Day 1 – March 8th, 2015 – Part 1
Flying Down instead of Driving and back at the Happiest Place on Earth
It is now time for the first day of our trip “Flying Back Down with DD4 and Mom” to
Disneyland in March. During this trip DAW and I will be going to the DLR with DD4 and DML (mom). They went with us during the
January 2013 DD2 First Trip at the Happiest Place on Earth which was DD4 first time going to the DLR and DML third time in her life at the DLR. Now it has been over two years and now DD4 is now 4 and a half years old which she was 2 back during the 2013 trip. They will be going back to the DLR with us.
Originally it was supposed to be just DAW, DD4 and me but DML was able to get off work and was able to get the $49 deal on Southwest Airlines which we were able to get during our trip. We were excited that DML was able to join us during our trip in March.
When DML was able to come along with us, I had to upgrade our room at Best Western Park Place Inn to a 2 Queen Bedroom with a Sofa Bed. Originally we selected the 2 Double Bedroom for the three of us. SO it did make sense to upgrade to the 2 Queen room since we had four people with us.
DML had some trouble walking lately since our last trip and she needed an ECV for the trip. DAW uses an ECV during the trips like every other time so they had two ECV’s to use for the trip which helps out both of them to maneuver at the DLR.
This is very interesting part of the trip to the DLR with DD4. DD4 remember most of the trip when we went during the January 2013 and she was so excited to go back down. When she knew that we were going to the DLR in March, she couldn’t stop talking about it with her family & friends.
It was the day of the trip in which we were planning on flying down to SoCal instead of driving. I mostly never like to fly since I drive most of the time when I go to SoCal. But DAW didn’t want to drive down to SoCal and we were able to get great deals on SWA for $49 one way which is a really good deal. The only problem that we didn’t get is the early flight to SoCal. The one that had the $49 one way was at 1pm. The earlier times were twice as much so it makes sense to buy the cheaper one and lose half of the day. DAW likes to get to the airport early just in case if something happens when we get to Sacramento International Airport.
I was picked up by Cousin C to get DAW, DML and DD4. It was nice of him to take the four of us to SIA.
We got to SIA around 10am and our flight was at 1pm. I really like to fly SWA since it is a reasonable price and all the seat assignment are the same where we can sit anywhere we want.
Our flight was heading on over to John Wayne Airport Orange County which is one of the closest cities to the DLR. I have flown to OC a lot of times in the past and it is nice to fly to OC over LAX which I don’t like to go since it is so busy and takes a while to the DLR.
We were waiting at SIA for our flight. All three of them are looking forward to the trip.
It took an hour and ten minutes to get from Sacramento to OC. When we got off the plane, we head on down to get our baggage and head on over towards the SuperShuttle area. I was suggesting DAW to use the Disney Express Bus but DAW wanted to use the SuperShuttle instead. It took a while for the SuperShuttle to pick us up and take us over to our hotel which was BWPPI.
We rode the SuperShuttle to BWPPI but we had to stop a few times since there were other people riding the bus that day. I always enjoy staying at BWPPI because of its location to the DLR which is the closets non-Disney hotel.
We got to BWPPI around 3:30pm which was really quick from John Wayne Airport. When we check-in at the front desk, our room was ready and we stayed in a 2 Queen bedroom with a sofa bed. I used the sofa bed while they used the other queen beds. Also we have ordered two ECV’s to use for the trip which DAW and DML was able to use them. It was a good thing that we had two ECV’s to use since it would be hard for DML to walk around the DLR.
After we checked in to our room and unpacked all our bags, we started to head on out of BWPPI and head on over to the DLR that afternoon. It was before 4pm which we left the hotel and on over to the DLR.
The first thing we did was to get the tickets for DML and DD4. DAW was able to purchase park hopper tickets on parksavers.com. We were fortunate to get the PH tickets before the price increase which happened during my February 2015 trip with DAF. We were able to get the old price just in time for the trip. The problem that we had that afternoon was that we forgot to print out the voucher for the tickets. So we were forced to go through the tickets booths to get the tickets. This used up a lot of our park time that day in which we spent about half an hour to go through the queue to get them. This almost felt like going through a regular line to get on a ride.
The new park tickets prices that were up since late February.
DML and DD4 all looking happy to go to the parks that day.
After getting the tickets at the ticket booth, we first head on over to DCA to get FP’s for the Frozen Sing-Along show. I have done the same thing during the February trip in which we went to DCA first to see the show and to able to come back later that night to see the show.
All of the Frozen Fun signs were still up which Disney is promoting it a lot during the off season.
When I went on over to the Frozen Sing-Along to get the FP’s, we got the 9pm show. I was disappointed that we got the 9pm show since we were planning on watching Fantasy in the Sky fireworks that night but that all changed when we got the 9pm FP’s. So we decided not to watch the fireworks that night since we were able to get the FP’s for the Frozen Sing-Along.
While we were in DCA, we had dinner at Tortilla Jo’s at 5:30pm. So it was almost close to have dinner that night at Downtown Disney. But before we head on over to Tortilla Joe’s that night, we head on over to Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café which actually sells Starbucks drinks at DCA. The reason we went on over there was to get the new DCA Starbucks mugs that are so popular online. I was able to get a few mugs that day in which they are nice. I am not a coffee drinker but the mugs are very nice to have.
I still have to go on over to DL and get the DL Starbucks mugs at the Market House. But we plan on getting those later when we go to DL.
After leaving DCA, we head on over to Tortilla Jo’s for dinner, but DD4 wanted to play right next to the fountains and I was able to get a picture of her right next to one the fountain’s.
DAW and I have ate at Tortilla Jo’s back during the December 2013 trip and she wanted to eat at this place again. But during the times in 2014, we had no time to head on over to Tortilla Joe’s. So this time she was determine to eat at this place again.
DML, DD4 and DAW in Tortilla Jo’s for dinner.
I am mostly never in any of the pictures during the trip report but I was able to get a selfie that day.
We were seated in less than 5 minutes. Good thing that I made a reservation at 5:30pm or we would have wait a while to be seated.
The menu. So much to choose from.
DML had a margarita.
We started off with a tableside guacamole.
I ordered the Chile Verde
DAW got an enchilada with a taco, DML had the fish tacos and DD4 had two crunchy tacos.
Dinner was great. DAW enjoyed it the most since she loves Mexican food. DML, DD4 and I also enjoyed dinner that night and it was a good thing that we made a reservation at Tortilla Jo’s during the trip.
After having dinner at Tortilla Jo’s, it was now time to head on over to DL that night. When we got in DL that night around 7pm, we first headed on over towards the Market House to get the DL Starbucks Mugs.
When we went on over to the Market House, I was able to pick up the DL Starbucks Mugs. I was happy that I was able to get the DL/DCA Starbucks mugs that day. I don’t drink coffee but the mugs do look so amazing that I had to get them.
When we got the mugs at the Market House, we head straight on towards Sleeping Beauty Castle. It was so nice to see SB Castle all finished up after when it was tarp during my February trip. When I look closely at the castle, it was all nicely painted and looks good. Even though it isn’t completed yet until the 60th Anniversary comes in May.
The first ride we went on at DL was Dumbo. DD4 loves Dumbo and King Arthur Carousel. But KAC wait time was so long that it wasn’t worth it. So when we looked at Dumbo, it had a 10 minute wait time which was kind of shocking during that time of the day. DML and DD4 went on Dumbo while DAW and I waited.
After they rode on Dumbo, we head straight on over to It’s a Small World since this is one of DD4 rides that she wanted to go on. When we approached IASW, the ride wait time was at 15 minutes which wasn’t that bad but when we looked closer on the phones and see that we had to go on over to DCA to see the 9pm Frozen Sing-Along show, we had to leave. DD4 was disappointed but we told her that we will have the opportunity to go on IASW later during the trip.
Just when we were about to leave DL and head on over to DCA, DML wanted to get the Dole Whip Float which she has been craving since we arrived. SO we went on over to the Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland to see what the wait time is like to get a Dole Whip. Luckily the wait time was only 5 minutes and we went in line to get two of them. DML was so happy and excited to get a Dole Whip Float that night. And of course, I had to get one as well.
We head straight on over to DCA while having the Dole Whip floats that night. The park was not that busy that night but I can tell that Sunday’s at the DLR are always busy since DL opens till midnight and DCA at 10pm.
)Continue to the Next Post[/url]