21 Days To Go - Plans & Questions! About This Page:

[aka pastor guy]

Well, by this time three weeks from now, we'll be checking into our hotel... I can barely contain my freakish levels of excitement right now, so who knows what kind of a loon I'm going to be by then?!

Anyway, this post is my attempt to run some details by those with more knowledge & experience than I in hope of getting some feedback and/or questions answered.

Here's our rough schedule for our trip, with particular questions that I want answered highlighted in bold.

Sunday the 9th

• drive from Fresno to Anaheim
• check into Candy Cane Inn
• go to grocery store to get provisions for hotel room (Where are groecery stores - Vons, Ralphs, etc. - close to the parks?)
• try (in vain) to get my two sons (age 6.5 & 2.5) to go to sleep with the anticipation of Disneyland dancing in their heads...
• Can you see fireworks from the Candy Cane Inn?

Monday the 10th

• take shuttle to parks (How early does the Candy Cane Shuttle start running?)
• use Early Entry to get in DL at 8 am
• ride Fantasyland stuff until...
• ...Toontown Morning Madness
• play in the park until 12:30-ish
• all family members back to hotel for nap
• return to the park around 4:30-ish
• play until closing

Tuesday the 11th

• my aunt & uncle meet us at the front gate at opening time
• ride & play (I think) just at Disneyland (my aunt & uncle are just coming for the day, so they won't have a Park Hopper pass)
• my wife & 2.5 yr old go back to hotel for nap
• the rest of us go to Golden Horseshoe... and other stuff
• we all re-group for an early dinner
• this is the night (weather permitting) to watch parade & fireworks, I think

Wednesday the 12th

• DL: ride Finding Nemo first thing (the newest version of the Dash For Space Mtn...) (I've asked this elsewhere earlier today, but how are the lines for Nemo during the off-season on weekdays?)
• move over to DCA at opening (10 am)
• this is the possible "straight through" day at DCA (rather than going back for a nap) since the park closes at 6 pm... we just make an early evening of it

Thursday the 13th

• no strict plans here - this is the "whatever we want to do and/or missed" day
• this is will also probably be the day that my oldest & I try to get him into the Jedi Training Academy
• roughly same kind of schedule with naps & all as earlier days in the week

Friday the 14th

• get to DL at opening (8 am) - ride Nemo again
• ride stuff we really want
• see Alladin's Storytime
• EVERYONE naps in the afternoon
• go to DCA for Block Party Bash (5:15 pm - only time it's showing while we're there) (Where's the best place to watch this so that the boys can jump in & participate?)
• move over to DL in time to find seats for 2nd Fantasmic (10:30 pm) (What time should we be in place in order to grab seats from the folks who are leaving the 9:00 pm show?)
• go home REALLY late (DL closes at midnite)

Saturday the 15th

• sleep in (everyone but dad)
• load up (no one but dad)
• drive home

Any other thoughts on this?

[tdandboys]

This sounds awesome. I will need to know where some grocery stores are as well? Can anyone help. I'm going the week of Christmas.

[Mouserjan0222]

Originally Posted by tdandboys

This sounds awesome. I will need to know where some grocery stores are as well? Can anyone help. I'm going the week of Christmas.

Go South on Harbor past Manchester, (Harbor past all the hotels. past Manchester go across the 5)

Make a Right on Lincoln
Find VONS

or you could mapquest Vons Anaheim

[aka pastor guy]

Thanks to MouserJan for the Vons tip (we like Vons) and for other encouraging words.

Hey - there are other questions still not answered, people! A little help, please!

• Can you see fireworks from the Candy Cane Inn?
• How early does the Candy Cane Shuttle start running? - particularly on Early Entry days...
• Where's the best place to watch Block Party Blast so that the boys can jump in & participate?
• What time should we be in place for Fantasmic in order to grab seats from the folks who are leaving the 9:00 pm show?

[Mouserjan0222]

Originally Posted by aka pastor guy

Thanks to MouserJan for the Vons tip (we like Vons) and for other encouraging words.

Hey - there are other questions still not answered, people! A little help, please!

• Can you see fireworks from the Candy Cane Inn?
• How early does the Candy Cane Shuttle start running? - particularly on Early Entry days...
• Where's the best place to watch Block Party Blast so that the boys can jump in & participate?
• What time should we be in place for Fantasmic in order to grab seats from the folks who are leaving the 9:00 pm show?

after fireworks make your way to Rivers of America. I staked out a spot right in front of the entrence to POTC. Parked my stroller to hold my spot went on pirates, (no line) came back out watched the show.

Block Party Bash: I think I came out of Soarin, and camped out in front of the big rock water fall photo place. I'm sorry I'm not exactly sure of the name of the location I was sitting at, but my son was able to participate and jumped all around. The float stopped there too and we had a birds eye view of the main guy.

never stayed at CC can't answer any of those questions, Why dont' you just call and ask them?

[TourWithAnne]

The Candy Cane is about 250 yards from the parks....I would simply walk

[LAS31588]

Hi,

Anywhere around the main plaza near the front is good for the block party bash, if you want to be as close as possible try for the edge of the sidewalk by the street.

Also, if you're looking for a break from all the walking while you're there I recommend going to see the Aladdin musical in California Adventure, it's great and gives you time to re energize (I think it's about 45 min long).

Have a great time!!

[tdandboys]

Originally Posted by Mouserjan0222

Go South on Harbor past Manchester, (Harbor past all the hotels. past Manchester go across the 5)

Make a Right on Lincoln
Find VONS

or you could mapquest Vons Anaheim

Thank you, I will mapquest them.

[aka pastor guy]

Well, we're on the road in 5 hours or so (after church - which, as you can tell by my "handle", I don't get to skip).

See you guys on the other side & thanks for all the help!

We're off to see the Mouse!

[DizneylandPrincess]

Only 33 Days until our Disneyland Trip and I am sooooooo excited! This will be my sixteenth trip to Disneyland and we will be staying at a new hotel. Anyone know anything about Camelot Inn or something like that? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[tdandboys]

I don't know anything about the Camelot Inn. But we are there from Dec. 20th, thru the 1st. If we go by it or anything, I'll post when I get back. Are you leaving around Jan. 16?

[DizneylandPrincess]

Actually we are leaving on January 10th. So it's getting closer!!! I love Disneyland at Christmas time and I wish I could be there then. Thanks for offering to help me. Also does anyone have a favorite Character Dining in Disneyland Park Resort? I get to choose which we go to this year and I just can't decide.

[w-steele]

DizneylandPrincess, as to far as character dining goes, GOOFY'S KITCHEN at DLH or STORYTELLER'S at the CGH. either are great for breakfast

[Joy J]

Personally we had really good experiences at the Storyteller's Cafe and I've tried Goofy's Kitchen twice but both times had dreadful experiences.

Joy

[DizneylandPrincess]

Thanks so much!!! What about for dinner? I assume that's going to work better for my family.