10 Mths of WDW Planning leads us to~~DISNEYLAND!! Report Completed~Pic Heavy!!!

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

That's what I was thinking. Even though I think gingerbread should really be seasonal - and, in fact, that's why I thought they had started selling the shortbread cookies in the shape of gingerbread men, just to fill the void - it will be very good for the folks who don't know when their next Halloween Time trip or holiday trip will be.

For that matter, I've heard that the gingerbread cookies are not easy to find at WDW either. Apparently they were spotted in one shop in WDW, but nowhere else. So even if you somehow made it to WDW for the holidays before you made it to DLR again for the holidays, you might not find the cookies there!

Gingerbread really isn't something I could see me enjoying during the summer months......but I do like the idea of being able to get one IF I did want one.....lol

[Trentmom]

Great Pics

Bugs land looks so cute

How did Addy and Anthony like TOT?

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by Trentmom

Great Pics

Bugs land looks so cute

How did Addy and Anthony like TOT?

I love BugsLand.....such a cute area for the kids.

Addy & Anthony both loved ToT! I won't get on it, but they had no problem doing it......lol

[Pimama]

Welcome.....I'm sorry you've been sick!!! There's rumors going around that the "free" Christmas options we enjoyed this December might go away to the paid party. Nothing confirmed at this point.....but it kinda looks like it might go that direction. It's always been free at Disneyland and it will be met with a lot of upset opposition if they take away those perks. I'm sorry the party didn't work out for you.......if you don't mind answering.....I'd love to hear what happened!

The Homewood Suites are a super option for larger families. They have nothing but suites and they're very nice. Usually we have to get 2 rooms and sometimes the suites are cheaper. It's worth it to me to pay a little more to keep everyone together. Never had a bad stay at one![/QUOTE]



I'd heard the Christmas rumors, just not until after plans were set! The Christmas party was just a bad night for me, I tried to use all my disney knowledge and research to try and keep everyone happy and accomplish too much. In the end, we found we got very little done and seemed always stuck in the wrong place. Our parade spot in Frontierland was very dark and afterwards, we couldn't maneuver our double stroller through the crowds at all and ended up just stuck off to the side. It wasn't a bad view but not the dream view I was trying to get. If I ever do it again, I won't leave Main Street, it was just too impossible to get back. We caught some of the late parade on our way out and it was really beautiful on Main Street- bright, cheerful, and fun.
Oh, and the cookies and cocoa...bad. My sugar addicted kids didn't even finish the cookies and the cocoa was just luke warm packets of cheap cocoa. After almost a half hour in line, most of it went in the garbage. Of course with free dining, we weren't exactly desperate for dessert.

The good: short lines (but not really shorter than our visit another day), some cute pins, a lesson learned on how to do it better!

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by Pimama

I'd heard the Christmas rumors, just not until after plans were set! The Christmas party was just a bad night for me, I tried to use all my disney knowledge and research to try and keep everyone happy and accomplish too much. In the end, we found we got very little done and seemed always stuck in the wrong place. Our parade spot in Frontierland was very dark and afterwards, we couldn't maneuver our double stroller through the crowds at all and ended up just stuck off to the side. It wasn't a bad view but not the dream view I was trying to get. If I ever do it again, I won't leave Main Street, it was just too impossible to get back. We caught some of the late parade on our way out and it was really beautiful on Main Street- bright, cheerful, and fun.
Oh, and the cookies and cocoa...bad. My sugar addicted kids didn't even finish the cookies and the cocoa was just luke warm packets of cheap cocoa. After almost a half hour in line, most of it went in the garbage. Of course with free dining, we weren't exactly desperate for dessert.

The good: short lines (but not really shorter than our visit another day), some cute pins, a lesson learned on how to do it better!

I think they over sell those parties. What's the point in paying extra for a less crowded park when they sell and max out anyways. I'm sorry that things didn't work out. Such a let down to pay out that kind of money, research it and then have nothing fall into place.

[nwdisgal]

Laurie, that is such a cute picture of Addy with her arm around her little sister on the chew chew train.

I am with you. Let the kids do ToT. I'll sit that one out. I wish I could go on it because I have heard the theming is so good. But DH tells me it is by the scariest ride. I have never had the gumption to go on it.

Hope you are feeling better. It is tough when you have to take care of the sick kiddos - then you end up getting sick yourself. Probably feels like being sick twice. Anyway, feel better

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by nwdisgal

Laurie, that is such a cute picture of Addy with her arm around her little sister on the chew chew train.

I am with you. Let the kids do ToT. I'll sit that one out. I wish I could go on it because I have heard the theming is so good. But DH tells me it is by the scariest ride. I have never had the gumption to go on it.

Hope you are feeling better. It is tough when you have to take care of the sick kiddos - then you end up getting sick yourself. Probably feels like being sick twice. Anyway, feel better

Addy can be a pretty good "mommy" when she wants to be.

I'd love to check out ToT but I hate the feeling of falling! So I don't see me doing this one anytime soon.

Thanx Pam!! Not feeling so hot.....thought maybe I had avoided it but I guess not. At least Mike was home today to help out!

[PHXscuba]

My DS7 hated ToT the last two times but just told me yesterday he wants to try it again in March! The rest of the family loves it.

Love the idea of year-round gingerbread ... just in case I run out of goodies!

We love Brad Paisley! We saw one of his concerts in Phoenix a couple years ago from some back seats. At one point he came all the way out and sang one song practically right in front of us, because he said when he was young, the cheap seats were all he could afford! He is amazing in concert.

Your girls' smiles are fabulous

PHXscuba

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by PHXscuba

My DS7 hated ToT the last two times but just told me yesterday he wants to try it again in March! The rest of the family loves it.

Love the idea of year-round gingerbread ... just in case I run out of goodies!

We love Brad Paisley! We saw one of his concerts in Phoenix a couple years ago from some back seats. At one point he came all the way out and sang one song practically right in front of us, because he said when he was young, the cheap seats were all he could afford! He is amazing in concert.

Your girls' smiles are fabulous

PHXscuba

Anthony used to be pretty scared on rides but he finally enjoys them. I actually was more worried about him then I was Addy.....who's always been our little daredevil.....lol

I would have loved to have seen Brad Paisley....but I don't do crowds very well. So we watched the Christmas Day parade knowing we had touched that very stage when he was there.....lol I'm just disappointed that none of the older kids had a camera or cell phone out to snap his picture.

[DnA2010]

Originally Posted by nwdisgal

Laurie, that is such a cute picture of Addy with her arm around her little sister on the chew chew train.

I am with you. Let the kids do ToT. I'll sit that one out. I wish I could go on it because I have heard the theming is so good. But DH tells me it is by the scariest ride. I have never had the gumption to go on it.

Hope you are feeling better. It is tough when you have to take care of the sick kiddos - then you end up getting sick yourself. Probably feels like being sick twice. Anyway, feel better

I also really liked the picture with her arm around, great shot!

DD did the TOT when we took her to DL when she was 6, she didn't love it, but did not want to be left out when DH and I wanted to ride it again so she did do it twice. I agree the theming is great! I would suggest you try the WDW one first, it is much tamer- it doesn't have the big drops that the DL one has- just a series of small drops...we much prefer DL version in this sense, but we love crazy rides

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by DnA2010

I also really liked the picture with her arm around, great shot!

DD did the TOT when we took her to DL when she was 6, she didn't love it, but did not want to be left out when DH and I wanted to ride it again so she did do it twice. I agree the theming is great! I would suggest you try the WDW one first, it is much tamer- it doesn't have the big drops that the DL one has- just a series of small drops...we much prefer DL version in this sense, but we love crazy rides

I forgot to mention (since 2 of you said you liked the pic).....that right after we got that picture, the CM told me that we couldn't ride 3 wide & Michayla would need to ride on my lap. I thought it was weird since it seemed safer that way then it did with her on my lap.......

That's good info on the WDW ToT.....I have always been curious about the ride.....but don't want to be freaked out on it...... It will give Mike & I something to ponder.....even if we don't do it. (I actually heard that WDW tends to be the favorite because the ride vehicle comes out of the elevator shaft)......but I don't like being scared! I really don't want to spend my vacation "dead".

[DnA2010]

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

I forgot to mention (since 2 of you said you liked the pic).....that right after we got that picture, the CM told me that we couldn't ride 3 wide & Michayla would need to ride on my lap. I thought it was weird since it seemed safer that way then it did with her on my lap.......

That's good info on the WDW ToT.....I have always been curious about the ride.....but don't want to be freaked out on it...... It will give Mike & I something to ponder.....even if we don't do it. (I actually heard that WDW tends to be the favorite because the ride vehicle comes out of the elevator shaft)......but I don't like being scared! I really don't want to spend my vacation "dead".

I kinda liked that the ride vehicle comes out of the elevator shaft- well I liked it when I was on the actual ride, but then it was weird to me that it completely detached, and then attached again...I know it is totally safe, but it was weird for me to think about...

It is def no where near the "thrill" imo.

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by DnA2010

I kinda liked that the ride vehicle comes out of the elevator shaft- well I liked it when I was on the actual ride, but then it was weird to me that it completely detached, and then attached again...I know it is totally safe, but it was weird for me to think about...

It is def no where near the "thrill" imo.

Who knows.....maybe we'll have a lapse in judgement and ride it......

[DizNee Luver]

We left BugsLand and headed towards the pier. I noticed the photopass line at the entrance of CarsLand was small, so we jumped in it to get a group shot done. Here are a few pics of the area.











The sign warning people about the Christmas Parade taping of Brad Paisley.



A few more as we waited.....











Here we are......I will say that our camera (Mikes) took better pics then the photopass photographer's camera. When I post those, you will see how DARK theirs was.





We headed towards Paradise Pier.



I was so excited to see a photopass photographer at the Duffy meet-n-greet spot.....but soon realized he wasn't there......we did have a photopass picture done. Those will come later in the report!





The Paradise Pier Christmas Tree.





Actually got a decent family shot where we're all looking & smiling!!!!



I was disappointed that the photopass photographer wasn't able to offer the Stitch bursting thru the present like I had done last year, but they said it got messed up some how.

[DizNee Luver]

Ty, Derek, Ally, Anthony & Addy went off to ride Screamin' (pretty short stand by line), so Mike & I took the twins on King Triton's Carousel. The CM told us to just stay on for 2nd ride if we wanted......of course the girls did!!!













Have you ever noticed this before? It's just sitting in a very plain corner as you go around. Like it was dropped there but they never finished up the theming around it.













We got off the ride and Mike took a few pics from around the area as we waited on our crew.





Mike spotted the kids getting ready to launch......Addy is so small in those seats!!



There they go loop-de-loop!!



A picture of their on ride pictures.





Another first for Addy & Anthony.....and they loved it!!