[daisyd]

Cast:
me
my DS12 (Eddie)
my wonderful sister (Dsis)
my outgoing, super funny nephew (DN, also 12)

Also, my Dsis's SIL (SIL), her son (SILS, also 12) and her DD11 (SILD). Another's sister's best friend (SBF) with her nephew (SBFN, 13) and her niece (SBFN, also 12, lol).

Here's a little backstory

Would you believe this trip was going to be a mom and me trip for only Eddie and I? He's starting 7th grade and I wanted to spend some fun time with him before school started (and while he still wants to hang out with me, lol). We were thrilled to have this trip to plan together and we liked speaking in code so his little siblings (DD4 and DS3) didn't know we were off to Disneyland (they knew we were taking a trip to Southern California, lol. Not a lie, but not the whole truth ).

As we planned our get away, I started thinking about asking my Dsis and her son to come along (the boys are very good friends, and my sister and I are close but live 4 hours apart). Eventually I put it to Eddie and of course he wanted them to go, lol! A phone call was made and my Dsis was onboard! She hadn't been to DL since the early '80's and my DN had only been once...for half a day...when he was 2 (poor deprived kid).

So, I fill in our oldest sister who passes this info onto her best friend. I get a phone call from her (the best friend, whom I love like another sister) and she was thinking of taking her nephew and niece to DL, but wanted some 'support' while she was there, lol. She asked if we could meet up in the parks (it would be the kid's first trip) and of course--the more the merrier!

A week before we left my Dsis called to tell me her SIL would be in Long Beach the night before with her kids and would like to join us too! "Of course!" I said. And the trip went from two to 10 like that

Up next: 8/21--the drive down and day one. Will I be overcome with guilt about not taking my two youngest kids? Will we all meet up? Will Eddie get on Space Mountain? Will I get the River Belle Terrace pancakes I missed last year? Stay tuned...

[WishUponAStar]

YAY! I can't wait to read all about it, I hope you had a FABULOUS time!!!

[Erin]

Ooooooooooooooooooh! A Daisy TR! I've missed you! Hurry up! Tell me! Did you get the pancakes!?

[Dopey]

where is the report?

[Dana]

oh yeah! I need another trip report to read! Bring it on!

[dznygrl]

Hooray! I'm excited for the TR!

*plops down in the thread and waits*

Please don't wait too long, my limbs fall asleep easily!

[Experiment6-2-6]

Originally Posted by dznygrl

Hooray! I'm excited for the TR!

*plops down in the thread and waits*

Please don't wait too long, my limbs fall asleep easily!

I think we're gonna be waiting for some time...

Daisyd is offline..

[dznygrl]

Originally Posted by Experiment6-2-6

I think we're gonna be waiting for some time...

Daisyd is offline..

Darn. My legs already feel tingly. Guess I gotta go find something else to do instead...

[daisyd]

Sorry about the delay--unexpected company this evening. Good thing I baked cookies today!

Okay, on to the report!

On Sunday my Dsis drove to my house with my DN and my wonderful mom who agreed to come watch the two young ones and cook dinner for my helpless DH while I went to play at Disneyland Okay, my DH really isn't helpless, but he had an audit later in the week and there was no way on earth he could take the three days off to take care of the kids. My mom is always so happy to have the kids to herself and she was really looking forward to spending time with them. My mom rocks And so does my DH

On Monday we leave the house at 7am. We stop at McDonalds for a much longer than should have been breakfast, and hit I-5, stopping for gas about halfway. We pull into the Candy Cane Inn at 1:35pm. Good timing considering the stops were about an hour total!

When I first booked this trip for the two of us, I was on a super tight budget, but wanted to stay close to the parks. I had booked a room at the Park Vue Inn opposite DL. It was nearly $100 less than the CCI (no AAA rate available) for the 2 nights and I was fine with that as I looked at the $100 as food money, and this was going to be a 'cheap and quick' trip. One day here at MB, I came across ddoll's experience at the PVI and decided to bail! I compared prices online and decided I'd call the CCI one night (night time may be the trick) and low and behold they had a deluxe room, AAA rate for what was only $30 total more than the PVI! I was so happy, lol. As I type this I realize now how silly it all seems, but at the time $100 was a good bit of my budget

Anyway, I went to check in and of course we were too early. That was fine for me--I'm going to DISNEYLAND! I bought 4 park hoppers from the gal behind the desk, put the parking slip in the car and off we went for the shuttle!

We called the two women we were to meet in the park. Both parties were in DL...one (SBF and kids) were on their way back to the DLH for a swim and the other group (SIL and kids) was eating in New Orleans Square (rats! I missed the Monte Cristo!).

We told SBF we'd catch her later and we hooked up with SIL and clan at the Haunted Mansion! I rode with my DS and we got the short guy with the top hat that I always seem to get. We walked to Pirates and as we waited in the lines the kids took off in various directions for random treats. One came back with a tub of popcorn, one had a Toll House cookie ice cream sandwich, one had a frozen lemonade and one had a lemonade slushie. We shared and gabbed and played silly games in line--maybe 25 minutes and then we loaded into our boat. We listened to the pirate and kept our ruddy hands in the boat and I blushed when I saw Captain Jack Sparrow so close to me on the ride He's a babe, even if he's mechanical. A stop in the pirate store for a few souvineers and we were on our way.

At this point, I decided I needed a Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich and shared it as we waited in line for Indy (another babe) to save our lost tourist bacon (the story on this ride is some tourists go in to a temple, and don't return so Indy goes in to save them, but he goes missing too. Of course he saves us in the end ). It was great fun! And really fun with 4 big kids!

A curious thing we were noticing here both days in regards to several lines that que up indoor as well as out. The lines were outside the buildings and were being stopped at the door. So while the Indy line was back to the fast pass area, it wasn't as long as one would think because the indoor que was empty! I'm not sure if it is a fire hazzard issue or if it's easier on the air conditioning units or what the reason was, but it was kind of nice to walk right up to the loading area, almost like a free pass, lol. Also the lines were shorter than the sign said (YAY!) and the longest we waited was 45 minutes for Space Mountain.

Oh boy, I'm really rattling on. Sorry, heehee. Guess I'm hyper after the cookies

After Indy, we take a ride on the Jungle Cruise and the kids go through the tree house. We decide we simply MUST ride Indy again, and 10 minutes later we're in! It was the favorite ride of the trip!

We head to Tomorrowland! The kids go on Star Tours and my Dsis and I decide we need to eat as ice cream and breakfast at 8am were not going to cut it. We head to Redd's Rocket and get pizza for the boys and salad for us girls. The pizza looked good and the ceasar's salad was tasty (no chicken on mine). I was tempted to have the fusili dish, but it just looked too hot and heavy to eat. Eddie and I washed this down with a churro that we shared and we met up to say hello to SBF and her two charges. The smiles on those two kids faces was priceless! They were having the time of their life with their aunt. They had plans and fast passes for the rides we had already done, so they left us after making plans to meet the next am for panckaes

The 6 of us went on Buzz (I got a whopping 1,600 points, lol) the BTMRR. We were headed towards IASW, but Remember was about to start, so we watched them from Fantasyland. Not the best place as there is no sound where we were, and we missed the WOW factor of having the castle in the foreground, but everyone was impressed nonetheless.

The gaggle of preteens really wanted to do BTMRR agin, so we did--twice, lol. (Erin, I thought of you every time I saw the goat )

The park was closing at 11 and there were souvineers to be begged for so we started heading out of the park to beat the Fantasmic crowd at the end of the night. We lollygaggged and spent our $$ like good tourists and said good bye to my Dsis' SIL and her two wonderful, fun kids.

A short walk to the CCI, a 3 minute check in and we were in our jammies by 11:30pm. The room was nice and clean as always, and more importantly very close to where we ahd parked the car in the afternoon (there was not a spot to be had at night). I set the alarm and drifted off to sleep with visions of pancakes dancing in my head...

TBC tomorrow

[daisyd]

Originally Posted by Experiment6-2-6

I think we're gonna be waiting for some time...

Daisyd is offline..

LOL, I was here! I feel like CarolAnn from Poltergiest I was in my screen!

I was typing my little fingers into stubbs, editing and taking out the bits where I ramble (yes, there were more). I guess one looks offline of one takes to long to post, lol.

But like I said, I'll have to finsh tomorrow

[lovemysons]

Oh welcome back Daisy! I can't wait for more!

[diisneygeek]

YAY! I can't wait for more!!!

[Dopey]

Is there a day 2? That would be great.
I love the Candy Cane Inn. What a great place to stay.
Sounds like a fun trip, carry on!

[daisyd]

Here is one of the few photos I took, that I can actually post online.

(Most of the photos have other peoples kids in them, and I'm not comfortable posting them online without permission.)

[daisyd]

Two photos from the Indiana Jones que I think we rode this 9 times, and every time the line was outside up into the movie area. The indoor que themeing is great, but of course I have no photos of it, lol.