Howdy, y’all! I haven’t been posting much, but getting into the spirit of trip planning, I decided to share the joy. I’m Jennifer (hi!), and here I am with the hubby and our two awesome boys from our last trip in 2013.
Well, I somehow talked the hubby into a Disneyland trip (including other California stops) this year before finding out about the 60th Anniversary festivities. It’s not his first trip to California, but it’s the boys’ and my first trip. I am really glad that our bodies will still be on Central Time at the start of the vacation.
Itinerary:
August 11th: fly into SNA from Texas. We’ll rent a car to get around. Hopefully, we can drop our bags off at the hotel (Yes, I’ll call and confirm.) and get to Grauman’s to start a hop-on/hop-off bus tour of LA for the rest of the day. We have ressies at Park Vue Inn, which is right across the street from the Disneyland/California Adventure entrance area. Thanks to WDWFigment for his recently updated reviews and rankings of DLR hotels to confirm our great decision. It’s got a Coldstone Creamery in it, but that had nothing to do with my decision. (cough, cough)
August 12th: A California FB friend gave me many suggestions for morning activities (Yes, the hubby and I will discuss soon.) before we have a 1:30pm tour scheduled for (the totally geeky) Jet Propulsion Laboratories. The more I think about it, the more stoked I get to see what really, really, really smart people do with their days. After that, we need to return the rental car to Hertz (got a great deal with a Disney-related savings website). We may spend that evening in Downtown Disney because the boys need to pin trade and momma wants a 60th Anniversary Dooney letter carrier.
August 13th: Disneyland! OMG, we will actually be at Disneyland. We get a Magic Morning or Early Entry (whatever they call it). I think I'll cry randomly all day long. We decided to make Fantasmic! Dining reservations at River Belle Terrace. It’s our only ADR since son #2 is a picky eater. We made ADRs (and spend lots of $$) at Boma and ‘Ohana, and he ate very little.
August 14th: California Adventure Day #1. It’s an early entry morning for those staying on property, so we’ll just grab a RSR fastpass and hit TSMM!, California Screaming, Mickey’s Wheel of Death (yes, the moving gondola) and Tower of Terror first. Reading mixed reviews of World of Color make me think if we see it, great and if we miss it, that’s OK, too.
August 15th: California Adventure Day #2. Wrapping up the Park, we’ll hit the highlights as early and often as we can.
August 16th: Second Disneyland Day. See yesterday’s description. I think camping out to get a great spot for Paint the Night is in order.
August 17th: Pick up rental car and drive up to Big Sur. Friends suggested we stay there and (1) see the coast and (2) see the majestic redwoods. We’ll spend the night in a cabin room I found that wasn’t unbelievably expensive.
August 18th: Drive into San Francisco to do touristy things. We must find the Yoda statue and fountain. We’re staying at Columbus Motor Inn on Columbus Avenue. The price seems reasonable and free parking.
August 19th: Breakfast at Pat’s Café, maybe, do a hop-on/hop-off tour (the only one I found that drives us across the Golden Gate Bridge and back again) and catch the cable cars.
August 20th: Drive by PIXAR studios on our way to Oakland Airport for our flight back home.
That’s about it. We’re excited, but I feel like we’re not completely immersed in planning this time. I feel like I did back in college – I’ll study for the test ... soon. Are we outgrowing our love of Disney? Sigh. Not that I mean to bum anybody out. Maybe as I pull the maps out and actually ask for input, it will pump us up.
As planning goes through my head, I write ideas down: gotta find the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon glow cubes, get DL autograph books and find Oswald, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Merida, Rapunzel and Tiana to name a few, and texting Word of the Day. Is there anything I’m missing?
Thanks for reading!
Well, I somehow talked the hubby into a Disneyland trip (including other California stops) this year before finding out about the 60th Anniversary festivities. It’s not his first trip to California, but it’s the boys’ and my first trip. I am really glad that our bodies will still be on Central Time at the start of the vacation.
Itinerary:
August 11th: fly into SNA from Texas. We’ll rent a car to get around. Hopefully, we can drop our bags off at the hotel (Yes, I’ll call and confirm.) and get to Grauman’s to start a hop-on/hop-off bus tour of LA for the rest of the day. We have ressies at Park Vue Inn, which is right across the street from the Disneyland/California Adventure entrance area. Thanks to WDWFigment for his recently updated reviews and rankings of DLR hotels to confirm our great decision. It’s got a Coldstone Creamery in it, but that had nothing to do with my decision. (cough, cough)
August 12th: A California FB friend gave me many suggestions for morning activities (Yes, the hubby and I will discuss soon.) before we have a 1:30pm tour scheduled for (the totally geeky) Jet Propulsion Laboratories. The more I think about it, the more stoked I get to see what really, really, really smart people do with their days. After that, we need to return the rental car to Hertz (got a great deal with a Disney-related savings website). We may spend that evening in Downtown Disney because the boys need to pin trade and momma wants a 60th Anniversary Dooney letter carrier.
August 13th: Disneyland! OMG, we will actually be at Disneyland. We get a Magic Morning or Early Entry (whatever they call it). I think I'll cry randomly all day long. We decided to make Fantasmic! Dining reservations at River Belle Terrace. It’s our only ADR since son #2 is a picky eater. We made ADRs (and spend lots of $$) at Boma and ‘Ohana, and he ate very little.
August 14th: California Adventure Day #1. It’s an early entry morning for those staying on property, so we’ll just grab a RSR fastpass and hit TSMM!, California Screaming, Mickey’s Wheel of Death (yes, the moving gondola) and Tower of Terror first. Reading mixed reviews of World of Color make me think if we see it, great and if we miss it, that’s OK, too.
August 15th: California Adventure Day #2. Wrapping up the Park, we’ll hit the highlights as early and often as we can.
August 16th: Second Disneyland Day. See yesterday’s description. I think camping out to get a great spot for Paint the Night is in order.
August 17th: Pick up rental car and drive up to Big Sur. Friends suggested we stay there and (1) see the coast and (2) see the majestic redwoods. We’ll spend the night in a cabin room I found that wasn’t unbelievably expensive.
August 18th: Drive into San Francisco to do touristy things. We must find the Yoda statue and fountain. We’re staying at Columbus Motor Inn on Columbus Avenue. The price seems reasonable and free parking.
August 19th: Breakfast at Pat’s Café, maybe, do a hop-on/hop-off tour (the only one I found that drives us across the Golden Gate Bridge and back again) and catch the cable cars.
August 20th: Drive by PIXAR studios on our way to Oakland Airport for our flight back home.
That’s about it. We’re excited, but I feel like we’re not completely immersed in planning this time. I feel like I did back in college – I’ll study for the test ... soon. Are we outgrowing our love of Disney? Sigh. Not that I mean to bum anybody out. Maybe as I pull the maps out and actually ask for input, it will pump us up.
As planning goes through my head, I write ideas down: gotta find the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon glow cubes, get DL autograph books and find Oswald, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Merida, Rapunzel and Tiana to name a few, and texting Word of the Day. Is there anything I’m missing?
Thanks for reading!
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