TR Nov 2012: Another Aussie mad dash - Day 10: Final posts, TR finished #932 (02/21)

[PrincessInOz]

Jan 2011 Trip - Introductions


Hello fellow Dis-ers and lurkers alike. Welcome to my first ever DisneyLand PTR/TR.

That’s not to say that this is my first ever visit to DLR; nor is it my first ever PTR or TR – it’s just that this is my first PTR for Disneyland! A great lasting Dis-er friend of mine (franandaj) and DLR expert asked me to start this PTR/TR. It is about 5 weeks to my trip; so I thought I'd procrastinated long enough.

I've been a lurker on the DisBoard since 2004 and got heaps of great info about how to go commando style for my World trip in 2005. I finally decided to de-lurk in February this year; when my extended family of 9 decided to invade the World in May 2010.
As you can see from the number of posts I’ve clocked up since Feb, I’m clearly a shrinking violet type.

This is me – taken at the Epcot Flower and Garden festival in May.




I call the above picture - The Goofball and the Golfball. No prizes for guessing which one is the Golfball!

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been very fortunate to visit the World twice this year. My second trip coincided with the Food and Wine festival and Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party and the title for this PTR/TR was inspired from this trip. I flew 2 days from Australia to spend 3 days at WDW and am now doing another mad dash of flying 14 hours (one way) to spend 1 day at DLR. But more on this later….

PTRs and TRs of both 2010 trips (of mine) can be found in the standard location below.

Here’s a photo of me – taken at MNSSHP. So that there are no mistaken identity issues, I’m the one on the left.




Another great lasting Dis-er friend of mine, DisneyFirefly, took this photo. If it looks strangely vaguely familiar, that’s because Firefly has a PTR/TR started in this section of the Boards and there is her version of the photo (taken by me) in her introduction. She’s heading to DLR to celebrate her birthday. For the record, Firefly’s version of her photo has her standing on the right (so that there are no mistaken identities either!).

The full Mad dash Traveling Cast include my DH and DS10. This is a picture of us in May, trying to stay incognito, complete with Men In Black sunnies.




BTW - Those eagle-eyed amongst you might notice that DS is wearing a Soarin' T-shirt. That shirt was purchased at DCA in November 2008; during our last visit to DLR.


I hope you stick around for this PTR/TR – no seat belts required, feel free to keep your hands, feet and head or any other part of you outside the car – and remember….no liability will be assumed by the writer at any time!



Nov 2012 Trip

I was fortunate enough to make another Mad Dash back to California for November 2012.

You may find that this PTR/TR has continued to grow since the Jan 2011 trip as I decided to extend on this thread rather than start another one.

Don't worry - it's not you; it's me.

The Quick Links in the second post should take you through the various sections/days of each trip.


Thanks for reading!

[PrincessInOz]

Quick Links


JAN 2011 PTR/TR links

PTR section
Introduction
My travel plans
ESTA and APIS
Details Schmetails SoCal
OT Dinner at Maze (Food Porn)
Details Schmetails Central Coast, California
Car Hire and other DisOrganisation
Details Schmetails NorCal
2 week countdown
Friends In a Box Meets
1 week countdown
5 days countdown
2 day countdown



TR section
Get Set for TR
The Dash across the Pond is always Mad!


Day 1 at SoCal: Downtown Disney

Bad Line Karma and Settling into Anaheim!
DTD at night Rounds off Day 1

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Day 2 at Disneyland Resort

What Happened to Our Must Do Rides? A Swingin, Hangin and Shootin Mornin at DCA

The Happiest Place on Earth
Games of a Different Kind equals Mischief
Soarin towards Lunch

Disneyland at LAST....

Across the Promenade and into Disneyland and Score Two to Me
Club 33 YES, THAT Club 33
Club 33 Food Porn - Part 1
Club 33 Food Porn - Part 2
Life Outside Club 33
Our DL afternoon Must Do Rides and then some
Disneyland and California Adventure at Night
World of Colour Part 1
World of Colour Part 2
World of Colour Part 3
World of Colour Part 4
Final Moments at DLR

Day 3 - Road Trip: DLR to Solvang

On the Road to Solvang
Solvang by Night
Another Culinary experience Root 246, Organic and Local

Day 4 - Road Trip: Solvang to Monterey

Solvang Gardens Continental Breakfast
Solvang by Morning
Road to Pismo Beach Chasing Wildlife
Road to Piedras Blancas What are those Rocks, Mum?
Road to McWay Falls Impossible Natural Beauty
Road to Monterey Usnuzuloose Part 1
Portola Inn and Spa
Usnuzuloose Part 2 - Corn and all the Fixin's

Day 5 Road Trip: Monterey to Silicon Valley

Monterey in the Morning
Cannery Row
Road to Silicon Valley
A Tale of 2 Nissans

Day 6 NorCal: Silicon Valley

Half Moon Bay
Relaxing Afternoon On Vacation finally!
Bird Watching at The Inner Bay
Palo Alto

Day 7 NorCal: Silicon Valley again

Winchester Mystery House
Driving Rings around the Parkway
Coyote Point Part 1
Coyote Point Part 2
Dinner for Two

Day 8 NorCal: Downtown San Francisco

Heading to Downtown
Pier 39
Fishermans Wharf and another DisBoard winner
San Francisco Maritime National Park
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley&Ding, ding, ding went the bell
More Food Porn

Day 9 NorCal: Downtown again

Getting to Chinatown
Chinatown morning
Still in Chinatown
Yerba Buena Gardens
Easy Afternoon and Night

Day 10 NorCal: Final Day

Our last morning and the Cabrillo Highway
Final Afternoon and on the way Home

OT A weekend in the Life of Melbourne

If it is March in Melbourne, it must be Moomba Madness
Madness! Just plain Madness! In the name of Charity
Moomba Parade Part 1
Moomba Parade Part 2
Moomba Parade Part 3

Final Thoughts - The End



NOV 2012 PTR/TR links

PTR section

Another Mad Dash And so it Begins
About e-Tickets, Credit Cards and ESTA
Converting 2D friends-in-a-box into 3D friends-for-life
About Whatnots and My Travel Plans
The Double Waa-aah Mummy
The Three-legged Dilemma
TWO Weeks sounds better than FOURTEEN days
White and Black is not always Shades of Grey
Seven Days of One; One Week of the Other
Three Days and Two Work Days to Get Through!
Nearly time to go and what's in my bag?


TR section

And. So. It. Begins (Get Ready and Sub in Now)


Day 1: A very long day

And So It Starts
Flying by the Numbers
The Plane Porn Facts

Day 2: GroundHog Day

Dis Connections (DisMeet #1)
Where even an ordinary activity transforms to magical delight
The deliciousness of being unencumbered by the routine of everyday life - Time for Proper Food Porn

Day 3: Disneyland

Life in the Slow Lane
Making Rope Drop - Hooray for Hollywood
Life Imitating Art
CarsLand by Day
In Manual OverDrive
Radiator Spring Racers - Must Do #1
What are the Astronomical Odds? - Must Do #2
A Quick Hit and Run; Off-Target Shooting Practise
A U-turn in the Plan
Where In the Land? - DisMeet #2
A Year after the Turn of the Century; Parts 1, 2
In a Genie Galaxy Far Far Away - Must Do #3
More from the Hyperion
My only shopping time in the Parks
Night time at DCA
A little Danish Culture - Must Do #4
Kaleidescopes of Colour Must Do #5 Parts 1, 2
Day's End

Day 4: SoCal to NorCal Changeover Day

Saying Goodbye to franandaj
An uneventful reunion over lunch
Our home away from home
Chinese Dinner in NorCal
Mental Shopping

Day 5: NorCal - Around the Bay in a Day

Resort Ch-ch-ch-changes
Around the Bay....to Half Moon Bay (In Search Of....Photoscavenger hunt items)
All the Beautiful Morning trimmings....and more corn
Around the Bay.....to San Jose (Do you know the way?)
Santana Row
Around the Bay.....to Great Mall Drive
Around the Bay....to the East Bay (Seeing a Star and Flashing)
Around the Bay....via the City by the Bay (Bay Bridge)

Day 6: NorCal - Cruzing the Cabrillo

Ham it Up!
My Plans for the Week - a recap
Life in the Fast Lane
The Butterfly Enclosure
I wanna live on this Drive
In Search of Five People
Heaven Can be Found in the Most Unlikely Corners
Closed on Monday
Of Vivid Colours and Where Falcons Swoop
A California Historic Landmark
More International Cuisine - It's Thai Tonight
Out-Shopped Again

Day 7: NorCal - San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf

Hitting the Breakfast Snag #1 - Still no Bacon!
Hitting the Breakfast Snag #2 - Life in the No Go Zone
The Travelling Public
The Crabby Patty #1
Musee Mecanique
Around Fisherman's Wharf
Maritime Museum, of sorts
NOT the Maritime Museum (Ghirardelli Square)
A San Francisco Icon Trolley Ride
Tipping the Shopping Scales
More International Cuisine Italian

Day 8: NorCal - San Francisco: DisMeets and Parks

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Life in the Go Zone
An Oldie...but a Goldie...Gate Park
An Unexpected Freebie - The Japanese Tea Gardens
Poster Gals and Guys of the Lasting Kind - DisMeet #3
Crabby Patty #2 - A Lasting Lunch in Sausalito
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay, Sausalito
Taking the Right Fork for a change Castillo de San Joachin
More Cheesy Food Porn

Day 9: NorCal - Around the Santa Cruz Mountains

A calm breakfast service despite the snag
Wonderland in Alice
Walking in the Shadow of Giants - Big Basin State Park
Sitting out the Rain in Boulder Creek
When you gotta go....rain or shine! Hakone Gardens
Lick the Screen time - Sweet and Bittersweet Delights
It really is a Work Trip - More of DHs colleagues

Day 10: NorCal - In Search of my Final Day

A Calm Morning on the Back Bay
More Shopping - Stanford Mall
It's About the Food at Stanford Mall
About Bronze Statues
Bag Stalking
An Amazing Collection
The end of my time at Stanford and San Francisco

Thanks for reading!

[franandaj]

Yay! I'm first! NOT LAST!

[maryr1oz]

Excited to hear your plans - love Australian trip reports!

[shushh]

Hurray! I'm third and not some other insignificant number!!!

[DisneyFirefly]

And I'm fourth and I'm here!

[TheColtonsMom]

I've been reading your PTR thought Id just check in and wish you a good trip. I almost wish my trip was just coming up instead of just ended. Have fun look forward to your TR and pictures.

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by TheColtonsMom

I've been reading your PTR thought Id just check in and wish you a good trip. I almost wish my trip was just coming up instead of just ended. Have fun look forward to your TR and pictures.

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the well-wishes.

And thanks for de-lurking!

[PrincessInOz]

It is officially one week to go before I fly out of the Melbourne....(I think it is officially)....summer....(but it is wet and cold) for the Californian wet and cold. But hey - I will be on holiday, which is all that counts.

Sadly, I still haven't got that holiday swing yet...work has been stupidly busy. I finally officially submitted my annual leave form today; only because it is something that I should have done about 2 months ago...but this is just about the paperwork catching up more than anything else. I am on leave from 5 pm on Friday 14th Jan and will only be checking back in at 8 am on Tuesday 1st Feb.

The really sad thing? Work is soooooo busy that I promised to go in Tuesday next week to get things done.















Anyone out there wanna slap me now?




















Don't worry....someone at work did. I'm BANNED from showing my face in the office next week...

[QuirkyButterfly]

Originally Posted by PrincessInOz

It is officially one week to go before I fly out of the Melbourne....(I think it is officially)....summer....(but it is wet and cold) for the Californian wet and cold. But hey - I will be on holiday, which is all that counts.

Sadly, I still haven't got that holiday swing yet...work has been stupidly busy. I finally officially submitted my annual leave form today; only because it is something that I should have done about 2 months ago...but this is just about the paperwork catching up more than anything else. I am on leave from 5 pm on Friday 14th Jan and will only be checking back in at 8 am on Tuesday 1st Feb.

The really sad thing? Work is soooooo busy that I promised to go in Tuesday next week to get things done.















Anyone out there wanna slap me now?




















Don't worry....someone at work did. I'm BANNED from showing my face in the office next week...

How exciting, you have so little time left, I can't wait until I am so close!

[franandaj]

My reminder in my phone for lunch with you in a week just went off!

I reset it for one day, I imagine that you will be getting off the plane or picking up your luggage the next time it rings!

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by QuirkyButterfly

How exciting, you have so little time left, I can't wait until I am so close!

Enjoy the planning time...Your trip will come round really quickly!

Originally Posted by franandaj

My reminder in my phone for lunch with you in a week just went off!

I reset it for one day, I imagine that you will be getting off the plane or picking up your luggage the next time it rings!

Excellent! I'll see how I'm placed on Wednesday. I might try and call you sometime after we're settled...see how I go.

[PrincessInOz]

I've hit the 5 days to go mark...and it really is 5 days to go; not 5 sleeps. I'm actually down to 4 sleeps to go.

I finished up work yesterday in a mad rush. I think the people that banned me from showing my face in the office on Tuesday were having second thoughts about the ban. Still, there was so many things to do and push forward that it just felt like Friday was never going to end. I don't officially head back until 1 Feb. It sounds like a long time...but it really isn't.

I'm trying to get my mind around this mad dash now. Can you believe that I'm not organised?

This morning I headed out to pick up a few things that we will need. I still have additional items to pick up; which I plan to get either Monday or Tuesday. But these are pretty light and won't take up a lot of room.
I also decided that I need to get a hair cut before I go. It's been over 6 weeks since my last cut and I think I really should tidy it up a little bit. So, I'm going to have to find somewhere to get that done on Tuesday.

I'll probably need to wander into DS wardrobe this afternoon and pull out his winter clothes. It will predominantly consist of track pants....and I'm hoping that there is at least one pair of jeans that will still fit DS.

We still have to get the suitcases down from the attic and think about putting clothes in them. Anyone who has read my PTRs before will know that I err on the side of light packing. I certainly don't want to fill the suitcases to the brim....going. Coming back is a different matter!

Plus I've decided that I want to get a Ultra Wide Angle lens...and think I want the Tokina 11 - 16 mm f/2.8. I'm having problems sourcing this lens; it seems to be a popular lens and all the normal on-line places seem to be sold out. Oh well....back to the drawing board.

[franandaj]

Did I remember some sort of offer from the previous PTR about authentic TimTams?

[rentayenta]

What a fun trip you've got planned. I've only read your itinerary page so far. I agree that with a day at DL/DCA your must dos sound totally doable.

I've got a friend who lives in SF who writes a really cool blog appropriately named: the Disney project. His name is Keith. You should check it out.