Happy happy happy! trip story from Feb 2012

[bumbershoot]

I love that he really got into the trip!

A few hours ago DH and DS were watching Jungle Book 2, and Robert sort of whined/moaned that he misses disneyland and wants to go back. Some parts of the movie were reminding him of the park, and were hurting the *missing Disneyland* parts of his brain/heart. Since I feel that way OFTEN, I was glad to know others in my household are feelin' the same pain!

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh man, we are SO on eastern time still. It's not even 11am and we've all been up for hours and hours!

 

[kaoden39]

Isn't it amazing how we are triggered by different things that we see or hear? I am already having my mourning period over being done. It's early this trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

Feb 4....

Let's back up.

Feb 3rd found Eamon and I going to the airport at noon to pick up Robert, home at last from far far away. He decided to tough it out and stay awake, for which I was MOST grateful. Doing this enabled him to force himself onto pacific time a whole lot quicker than he usually does (is? whatever the appropriate word would be to end that sentence).

Packing, packing, more packing... Realized we hadn't booked a shuttle to the airport, so did that. (seatac parking is INCREDIBLY expensive, and even the offsites were more than a shuttle) Went to bed at some point.

Feb 4th.

Woke up, scrambled around, got finished, got upstairs in time to meet our shuttle driver. We were at the airport nice and early, just like we like it! We need our time to start the vacation properly, meaning a Dilettante Coffee for me and Robert (and this time a hot chocolate for E), something naughty to eat for me and E, and a bagel sandwich for Robert....

In short order we did all that, got to our gate, and watched everyone stand in line. Mind you, we were on Alaska. No lining up needed. But people do it, every single time! Mystifying. Especially since the liner-uppers tend to not be the ones with priority boarding, so they could certainly wait for those people to board before the line up. Instead, they just stand there and clog it all up. We are casual people (as I have mentioned time and time again), so the liner-uppers don't tend to understand that we do, thanks to Robert's job, have priority boarding, and they want to block us (I'm sure they think we'll be turned away). Robert's been cut in front of many times on business trips, with the cutter saying "I'm premier blah blah and I've been waiting", and he has to tell the person that he is too and he was there first. He's even had gate agents do this to him, just turn a blind eye to him, thinking he doesn't have priority. He spends a lot of time with his rear in an airplane seat, and doesn't much like having people cut in front of him, thinking they are better....

So anyway, he isn't the highest priority at Alaska, but it's enough, so we boarded at a decent time. Our flight took off then landed safely and it was all good.

While coming down the escalator to the baggage carousels (where Laurie and I saw each other in December!), Eamon frightened himself badly by getting his shoelace caught, for an instant, in the escalator! YIKES! He reacted quickly and well, getting it out, but wow, scary.

Got our bags, headed to the National rental car area. Snagged ourselves a Mitsubishi Endeavor, which was quite nice. Instead of heading to Anabella immediately, we headed out to get supplies. Trader Joes and CVS, and since it was close, had Panera for lunch. While we did these things, I just kept looking at the hair of Robert and Eamon, and they got tired of my looks and sighs (there had been no chance for haircuts before we left) and offered to find a haircut place. As we headed out of the parking lot, across the street we saw a HAIRCUT sign, so we went there. They both got surprisingly GOOD haircuts at a place that's actually a kid cut place, called something like Rainbow Haircuts. Looks just awful from the outside, but the ladies inside are FAST and good and don't talk a lot. Zoom zoom zoom, they were done and my eyes were so much happier! (their hair, when too long, makes them look like gorillas, from the way it sits on their heads...)


OK, as what's her face says in Love Actually, "too much information, Mum"...

We made our way over to Anabella, just in time for proper checkin. Happy to say that although their website says they charge parking *per day*, it's actually per *night*, so we were only charged one parking fee (returned the car by 9am next day). Whew!

We had booked a Mission Suite through hotels.com, using up a free day. With hotels, they average 10 stays and come up with the amount you get for free. If the hotel you want is over that, you pay the rest. If it's under, it behaves like Disneyland Resort dining plans, and you don't get "change". Also, either way you pay taxes and any extra fees the hotel has. So our free day ended up being around 50ish, with all being taken into consideration, but we got a great room for it!

Went along and found our room, and it was quite nice. My pictures are sad and pathetic, because I somehow stirred up a whole bunch of dust motes just before I started taking the picture (opened the door really fast, and the sun was shining in the room in just the right way to show it all).


This was taken from the living area of the main room (which also had a big ol' King sized bed in it) looking into the second bedroom with a daybed.

This points to the hallway where the coffee maker is set up, with a huge mirror along the long wall, and a full length mirror on the closet doors. The bathroom is to the right. This area is the same as the room E and I had last year when he got so sick (but the rest of the areas of the room is sort of flipped around and they put doors around the non-main area).

He was feeling quite cool. And helpful, since he's carrying our cooler backpack!

But he loves this pose best:

The big bed in the main room, taken while sitting on the couch (whose back you can see) that's at the end of the bed. It was so big and comfy! And in the middle of the night, when E fell out of the daybed onto the wood floor and he came seeking warmth and comfort in the big bed, there was plenty of room for the snuggler.

Anyway, back to the 4th. By the time we got all settled in it was dusk, but of course that still means it's rather early this time of year. There was a strong need to swim, though I sat out. Literally, sat out, on a lounge chair with my knitting, contemplating a drinkiedrink....until I felt a sharp stab on my arm and found a mosquito just getting settled in on my arm! I blew him off my arm (he had just started, didn't need to slap him) and decided I'd had enough. So I went back to the room and lounged around while the boys swam.

At last they were done and we headed on over to....yeah I know my regulars are going to say DCA, but no! We headed to Disneyland. No grand plans, since it was so late in the day, but just to breathe it all in. We had to get Robert his AP and upgrade E's one day pass to an AP, which took more time than I feel it should (I think that's the motto of the ticket booth CMs..."taking more time than we really should, one guest at a time!").

We pretty much did very little. Atmosphere, found out that E had gotten freaked about Jungle Cruise (there are pictures and one model-in-a-cage of biiiig arachnids in the line at Magic Kingdom, and he just refused to believe us that it was not the same at Disneyland, so we let it go that night), that he was too nervous for Indy at that time, and so on. He and I walked up to Tarzan (where the jaguar in the tree scared the pants offa him) while Robert snagged some dinner from RiverBelle. Ooh the veggie po'boys were DELICIOUS! Since there was nothing Eamon wanted here, and we're easy and this was to be a relaxing happy time, we went over to French Market to get him some mac and cheese. We probably should have taken the po'boys over there and ate altogether, but I didn't think of that until just now!

Anyway, we rode Pirates after that, and honestly, I'm pretty sure that after that we just hopped on the train, took it to the front of the park, and went on back to Anabella.

That's all we really wanted to do (well, Robert wanted to ride through the Jungle, but also wanted to stick together, so he was thwarted that evening) so we were happy with it. We needed sleep more than anything else!

The beds were comfy, the floor was not (when E thumped out of his bed), and morning came as early as it ever comes when at Disneyland!

 

[kaoden39]

That was smart of R to get used to the time zone again. I am not sure I would have wanted to stay awake for that.


Sounds like you had a nice relaxing first evening.

 

[bumbershoot]

He normally won't stay up. Too cranky. But we had things to do, and he knew it, and didn't want me to have to do it all, especially since he'd been away so many days! Yay him!

 

[kaoden39]

Yay him indeed!! I can't operate when I get too tired.

 

[IndayMichelle]

While we did these things, I just kept looking at the hair of Robert and Eamon, and they got tired of my looks and sighs (there had been no chance for haircuts before we left) and offered to find a haircut place. As we headed out of the parking lot, across the street we saw a HAIRCUT sign, so we went there. They both got surprisingly GOOD haircuts at a place that's actually a kid cut place, called something like Rainbow Haircuts. Looks just awful from the outside, but the ladies inside are FAST and good and don't talk a lot. Zoom zoom zoom, they were done and my eyes were so much happier! (their hair, when too long, makes them look like gorillas, from the way it sits on their heads...)

But he loves this pose best:

Very cool hair! I like that pose too!

 

[bumbershoot]

Feb 5!


Our original plan had been to get caught up on sleep and hit MM. This would have required waking awfully early to get over to PPH for checkin, since MM was at something like 7am this morning. Well that got nixed once reality set in. We'd done that once before, and while it turned out nicely (we'd been picked as the Big Kahuna family of the day and upgraded to a suite), it just felt too painful this time. Plus, that bed was so big and comfy.

So we got up a little later than originally intended, and got ourselves all ready to go. Headed out of Anabella and over to PPH. Things got confused, as they are wont to do early in the trip (we aren't up to speed with tipping everyone yet, and are still in hang-on-to-the-money mode), and we ended up having me and E go in to check-in, while Robert waited. The Bell guy knew what we were intending (check in and give them bags IF we didn't have a room yet...if we had a room we would take our own bags), but said he'd hang on to them. If we had a room, they'd help us, if not, they'd stow them. Great.

E and I went in, and after checking with the info desk, headed up to the 2nd floor concierge for what was supposed to be their special checkin area. Well, no one answered my knock, on their locked door. Harumph. Not so special. So we went back downstairs and got in the regular line.

**helpful hint! if you're staying concierge, have the info desk CM call up there, so they'll let you in. we didn't think of this until later.**

So while in line, Robert texts me to say that the Bell guy just told him (AFTER loading up the cart) that he would hand it off to the people who WOULD deliver it, if we had a room. Well THAT isn't cool, because that means tipping the guy that put it on the cart and the guy that delivers it! So not cool! The guy KNEW what our intentions were. He shouldn't have touched the bags. So we're both annoyed at Bell Guy, and then it turns out DH tipped the guy in full! As in, dollar a bag. As in, we had a LOT of bags at this point. So the guy loads up the cart erroneously, THEN tells hubby the truth of the matter, and hubby rewards him. Grr. So I'm just peeved at Bell Guy and it spills out onto hubby, and when I get to the Lovely and Talented CM Clay, I'm trying to be polite to him but it's all spilling through...

So he doesn't think I'm angry with him, I quickly tell him that the Bell guy needs to properly communicate the truth of the way they work, before touching a bag. That we know to expect that thing where two people deal with your bags at Universal, but we'd forgotten that it happens at PPH, too, and it's FINE and it's an OK policy if that's the policy, but people shouldn't be surprised by it, especially when the Bell guy fully knows, as it was talked about thoroughly while he's standing there, part of our conversation. Harumph.

Clay feels so badly for me, he hands me a guest comment card and has me fill it out right then and there. Meanwhile, he's asking us if we're DVC members, if we're staying on points (yes and no are the answers), and as part of the Bell guy story I mention that one time we got rooms that early, so we always hope a room will be available. Which is why we didn't just have them take our bags away immediately, just in case.

So he's looking at his computer, and he says that was lucky that we got a room early once, and then he's looking at his computer and says something about how we are just lucky people, and he fades off....

And he starts hemming and hawing, and wait, let me check again'ing, and he's acting excited for us, and I'm telling him to not say a word unless he KNOWS something good is happening... And while he's checking, I'm asking about the pool situation, and he tells me the keycards are already encoded to get us into the other pools, etc etc.

So he hands over keys, says that the room will definitely take until proper checkin time to be ready, and he's not saying another word, wanting us to be surprised. I have also asked him for a birthday button for Robert, and he hands that over. WHile getting the button he's gone in back, and brings out a manager who quickly read through my comment card, says all the right things. I've calmed down because Clay is awesome and happy and chipper and sweet, and my ultimate goal is just that they communicate BEFORE touching bags. Now, because I've budgeted tips for worst case scenarios, where our bags our stowed AND delivered every single time we switch hotels, the tip money situation is overflowing, and we're not harmed by this (and we don't have to stiff anyone), but another person might really be messed up by this. It wouldn't be fair to stiff the guy that delivers our bags later, just because a totally different person got overtipped, ya know?

So anyway, in the meantime, Robert has taken the car off to drop it off. It's just down near Gardenwalk, next to the Alpine Inn, and while that's a short ride (u-turn aside), it's going to be a bit of a walk. But he calls, and I've calmed down, and I actually apologize for having been irked with him and I know that these situations are tough on him (immediate decisions are not his forte and the quicker we realize this and work it through the better), and the fact that I've apologized for a Mood garners scads of goodwill on his part ('cuz I'm not always easy to get to apologize). So it's all good. Better, perhaps, than if it had all gone easily.

Eamon and I, despite the family No Secrets policy (which does have a codicil allowing really really GOOD surprises unless it's Molly that is getting the surprise, as Molly Does Not Like Surprises (because then she expects them all the time and runs around being disappointed)), decide to keep mum on the room-possible-upgrade.

Robert is surprised by the National/Alamo people, because they have a shuttle and will take him back, for free! So he arrives far earlier than he would have done if he'd walked, and it's all just great! We head up to Concierge, and they fawn all over us (all over Robert, actually...he had long conversations and seemed to have made some good friends with the Concierge CMs during our stay) and welcome us and show us around. They have a Nescafe cappucino machine that's brand new, and OH yes it got some use by me over our stay! Especially since they also had decaf espresso pods.

We snag coffee and some breakfast and waters, and are finally ready to hit the road over to the parks.

 

[kaoden39]

I love how Disney as a general rule has wonderful CMs. It is part of what makes the resort so special to me. We had great CMs the whole trip and it just made for a grand trip. E is getting so tall.

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

Bumper, the way I do tipping at bells service is ---- I tip once bags are delivered. Most bell services pool tips so giving to one is giving to all . We stick to the 1-2 dollar a bag tip.

My gosh how your son has grown. He is very cute . I love the pose. I have a 7 year old grand son that still makes faces when taking pictures -- but we will keep him anyway .

It sure is strange how people think since we are wearing jeans and tennis shoes we do not have first class tickets LOL. Dont they know I had to charge alot of groceries on my Alaska Air CC to get that upgrade LOL. I have to say with husband being in wheelchair and needing isle chair I suggest we board him last while others are getting situated -- saves time. I try to put him First Class -- I can sit anywhere -- we better all get there at the same time anyway -- wink wink. getting off we again let others go first.

going to be interested in reading about consierge at PP. I think at the DL and GC concierge would just be out of our comfort zone. I would think I had to stay in room and awake for 24 hours a day if I spent that much money a night for a room.

Following along -- Patty

 

[bumbershoot]

I know, I was looking for another picture of him with Goofy, but haven't found one yet. On the other hand, I have another picture for a bit later to compare and contrast.

 

[bumbershoot]

Staying concierge level was Robert's request. His main interest in it was the WATER. We had stayed on that level in '09, at the Disneyland Hotel, on DVC points (can't book that level like that anymore, sad), and it was our best trip to that date and beyond, mainly because we were *hydrated*!

Paying 2.50 for a bottle of water isn't going to happen often for us (though sometimes it's worth it, like our Halloween Party night last September at WDW, when everyone was dying of thirst but no one was doing anything about it, so I bought 3 big bottles of water for $10 and we all shared them), and while the cups of ice water you can get are great...it does take time waiting in line for them, and that's annoying. Plus, more often than not we are handed very very small cups which means we can't just go about our way, but we have to drink and refill, etc, until our thirst is erased.

We didn't know we'd have the rental car for that one day, not until shortly before the trip. Honestly, if I could find a great deal on a rental car, I'd rather pay that and the parking fee, and NOT book concierge, and just go buy a case or two of water!

But it was actually a nice experience. I had something like 2 cappucinos in the morning and a nice big decaf one in the evenings, ONE night they had vegetarian egg rolls, and the rest of the time it was fruit for us and bagels for the guys and a muffin for me and waters. Since you actually have to ask for the waters at PPH we didn't get as many as we did in '09, but they might have changed the self-service-from-the-fridge at DLH as well.

It also wasn't horrendously higher than a base rate (though higher than I wanted). I used their Winter discount, which never varied from the AP rate, so it was as low as I could get it. They also have DVD players, and DVDs for free-rental from the lounge, and that was lovely, since we actually did choose to enjoy the room two evenings.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm so annoyed at myself. Although I kept all receipts and know we didn't do anything stupid money-wise, I didn't keep track as neatly as I wanted to, and NOW I'm in the process of seeing exactly how our budget came out.

Once again, it's something to improve in the future!



ETA...Robert kept asking me yesterday....so what's wrong? did we fall short of something, how much are you off, and so on. It took awhile to convince him that I'm just trying to get things to match up, to make sure that x purchases came from x money, and y purchases came from y money, etc. He doesn't see the need to do that, LOL.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh, and when E got up this morning, he was *visibly* taller than he was last night. WOW.

 

[kaoden39]

I have always wanted to stay concierge level. The ease to get water when you want it rather than pay $2.59 for a bottle in the parks. When we take the kids I bring cases of water with us. They load the fridge in the room with water and then fill their backpacks up when they go to the parks. Saves me a bunch of money.

The DVDs and the DVD players are huge draw too.


Scotty just is oblivious to the financial part of the trip. He asked me how much money we needed in November for the trip. Would $4000 be enough. Men!!


I am not surprised that E grew overnight. He is at that age.

 

[bumbershoot]

I joined weight watchers again today. Eek!

 

[kaoden39]

I need to do that too.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was SO nervous! I was nearly shaking. But I finally just really knew I was ready and needed it. Before I get a second older I needed to start. And then the leader today told us she didn't start until she was 57, so I felt better!

If you feel you need to, I strongly recommend it! Today I sat next to the framed poster of Jennifer Hudson that I saw in an ad last week, it's the picture/ad that finally got me to sit up and take notice of the JHudson ads. She's my best friend now.

 

[kaoden39]

I may just do it Molly. I gained back all the weight I lost when I was sick. It took a lot for me to post pictures of myself on here. It is tough for me to meet wit people I don't know.