Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I don’t remember what time it was when DS informed us that he didn’t exactly feel very good and then… well, there’s no good way to say it. He puked.

There are rules against doing stuff like that on vacation, ya’ know.

I’d completed the handy check out feature on the TV grabbed all of our bags and was standing in the hallway waiting. When DS let it be known he clearly wasn’t feeling well. Again.

Now cut that out!

we grabbed every plastic bag we could find in that hotel room. Trash bags. Ice bucket bags, Laundry bags. We cleaned them out.

Good thinking on you part there.

We really thought the best option for us was to hope he’d be ok for the ride and maybe we could check in to our room at GCH and he could lay down and feel better by Wednesday.

And the fact that it was a rental car, made me a little less concerned about the consequences.

Ahh... the Mirth-Mobile...

But every time I saw one coming in my mirror, I had a hard time keeping myself from throwing my door open at the last second.

Well it was a rental

I hear there’s this little Star Wars race thingy going on right out here on this street in front of the hotel. I have a flight to catch early Saturday morning. Am I going to be able to leave sometime between 5 and 6 am to drive to the airport?

I got the deer in the headlights look.

My, but this day just keeps getting better and better…

I was really disappointed by the fact that they had no plan in place, and essentially, no way to offer assistance. I mean for the love of God, I was paying a premium price for Disneyland’s flagship resort. I’d like to think I’m being reasonable here and not just taking a “me, me, me” attitude about it, but you’d think that if there’s a race causing road closures and you have to park somewhere that is a 15 - 20 minute walk from the resort that they might put something in place to help get you and/or your luggage over there.

It isn’t like we were paying Super 8 prices.

“Am I supposed to be a man? Am I supposed to say, "It's OK, I don't mind, I don't mind"? Well, I mind! I mind big time! And you know what the worst part is? I NEVER LEARNED TO READ.”

Thankfully, no sooner had I turned the car off than a text came through that our room was ready. We asked DS how he felt. Once again, he said he felt fine. We asked if he thought he would be ok walking to our room. He was ready to go, so we got out of the car, gathered the last few bags and started to set out.

But not before DS had to go over and fertilize the palm tree.

He was just expressing an opinion on the lack of shade available in the parking lot.
A little extra fertilizer is exactly what was called for. If not for y’all then at least it might benefit future guests.

Right?

I definitely enjoyed our time at the resort and hanging out there, but as for whether I’d stay there again, it isn’t very likely. I really had a hard time saying this was worth the price tag.

I appreciate the candor. We’ll all see how it works for y’all the rest of the trip, but your experiences will be useful in determining how I might want to go about dealing with a trip out that way in the future. We’d likely only be able to do it once as well, and right now it sounds like I shouldn’t overlook either the DLH of possibly a “Good-Neighbor”.

More things to consider.

This was my first EOS experience, but I’ve got to say, I can understand what all the talk is about that place now. That was one of the best buffalo chicken wraps I’ve ever had, if not the best. It was just really fresh and tasted great.

Good to know that they are consistent from one coast to the other.

I wanted to kick back and just relax for a few minutes.

Maybe enjoy a nice cold beverage.

What better place to do this than Trader Sam’s?



You have got to be kidding me…

Now that just ain’t right.

I was just wandering around, looking for nothing in particular when “One Little Spark” started playing.

Music saves the day!

There was something else that I knew would help raise my spirits. When I got to GCH, I headed to the quick service place and grabbed a Mickey Bar.

It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.

DS was still feeling ok. He was lying in bed surrounded by cracker crumbs. He’d been eating them with no ill effects and drinking plenty of Sprite. Hey… don’t judge…

Wouldn’t think of it.
That’s exactly what you offer a young’en with a gimpy tummy.

DD was bouncing off the walls.

By then, I bet she was

We headed to the pool, but even though it was warm outside… probably around 70, the water was pretty cold. We didn’t last very long at all before DD was shivering, so I wrapped her in a towel and headed back to the room for a warm bath.

At least you did get to jump in for a bit though.
That broke up the afternoon a bit for her at least.

It had been several hours since DS had been sick. He seemed to be feeling considerably better and wasn’t showing any ill effects. We were all sick of staring at those 4 walls, so we decided to venture out and see some things around DTD.

One can only take just so much “Stacy TV”

Yeah… blurry Hulk picture. But it was hard to get one without getting photobombed.

Hulk Smash Photobombers! Smash with own Selfie-Stick!

Hay, blurry Hulk pictures beat out the No-Hulk pictures I currently have.

We got to Naples and checked in for our ADR. They seated us outside on the patio right under a heater. It was a beautiful setting to enjoy some pizza.

We placed our orders, but being sick earlier and then all the walking in DTD started to catch up with DS. He curled up in his chair and went to sleep. DD was being a handful and didn’t want to sit and eat, so once our pizza arrived, we asked for the check and a box, scarfed down a few slices, and took it back to the room.

Actually, this sounds like just about the best outcome possible considering conditions.
You got to enjoy the atmosphere (which is at least half of any Disney dining experience), didn’t over tax the kids more than need be, and ended up with instant breakfast.

Bonus!



Rough day there…
Hope you got all that stuff out of your system.
(Especially the young man)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Sorry for the long boring post... but let's just knock this whole day out in one shot so we can get to the good stuff...

I know others who have pulled this trick on a TR before.

I don’t remember what time it was when DS informed us that he didn’t exactly feel very good and then… well, there’s no good way to say it. He puked.

Well, that's an ominous sign.

And the fact that it was a rental car, made me a little less concerned about the consequences.

These poor, poor rental cars. The abuse they are put through.

I don’t know if it is legal there for motorcycles to drive as fast as they want and pass cars by driving between lanes. But every time I saw one coming in my mirror, I had a hard time keeping myself from throwing my door open at the last second.

Maybe they were filming a movie, and you were an extra. The door idea would have been a cool stunt.

I hear there’s this little Star Wars race thingy going on right out here on this street in front of the hotel. I have a flight to catch early Saturday morning. Am I going to be able to leave sometime between 5 and 6 am to drive to the airport?

I got the deer in the headlights look.

Hey, I have an idea! Let's get a group of thousands of people in one place and not worry about how to deal with them!

But not before DS had to go over and fertilize the palm tree.

I'm sure the tree appreciated the extra protein.

I felt kind of underwhelmed, to be honest.

That stinks. It does look more like a regular hotel room and less detailed than other deluxe resorts.

So I won’t knock the fact that we had a monorail view room!

Now we're talking! That wouldn't get old.

But there were some roof structures jutting out from the building, one just below our balcony. And there was all kinds of trash on the roof. It looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a while. There were balls of paper, condiment packages, straws, plastic eating utensils, just all kinds of trash.

This, on the other hand...

I really had a hard time saying this was worth the price tag. Considering that this resort is somewhat comparable to Wilderness Lodge in theming and architecture, I can say without a doubt, I’d choose to stay at WL over GCH.

Wow. I really wasn't expecting that. But it's good to know my WL man-crush is still very justified.

This was my first EOS experience, but I’ve got to say, I can understand what all the talk is about that place now.

Never a bad choice!

His response: “If they told you to park here and you’ll be able to get out, then they’ll probably have some way to get out.”

Probably. Well, that's comforting.

What better place to do this than Trader Sam’s?

You have got to be kidding me…

Aw, come on! It's like somebody has a voodoo doll of you and keeps sticking it with pins.

But then I figured if I was going to try to upgrade after I got home, there’s no point spending $30 or whatever it was for a case that I’ll use for maybe a week.

A week. If that.

Hearing that song, at that exact time, did it. It kind of pepped me up and reminded me where I was.

Aha! It totally worked on you too! I knew my theory on the music was correct.

She was constantly climbing up and down on the bunk bed. We couldn’t get her to stop; both kids would end up falling over the course of the week. I really wished we had never been given one of those rooms.

So many problems could have been avoided if the TSA hadn't confiscated that taser.

For those of you who might not know, Naples is basically Disneyland’s Via Napoli. It is owned by the same company, and the pizza is pretty much the same. So yes, it was frickin’ awesome.

Well, this is definitely worth noting! Because I knew Via Napoli rocks.

 

[MEK]

So why, why, WHY do kids always get sick on vacation? I'm so sorry DS was under the weather, but all things considered it could have been a lot worse. It just really put a crimp in your transition day.

And *ugh* to no one knowing how you were going to leave in the morning. NOw that is totally a drag. Boo! I am going to take a wild guess here and say it all turned out OK, but still.

Glad you loved EOS! You've got me craving that right now!

Sorry you were disappointed with your overall stay at the Grand. I would be very disappointed in seeing trash out the windows and have a slow check in experience. I hope to stay there on DVC points - if I ever get there. I keep saying I'm going and something always keeps me at WDW.

Thanks for the update. Hate reading about not so great days, but I hope things improve in the am. And thanks for the pizza tip!

Oh yeah - what's up with trader sams being closed????

 

[afwdwfan]

Ugh...all I could think when you said DS puked that first time was, "No, no, no!" That is just terrible. What rotten luck. You'd have thought with them catching the flu right before the trip, you'd have been in the clear from any bugs. Those kind of things sprout up, like, once a year (if that) and of course your family's had to appear on your DL trip.

Yeah, we really thought we were in the clear by the time we left. I don't know if he just ate something that didn't agree with him or what, but it definitely wasn't what we wanted to have happen that morning.

It just sounded like an unfortunate day all around. I feel like maybe the GCH might have been more impressive if the kids were older? And you didn't have to stare at trash all the time...

Maybe. I don't know. I just wasn't that blown away by the room itself. You can always hang out in the common areas and not be a guest, and I think I'd be good with doing that next time.

But walking through the DLH and seeing old pictures of Walt on the wall and historic Disney events memorialized... that is where I should have been. Although, again, it was common areas and I experienced them without staying there. Ok, next time it's a good neighbor hotel!

Good for you, though, trying your hardest to find the positive in DL.

Well, we still had 3 days to turn it around. You've got to like the odds.

I had no idea that Naples and Via Napoli were the same. Well, now I know where I'm eating at DL.

It was good. They're slightly different in the look and feel. Naples is more of a modern, sterile place than VN, but the pizza tastes just as good.

Oh, and I had that buffalo wrap from EoS on my last trip. It was so good! Kind of redeems Disney and their sad excuse for a buffalo sandwich at DHS. I think you're the only other DISer I read reports from that loves buffalo sauce as much as I do, so it's nice to see I'm not alone in my search for good versions inside the parks.

Oh yeah, I'm a buffalo sauce addict. That's about the only way I'll eat chicken. Unless it is some good fried chicken! The DHS version isn't bad... not great, but at least it is something.

There are rules against doing stuff like that on vacation, ya’ know.

I know. I followed them.

Now cut that out!

Yeah, he clearly didn't read the MANLAWS.

Good thinking on you part there.

Ahh... the Mirth-Mobile...

Pretty much!

Well it was a rental

Good point. I should have done it.

My, but this day just keeps getting better and better…

Doesn't it though?

“Am I supposed to be a man? Am I supposed to say, "It's OK, I don't mind, I don't mind"? Well, I mind! I mind big time! And you know what the worst part is? I NEVER LEARNED TO READ.”

He was just expressing an opinion on the lack of shade available in the parking lot.
A little extra fertilizer is exactly what was called for. If not for y’all then at least it might benefit future guests.

Right?

Well, there you go. I guess things weren't so bad after all.

I appreciate the candor. We’ll all see how it works for y’all the rest of the trip, but your experiences will be useful in determining how I might want to go about dealing with a trip out that way in the future. We’d likely only be able to do it once as well, and right now it sounds like I shouldn’t overlook either the DLH of possibly a “Good-Neighbor”.

More things to consider.

I really found myself drawn to the grounds and lobby area of DLH. But it is definitely a haul to the parks. It isn't bad. But probably not ideal if you think you might be coming back to the room very much during the day. That was the main reason we chose GCH.

Good to know that they are consistent from one coast to the other.

Now that just ain’t right.

No. No, it isn't.

Music saves the day!

Nice when it can have that impact.

It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.

No Stairway. Denied.

Wouldn’t think of it.
That’s exactly what you offer a young’en with a gimpy tummy.

And it seemed to possibly help.

By then, I bet she was

As was I!

At least you did get to jump in for a bit though.
That broke up the afternoon a bit for her at least.

Yes it was nice to get out of the room and swim. I just wish we could have stayed longer. I don't think we were in the water for more than 5 or 10 minutes.

One can only take just so much “Stacy TV”

They're must do's show isn't even as good as Stacey's show at WDW.

Hulk Smash Photobombers! Smash with own Selfie-Stick!

Hay, blurry Hulk pictures beat out the No-Hulk pictures I currently have.

Yep, that is certainly the truth.

Actually, this sounds like just about the best outcome possible considering conditions.
You got to enjoy the atmosphere (which is at least half of any Disney dining experience), didn’t over tax the kids more than need be, and ended up with instant breakfast.

Bonus!

Yeah, it worked out ok. We didn't spend long at all at Naples, but we ended up fed and ready to crash for the night. So it worked out.

Rough day there…
Hope you got all that stuff out of your system.
(Especially the young man)

Oh, he got plenty out of his system. Things can only get better from here.

 

[afwdwfan]

I know others who have pulled this trick on a TR before.

I might have seen it once or twice.

Well, that's an ominous sign.

It doesn't get much more ominous than that.

These poor, poor rental cars. The abuse they are put through.

The damage waiver is worth every penny.

Maybe they were filming a movie, and you were an extra. The door idea would have been a cool stunt.

I knew I should have done it!

Hey, I have an idea! Let's get a group of thousands of people in one place and not worry about how to deal with them!

That seemed to be the attitude that I got. I was disappointed because I'd heard stories about how great the DL CM's are and how they're more personable and better than WDW CM's. Thankfully, this disappointment would be deemed inaccurate, but this whole day was just one frustration after another.

I'm sure the tree appreciated the extra protein.

Well, it needed the acid to balance the soil pH.

That stinks. It does look more like a regular hotel room and less detailed than other deluxe resorts.

Exactly. At WDW it seems like you get some extra little details in the rooms. Like the wood carvings of the animals in the headboards. Things like that. This room looked like it was just furniture you could go buy at Ikea or something.

Now we're talking! That wouldn't get old.

No... it was nice to look out and see it roll by. Still not quite as cool as the monorail going through the Contemporary... but I'll take it!

This, on the other hand...

Yeah... that was kind of disappointing to see at a Disney resort.

Wow. I really wasn't expecting that. But it's good to know my WL man-crush is still very justified.

Never a bad choice!

It was a good lunch!

Probably. Well, that's comforting.

Yeah. The guy who monitors traffic coming and going from the resort doesn't even know for sure.

Aw, come on! It's like somebody has a voodoo doll of you and keeps sticking it with pins.

I had that thought at around that point in the day. I figured that @GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes was up to something.

A week. If that.

Yeah. Maybe a bit optimistic.

Aha! It totally worked on you too! I knew my theory on the music was correct.

So many problems could have been avoided if the TSA hadn't confiscated that taser.

You're right. Stupid TSA.

And now I'm on some kind of terrorist watch list.

Ok, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!

Well, this is definitely worth noting! Because I knew Via Napoli rocks.

So why, why, WHY do kids always get sick on vacation? I'm so sorry DS was under the weather, but all things considered it could have been a lot worse. It just really put a crimp in your transition day.

It definitely kept us from doing anything fun that day. But I guess if you're going to lose a day to somebody being sick, it couldn't have been a better day.

And *ugh* to no one knowing how you were going to leave in the morning. NOw that is totally a drag. Boo! I am going to take a wild guess here and say it all turned out OK, but still.

It did turn out fine. But this would not be my last walk over to DLH seeking answers.

Glad you loved EOS! You've got me craving that right now!

Me too. It's lunch time and I could use one of those buffalo chicken wraps.

Sorry you were disappointed with your overall stay at the Grand. I would be very disappointed in seeing trash out the windows and have a slow check in experience. I hope to stay there on DVC points - if I ever get there. I keep saying I'm going and something always keeps me at WDW.

It's so hard to get out there from the East coast. WDW is so much cheaper and easier!

Thanks for the update. Hate reading about not so great days, but I hope things improve in the am. And thanks for the pizza tip!

It can only get better. Unfortunately this was just part of it. But again, he could have picked a worse day to be sick.

Oh yeah - what's up with trader sams being closed????

That was just the simple fact that someone out there had it out for me.

 

[pkondz]

If You’re Gonna Spew, Spew Into This.

Well. Now there's a chapter title!

Sorry for the long boring post...

Oh? Well let me know when you post one.

We woke up Tuesday morning with no real firm plans in place.

good thing.

I woke up, once again, at around 6 am.

Why? Why do you do it? It's a vacation!

not long after, the kids started to stir.

"stir" funny word for puke, but okay.

well, there’s no good way to say it. He puked.

Actually, that's a pretty good way to say it.
Short and to the point.

If you'd said something like "He had a conversation with the big white telephone in the bathroom" people might not have understood.

He said he felt fine.

LIES!!!!

I’d completed the handy check out feature on the TV grabbed all of our bags and was standing in the hallway waiting. When DS let it be known he clearly wasn’t feeling well. Again.

Oy. Well at least you weren't just out of the room... with the door locked.

we grabbed every plastic bag we could find in that hotel room. Trash bags. Ice bucket bags, Laundry bags. We cleaned them out.

A really good dad would've taken the trash can or ice bucket too.

We really thought the best option for us was to hope he’d be ok for the ride and maybe we could check in to our room at GCH and he could lay down and feel better by Wednesday.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

And the fact that it was a rental car, made me a little less concerned about the consequences.

That's right! They'll check around the outside for damage but not the inside.
"Uh, sir? What in the name of all that's holy is that smell????"
Andy: "Smell? I don't smell anything. Nothing in the contract about smell. Bye!"

I don’t know if it is legal there for motorcycles to drive as fast as they want and pass cars by driving between lanes.

It's called lane splitting and is legal in California.
(I actually know that without Googling).
Lane splitting reduces congestion and is actually safer for motorcycles.
Being on a bike in stop and go traffic is more dangerous.
What would be a minor fender bender can be a lot more serious for a biker.

The "drive as fast as they want" part... less so.

But every time I saw one coming in my mirror, I had a hard time keeping myself from throwing my door open at the last second.

Jealous?

Traffic wasn’t too bad for southern California. Probably. I guess considering I've never driven there before, I really don’t know.

"In the news today, southern California experiences worst gridlock in decades!"

Well, I’ll leave the details out… but thankfully this was round 3 and there just wasn’t much left to come out.

Annnnndddd.... there's the smell.

Thankfully he fell asleep and then we were fine until we arrived at Disneyland.

Poor little guy. Not surprised he'd be tuckered out.

She asked if I had any questions…

Why, yes I do!

Finally! You'll get all the answers you need!

I got the deer in the headlights look.

Or not.

He then started going on a tangent about how that will be a pain for hauling luggage.

Yeah, you don’t say…

Awesome. Oh, BTW, I really don't care about you and how you're going to haul bags.
What about me?

“If I were you, I’d haul your bags out to the car Friday night with everything you won’t need for that last night and then move it to DLH. That way you’ll only have to carry one bag.”

"And let me know if you have any expensive stuff in there, like cameras, camcorders, video games...
I've got a buddy who can jimmy a car door in no time!"

but you’d think that if there’s a race causing road closures and you have to park somewhere that is a 15 - 20 minute walk from the resort that they might put something in place to help get you and/or your luggage over there.

You'd think.
And you'd be wrong.

It isn’t like we were paying Super 8 prices.

Take the "8" out and you've got it.

We asked DS how he felt. Once again, he said he felt fine.

And you believed him?
Tell me by now you weren't buying his "I'm okay" act.

But not before DS had to go over and fertilize the palm tree.

​

I gotta say, Andy. When you posted this picture, I don't know if you gave it much thought.
But I think it's my favourite picture so far!

but our room at GCH in comparison was smaller and seemed to be showing some age.

The room sure didn't look like... well, much.
The lobby looks great, but the room?

Meh.

Ok… monorails are cool. So I won’t knock the fact that we had a monorail view room!

You can't!
It's against the Disney guest code!

But there were some roof structures jutting out from the building, one just below our balcony. And there was all kinds of trash on the roof. It looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a while. There were balls of paper, condiment packages, straws, plastic eating utensils, just all kinds of trash.

I suppose it's not on any CM's list.
Maintenance probably cleans it once a .... week? Month? Year?

It turns out that our hotel choice did end up being the biggest regret from the trip.

That's too bad. I would've had huge expectations as I'm sure you guys did.

We had a room with bunkbeds so we got DS settled into the bottom bed to lay down and relax.

Nope. I have photographic proof that he was on the top bunk.
See above.

He seemed to act perfectly fine until he would suddenly puke. No other symptoms and we didn’t have a thermometer, but he didn’t seem to have a fever.

Ya know. I'm thinking "I wonder how much of that disgusting hot dog did he have?"

We headed out and found Earl of Sandwich.

I've heard a lot of good things about that.

When we got back, DS was able to drink some Sprite while we enjoyed our sandwiches.

My mom used to ply me with Ginger Ale.
I didn't care. It was pop! A real treat.

“If they told you to park here and you’ll be able to get out, then they’ll probably have some way to get out.”

Wow. Talk about instilling confidence.

Maybe I was wrong, I don’t know. But there was no getting in there short of breaking and entering.

Shoulda tried it.
You would have had the place to yourself!

(For a while)

I could feel the weight lifting off of my shoulders. I didn’t know if DS would be able to go to the parks tomorrow or not, but one way or another, we’d figure out how to make it work. And we were going to have fun!

There ya go!

I headed to the quick service place and grabbed a Mickey Bar. If Mickey shaped ice cream can’t make you happy, nothing can.

If you can believe it... I've never had one.
(Just put it on my to-do list.)

DS was still feeling ok. He was lying in bed surrounded by cracker crumbs. He’d been eating them with no ill effects and drinking plenty of Sprite. Hey… don’t judge, he likes it and it got him drinking something.

Not judging at all.
When my kids start demanding food, I tell 'em to start slow.
But if they're hungry, I figure it's a good sign.

She was constantly climbing up and down on the bunk bed. We couldn’t get her to stop; both kids would end up falling over the course of the week.

Oh! I hope no one gets hurt!

She came back all excited about finding lemon trees with lemons on them next to the pool.

Ya know what? I would be excited about that too!

Yeah… blurry Hulk picture. But it was hard to get one without getting photobombed.

Lego Hulk smash Lego!
But it still hurt Lego Hulk's feet when Lego Hulk step on Lego.

We got to Naples and checked in for our ADR. They seated us outside on the patio right under a heater. It was a beautiful setting to enjoy some pizza.

Nice.

We placed our orders, but being sick earlier and then all the walking in DTD started to catch up with DS. He curled up in his chair and went to sleep.

Not surprised. That's looong day for him.

For those of you who might not know, Naples is basically Disneyland’s Via Napoli. It is owned by the same company, and the pizza is pretty much the same. So yes, it was frickin’ awesome.

Put that one on the list too!

It was an early bedtime for all of us… I think it was around 8:30 or 9:00 pm.

And it was a loooong day for the rest of you too.

And hopefully he didn’t share whatever it was that he had with any of the rest of us.

Please don't let that be foreshadowing.

Thanks for the (non-boring) update Andy!

 

[pkondz]

Hulk Smash Photobombers! Smash with own Selfie-Stick!

Yes! Maybe we could hire him to do just that.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Yuck, what a crummy day for your son (and the rest of you). It's never fun to be sick and it's worse when you're on vacation and don't have the comforts of home. I'm glad he started to feel better in the evening!

I love the pictures I've seen of the Grand Californian public spaces, but I appreciate your honest review of the rooms. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a prime room or a prime spot, but it's never fun if you feel your dollars were wasted.

That's great to know about the buffalo chicken wrap! I love hearing about a tasty new sandwich.

Good grief - you'd think they'd give at least SOME CM's some sort of cheat sheet on what to tell guests about the MAJOR EVENT. I'm impressed that you kept your composure so well with all the back and forth - I would've become much less chipper the more people I spoke to.

BOO on Trader Sam's being closed! I REALLY want to try the Disney World location when we go next month, but it may be a challenge since I'm traveling with someone under 21. (I totally understand about the age restrictions and making it more "adult" space for the late evening, but I would be less annoyed if I was traveling with a small child instead of an 18 year old. SO CLOSE yet so far away... )

Yum, I know where I'm eating if I ever make it to Disneyland! I'm glad your day finally started looking with the Naples pizza!

 

[afwdwfan]

Well. Now there's a chapter title!

I'm glad you approve. Now I guess I need to keep coming up with movie quotes for chapter titles. They might get a little more difficult from here on out though.

Oh? Well let me know when you post one.

Um... well, most of them I've posted probably fall under that classification to most people.

good thing.

No kidding.

Why? Why do you do it? It's a vacation!

I don't know. I'm not one to sleep until 9 or 10 anyway. And if you consider the fact that if I were at home, waking up at 6 means I was waking up at 9...

"stir" funny word for puke, but okay.

Actually, that's a pretty good way to say it.
Short and to the point.

If you'd said something like "He had a conversation with the big white telephone in the bathroom" people might not have understood.

What about praying to the porcelain gods? No?

LIES!!!!

Oy. Well at least you weren't just out of the room... with the door locked.

Well, we weren't far from the elevators. And there was a potted plant there. So we at least had a plan B.

A really good dad would've taken the trash can or ice bucket too.

I couldn't afford the bill to pay for a Hyatt trash can if they decided to charge me for it.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Well, it was a plan anyway.

That's right! They'll check around the outside for damage but not the inside.
"Uh, sir? What in the name of all that's holy is that smell????"
Andy: "Smell? I don't smell anything. Nothing in the contract about smell. Bye!"

Doesn't that fall under the collision waiver... any damage?

It's called lane splitting and is legal in California.
(I actually know that without Googling).
Lane splitting reduces congestion and is actually safer for motorcycles.
Being on a bike in stop and go traffic is more dangerous.
What would be a minor fender bender can be a lot more serious for a biker.

The "drive as fast as they want" part... less so.

Ok, didn't know it was legal. Seems pretty dangerous to me. What happens when someone tries to find a gap and switch lanes, but doesn't see that motorcycle flying up behind them moving twice as fast as the line of traffic you're trying to merge into.

That's all I could think anytime I switched lanes. I hope no motorcycles coming, because here I go!

Jealous?

Um... no, not really. I like to keep all of my organs inside of me. It wasn't like we were sitting still. Traffic was moving pretty well.

"In the news today, southern California experiences worst gridlock in decades!"

A black Dodge Charger caused a 20 car pile up when they tried "lane splitting."

Annnnndddd.... there's the smell.

Thankfully, it was contained to his shirt and the bag. Mostly his shirt though.

Poor little guy. Not surprised he'd be tuckered out.

It was a rough day for him. As stressful as it was for me, at least I wasn't as miserable as he was.

Finally! You'll get all the answers you need!

Or not.

Awesome. Oh, BTW, I really don't care about you and how you're going to haul bags.
What about me?

"And let me know if you have any expensive stuff in there, like cameras, camcorders, video games...
I've got a buddy who can jimmy a car door in no time!"

Their answers just didn't sit well with me at all. I intended to haul bags full of clothes we were done with out as the week went anyway, but their lack of any kind of a plan to help people out was disturbing. Anyone checking out had to leave from DLH during the mornings, even with a cab or Disneyland airport shuttles. I saw more people than just us hauling luggage through DTD early in the mornings.

You'd think.
And you'd be wrong.

Sadly so.

Take the "8" out and you've got it.

When you put it that way.

And you believed him?
Tell me by now you weren't buying his "I'm okay" act.

Not really. But at least we knew that he didn't seem to have a stomach ache or any other symptoms. It just seemed to be something that kept hitting him from nowhere.

I gotta say, Andy. When you posted this picture, I don't know if you gave it much thought.
But I think it's my favourite picture so far!

Thanks. They had fun with that bed. I hated it.

The room sure didn't look like... well, much.
The lobby looks great, but the room?

Meh.

That was exactly how I felt. We opened the door and it was like... "this is it?"

You can't!
It's against the Disney guest code!

Monorails always help make things better.

I suppose it's not on any CM's list.
Maintenance probably cleans it once a .... week? Month? Year?

Whatever it is, it isn't often enough.

That's too bad. I would've had huge expectations as I'm sure you guys did.

Exactly. It wasn't that our room was a run down fleabag motel kind of thing. But it certainly didn't live up to my expectations of a Disney deluxe resort.

Nope. I have photographic proof that he was on the top bunk.
See above.

Ironically, that was right after we got to the room. You know, maybe 10 minutes after he got sick in the parking lot. Clearly he wasn't feeling miserable the whole time and that's why he kept surprising us.

We did make him lay down in the bottom bunk though. Easier access to the bathroom.

Ya know. I'm thinking "I wonder how much of that disgusting hot dog did he have?"

Apparently too much!

I've heard a lot of good things about that.

I have too. I was glad to finally try it. EOS did live up to the hype.

My mom used to ply me with Ginger Ale.
I didn't care. It was pop! A real treat.

whatever it takes to get fluids.

Wow. Talk about instilling confidence.

Oh yeah, that just really made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Shoulda tried it.
You would have had the place to yourself!

(For a while)

Hmmm...I could mix my own drink as strong as I wanted.

There ya go!

We were at Walt's park for cryin' out loud! Gotta make the best of it.

If you can believe it... I've never had one.
(Just put it on my to-do list.)

Ice cream. Chocolate. Mickey Mouse. 'nuff said.

Not judging at all.
When my kids start demanding food, I tell 'em to start slow.
But if they're hungry, I figure it's a good sign.

It worked well. He drank way more sprite than we would have liked for him to, but at least we kept him hydrated.

Oh! I hope no one gets hurt!

Thankfully, no.

Ya know what? I would be excited about that too!

It was cool to see. I didn't notice them until she mentioned it. The lemons looked ripe too. I so wanted to pick one, but I figured that was frowned upon.

Lego Hulk smash Lego!
But it still hurt Lego Hulk's feet when Lego Hulk step on Lego.

Nice

It was. I wish we could have enjoyed it for longer though!

Not surprised. That's looong day for him.

Yeah. It was good just to get out and test the waters and see what he could handle. And most importantly he did it without getting sick.

Put that one on the list too!

It was delicious.

And it was a loooong day for the rest of you too.

It was an easy day from a physical perspective, but I was wiped out mentally.

Please don't let that be foreshadowing.

Thanks for the (non-boring) update Andy!

Thanks for reading. And I fell asleep reading through it before I posted, so I know it is boring.

Yes! Maybe we could hire him to do just that.

Maybe break a stick or 2 over the head of a tall guy photobombing some train station pictures?

 

[afwdwfan]

Yuck, what a crummy day for your son (and the rest of you). It's never fun to be sick and it's worse when you're on vacation and don't have the comforts of home. I'm glad he started to feel better in the evening!

It really was just an all around crappy day. But thankfully, things started to look up by the time we went to bed.

I love the pictures I've seen of the Grand Californian public spaces, but I appreciate your honest review of the rooms. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a prime room or a prime spot, but it's never fun if you feel your dollars were wasted.

Exactly... I booked the room. I knew the price we were paying and I was fine with that. But it just fell a bit short of what I expected. Maybe if we'd have paid up for a better room location or view, that might have made it more worthwhile. But I just have a hard time recommending a standard room there. The room itself wasn't bad, but it just didn't have the level of comfort or detail that I've come to expect from a room in a Disney resort.

That's great to know about the buffalo chicken wrap! I love hearing about a tasty new sandwich.

If you like buffalo chicken, I'd definitely recommend it. It tasted great!

Good grief - you'd think they'd give at least SOME CM's some sort of cheat sheet on what to tell guests about the MAJOR EVENT. I'm impressed that you kept your composure so well with all the back and forth - I would've become much less chipper the more people I spoke to.

Chipper? Who said I was being chipper? By the time I made it to the Guest Service counter in DLH, I'm pretty sure I looked like some kind of a mentally unstable crazed lunatic. Because that is definitely how I felt.

BOO on Trader Sam's being closed! I REALLY want to try the Disney World location when we go next month, but it may be a challenge since I'm traveling with someone under 21. (I totally understand about the age restrictions and making it more "adult" space for the late evening, but I would be less annoyed if I was traveling with a small child instead of an 18 year old. SO CLOSE yet so far away... )

I hope you can do it!!!! I have honestly read nothing about the one in Florida yet. Is it closed to under 21 all the time, or is it like the one in California where they can go in until a certain time and then it is over 21 until closing?

If nothing else, maybe you could hop on the monorail and sneak away for an hour or so while your sister is enjoying her time at GF?

Yum, I know where I'm eating if I ever make it to Disneyland! I'm glad your day finally started looking with the Naples pizza!

It was delicious! The restaurant definitely doesn't have the look and feel of VN. It is much more modern and sterile in appearance. But the pizza was pretty much the same thing.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Aw, come on! It's like somebody has a voodoo doll of you and keeps sticking it with pins.

It’s not me, I swear…
I don’t even know where the voodoo doll for me got off to, but I do know that whoever has that one likes to use more substantial implements on it…
Things like ice picks and plyers <shudder>

Aha! It totally worked on you too! I knew my theory on the music was correct.

Music does that…
It’s the only form of communication that transcends culture and has no need for translation.

So many problems could have been avoided if the TSA hadn't confiscated that taser.

I don’t know…
I suspect that several of that day’s encounters would have ended rather badly if Andy still had possession of the thing.

So why, why, WHY do kids always get sick on vacation?

It’s a plot!
They’re diabolical I tell you!

Well, we still had 3 days to turn it around. You've got to like the odds.

That’s not bad odds. I don’t think there near that good for your cell phone’s survival rate…
but for the general enjoyment levels of the trip, I’d take the bet.

Yeah, he clearly didn't read the MANLAWS.

Well…
Not technically being a man just yet, I do believe we can give him a bit of a break on that particular regulation.

I really found myself drawn to the grounds and lobby area of DLH. But it is definitely a haul to the parks. It isn't bad. But probably not ideal if you think you might be coming back to the room very much during the day. That was the main reason we chose GCH.

It is way off to one side of the complex, but still closer than having to hop on a bus.
I’m liking the DLH idea right now if we get to go out there.
(my budget, may be screaming good-neighbor though)

Oh, he got plenty out of his system.

To be sure

I had that thought at around that point in the day. I figured that @GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes was up to something.

There are some boundaries even I won’t cross.
Closing Trader Sams after the morning you had would be one of them.

Unless of course, I was inside enjoying a nice frosty beverage and you knew it…
then thwarting your attempts at entry would have been a necessity.

It did turn out fine. But this would not be my last walk over to DLH seeking answers.

<<recue ominous foreshadowing music>>

That was just the simple fact that someone out there had it out for me.

So…just how many nemesi’ do you have?

If you'd said something like "He had a conversation with the big white telephone in the bathroom" people might not have understood.

Ooooo, contest idea…
Who can come up with the best metaphor for said condition?
Andy’s TR, he gets to judge.

Oy. Well at least you weren't just out of the room... with the door locked.

Ouch…
You’d make a good nemesis

Ya know. I'm thinking "I wonder how much of that disgusting hot dog did he have?"

My thoughts exactly as I was reading about the morning’s - ahemm – adventures…

My mom used to ply me with Ginger Ale.
I didn't care. It was pop! A real treat.

Mine too actually, always Ginger, and I still use it as both remedy and treat.
We even keep candied ginger on hand (and especially when traveling) to help settle iffy tummies.

Lego Hulk smash Lego!
But it still hurt Lego Hulk's feet when Lego Hulk step on Lego.

OK, that got me laughing out loud.

Yes! Maybe we could hire him to do just that.

I’d back the proposal…
The selfie obsessed are annoying enough, but those things are infuriating beyond all belief.

 

[khertz]

What a bummer of a day! I can imagine DS being sick was stressful enough for y'all but then the annoyance of NO ONE being able to answer the question of leaving on race day. Ugh!

Sorry to hear the GCH wasn't what you had hoped. The bunk beds are pretty cool though, and I'm sure the proximity to the parks was pretty amazing too.

I'm glad you were still able to enjoy the pizza at Naples, even if it was rushed. We enjoyed our meal there in March!

 

[pkondz]

Now I guess I need to keep coming up with movie quotes for chapter titles. They might get a little more difficult from here on out though.

Consider it a challenge.

And yes... You will be judged.

Um... well, most of them I've posted probably fall under that classification to most people.

Nope. Not to me.

I don't know. I'm not one to sleep until 9 or 10 anyway. And if you consider the fact that if I were at home, waking up at 6 means I was waking up at 9...

I remember you mentioning that.
Still....

What about praying to the porcelain gods? No?

Well, we weren't far from the elevators. And there was a potted plant there. So we at least had a plan B.

I couldn't afford the bill to pay for a Hyatt trash can if they decided to charge me for it.

We never had one in our room!
You should be giving us a discount! Maybe even a free room!
Oh, this? We bought this at Walmart. Really.

Doesn't that fall under the collision waiver... any damage?

It was like that when we got it.

Ok, didn't know it was legal. Seems pretty dangerous to me. What happens when someone tries to find a gap and switch lanes, but doesn't see that motorcycle flying up behind them moving twice as fast as the line of traffic you're trying to merge into.

That's all I could think anytime I switched lanes. I hope no motorcycles coming, because here I go!

Yeah. Even though it's legal, I think I'd be scared to do it at anything faster than a crawl.

I like to keep all of my organs inside of me.

Unlike your son who was puking his guts out.

A black Dodge Charger caused a 20 car pile up when they tried "lane splitting."

Thankfully, it was contained to his shirt and the bag. Mostly his shirt though.

At first I thought "Oh, too bad."

But then I realized it's probably better than projectile vomitting.

Thanks. They had fun with that bed. I hated it.

It wasn't that our room was a run down fleabag motel kind of thing. But it certainly didn't live up to my expectations of a Disney deluxe resort.

Las Vegas. Mandarin Oriental.
Set the alarm.
At the set time....
The TV turns on and gradually increases the volume.
The lights slowly turn on.
The window blinds open.

And that's just one of the things that made that room special.

We did make him lay down in the bottom bunk though. Easier access to the bathroom.

And again... Good plan.

Hmmm...I could mix my own drink as strong as I wanted.

See?????

Thankfully, no.

Phew!

It was an easy day from a physical perspective, but I was wiped out mentally.

Worrying about your kids.
Nothing tires you out like that.

And I fell asleep reading through it before I posted, so I know it is boring.

Honestly, it wasn't.
Was it filled with rides and parades?
Well, no. But that just makes it interesting.

Ooooo, contest idea…
Who can come up with the best metaphor for said condition?
Andy’s TR, he gets to judge.

I like it.

You’d make a good nemesis

I already am one.
Just ask my wife.

 

[KatMark]

I remember reading your update at the time and poor DS being sick. It just wasn't a good day all around for you. No really helpful CM. No Trader Sam's and a nice adult beverage. Cold water in the pool. At least going to DTD and hearing One Little Spark and then a Mickey Bar put some of the magic in it for you.

I have to say the picture of your DD in the room just shows that she can be very mischievious. And poor DS looks so miserable.

The lobby does look beautiful, but I have to agree with you...I'm not impressed with the pictures of you room...nothing overwhelming there. And so NOT Disney with the trash on the roof, etc.

Here's hoping DS is up to some park time the next day.

 

[afwdwfan]

It’s not me, I swear…
I don’t even know where the voodoo doll for me got off to, but I do know that whoever has that one likes to use more substantial implements on it…
Things like ice picks and plyers <shudder>

I don't have it. Promise! If I did, I'd have left it in WDW. Because I can't pick on you in your TR if you don't have one to write.

I don’t know…
I suspect that several of that day’s encounters would have ended rather badly if Andy still had possession of the thing.

That’s not bad odds. I don’t think there near that good for your cell phone’s survival rate…
but for the general enjoyment levels of the trip, I’d take the bet.

You'd be taking the smart bet. On both counts.

It is way off to one side of the complex, but still closer than having to hop on a bus.
I’m liking the DLH idea right now if we get to go out there.
(my budget, may be screaming good-neighbor though)

The nice thing is that you can hop on the monorail in DTD and ride it the rest of the way in if you want to start out in Tomorrowland. But there are good neighbor hotels that are a closer walk to the front gates.

There are some boundaries even I won’t cross.
Closing Trader Sams after the morning you had would be one of them.

Unless of course, I was inside enjoying a nice frosty beverage and you knew it…
then thwarting your attempts at entry would have been a necessity.

You were in there, weren't you?

So…just how many nemesi’ do you have?

It seemed like the whole world was against me at the time.

Ooooo, contest idea…
Who can come up with the best metaphor for said condition?
Andy’s TR, he gets to judge.

Have at it!

OK, that got me laughing out loud.

Me too.

What a bummer of a day! I can imagine DS being sick was stressful enough for y'all but then the annoyance of NO ONE being able to answer the question of leaving on race day. Ugh!

I was beyond frustrated. I was just mentally wiped out by the end of the day.

Sorry to hear the GCH wasn't what you had hoped. The bunk beds are pretty cool though, and I'm sure the proximity to the parks was pretty amazing too.

I didn't mention it, but I did love the private entrance into DCA. I would have liked it more if Condor Flats was open so we didn't have to go all the way around to get to the other side of the park. But it was certainly a nice perk.

I'm glad you were still able to enjoy the pizza at Naples, even if it was rushed. We enjoyed our meal there in March!

And I thank you... I believe you were one of the Dis'ers who told me it was similar to VN.

Consider it a challenge.

And yes... You will be judged.

Uh oh...

At first I thought "Oh, too bad."

But then I realized it's probably better than projectile vomitting.

Las Vegas. Mandarin Oriental.
Set the alarm.
At the set time....
The TV turns on and gradually increases the volume.
The lights slowly turn on.
The window blinds open.

And that's just one of the things that made that room special.

And if our room had those features... I'd have been far more impressed.

I like it.

Ok, what have you got?

I already am one.
Just ask my wife

remember reading your update at the time and poor DS being sick. It just wasn't a good day all around for you. No really helpful CM. No Trader Sam's and a nice adult beverage. Cold water in the pool. At least going to DTD and hearing One Little Spark and then a Mickey Bar put some of the magic in it for you.

No, it most definitely wasn't a good day. But it does make me thankful that we had a travel day with no solid plans. I guess if you're going to waste a day, that would be the time to do it.

I have to say the picture of your DD in the room just shows that she can be very mischievious. And poor DS looks so miserable.

Oh yeah... she's got mischievous down to an art form.

The lobby does look beautiful, but I have to agree with you...I'm not impressed with the pictures of you room...nothing overwhelming there. And so NOT Disney with the trash on the roof, etc.

Exactly. It isn't that the room was just awful. But it certainly didn't live up to my expectations. I like the rooms at WL much better than GCH. And they are on a lower price scale too!

Here's hoping DS is up to some park time the next day.

 

[pkondz]

Ok, what have you got?

First thing that comes to mind is "blowing chunks",
but instead I'll go with "bringing fluorescent christmas cheer"

 

[figment52]

enjoyed the trip report but loved, loved, loved those beach photos!!

 

[RGirl]

Once again, we got him cleaned up. He said he was ok… we grabbed every plastic bag we could find in that hotel room. Trash bags. Ice bucket bags, Laundry bags. We cleaned them out.

Oh, man! I would be in Panic City. I'm so sorry!!! Poor kiddo and poor mom and dad - no fun at all.

The first one told me that they will be directing anyone who needs to leave during the hours that roads are closed to park at the DLH self parking lot and they’ll be able to leave from there. He then started going on a tangent about how that will be a pain for hauling luggage.

Huh, that's helpful.....

when his buddy shook his head “no” and cut him off. “If I were you, I’d haul your bags out to the car Friday night with everything you won’t need for that last night and then move it to DLH. That way you’ll only have to carry one bag.”

Oh, wait, even MORE helpful!

I think the check in process kind of soured me on the resort just a bit, but once we got into the room, I felt kind of underwhelmed, to be honest. Part of it might have been that we had just come from the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego and had an awesome room there… but our room at GCH in comparison was smaller and seemed to be showing some age. Don’t get me wrong, it was clean, but the carpet and furniture just had some signs of wear and tear. Totally not what I expected from a Disney resort, and definitely not the flagship resort.

Ugh - how disappointing! I have never been in a GCH room, but I have always imagined them to be spectacular.

In addition to that, we had a balcony overlooking a courtyard where the monorail went through.

Well, that's one pro for GCH (despite the garbage) - no balcony at the DLH.

The common areas though, were amazing. The lobby and resort grounds are spectacular.

I feel happy every time I walk through the GCH - so pretty!!!

We were torn between DLH and GCH, but eventually decided we didn’t want to have any regrets and went big. When it was all said and done, I really wished we would have stayed at DLH. It turns out that our hotel choice did end up being the biggest regret from the trip.

This makes me so sad. I wish we had "known" each other before your planned your trips. Maybe our stays at the DLH would have influenced you to go with that one. We LOVE it, but I don't know for sure whether it would seem more "Disney" to WDW veterans. I don't think any of the DLR hotels offer the type of theming to which WDW visitors are accustomed. I like the subtlety of the DLH though, and it DOES feel very Disney to me - partly because I stayed there as a kid, I think (although the DLH I actually stayed in no longer exists - they kept the same kind of signage and stuff, so it has the same feel but with a lot of upgrades).

noticing that there was no wait to check in or visit guest services at DLH, unlike the crowd at GCH

If it makes you feel any better, this was just a fluke. We have had trips where we had no wait to check in at the DLH and trips where we have had pretty long waits (usually due to conventions).

Hearing that song, at that exact time, did it. It kind of pepped me up and reminded me where I was. I could feel the weight lifting off of my shoulders. I didn’t know if DS would be able to go to the parks tomorrow or not, but one way or another, we’d figure out how to make it work. And we were going to have fun!

Yay!!!! I'm so glad you started feeling more positive about things.

I climbed back into bed and closed my eyes. Hoping that when we wake up, DS will be feeling better and ready to go.

And hopefully he didn’t share whatever it was that he had with any of the rest of us.

Fingers and toes crossed for DS to be totally recovered in the morning!

 

[Dugette]

The only thing we knew is that we’d need to check out of our room by 11 and then check in at the Grand Californian sometime later in the day.

I wish that was all I had to worry about every morning!

well, there’s no good way to say it. He puked.

There is a "Disney" way to say it: he had a "protein spill". When I had to write about being sick in a TR way back when (2010), I found information saying that is what the WDW CMs call it.

One would think that the front desk personnel at that hotel might be prepared to deal with questions and concerns regarding road closures.

One would be sadly mistaken.

I was really disappointed by the fact that they had no plan in place, and essentially, no way to offer assistance. I mean for the love of God, I was paying a premium price for Disneyland’s flagship resort. I’d like to think I’m being reasonable here and not just taking a “me, me, me” attitude about it, but you’d think that if there’s a race causing road closures and you have to park somewhere that is a 15 - 20 minute walk from the resort that they might put something in place to help get you and/or your luggage over there.

It isn’t like we were paying Super 8 prices.

I totally agree with you and you were being very reasonable. I'd be really disappointed too. I can't believe all the trouble you had to go through just to get some simple answers.

I think the check in process kind of soured me on the resort just a bit, but once we got into the room, I felt kind of underwhelmed, to be honest. Part of it might have been that we had just come from the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego and had an awesome room there… but our room at GCH in comparison was smaller and seemed to be showing some age. Don’t get me wrong, it was clean, but the carpet and furniture just had some signs of wear and tear. Totally not what I expected from a Disney resort, and definitely not the flagship resort.

I actually was thinking how "standard" it looked when I saw your pictures. I wonder if the hotel rooms are substantially different than the DVC villas? I think I've mostly seen pics of them and I don't remember them being too plain. Of course, they always seem to have amazing views too, so your roof o' trash really wasn't comparable.

I definitely enjoyed our time at the resort and hanging out there, but as for whether I’d stay there again, it isn’t very likely. I really had a hard time saying this was worth the price tag. Considering that this resort is somewhat comparable to Wilderness Lodge in theming and architecture, I can say without a doubt, I’d choose to stay at WL over GCH.

Thanks for this advice! We have thought that staying at the GCH would be the ultimate place for DL, but sounds like we wouldn't be missing much by just hanging out in the lobby a bit and staying elsewhere.

She was constantly climbing up and down on the bunk bed. We couldn’t get her to stop; both kids would end up falling over the course of the week. I really wished we had never been given one of those rooms.

Ugh, that would drive me insane. I'd be on toddler-spotter duty all the time.

So sorry DS was so sick. Not a great way to spend the day for anyone. Glad it was a planned down day, at least. I hope he's feeling better the next day.

 

[Leshaface]

I’m sure the people of San Diego are probably as annoyed by tourists saying that as the employees at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas are by guests asking if it is the real Caesar’s Palace.

So...it's not the real Caesar's Palace?? Mind blown.

Regardless how much it cost, it was a kick in the pants to have that extra expense right at that point in time, but we ended up having the new furnace installed the day before we left for California.

I think this happens to everyone right before a big vacation. For us, it's usually something with one of our cars.

But that brings us to New Years Day… old man here is helping put laundry away and pack some bags for our trip. I bent over to pick up a sock or something and threw my back out. I’d done it before, but this was by far the worst I’ve ever hurt it.

It's so crazy what the slightest wrong move can do to your back. And then you remember how much your back does for you and makes you want to protect it all the more!

Oh, you have fruit snacks for me? No! I want Pretzels!


Do you think I’m stupid??? Don’t even try to give me Cheerios!


What is that? A pretzel? No, I want a fruit snack!

I don't know why, but I read DD's answers in Chris Farley's character from the Gap Girls!

Apparently, the guy was diabetic and had gotten out of his seat to head for the lavatory. He just flat out passed out momentarily and ended up grabbing me on his way down. There was a doctor the row in front of me fortunately, and one of the flight attendants was a medic so they were quick to attend to him and get him back on his feet and back to his seat.

That would be so scary! Poor guy. I was once standing one person behind a woman that had fainted and the person in front of me was a tall, teenage boy that had kind of caught her. I don't think he knew what to do, so I helped him and a flight attendant came over and we all moved her to the FA's seating area to help calm her down.

DD did even worse on this flight than the first one.

For the record, I never did find a compass anywhere. I thought that was standard equipment in the modern automobile?

I don't have a compass in my car. I guess my car is not modern but ancient

Very nice view!!

Worst hot dog ever.

Ick!!!

Since there was a Cheesecake Factory right next to the hotel that we could see from our window, it seemed to be calling our name.

That would be quite dangerous for me

And it was a stand up routine that quite frankly, was highly offensive and not all that funny.

People were getting up and walking out. It was bad enough that email apologies from higher ups in the organization were coming out the following week. They claim that they had had some discussions with him and he totally just went off script.

I wasn’t personally offended by his routine… it just didn’t think it was funny. I mean in the 45 minutes or so that he was up there, I think I might have laughed once.

And it was the first joke he told.

Our kids were young enough that it wasn’t too bad. He wasn’t dropping F-bombs or anything like that. The language was actually pretty clean, but the subject matter was anything but. I feel like it was all over our kids’ heads, not that they were paying attention anyway - we had coloring books and crayons for them, but if DS was a couple of years older we would have joined the rush for the exits. It was just bad.

Oh wow that's disappointing.

They had a chip and salsa buffet… all different kinds of salsa.

Again, another dangerous thing for me

Tuesday morning we’d have some time to explore either some more of San Diego or the Anaheim area as we’d be moving from our beautiful San Diego hotel to the Grand Californian!

I don’t remember what time it was when DS informed us that he didn’t exactly feel very good and then… well, there’s no good way to say it. He puked.

’d completed the handy check out feature on the TV grabbed all of our bags and was standing in the hallway waiting. When DS let it be known he clearly wasn’t feeling well. Again.

Not good at all.

And the fact that it was a rental car, made me a little less concerned about the consequences.

I don’t know if it is legal there for motorcycles to drive as fast as they want and pass cars by driving between lanes. But every time I saw one coming in my mirror, I had a hard time keeping myself from throwing my door open at the last second.

I absolutely hate when they do this, but it happens all the time. Or if you're at a red light, they'll make their way to the very front of the line so that they go first. When my dad was alive, he owned a couple Harley's and never once did this. Probably because he was a smart

We were in one of the middle lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. There really wasn’t much we could do at that point anyway. DW climbed into the back seat with wipes to help him clean himself up. Thankfully he fell asleep and then we were fine until we arrived at Disneyland.

Ugh poor kid. Getting sick in the car is the worst.

We got to GCH and I pulled up and went in to check in while DW waited in the car with the kids. I’ve got to say that I like WDW’s check in process a whole lot more than DL. I waited probably 20 minutes in line before I ever got up to the counter to see a CM. I guess guests can arrive in waves so it could always be hit or miss, but I’ve never waited more than a couple of minutes at WDW. There was a long line and only 3 CM's checking guests in. It was very frustrating!

Yep this sounds about right. Have checked in with no people in line and have checked in with a twenty minute wait. And each time there was always either too many CM's or too little.

At this point I felt really confident that this was a total cluster… I had some answers. But they didn’t exactly come with a high degree of confidence from the CM’s giving me said information. I was possibly more nervous about getting out of there Saturday than I was before check in.

Ugh that is very annoying. You'd think the Hotel CM's would be in the know with the goings on at the resorts??

Cool! Never seen a GCH room with the bunk beds.

Did it affect our stay there?

Absolutely not.

But do I expect that kind of thing at a Disney resort?

Absolutely not!

I sadly agree with you. There is nothing over the top about the rooms itself, aside from the location. But if you were to have scored a park view, you may have had a different experience. Standard views are all value views there to me.

When we got back, DS was able to drink some Sprite while we enjoyed our sandwiches. I love buffalo wings and buffalo chicken sandwiches. This was my first EOS experience, but I’ve got to say, I can understand what all the talk is about that place now. That was one of the best buffalo chicken wraps I’ve ever had, if not the best. It was just really fresh and tasted great.

EOS has buffalo chicken?! Woah! We love buffalo chicken, totally need to be on the look out when we go!

And I’d heard such great things about Disneyland CM’s.

Again, agree with you. I feel WDW CM's are so much friendlier and willing to help. I have run into some fantastic CM's at Disneyland, don't get me wrong, but it's far and few between.

He didn’t have answers, but he tried to help. Unlike every other CM I’d spoken with, he at least seemed confident when he assured me that I would be able to leave that lot on Saturday morning. He wasn’t sure how yet… he didn’t know if they’d leave the road north of the lot open going west to Walnut and just barricade it to the east, or if they’d allow us to leave via a backstage exit somewhere behind the convention center at DLH. But it was something.

Glad you were able to feel a bit of assurance with this CM.

You have got to be kidding me…

​

Can I just say awful I feel for you at this point. DS, the parking situation, the phone and worst of all (next to DS of course!) Trader Sam's.

I was just wandering around, looking for nothing in particular when “One Little Spark” started playing. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t care much for the current version of Figment, but I’ve always had fond memories of Figment and Dreamfinder going back to my first visit to Disney World.

Hearing that song, at that exact time, did it. It kind of pepped me up and reminded me where I was. I could feel the weight lifting off of my shoulders. I didn’t know if DS would be able to go to the parks tomorrow or not, but one way or another, we’d figure out how to make it work. And we were going to have fun!

As soon as I read "One Little Spark", I pretty much knew that would cheer you up. I know how much you like Figment

When I got to GCH, I headed to the quick service place and grabbed a Mickey Bar. If Mickey shaped ice cream can’t make you happy, nothing can.

DS was still feeling ok. He was lying in bed surrounded by cracker crumbs. He’d been eating them with no ill effects and drinking plenty of Sprite. Hey… don’t judge, he likes it and it got him drinking something.

DW had been enjoying sitting out on the balcony, and DD was bouncing off the walls. She was constantly climbing up and down on the bunk bed. We couldn’t get her to stop; both kids would end up falling over the course of the week. I really wished we had never been given one of those rooms.

So you didn't ask for this room, they just assumed you wanted it?

I had done some exploring, so I offered to let DW head out for a while and I’d stay with the kids. She left and explored the resort for a bit while I hung out in the room. She came back all excited about finding lemon trees with lemons on them next to the pool.

Isn't that cool??

Our ADR was for Naples,

DH will never allow us to come back here ever again in life. We visited with DB, Dsil, DM, DH and I. They got a pepperoni and DH and I shared a prosciutto pizza. Well early the next morning, I got sick. Then about an hour later DH got sick. We were both done for the entire day taking turns sharing the toilet DM, being the blunt one and all, went to the manager of Naples and complained and she came back to tell us that the manager had actually said, the Prosciutto was not a popular choice. What the heck?? How old was that prosciutto we ate anyway?