Trip Report Let’s Hit It Outta The Park!!!

It’s been about 3.5 years since my last Disney trip report and I’m really rusty. While not truly live, I want to try and do sort of a day by day as we go. Of course, I’m already behind as today is day 3!

So, where are we? At a Holiday Inn about .5 miles from here…

This isn’t exactly a Disney trip. In fact, it’s going to be nearly a week and a half until we set foot in a Disney park. Sam…the kid who had just turned 2 in my very first trip report, is now almost 16 and playing travel softball. We’re in town for PGF nationals to cap off our summer season. Between our crazy summer tournament schedule, college stuff for Kendall, and recent hurricane related lodging, I feel like we’ve been living in hotels for nearly 2 months. Most of the team opted for beach adjacent/front rentals when we bought out of the stay to play requirement, but Disneyland was our priority. Imagine that!?!

Speaking of Kendall…she stayed home to organize things for dorm move in next month and give the dog a break from boarding after her storm experience. So, this is how she’s getting to experience much of this trip…

(Yeah, that’s me up there too)
It’s too bad because the fun stuff planned towards the end was supposed to be for her. I was going to head to Yosemite, but she insisted on Disney. She gave me this whole heartfelt speech about it being her childhood. Kids!

So, we decided to drive to California. It’s been drama trying to get my vehicle back for this (damaged in the May derecho that went through Houston) and it’s probably going to have to go back in. We were hoping we’d have it before Sam’s two tournaments in Colorado, but they ordered some incorrect parts. Oh well…I have it now even though it’s still got issues. We set out around 4:45am CT on the 17th with a goal of Tucson by dinner time. I was driving, so not much in the way of photos aside from this Texas Spiny Lizard at a gas station west of San Antonio.

The most surprising drama of the day was just west of El Paso. All traffic was being individually inspected by Border Patrol. So that was fun. We also had to keep an eye out for dust storms and dodge the dust devils in NM and AZ.

We got to Tucson around dinner. We checked into the hotel, but I was so road weary that we just opted for a nearby Denny’s and hoped the severe storm over the mountains didn’t hit us.

Thankfully, the storm lost its steam and we were all able to get some sleep. Well, sort of. I was up around 4:30am, which is probably good because I noticed an alert for one of Kendall’s prime day packages being delivered and saw this on the local Houston radar.

I have some serious PTSD from the derecho and Hurricane Beryl, so I woke Kendall up and had her move to a safer spot downstairs. Oh, and said a few prayers for the power to stay on. Thankfully all was good, but she’s going to Oklahoma, so I need her to be more weather aware.

I used sunrise to try and keep myself from freaking out.

It’s a really boring video, but I got tired of peaking, so I just put my phone in the window.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

After the fireworks, it was time to pack up. I think it was night 12 or 13 in that hotel room and it was just a lot to collect and clean up. It didn’t help that I was hobbling around, but it had to be done. We also wanted to leave by 6am the next day. So, getting some sleep was also vital. We also were able to confirm that the roads for our northern path home were clear.

I had been regretting doing more than one park day but had we not and taken the northern route a couple of days earlier, we would have been stuck on the highway in the desert. There was a major hazmat situation that had scores of people stuck on the highway in 115+ degree heat, running out of gas and no food. So it was an omen that we went to the parks for 3 days.

I was up bright and early to load up the vehicle and saw the moon and a couple of planets.

I took this picture at 5:59am, just before pulling out. It was my last pic of a Disney structure this trip.

We also thankfully found the dumpster on the way out. This was our crawfish patterned wagon’s last hoorah. Our newer large wagon wouldn’t fit in my vehicle with everything else and this one was on its last leg after years of use and months in the bed of Kendall’s truck.

We got lucky leaving the LA area…we were going the opposite direction of rush hour. We also missed a 4.9 quake in the Barstow area by an hour or two. The only real casualty was my chrome Mickey hitch plug. Mickey was sheared off coming out of a steep driveway in Needles.

David took over driving at some point in Arizona. I had a few crazy ideas about popping into the Grand Canyon or Sedona, but I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until we were well east of Flagstaff. We did stop for food in Holbrook, AZ right outside of Petrified Forest NP. Back when this was going to be a national parks trip, we had planned to stop for the night. I saw some petrified wood at the gas station and that was enough.

The landscape became more interesting as we neared the New Mexico border.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

It was really pretty and traffic was moving so much better than the southern route, so I’m glad we opted for this. It was also a little cooler.

I originally thought we’d stop in Albuquerque for the night, but we still had daylight when driving through.

So, we kept going. There were some ugly looking storms near the TX/NM border that had us thinking about stopping for the night but they stayed to our north minus some showers. So we just got a snack and aimed for Amarillo. It also sounded good to start acclimating to central time.

We got to Amarillo fine and I was able to find a hotel while David drove. I can’t remember if I shared this but David and Sam went to take the bags to the room while I parked. People were sleeping inside the room we were assigned and David and Sam opened the door on them. Well, at least the safety latch was on. So, we had to get a new room.

When we did get into our new room, I also got a chance to examine something I noticed with my lower leg. It was really red.

At first I was thinking sunburn but then I started wondering about the Disney rash. It didn’t really behave like either one and I eventually had hives. So, I’m thinking mild allergic reaction.

We slept in a bit. I think we hit the road between 8-9. We made a few small stops, but the only one I documented was the Buc-ee’s in Madisonville.

I bought nothing but gas!!! I was over road food and just wanted to be home and have some Whataburger! Lol

It is funny though…while they have no movies of theme parks, aside from Disney, Buc-ee’s is the only company I can think of where people go gaga buying cartoon rodent merch.

When we got home, we walked into a house full of college stuff for K. I was exhausted but was trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’d be driving to the OKC area in just 2 weeks. So, instead I reflected on all of the summer’s driving. I never put it all together, but this was this most recent one.

All in all, we had fun and I know K regrets not joining us. Still, I think we’re going to skip Disneyland if we play in CA next summer…although I’m pretty sure we’ll be returning to Granny’s! We are traveling to FL for softball this fall (as well as Arizona), but we’ll be in Clearwater and there won’t be a ton of downtime. So, I’m not expecting any popping into WDW… but you never know!

 

[mpaulam]

You had some beautiful scenery on your drive home!

 

[MinnieM123]

Whew…long night. It’s always something. We had to take the dog into an emergency vet last night and she came home this morning with a cone of shame.

What was wrong with the dog? Sorry that she had to come home with the cone on her head. Hope she recovers quickly from whatever is ailing her.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

You had some beautiful scenery on your drive home!

Yes! That’s a big part of why I opted for the northern route. Great scenery makes it an easier drive.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

What was wrong with the dog? Sorry that she had to come home with the cone on her head. Hope she recovers quickly from whatever is ailing her.

Sorry…this might be a bit gross for some, but she had an gland abscess. * note- it appears to be censoring the word that’s abscessed… so use your imagination. She’s never had issues before, but this was swollen to the size of a large hen’s egg and she was bleeding. We took the cone off because she’s leaving it alone, but will put it back on at bedtime and when we can’t keep a constant eye on her. She’s going to love me…she needs food with her meds. I’m going to mix in some chicken, rice and pumpkin (good for this ailment) into her regular food to ensure she eats.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Hope your dog recovers quickly!

Thank you!

 

[littleroo]

Thanks for the great TR. I love that you included the whole trip! I hope K is loving college and all is well!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Thanks for the great TR. I love that you included the whole trip! I hope K is loving college and all is well!

Thanks! I'm sure there are things that I forgot, but it was a lot of traveling. She seems to really be enjoying things so far.

 

[TheMouseFan]

I'm so glad you shared your trip with us! You are making me want to visit DL that much more now!! Loved the fireworks view from your hotel parking lot! Sorry your feet were bothering you so much, that makes for a rough time.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I'm so glad you shared your trip with us! You are making me want to visit DL that much more now!! Loved the fireworks view from your hotel parking lot! Sorry your feet were bothering you so much, that makes for a rough time.

You're welcome! I do love that you don't need to stay at a Disney owned resort to be right on top of the magic. Assuming we qualify for this tournament next summer, I might even consider another stay in the area. Then again, some of the homes people rented were pretty nice. Hopefully next time, I won't get into a fight with the driveway gate and can wear better shoes.

 

[fractal]

Small World (demon babies) is so much better in DLR!

Holy moley - you dodged earthquakes, hazmat situation, extreme weather, hives, bad sleeping situations, and more and on this trip but still looks like you had a great time - thanks for sharing all the ups and downs!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Small World (demon babies) is so much better in DLR!

Holy moley - you dodged earthquakes, hazmat situation, extreme weather, hives, bad sleeping situations, and more and on this trip but still looks like you had a great time - thanks for sharing all the ups and downs!

I'll take the demon baby ride wherever I can get it! I'm sure there's also a lot that I forgot. I recall you used to travel with your son for sports. It can get so crazy any time you go on the road for these endeavors. It can get really hard to keep up when you travel a lot. Thanks for following along

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

Scheels...where all of my money goes

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Scheels...where all of my money goes

I'm jealous if you have one in your area! We've had to do several online orders with them because even their online store is superior to the other big sporting goods stores.

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

I'm jealous if you have one in your area! We've had to do several online orders with them because even their online store is superior to the other big sporting goods stores.

I actually have a few in my area, I was just there on Saturday! The one I go to most often has been there since I was a kid, but man has it changed. It has at least doubled in size and offers so much more than they used to.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I actually have a few in my area, I was just there on Saturday! The one I go to most often has been there since I was a kid, but man has it changed. It has at least doubled in size and offers so much more than they used to.

OK, now I'm even more jealous! Our closest one is 4 hours away.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Pardon the random post, but I was just sitting here wondering where my hotel firework viewing location was in comparison to the area where Disneyland was setting off the big aerial shells. I knew it was behind Toontown, but I wasn't sure how that lined up with us. Obviously, from the actual fireworks pics, I was close and well aligned, but I finally got around to finding a map with the specific release point location.

So, I was the blue square and the red circle is where Disney is setting them off for the show.

Also kind of interesting...I gave you lots of pics and video where you could see how we were right next to the Mickey and Friends parking structure, but I was scratching my head the whole time about the lack of cut through access for our hotel. Like, why did we have to walk all the way around when it seemed like there should be a path right next to a guest based structure. From the signage and traffic, I knew there were also some cast lots and structures back there, and guests had to drive up to Disneyland Way and avoid West Pl if they wanted garage access, but I don't think I ever dug into what was back there. Based on the map, the building right behind where I was parking is the Disneyland Central Bakery! If anything, I'm a bit disappointed that our parking area never smelled liked baked goods! It's made me realize how much some of the scents in the parks are manufactured vs. actual baked goods. ***And if I did realize this during the trip and already documented this somewhere in the report...please humor me and my possible temporary amnesia!