

**7swans** · 05-12-2009,05:46 PM

Great report, were you nervous about your craigslist tickets?

**KNWVIKING 2.0** · 05-12-2009,07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Colorado Belle

......thongs......

In half a second I can scan all posts for "keywords".....

Imagine my disappointment.

**Colorado Belle** · 05-12-2009,07:37 PM

About craigslist tickets: not at all. It was a really cute kid who lived in SB so it was easy for DD to go and pick up the tickets. He stated that he'd paid $94 for Southern Cali parkhopper 2 day and that he was asking $47each. I explained in an email that I'd be flying into LA and meeting DD for a mother's day in DL and he replied " that's so neat, I'm thinking I should do that for my mom someday soon' . We negotiated down for the pair of tickets and when DD went to pick up while she was evacuated from her house due ot the fire, he decided to give them to her for $70bucks. I had no reservations at all...BUT ...I'm a very trusting person anyway. Now about the OTHER tickets we bought off of EBAY...yep, a little nervous about them:::::::

So, we had to meet the EBAY dude at 8:15 AM. DD was not happy about the early morning, but she was ready on time. First, you bid for the tickets on EBAY. The seller says that you have to pick the tickets up in the morning and return them at a designated time TBD at night. But boy, was it ever cloak and dagger...felt like a drug deal going down. We met in the back of a parking lot and the guy told me to get out of the car first. Whoa!!!! But it was very professional and the tickets were in a little plastic card holder and he mapped out the area where we'd return them at 8:15. They came with a map of DL and he wished us a fun day etc. After that, it was time to feed the kid who gets ornery when she doesn't eat.
We made it into DL by 9:15 or so. I complained some about not being there for opening and then we hit SM , got fastpass, hit Buzz, got fastpass for Indie, hit Indie and so on...there seemed to b e lots of people but the lines were not long at all for any of the rides and the fastpasses were for only an hour later. So we ended up doing most everything we wanted by 11:30 (and now I understand all you early morning peeps!)and decided to hit DCA cuz I wanted to make the 12:10 Aladdin show. We hit Benny Hill right before we left (no more standing in line waiting for the show...seat yourself) for DCA and went right to Aladdin and ...remember this....got in line for the mezzanine seats which are by far the best seats in the house. (just trust me). We only had to wait 5 minutes before being seated. The show was great and even DD who had poohed it, was smiling!
Then we hit TOT and did the animation studio (yep I drew another cartoon...TIGGER!) and made it b ack in time to have lunch at the Blue Bayou. There are no longer crab cake appetizers on the menu (one has to ante up $31 for a cc entree) but we had a waterside table and the crabcakes and Monte Cristo were pretty good. Thus refreshed, we hit a bunch of rides including all the Fantasyland rides we never do: Alice, Snow White (funny story I'll tell later), Peter Pan was closed, Pinochio. Another matterhorn which was so rough that it gave me bruises tho I laughed the entire ride....Finally we headed over to my fav...storeybook canal but it was closed for the parade. So we rode the train all around to toon town and explored it, tho without kidlings it's not really much. By that time the parade was over and we lined up for Storybook boats. There was a mother duck with 5 babies in the water and we all really enjoyed watching their antics. CAn't remember the exact order but we did ride everything at least once and this night I said we WILL watch the 'oh it's only fireworks mom' show. Found a place in front of the castle and sat down. But before the show a CM came around and said we all had to stand up. Didn't much like her tone and didn't see the purpose so I stayed seated (I was hidden by a stroller). DD kept yelling at me to get up because everyone else had to (since when did she become a stickler for the rules?) . When the fireworks started, i stood and it was a great show that starts off with Wishes music and then does a little piece of the major attractions music. No tink, which was a disappointment, but the fireworks were great, very interactive. It ends with Wishes music to, so I felt at home. WE had a few more fastpasses to use up but we ended up giving away our last Indie FP because we were just too tired. On the way out, DD had to use the potty and I found myself ihn front of the Dole Whip stand that was still open...so of course I had to have my Dole Whip!!!!!!!

Can't believe I couldn't last until midnight...actually, by then, my blister had pretty much calloused over and foot was numb so I could have stayed a wee bit longer...DD made me leave

. Another long trek to the tram and this time, DD went and got the car and picked up her old mum. We went straight to our hotel and fell into bed and I think we were both so happy NOT to be parking it the next day...SLEEP IN!!!!!!

We really did see everything we wanted to in one and a half days. I would have liked to do one of the food demos and maybe one more wine seminar, and another TSM of course, but other than that: it was a hoot and a half.

No plans for Mother's Day Brunch...just decided to see what happened in the morning. Will write about THAT next time .

**mickeyndvcfan** · 05-12-2009,08:11 PM

Great TR, as always. Glad you had a great visit with your DD.

**7swans** · 05-13-2009,05:40 AM

" Snow White (funny story I'll tell later)"

Looking forward to it!

We have never been to DL, what is the Benny Hill thing?

Did you have return the cloak & dagger guy's tickets to him?

I agrre with Nono, you sure know how to make the most of a day!