Disneyland

Trip Day 29
Monday 3rd September, 2011



I started the day with a 45 minute morning run. I find this always helps me get oriented with an area and although it was just a concrete jungle with massive amounts of traffic and I had to run alongside freeways I did enjoy it. It has been hard to get up early for a run, and not many areas where you'd want to run so I have to take opportunities like this.

The weather was gorgeous but we agreed we should use it as a rest day and then start our 3 day theme park assault from Tuesday through to Thursday to leave on Friday for San Diego. In hindsight that was big mistake but I won't spolit the story just yet....

First of all, we were having troubles buying our tickets because the website wouldn't accept our credit cards. It took a few hours and phone calls and eventually a visit to the park gate to sort it all out but we ended up with paying over $130 less than had we bought over the internet anyway. We couldn't work out how that happened but didn't complain!

Then we learned that the best roller coaster was closed for extensions - California screamin (in Disney California Adventures) as was Pirates of the Carribean (in Frontierland, Disneyland). David and leah were not happy about that as rthey read the ride guides and realised that there were no other rollercoasters of merit. David even started looking up where else to go for bigger coasters and tried to convince me we should cut San Diego short a day and instead squeeze in a day at 6 Flags, another amusement park. I wasn't agreeing to that before we'd even started...

The girls got their wish of new Pokemon themed clothing - bright yellow Pickachu jackets (yanks call them sweaters) which they paid for themselves (expensive but unique) and all 3 of us girls got new sox and undies (girls because the hiking had ruined their sox and me because I was uncomfortable and needed bigger sizes because I was getting so fat so quick). We also bought our dog Harry a Halloween outfit (cute).

Back at the hotel we enjoyed another night of loud fireworks.

Trip Day 30
Tuesday 4th September, 2011



7am magic morning entry to Disneyland
First riders to materhorn bobsleds - top ride
Space mountain - no wait straight on
Star tours - straight in, Chardae baulked but convinced her to go so we all went again and given two fast passes
Then buzz lightyear - very fun interactive no wait
Then peter pans flight - very sweet
Then David got FP thunder mtn
Did toads wild ride - wait 10mins
Snow whites scary adventure - 10min wait
Did thunder mtn - great fun
Then mark twain riverboat
Then haunted holiday - Chardae very scared
Then splash mtn
Then Winnie the poo
Indiana jones
Jungle river cruise - entertaining commentary
Enchanted tiki room - cute singing birds
Bought pineapple snow cone
Went to nemo submarines
Then autopia cars - Chardae drove
Then captain EO - fun good entertainment
Chardae and I did astro orbitir
While Dave and Leah used FP on star tours
Left about 4:05 to DCA
Grisly river rafting
Got FP to California soaring
Kids played in redwood creek challenge trail
Then used FP to soaring - fantastic
Then the little mermaid - beautiful top quality
And then walked to shuttle for 6:36 departure.

Trip Day 31
Wednesday 5th September, 2011



Raining heavily so went late - about 11 but found park almost empty so had no queing so got lots of good rides done.
Buzz lightyear 3 times
Star tours
Space mtn - switchoff Chardae so Leah went twice
Spent time in Innovation interactive technology xbox connect, digital shuffle board, 2pm Asimo show, pinnicio journey, Small world, saw mickeys house and Minnie, and goofy in their houses, donald ducks boat, chip and dales treehouse, rode Roger rabbits spin cars, big thunder mtn, haunted holiday house, Indiana jones, space tours, waited for 6pm parade. Went to diner for dinner and walked home.

Trip Day 32
Thursday 6th September, 2011

Arrived at 9 at DAC 1 hr before opening and stood at front of queue. Gates opened at 9:20 and let us walk thru park to bridge at paradise pier. David got FP then for World of Colour and we all Queued at ropes and went to toilets etc at Paradise Pier then at 10 am ropes dropped and ran to be first on the Toy Story Mania ride. Got on ride at 10:02 and immediately lined up again to do it a second time.

Then went over to Goofys Sky school, then Tower of Terror. Chardae was really upset by this one so we took her into bugs land and rose the Tuck and Rolls ride em buggies, then Monsters Inc, watch Muppet Vision 3d and then Chardae was suddenly overcome by gripping pains in her abdomen and we stopped for a picnic and bought a coffee. Disney staff were very concerned for Chardae and I was repeatedly asked if I'd like a nurse to come to check on her. I had given her water and ibuprofen but she just wanted to lie down. Meanwhile I sent David and Leah to Redwood Creek challenge and they also rode Splash Mtn. They put her in a wheelchair and took her to first aid station where she was examined rested drank more water and was treated special. After about an hour all up she had improved and we were able to move on. They gave chardae a birthday badge saying this would improve her chances of jedi selection. They also gave us front of line tickets. We had been taegetting Jedi Training for 2:25 and arrived in time to squeeze the kids into a front area spot hoping they'd get picked and they did!! On the way back into DL a women gave me a front of line ticket for up to 6 people to Indiana Jones too.



Next we took the monorail to Downtown Disney to collect our next hirecar - ford explorer with full digital dash Inc wifi !! We left it there and took monorail back to Tomorrowland and watched 4 pm parade then monorail again and drove car back to hotel where we changed into jeans and warm jackets and ate dinner snacks in our room. At 6 we took the hotel shuttle back to Disneyland. We used a FP to ride California Sorin again then walked right into It's Tough to be a bug 3d show, and then went to get into our zone for World of Colour. I got coffes and pumpkin halloween muffin for kids and was given 4 badges free - 1st visit. We then went to DL and rode Alice in Wonderland and the Teacups, thunder mountain , then sat down to wait for Fantasmia! I got icecreams.

Kids kept going so we went back to the Materhorn and the badge got us to front of line, then we did Speed Mountain and Buzz Lightyear twice and Leah bought a pin. Exhausted at midnight close we took the shuttle back to our hotel.
25 attractions done.

We all loved Disneyland and DCA!! Do it!