Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Home Sweet Home
So we are home from our vacation. I got sick while I was there from all the germ ridden little kids so I haven't gotten a chance to update the blog but I will be updating a day by day play of our trip soon.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
ARG!
Pirates will be closed the WHOLE week we are there! I am crying on the inside now. Makes our dinner at Blue Bayou a little less special, but I still want to eat there.
On another note, I'm freaking out that it's only 3 days! I don't want to get on that stupid plane......
On another note, I'm freaking out that it's only 3 days! I don't want to get on that stupid plane......
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Some helpful sites to visit
Here are some of the sites I have used to plan my upcoming trip that I have found helpful.
Disneyland's Main Page (I booked my trip thru the WDW Travel Company on this site)
All Ear's Net (My favorite part of their site is the menus to all the restaurants!)
Pressed Penny Checklist (for collectors like me)
Disney's Pin Trading Site
Southern California Gray Line Disneyland Express Shuttle
And for some fun Disney stuff:
Disney Quiz (warning: minimal adult content. It's about some of the supposed adult content in Disney films)
10 Random Disney Facts brought to you by Mental_floss (same creator of the quiz)
Disneyland's Main Page (I booked my trip thru the WDW Travel Company on this site)
All Ear's Net (My favorite part of their site is the menus to all the restaurants!)
Pressed Penny Checklist (for collectors like me)
Disney's Pin Trading Site
Southern California Gray Line Disneyland Express Shuttle
And for some fun Disney stuff:
Disney Quiz (warning: minimal adult content. It's about some of the supposed adult content in Disney films)
10 Random Disney Facts brought to you by Mental_floss (same creator of the quiz)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Hey Mr.Postman........
I received a call from UPS yesterday saying I was expecting an important package today that I must sign for. Lo and behold, the UPS arrived at my door around 10am with a box. It's my Disney package!!!!! I booked thru the WDW Travel Company on the Disneyland website. When you book your trip more then a month advanced, WDW Travel Company states that you should receive your package about 3 weeks prior to your departure date. Boy are they exact! Three weeks hit on Sunday, so only two days later and I have my box. I was expecting it to be closer to two weeks, so I'm glad they are prompt.
When you book your trip they give you a list of the stuff your package includes. Mine was the following:
-Hotel for 4 nights/5 days at the Paradise Pier
-3 day park hopper souvenir ticket + 1 magic morning (2x)
-Universal studio ticket with transportation (2x)
-Goofy's 4 day meal plan (2x)
-$150 gift card (this was part of a promotion for traveling during certain dates)
-Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness (2x)
-Downtown Disney District Fun Card
-Pin and Lanyard (2x)
-Disney's California Adventure Preferred Seating (2x)
I couldn't wait to tear into my box and look at all the stuff that I have been dreaming about. At the bottom of the box were two very cute Mickey luggage tags. I'll put them on my (already packed) luggage tonight. They were a nice surprise since not listed on any of the paperwork. They put all the other papers into a little folder for you. This is really handy for keeping everything together in your suitcase or carry on. The main part of the package is your tickets and hotel reservations. The tickets are little plastic cards with bar codes the same size as a credit card. Of the two we got one had Mickey and the other Snow White (I call that one!) They do have expiration dates and dates by which your first visit has to be made. It also lists your magic morning on the back. But the most important part is your hotel reservation voucher. The voucher does say you must present it at hotel check-in. It has the name of your hotel, along with the names of the guests staying in your room.
With the voucher our package had similar looking ones for our Universal trip. It gives the phone # of the bus line which you must call 48 hours in advanced for pick up. You then present your voucher for your ride and ticket. They also included a copy of your invoice, which I had printed out ahead of time anyways. Next are the two Magical extras booklets. These had our vouchers for our free pin and lanyard (redeemable at Little Green Men, Westward Ho, Greeting from California, P.T. Flea Market, World of Disney, or Disney's Pin Traders) and preferred seating tickets. Preferred seating is available at Aladdin (so excited for this one!), Muppet 3-D, It's tough to be a Bug, and Animation Academy. It also has a coupon for free transportation to the South Coast Plaza and our Toontown Madness voucher. Not in booklet but included are two 10% off coupons for merchandise (one for purchase over $20, the other over $75). 10% isn't a lot but hey, it's still money off.
The Downtown Disney District Fun card is just a flyer with a list of discounts you can receive for being a guest at the Disneyland hotels. Most of these are more useful for families with kids, then just a couple. Most of them are free kids meals with the purchase of an adult meal. A couple others are 10% food and merchandise. Nothing really exciting here. There is a little tear out sheet with the same info so you don't have to carry around the big one. You do have to sign it and put your check out date so they know you are a hotel guest.
Lastly are the dining plan vouchers. These are in booklets which the vouchers must remain in or they are not valid. This is kind of a pain since I don't plan on carrying a purse and they are too big for my pocket.
What I did notice was not in the box was the gift card. I assume we get this on check in, although there is nothing anywhere other then invoice that talks about the gift card, so we will see.
In my next blog I will talk more about the dining plan and what our voucher booklet included.
When you book your trip they give you a list of the stuff your package includes. Mine was the following:
-Hotel for 4 nights/5 days at the Paradise Pier
-3 day park hopper souvenir ticket + 1 magic morning (2x)
-Universal studio ticket with transportation (2x)
-Goofy's 4 day meal plan (2x)
-$150 gift card (this was part of a promotion for traveling during certain dates)
-Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness (2x)
-Downtown Disney District Fun Card
-Pin and Lanyard (2x)
-Disney's California Adventure Preferred Seating (2x)
I couldn't wait to tear into my box and look at all the stuff that I have been dreaming about. At the bottom of the box were two very cute Mickey luggage tags. I'll put them on my (already packed) luggage tonight. They were a nice surprise since not listed on any of the paperwork. They put all the other papers into a little folder for you. This is really handy for keeping everything together in your suitcase or carry on. The main part of the package is your tickets and hotel reservations. The tickets are little plastic cards with bar codes the same size as a credit card. Of the two we got one had Mickey and the other Snow White (I call that one!) They do have expiration dates and dates by which your first visit has to be made. It also lists your magic morning on the back. But the most important part is your hotel reservation voucher. The voucher does say you must present it at hotel check-in. It has the name of your hotel, along with the names of the guests staying in your room.
With the voucher our package had similar looking ones for our Universal trip. It gives the phone # of the bus line which you must call 48 hours in advanced for pick up. You then present your voucher for your ride and ticket. They also included a copy of your invoice, which I had printed out ahead of time anyways. Next are the two Magical extras booklets. These had our vouchers for our free pin and lanyard (redeemable at Little Green Men, Westward Ho, Greeting from California, P.T. Flea Market, World of Disney, or Disney's Pin Traders) and preferred seating tickets. Preferred seating is available at Aladdin (so excited for this one!), Muppet 3-D, It's tough to be a Bug, and Animation Academy. It also has a coupon for free transportation to the South Coast Plaza and our Toontown Madness voucher. Not in booklet but included are two 10% off coupons for merchandise (one for purchase over $20, the other over $75). 10% isn't a lot but hey, it's still money off.
The Downtown Disney District Fun card is just a flyer with a list of discounts you can receive for being a guest at the Disneyland hotels. Most of these are more useful for families with kids, then just a couple. Most of them are free kids meals with the purchase of an adult meal. A couple others are 10% food and merchandise. Nothing really exciting here. There is a little tear out sheet with the same info so you don't have to carry around the big one. You do have to sign it and put your check out date so they know you are a hotel guest.
Lastly are the dining plan vouchers. These are in booklets which the vouchers must remain in or they are not valid. This is kind of a pain since I don't plan on carrying a purse and they are too big for my pocket.
What I did notice was not in the box was the gift card. I assume we get this on check in, although there is nothing anywhere other then invoice that talks about the gift card, so we will see.
In my next blog I will talk more about the dining plan and what our voucher booklet included.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Disneyland!
The last time I went to Disneyland was for my 12th birthday. 9 years later I decided the time had come again to visit the happiest place on earth! I asked my boyfriend if he would like to go. He wasn't very excited but said we could since we had never been on vacation together. So I went to the Disney site and started planning our trip. I must of saved about 12 different vacation scenarios. How many days? What hotel? Do we want the dining plan? Oh the decisions! I finally put together what I thought would work for us and booked it in late October. Now we just had to wait until April 26th and we would be on our way!
Now we are finally only a few weeks away and am I'm bursting out of my skin to go! I've watched pretty much all the Disney movies we have in the house plus some we rented. I'm sure I'll rewatch some many times more in the next 3 weeks. I've even created a Disney playlist on my iPod with songs to listen to on the plane. I'm such a dork but loving every minute of the planning. I have printed out the whole weeks worth of hours and parades and shows. I have a list of all the pressed pennies in the parks and hotels (I collect them). I have our reservations for the Blue Bayou written on every piece of paper we are taking and inputted into my cell phones calender with a ringtone to remind me! My boyfriend shakes his head at all my planning, but I know it will come in handy!
I'll be updating this blog with many more Disney things such as the details of our trip, info about the Disney dining plans, trading pins and much more so keep checking back!
Now we are finally only a few weeks away and am I'm bursting out of my skin to go! I've watched pretty much all the Disney movies we have in the house plus some we rented. I'm sure I'll rewatch some many times more in the next 3 weeks. I've even created a Disney playlist on my iPod with songs to listen to on the plane. I'm such a dork but loving every minute of the planning. I have printed out the whole weeks worth of hours and parades and shows. I have a list of all the pressed pennies in the parks and hotels (I collect them). I have our reservations for the Blue Bayou written on every piece of paper we are taking and inputted into my cell phones calender with a ringtone to remind me! My boyfriend shakes his head at all my planning, but I know it will come in handy!
I'll be updating this blog with many more Disney things such as the details of our trip, info about the Disney dining plans, trading pins and much more so keep checking back!
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