allie5
<font color=blue>WARNING! DHL men should be cautio
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2002
Cast Members:
Allie (me!) - 37, Disney fan and shopaholic
Neil, DH, 31, A very generous soul who finances my Disney Plans and Schemes!
Jessamy, DD aged 4. Fantasyland is her second home! Peter Pan her fave film, ride and character!
Daniel-Noah, DS aged 2. Character junkie. Loves anything tall and furry.
Part 2 - Disneyland Park, first taste!
Just a few more details to add about the journey which I forgot yesterday! The toll road cost 17.50 from Calais to Paris, which we thought was reasonable. The mileage from Calais to the car park of the Newport Bay was 199 miles. The trip took a shade under 3 hours. We arrived at the hotel at around 2.45pm. When I checked in, I was given a choice of times for breakfast, but the only slot left for Saturday was 7am. I took my little card rather reluctantly, but the check in girl said it didnt matter what time we arrived for breakfast??? Go figure. It was one of those inexplicable French ways of doing things!
After stretching their little legs by dashing round the hotel room like mini torpedos, the kidlets were soon eager to set off for the park! Neil had tried to get a porter to bring the luggage up, but was instead just given a luggage trolley and left to get on with it! Finally, after a nappy change for Daniel and quick wipes over with flannels (all too excited to shower!) we were off! We had a quick look round the lobby of the hotel, which was quite impressive. The shop looked like it had good levels of Retail Therapy opportunities as well...! We decided to use the resort bus for our first venture out, as we had been reliably informed they ran every 12 mins. Neil set his stopwatch, determined to catch out those French bus drivers
.
The bus duly rolled up well within its schedule, and on we got. We did feel a bit silly when we saw the park was so close, but what the heck...we would be doing enough walking around the park! The Newport Bay bus stop was the furthest one from the park entrance (typical!) and the walk from the bus stop to the park was probably only a shade less time than the walk from the hotel to the park!! . The weather was glorious, and we took some piccies of the lovely flower gardens and ponds that are in front of the Disneyland Hotel. I also took a pic of the Mickey Clock, which was telling us it was 3.50pm.
Into the park, the hoppers worked fine and we were IN! First disappointment was the view up Main St to the castle was impaired by an elaborate lighting arch (not sure if this is permanant, or it was part of the Xmas decs that were going up), also, the bottom of the castle was in rehab and a big green hoarding blocked the view. There wasnt the "wow" factor of the Magic Kingdom here, unfortunately. Another blow, was when I checked with Guest Services, there were no fireworks or nightime parades on during our stay. I had expected SOMETHING, maybe on the Saturday night, but it wasnt to be.
We asked Jessie which ride she would like to do first. The answer, as always was "Peter Pan". The park wasnt busy, so off we set to Fantasyland. We walked through the castle and into the realm of the kiddie rides. Tragically, the lure of that all time favourite thrill a minute attraction, Dumbo, was just too much for Jessie to take. Mummy drew the short straw, and off we went to join the queue (optimistically reading 10 min wait). 25 minutes later, and we were about to board our 747-Dumbo Jet (haha). Things were halted, when a Frenchman vaulted over three lines of people to start camcordering his two kids sat on the ride. I though the CMs would kick him out, but after a little "negotiation" in fast French they let him board another Dumbo so he could film them on the ride!!! I was FURIOUS, seething quietly, and hoping my Dumbo (even with those giant ears) wasnt picking up the names I was calling that man. I hoped this wasnt going to be a recurring problem , as I had heard a lot about queue jumpers here.
Anyway, Jessie enjoyed her ride and had been oblivious to the events behind us, so all was well. Neil took some photos of us aloft and then wheeled Daniel to watch the Windmill by the Maze, whilst I took Jessie on Peter Pan. There was no wait here (even though the board said 10 mins) and we walked on. This was the only ride here that wasnt as good as its Florida counterpart. The London section wasnt lit properly, and you could only see Tower Bridge. Also, the cannon from the pirate ship is just a pathetic red glow, not the loud bang and rock of your ship when you swerve like in the Florida one. Jessie wasnt interested in the finer detail, and enjoyed it immensely. We went straight back on for another go!
We suddenly realised that Neil and I hadnt eaten since those bacon rolls back at the burger king at Dover! The kids had eaten sandwiches and snacks I brought with us, but we were starving! I remembered that Simon's book recommended the Lucky Nugget saloon for a nice meal (with characters) so we head off for Frontierland. En route, Jessie remembers that I had mentioned the Dragon that lived under the castle. This had been the source of much questioning before we left (what colour is it? Is it a boy dragon or a girl dragon? Why doesnt Cinderella have a dragon under HER castle?). It was decided that Jessie and I would go Dragon hunting and Neil would wheel Daniel round to the restaurant to wait for us.
Of course, the second that the dark, cavernous mouth of the Dragon's lair loomed ahead, the idea of meeting said dragon become instantly less appealing. Jessie became a quivering wreck and wouldnt set foot inside. Curiosity had gotten the better of me, so I dived in for a quick look giving a running commentary to my terrified 4 year old hiding behind a stalagtite. "oh, he isnt scary AT ALL" I announced bravely (though, in fact I thought he was a tad menacing, but I wasnt letting on), I waffled on about his green scales and steaming nostrils and of course she HAD to look! Fortunately, you can see the exit from inside the lair so I told her to run past to the outside if she was scared. She did the first few steps at 80mph with eyes tightly scrunched closed, but then slowed down for a quick peek and then a full on looky see. She wasnt keen but was quite proud of herself for being able to walk out looking the dragon right in the eyes!!
We met Neil and Daniel a few minutes later, where we relay tales of dragons and our bravery. Our little St George was full of bravado now the dragon was safely behind us and was keen as mustard to take Daddy for another peek. We vetoed this for now, as our tummy's were in serious need of sustanance! On arrival at the Lucky Nugget Saloon we read the menu which sounded lovely. In we go...no we dont! The place is locked up and a "Closed For the Day" sign hung on the door! Its 6pm on a Friday evening and its CLOSED???? That threw a spanner in the works...where to try now? We wanted to do a sit down meal, but the only option was the Blue Lagoon which specialised in Seafood and we didnt fancy that tonight.
Sorely miffed at this, and muttering "this wouldnt happen in Florida" under our breath we decide the children need an early night anyway, so we would head out and eat at the Village tonight. We were so hungry that we stopped at the first place - Planet Hollywood. Now, we had a very poor meal at the one in Orlando and didnt know what to expect here. Some say this one is much better, so we entered with mixed feelings. There was a 10 min wait for a table so Neil grabbed a Bud from the bar for him, water for me and the kids. We were soon seated but no waiter appeared for ages. Both children were very tired now and this long wait wasnt good. The room we were in was very drab and dated. None of the props were from recent films and everything looked tired. Some of the display cases were empty so the overall impression was poor. Finally, a waiter took our order and we asked for the kids meals ASAP. They duly arrived in about 10 mins and were quite nice, (both chicken strips with fries), good quality chicken and unsalted fries. Neil and I had ordered some "pot stickers" to start but they were disgusting, and hungry as we were, we couldnt eat them. The filling appeared raw and the soy sauce dip was too salty. Yuk.
Our main meals took another 20 minutes to arrive and unlike all US restaurants the drinks were not free refills, but an expensive 3.50 each for a small coke. Kids were getting bored, so I ordered them an ice cream to share. Meals arrived finally...Neil had Ribs and I had Combo fajitas. The main meals werent too bad considering the terrible starter. Overall I would give Planet Hollywood 4/10 for setting, 4/10 for service, and 5/10 for food. We didnt return.
Decided to bus back again as Jessie couldnt walk any further, but had a longer wait for the bus this time. Got back to the hotel around 8pm. This was the bit I was worried about...all four of us sleeping in the same room! Daniel is usually in bed by 6.30pm for a full 12 hours, plus he has a 2-3 hour nap during the day. He also is a "home bird" and can generally only sleep in his cot. In contrast, Jessie can keep going as long we can and is rarely asleep before 9 or 10pm at home (even though she is IN bed by 7.30pm!!). Got Daniel ready for bed and settled Jessie in the other bed. I had a travel cot for Daniel but he freaked out when I put him in it, so decided to settle him in with me to start with. Neil fled at the thought of going to bed at 8pm and went off to explore!! Daniel settled quickly and was soon asleep. I grabbed a shower and settled with a book. We were all tucked up and asleep by 10pm (bet you cant stand the excitement, eh??).
However, during the night I woke up with a start....Daniel had gone. Vanished totally. I leaped up and searched the room but there was no sign of him. The door was locked so he must be here somewhere! Then I heard the gentle sound of snoring...I traced the noise to...UNDER THE BED! Poor liitle mite had rolled out of bed (fortunately I had put a rolled up quilt down, just in case) and then rolled right under! I extracted him (still asleep) and put in the travel cot. He didnt settle well and the rest of the night consisted of us both doing shifts to try and comfort him.
Tomorrow: Full Day At The Disneyland Park.
Allie (me!) - 37, Disney fan and shopaholic
Neil, DH, 31, A very generous soul who finances my Disney Plans and Schemes!
Jessamy, DD aged 4. Fantasyland is her second home! Peter Pan her fave film, ride and character!
Daniel-Noah, DS aged 2. Character junkie. Loves anything tall and furry.
Part 2 - Disneyland Park, first taste!
Just a few more details to add about the journey which I forgot yesterday! The toll road cost 17.50 from Calais to Paris, which we thought was reasonable. The mileage from Calais to the car park of the Newport Bay was 199 miles. The trip took a shade under 3 hours. We arrived at the hotel at around 2.45pm. When I checked in, I was given a choice of times for breakfast, but the only slot left for Saturday was 7am. I took my little card rather reluctantly, but the check in girl said it didnt matter what time we arrived for breakfast??? Go figure. It was one of those inexplicable French ways of doing things!
After stretching their little legs by dashing round the hotel room like mini torpedos, the kidlets were soon eager to set off for the park! Neil had tried to get a porter to bring the luggage up, but was instead just given a luggage trolley and left to get on with it! Finally, after a nappy change for Daniel and quick wipes over with flannels (all too excited to shower!) we were off! We had a quick look round the lobby of the hotel, which was quite impressive. The shop looked like it had good levels of Retail Therapy opportunities as well...! We decided to use the resort bus for our first venture out, as we had been reliably informed they ran every 12 mins. Neil set his stopwatch, determined to catch out those French bus drivers
.The bus duly rolled up well within its schedule, and on we got. We did feel a bit silly when we saw the park was so close, but what the heck...we would be doing enough walking around the park!
The Newport Bay bus stop was the furthest one from the park entrance (typical!) and the walk from the bus stop to the park was probably only a shade less time than the walk from the hotel to the park!! . The weather was glorious, and we took some piccies of the lovely flower gardens and ponds that are in front of the Disneyland Hotel. I also took a pic of the Mickey Clock, which was telling us it was 3.50pm.Into the park, the hoppers worked fine and we were IN! First disappointment was the view up Main St to the castle was impaired by an elaborate lighting arch (not sure if this is permanant, or it was part of the Xmas decs that were going up), also, the bottom of the castle was in rehab and a big green hoarding blocked the view. There wasnt the "wow" factor of the Magic Kingdom here, unfortunately. Another blow, was when I checked with Guest Services, there were no fireworks or nightime parades on during our stay. I had expected SOMETHING, maybe on the Saturday night, but it wasnt to be.
We asked Jessie which ride she would like to do first. The answer, as always was "Peter Pan". The park wasnt busy, so off we set to Fantasyland. We walked through the castle and into the realm of the kiddie rides. Tragically, the lure of that all time favourite thrill a minute attraction, Dumbo, was just too much for Jessie to take. Mummy drew the short straw, and off we went to join the queue (optimistically reading 10 min wait). 25 minutes later, and we were about to board our 747-Dumbo Jet (haha). Things were halted, when a Frenchman vaulted over three lines of people to start camcordering his two kids sat on the ride. I though the CMs would kick him out, but after a little "negotiation" in fast French they let him board another Dumbo so he could film them on the ride!!! I was FURIOUS, seething quietly, and hoping my Dumbo (even with those giant ears) wasnt picking up the names I was calling that man. I hoped this wasnt going to be a recurring problem , as I had heard a lot about queue jumpers here.
Anyway, Jessie enjoyed her ride and had been oblivious to the events behind us, so all was well. Neil took some photos of us aloft and then wheeled Daniel to watch the Windmill by the Maze, whilst I took Jessie on Peter Pan. There was no wait here (even though the board said 10 mins) and we walked on. This was the only ride here that wasnt as good as its Florida counterpart. The London section wasnt lit properly, and you could only see Tower Bridge. Also, the cannon from the pirate ship is just a pathetic red glow, not the loud bang and rock of your ship when you swerve like in the Florida one. Jessie wasnt interested in the finer detail, and enjoyed it immensely. We went straight back on for another go!
We suddenly realised that Neil and I hadnt eaten since those bacon rolls back at the burger king at Dover! The kids had eaten sandwiches and snacks I brought with us, but we were starving! I remembered that Simon's book recommended the Lucky Nugget saloon for a nice meal (with characters) so we head off for Frontierland. En route, Jessie remembers that I had mentioned the Dragon that lived under the castle. This had been the source of much questioning before we left (what colour is it? Is it a boy dragon or a girl dragon? Why doesnt Cinderella have a dragon under HER castle?). It was decided that Jessie and I would go Dragon hunting and Neil would wheel Daniel round to the restaurant to wait for us.
Of course, the second that the dark, cavernous mouth of the Dragon's lair loomed ahead, the idea of meeting said dragon become instantly less appealing. Jessie became a quivering wreck and wouldnt set foot inside. Curiosity had gotten the better of me, so I dived in for a quick look giving a running commentary to my terrified 4 year old hiding behind a stalagtite. "oh, he isnt scary AT ALL" I announced bravely (though, in fact I thought he was a tad menacing, but I wasnt letting on), I waffled on about his green scales and steaming nostrils and of course she HAD to look! Fortunately, you can see the exit from inside the lair so I told her to run past to the outside if she was scared. She did the first few steps at 80mph with eyes tightly scrunched closed, but then slowed down for a quick peek and then a full on looky see. She wasnt keen but was quite proud of herself for being able to walk out looking the dragon right in the eyes!!
We met Neil and Daniel a few minutes later, where we relay tales of dragons and our bravery. Our little St George was full of bravado now the dragon was safely behind us and was keen as mustard to take Daddy for another peek. We vetoed this for now, as our tummy's were in serious need of sustanance! On arrival at the Lucky Nugget Saloon we read the menu which sounded lovely. In we go...no we dont! The place is locked up and a "Closed For the Day" sign hung on the door! Its 6pm on a Friday evening and its CLOSED???? That threw a spanner in the works...where to try now? We wanted to do a sit down meal, but the only option was the Blue Lagoon which specialised in Seafood and we didnt fancy that tonight.
Sorely miffed at this, and muttering "this wouldnt happen in Florida" under our breath we decide the children need an early night anyway, so we would head out and eat at the Village tonight. We were so hungry that we stopped at the first place - Planet Hollywood. Now, we had a very poor meal at the one in Orlando and didnt know what to expect here. Some say this one is much better, so we entered with mixed feelings. There was a 10 min wait for a table so Neil grabbed a Bud from the bar for him, water for me and the kids. We were soon seated but no waiter appeared for ages. Both children were very tired now and this long wait wasnt good. The room we were in was very drab and dated. None of the props were from recent films and everything looked tired. Some of the display cases were empty so the overall impression was poor. Finally, a waiter took our order and we asked for the kids meals ASAP. They duly arrived in about 10 mins and were quite nice, (both chicken strips with fries), good quality chicken and unsalted fries. Neil and I had ordered some "pot stickers" to start but they were disgusting, and hungry as we were, we couldnt eat them. The filling appeared raw and the soy sauce dip was too salty. Yuk.
Our main meals took another 20 minutes to arrive and unlike all US restaurants the drinks were not free refills, but an expensive 3.50 each for a small coke. Kids were getting bored, so I ordered them an ice cream to share. Meals arrived finally...Neil had Ribs and I had Combo fajitas. The main meals werent too bad considering the terrible starter. Overall I would give Planet Hollywood 4/10 for setting, 4/10 for service, and 5/10 for food. We didnt return.
Decided to bus back again as Jessie couldnt walk any further, but had a longer wait for the bus this time. Got back to the hotel around 8pm. This was the bit I was worried about...all four of us sleeping in the same room! Daniel is usually in bed by 6.30pm for a full 12 hours, plus he has a 2-3 hour nap during the day. He also is a "home bird" and can generally only sleep in his cot. In contrast, Jessie can keep going as long we can and is rarely asleep before 9 or 10pm at home (even though she is IN bed by 7.30pm!!). Got Daniel ready for bed and settled Jessie in the other bed. I had a travel cot for Daniel but he freaked out when I put him in it, so decided to settle him in with me to start with. Neil fled at the thought of going to bed at 8pm and went off to explore!! Daniel settled quickly and was soon asleep. I grabbed a shower and settled with a book. We were all tucked up and asleep by 10pm (bet you cant stand the excitement, eh??).
However, during the night I woke up with a start....Daniel had gone. Vanished totally. I leaped up and searched the room but there was no sign of him. The door was locked so he must be here somewhere! Then I heard the gentle sound of snoring...I traced the noise to...UNDER THE BED! Poor liitle mite had rolled out of bed (fortunately I had put a rolled up quilt down, just in case) and then rolled right under! I extracted him (still asleep) and put in the travel cot. He didnt settle well and the rest of the night consisted of us both doing shifts to try and comfort him.
Tomorrow: Full Day At The Disneyland Park.
