Boys' last minute trip to Disneyland

[Amy H.]

Hi! We are on our way to DL! We had a totally different spring break trip planned that involved taking my DD16 to look at colleges, but she got to go on a school trip to Washington DC this week when she was elected President of Youth Council. So with 3 weeks to figure out what to do with DS14 and DS10 we decided to do a roadtrip to DL!

In order to make it special (ok more special) for them we let each one invite a friend. Ends up DS10's other friend heard about it and asked to go. So we have 3 10-11yr olds and 2 14 yr olds plus me and DH. So basically I spent 7 hours in a van w/ 6 boys/DH. Fun!

Actually we have a DVD player in our car and they did really good. 2 of the friends have never been to a Disney Park at all and one gas been once so they are super excited which makes me excited

We used to gonto DL a lot before DVC but then it seems like we were in WDW all the time since then. I am super point poor now so we are staying at the DLH which was actually my first choice bc of the refurb. We did decide to spend 70 points for a 2 bdrm at VGC the last night just bc that is cheaPer than the cash cost of 2 rooms at DLH so we thought we would save some $$$

So we left after school yesterday and made it to Blythe CA right across the state line. Stayed at Quality Inn which was surprisingly nice, has good breakfast, and super friendly staff. Kids woke up early to go swimming so i am about to grab them so we can get going. So excited!!

Pls ignore grammar and spelling! I only have the iPhone and am not as good at this as the kids!

Will attempt semi-live TR since I haven't finished my Christmas one yet but I will!

Headed to visit Mickey!

[lovindisney]

Have fun! Looking forward to the TR.

[Amy H.]

Thanks!!!

[dsnygrl]

Safe travels! Take lots of pics...and have a magical trip!

[Amy H.]

Will do! Thx!

[Grandbuddy]

Amy!

You and the DH are super-sweet parents! I love that you are introducing some of you kid's friends to the magic!

God bless. Hope all of you have a great trip!

[RweTHEREyet]

Looking forward to to more of your report. I know you are all going to have a wonderful time. It is always so fun to see the Parks thru a total newbies eyes.

Safe travels.

[Brian5581]

Have a great trip! Best of luck with all the boys.

[Amy H.]

We pulled into DLH right before 1 p.m. Even on a Saturday I could not believe the traffic in LA. We were last here in 2010 (although not at DL) and it seemed that you could do ok on the weekends as long as you avoided the weekdays. I guess not now or it was just a fluke before. Anyway, we were all antsy until we finally drove in the DLH gates.

The bell man unloaded the car which kind of resembled a clown car being unloaded - so many people and so much stuff! Good to be out of there! I headed in to check in while the boys helped DH at bell services. I had lamented and worried about having not upgraded our rooms from standard view to preferred view but it would have been $200 extra per room and i already was splurging a little more than I had anticipated with the 2 rooms. (Even with AP discount which I was able to get at 3 weeks out, it is expensive.) I had intended to ask at chk-in for a complimentary upgrade just to try, but she said they were completely sold out this weekend so she had me in a 3rd floor connecting rooms. I asked if we could at least get a higher floor. She went in the back to check and she was able to get me a 4th floor connecting. 4th floor is the highest standard view room you can get (think BLT) so I took it. We are in Fantasy Tower which is the main bldg where you check in and where the gift shops etc are. It is the middle bldg of the three U shaped bldgs. It is also by the self-park lot so I knew what our view would be. Oh well, I tried. The room wasn't ready which we expected so we headed out to Rainforest Cafe for our 1:30 p.m. ressie. Made it!

The boys loved the Rainforest Cafe from the moment we walked in. Please remember we live in a very small town on the border where there is a lot of poverty. DH & I grew up in big cities and love the small town feel, but we can only survive there by going on these kinds of trips (any kind of trip really!). Anyway, I expected that they would have never seen a Rainforest Cafe and I was right. They thought it was the coolest thing ever. Our table was way in the back so we go to walk by all the animals etc. After we ordered, I told them they could go walk around and look for animals so they took the camera We ordered the lava nachos which were big enough we could all share. That says a lot for 7 of us. The boys pretty much all ordered burgers, I ordered the Maya shrimp skewers which were delicious and DH got the jumbalaya which was spicy and good. Just for fun we ordered the Volcano to split. We had to roll out of there!

During lunch we got a text that our room was ready. We were debating whether or not to go back and chk it out or head to the parks. They boys wanted to see the room! I was so shocked by that since I assumed they would be dying to ride rides. So, back to the room we go. The great thing about DL is how close everything is. Less than 5 min and back at the hotel. Back when we were newbies, we thought it was a long way from the hotel to the park enterance, but after going to WDW so much, we laugh about that. It's about as far as it is at WDW from the hotel to the bus stop! Jk, but not much...


The refurbed rooms are amazing! I will have to post pics later bc I have not downloaded them yet, but the rooms are fabulous! The headboards have a pic of the castle on them and they light up with fireworks when you turn them on. (I haven't turned mine off yet!) The carpet has hidden mickeys all throughout it and the fixtures all have mickey heads on them. You feel 100% immersed in Disney (which I love) The boys loved it and said it was the best room they ever stayed in and thanked us for bringing them. Even DS10 thanked me Then, they started pointing out all thee things you could see from our room: Matterhorn, BTMRR, SM - I couldn't believe it. I was so busy just seeing the parking lot, I didn't even look out and over to the right. Anyway, they were in heaven! And, they taught me not to be so pesimistic!

Bells servivces was up in less than 5 min and we unloaded our stuff. Then, we headed to the parks. Since the boys liked the room, I stopped beating myself up for not getting the prefered view room. I know how we are and it is unlikely we would be in the room enough to enjoy it anyway. Ha!

[Amy H.]

I knew that DL was doing the Mardi Gras party and this was the last weekend it would be there. I also knew DH wanted to go (he's from Louisiana). So by now it is 4:10 and the party ends at 5 p.m. so we head over to New Orleans Square where there's a sign the party will start at 4:30 p.m. By the time we got there, only a 10 min wait. Yea. Next thing we know here come Mardi Gras dancers through Frontierland to NO Square. They are followed by Princess Tiana and her Prince and the Gator. We are right in front of thee stage and they sing 4 songs or so and dance and then the party is over. They do invite the kids to dance with them, but ours are still too cool at this point to join in. Little kids do join tho and it's a lot of fun.

While we were standing there next to the River of America they boys saw the Sailing Ship Columbia and the canoes go by and wanted to ride them. However, we found out the last sailings are at 4 p.m. so we vow to go another day and we head to Pirates. The queue at DL is mostly outside so the boys think it will take forever bc of how long it looks to be but in 10 min we are in a boat. POC at DL is way better than WDW. You drop down 2 small hills (think Splash but the small drops) and the ride has whole scenes missing from WDW. Next, we chk the ride lines app and notice Jungle Cruise is only 15 min so we head that way. Stopped to climb Tarzan's Treehouse. I can't compare it to the Robinson one at WDW bc i never actually went up in that one, but the boys thought this was great and it got rid of some extra energy! While in line at JC, an announcement comes on that people better stop taking pictures while in line as it is not permited. Several of us are looking at each other, then he says, "That's why they're nailed to the wall!" It was really funny! The boys loved JC. Even my kids were really having a lot of fun seeing things again for the first time through their friends eyes. Thank goodness. DS 14 has been on a kind of anti-Disney thing for the last 6 mo or so bc he says we always go there and he wants to stay with his friends, etc. Of course, then we get there and he loves it but won't admit it to anyone. Now with his friend here, it appears he has stopped pretending not to like it. Weird teenagers!

FYI, imho, JC is way better at WDW. It is longer and has more scenes than DL. By now DH & I realize we are tired from the drive and the prep week last week, but we have Indiana Jones FPs for 9:30 p.m. so we are determined to make it that long. We head over to Tomorrowland and the boys ride Astro Orbitor while we go get FPs for either Star Tours or SM. St - no more FPs. SM FPs 11 pm so nope. We go get autopia FPs. When they get off Astro, we head to Buzz which only has a 15 min wait. DL Buzz is better simply bc you can remove the gun from the holder (it's connected with a 2 ft cord) so you can aim better. Otherwise, it's the same. They love that and we email home the pics of us fighting Zurg. Then, it's already time for the Autopia FP. Unbelievably, they LOVE this ride! Even DS14 loves it. It is (imho) better than WDW bc the track is a lot longer and it is much better themed. It has an offroading section, the vehicles are modeled after the Chevron cars on the tv commercials, and you also go through a car park which has lots of statues and fountains of cars. It's a pretty neat theme but hard to believe the teens love it so much.

We decide to head over to BTMRR. This will be the first roller coaster ride ever for DF 10 and DF 14. They are nervous, but afterwards declare it to be the best ride ever! The boys want to ride Splash but it is cold now so DH and I chkn out and head for Haunted Mansion (his fav). We have to navigate through the Fantasmic audience but the CMs have up ropes to divide the corridor between those viewing and those walking so its really not too bad. They get off Splash about the same time we get off HM and then it's time for Indy. DF14 says he'll never ride it again after the big drop!

Oh, sometime in there we stopped for a snack at Bengel BBQ in Adventureland. DF10, DH, and I got the Banyan Skewer which was extremely spicy and hot. I find that when restaurants say something is spicy that usually means it has flavor and not that it's so hot. However, this was hot! I loved it. i also got the bacon wrapped asperagus and DH got the sweet & sour chkn. Both were delicious. DS14 & DF14 got pretzels. Ds10 got fruit cup and DF10 wasn't hungry. I'll have to abbreviate DF10B for Ben and DF10C for Caleb to keep them straight!

oh, there is no dining plan at DL so I made up my own. I brought lots of breakfast items for the room and we planned one nice meal a day which we would treat them to. So, that really left only 1 meal a day where they might not be with us. I got each one a gift card with $15 per day on it for them to buy their own lunch plus a snack or two. That way, they could budget what they wanted to spend on a meal vs. snacks etc. Well, turns out they think that is awesome. So, now they all have lanyards with their room keys, tix, and dining cards (gift cards) in them. oh, and we converted them into pin traders so they have been successfully acclimated to Disney culture in just a few hours

Head to Indy and basically walk on with the FP. They LOVE it! The kids still have energy (or pretend to) but DH & I are exhausted so we convince them to head back to the room. They wanted to go swimming but apparently the pool closes at 10 p.m. Oh well, DS10 & DF10C are already asleep in the bed while the others are talking. I think everyone is tired. Plus, tomorrow is daylight savings and Magic Morning (EMH - same thing) at DL at 7 am! Help!