A Six Thousand Kilometer Road Trip to Disneyland and Back- TR has started on page 37!
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DisneyStitch626
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
Well we are finally here!!!
Now for a brief report.
We drove straight through, stopping every few hours for restroom, food, and stretching breaks, and ended up getting here at about 11:00 last night. That's about 15 hours ahead of what we planned! We also left quite a few hours earlier than originally planned too, though.
We ended up just calling ahead and getting ourselves an extra night at the Hojo, and the entertainment rate just happened to be included for it! So we are all settled into our room for the next 7 nights.
Today we drove to Hollywood and walked along the Blvd. looking at stars, and going into shops. Of course we went into the Disney Soda Fountain. Really cool store!
Next we went over to the Santa Monica Pier and walked around there for a couple hours. Awesome experience. We had a lot of fun there.
And I finally got my glimpse of the Resort tonight when we took a walk through Downtown Disney. We had some food and a couple drinks at ESPN Zone. Very yummy food. Sorry, I forgot to get pictures of it. We also took a walk through the World Of Disney Store. It was very difficult, but I managed to walk out of there without spending a dime! Actually, that's a lie. I did spend 50 cents on a pressed penny.
Anyways, all in all, it was a great day, minus LA traffic! One question: Why are there some cars that don't have license plates? Is that allowed? We've seen quite a few that don't and think it's very strange.
Tomorrow is our first Disney day! Gotta get some sleep so I can be all rested up! So excited!
Now for a brief report.
We drove straight through, stopping every few hours for restroom, food, and stretching breaks, and ended up getting here at about 11:00 last night. That's about 15 hours ahead of what we planned! We also left quite a few hours earlier than originally planned too, though.
We ended up just calling ahead and getting ourselves an extra night at the Hojo, and the entertainment rate just happened to be included for it! So we are all settled into our room for the next 7 nights.
Today we drove to Hollywood and walked along the Blvd. looking at stars, and going into shops. Of course we went into the Disney Soda Fountain. Really cool store!
Next we went over to the Santa Monica Pier and walked around there for a couple hours. Awesome experience. We had a lot of fun there.
And I finally got my glimpse of the Resort tonight when we took a walk through Downtown Disney. We had some food and a couple drinks at ESPN Zone. Very yummy food. Sorry, I forgot to get pictures of it. We also took a walk through the World Of Disney Store. It was very difficult, but I managed to walk out of there without spending a dime! Actually, that's a lie. I did spend 50 cents on a pressed penny.
Anyways, all in all, it was a great day, minus LA traffic! One question: Why are there some cars that don't have license plates? Is that allowed? We've seen quite a few that don't and think it's very strange.
Tomorrow is our first Disney day! Gotta get some sleep so I can be all rested up! So excited!
kaoden39
<font color=peach>Prayers and pixie dust from your
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2006
Andrea, I am thrilled to hear you made it okay. As far as the cars without license plates, I have no clue why they don't get tickets. They should.
Have wonderful fun today!! I am looking so forward to hearing all about Disneyland.
Have wonderful fun today!! I am looking so forward to hearing all about Disneyland.
DisneyStitch626
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
We are back!! We had a wonderful, wonderful trip with lots of ups and a few downs, but all in all, it was great!
Over the next couple days I hope to get started on a trip report. Just gotta start sorting out pictures. I took lots! I think I may have failed a little on the food porn part though, so I apologize.
Can't wait to start going through the pics though and get started on my TR!
Over the next couple days I hope to get started on a trip report. Just gotta start sorting out pictures. I took lots! I think I may have failed a little on the food porn part though, so I apologize.
Can't wait to start going through the pics though and get started on my TR!
Belle Ella
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2007
I can't wait to hear and see all about it! I'm betting you came away with more photos than I did! And I kind of got bored with the food porn this year, I don't know why. Maybe I was just more interested in eating it this time around rather than taking the pictures. Who knows.
DisneyStitch626
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
"Are we there yet?" A Six Thousand Kilometer Road Trip To Disneyland
Day 1
I had been itching to go back to Disneyland since my family went back in 1996, and I was bound and determined to make it happen for my 30th birthday. Well the old saying is right, if you work hard enough, you can do anything you set your mind to.
Well I had been planning this trip for months. Nine months to be exact. All my hard work paid off, because it was definitely a trip we will remember for a long, long time.
And so it began....
I was able to get off work at noon on Tuesday September 30th, so I came home to make sure everything on the list was packed, take a shower, and attempt to take a nap. Well I packed and showered, but the nap just didn't happen. I was way too excited.
Dillon didn't get off work until 4:30, and by 2:00 I was getting antsy. Finally at 3:30, I decided to just load up the car, pick up a bagel and some drinks from Tim Hortons, and go visit Dillon at work for the last little bit. Anything was better than sitting at home waiting.
I had dropped Dillon off at work that morning, so that when he was done work, we could just leave from there. So at 4:35 (no I wasn't happy about having to wait that extra five minutes) we were getting in the car and on our way to Calgary.
We finally made it to my Mom's house around 6:30. I have taken that drive countless times since I moved to Red Deer 6 years ago, and it has never before dragged on as long as it did this day. Can you tell I was excited? Anyways, my Mom had my favourite meal ready for us when we got there. Button ribs! Yum! We scarfed it down in record time of about 5 minutes while Garrett and Grace loaded their things into the car. They had already eaten as they seemed even more antsy than we did.
Finally at about 7:15 we were all in the car and on our way. But not before another stop at my Dad's in Okotoks so we could say our goodbyes to him.
We were finally officially on the road by 8:00 pm. Garrett decided to take the first shift. It was a rather uneventful first couple of hours until we stopped at a McDonald's in Lethbridge. We all decided we were craving nuggets, but were too impatient to stop and eat, so we ended up eating on the road. Garrett being the genius that he is, was driving with sauce in the hand that was on the steering wheel. Well when he went to make a right turn out of the parking lot, the sauce went with it and poured all over his pants, and my car seat! As mad as I should have been, the whole thing was pretty funny, so I just let it go. Nothing like watching sauce pour in what seemed like slow motion all over your new car!
After we dealt with the sweet and sour sauce debacle, we got back on the road and made it to the border just before midnight. Being that it was almost midnight on a Tuesday, there was absolutely no wait to cross, and after a few quick questions, we were waved through.
We stopped at one of the first towns we drove through to fill up the tank. I believe it was called Shelby. We walked into the store to get some snacks and drinks for the night. We were in awe of the fact that you could buy beer at the gas station. That just doesn't happen here.
I believe Dillon took over from here, and the next few hours went by uneventfully. Nothing much to see when it's pitch black, which is a shame because we went through some pretty nice mountain areas. Grace took over somewhere in Idaho, stopping in a town called Dubois, which was pronounced by Grace as Doob-i-ous by accident. We all had a pretty good laugh at that one, and even bought a magnet with the towns name on it, so we could remind her of her sillyness. I didn't get many pictures during this time as it was the middle of the night and not many big towns anywhere. But I did get a couple from the car when we could actually see what we were driving by.
I started driving just before we got to Utah and drove through Salt Lake City where we stopped at Chili's for some real food. Apparently I was really bad with the camera while doing the driving portions of the trip, because I don't have any pictures of that.
The drive through Utah was very long and very boring. The sights were cool at first, but after 5 or 6 hours, you lose interest eventually. As soon as we got into the little portion of Arizona though, the sights changed drastically. Unfortunately I was driving though, so I didn't get any pictures. And for some reason no one else thought to either. I told myself I would get some pictures on the way back, but of course it had to be dark then.
At about 5:00, we stopped in a town called Mesquite Nevada. That was our first taste of palm trees! And the heat in Nevada. I believe my car said it was 37 degrees. Celcius of course. So hot!
We decided to try somewhere that we don't have in Canada. Jack In The Box.
It was ok, but I only had the chicken strips, and they were almost too hot to taste anything for a long time. And the fries were just ok. Dillon loved his burger though.
It was at this time where Garrett started feeling a cold coming on. In less than 24 hours, he managed to catch the cold Dillon and I were almost over. It really sucked for him, getting a cold before our trip barely even started.
We were on the road shortly after, and were excited to see our first taste of Vegas in just a short while.
Just as the sun was setting is when we finally started seeing it. Perfect timing to be seeing it for our first time all lit up.
We didn't stop, so the pictures are kind of blurry. I tried to get Dillon to roll down his window to take the pictures, but for some reason he wouldn't.
It was at this time that it dawned on me that it wouldn't be long until we were in California. We hadn't planned on being there until the next morning originally. We thought about getting a hotel near Hollywood, since that was where we were thinking of spending our first day. But then I thought about checking to see if it was an Entertainment night at the Howard Johnson, and seeing if we could just check into our room a night early. Luck was on our side, because it was a cheap night, and there was a room available for our whole stay! That was a big weight off our shoulders, knowing we could just check into one place and not have to worry about a place to stay for 8 nights.
Once we got to California around 8 or so, we stopped in Baker for more gas and a stretch of the legs. Wasn't much farther to go now.
We didn't eat at Big Boy, but I knew it was a well known place, and I was lacking in the picture department, so I stopped to get a couple shots.
We had now been driving for 24 hours, so we were starting to get really antsy about getting to our hotel. Only 3 more hours of driving and we were finally there. It was exciting to see the signs saying how close LA was. After a slight detour thanks to some construction, we finally pulled onto Harbor at about 11:00.
There was a little confusion checking into the hotel. They had charged me $129 a night for every night that we were booked there, when I had a rate of $109 for the Disboards discount, and $69 for 3 of the nights for the Entertainment Rate. After I showed the guy my confirmation sheet, he fixed it up for me and we were on our way to check out our room!
We ended up getting Building number 4, which was conveniently the closest one to the parks. But we got the farthest room in the building. Second floor, room 4202. It was a decent size, and even though it was a disaster once we got our stuff in (and stayed that way the whole 8 nights), it worked. And the beds were really comfy despite being a little smaller than we are used to.
Well we were finally there! It was so exciting to be just across the street from Disneyland. But we were ready for sleep! I don't think it was long before we were all passed out for the night.
Day 1
I had been itching to go back to Disneyland since my family went back in 1996, and I was bound and determined to make it happen for my 30th birthday. Well the old saying is right, if you work hard enough, you can do anything you set your mind to.
Well I had been planning this trip for months. Nine months to be exact. All my hard work paid off, because it was definitely a trip we will remember for a long, long time.
And so it began....
I was able to get off work at noon on Tuesday September 30th, so I came home to make sure everything on the list was packed, take a shower, and attempt to take a nap. Well I packed and showered, but the nap just didn't happen. I was way too excited.
Dillon didn't get off work until 4:30, and by 2:00 I was getting antsy. Finally at 3:30, I decided to just load up the car, pick up a bagel and some drinks from Tim Hortons, and go visit Dillon at work for the last little bit. Anything was better than sitting at home waiting.
I had dropped Dillon off at work that morning, so that when he was done work, we could just leave from there. So at 4:35 (no I wasn't happy about having to wait that extra five minutes) we were getting in the car and on our way to Calgary.
We finally made it to my Mom's house around 6:30. I have taken that drive countless times since I moved to Red Deer 6 years ago, and it has never before dragged on as long as it did this day. Can you tell I was excited? Anyways, my Mom had my favourite meal ready for us when we got there. Button ribs! Yum! We scarfed it down in record time of about 5 minutes while Garrett and Grace loaded their things into the car. They had already eaten as they seemed even more antsy than we did.
Finally at about 7:15 we were all in the car and on our way. But not before another stop at my Dad's in Okotoks so we could say our goodbyes to him.
We were finally officially on the road by 8:00 pm. Garrett decided to take the first shift. It was a rather uneventful first couple of hours until we stopped at a McDonald's in Lethbridge. We all decided we were craving nuggets, but were too impatient to stop and eat, so we ended up eating on the road. Garrett being the genius that he is, was driving with sauce in the hand that was on the steering wheel. Well when he went to make a right turn out of the parking lot, the sauce went with it and poured all over his pants, and my car seat! As mad as I should have been, the whole thing was pretty funny, so I just let it go. Nothing like watching sauce pour in what seemed like slow motion all over your new car!
After we dealt with the sweet and sour sauce debacle, we got back on the road and made it to the border just before midnight. Being that it was almost midnight on a Tuesday, there was absolutely no wait to cross, and after a few quick questions, we were waved through.
We stopped at one of the first towns we drove through to fill up the tank. I believe it was called Shelby. We walked into the store to get some snacks and drinks for the night. We were in awe of the fact that you could buy beer at the gas station. That just doesn't happen here.
I believe Dillon took over from here, and the next few hours went by uneventfully. Nothing much to see when it's pitch black, which is a shame because we went through some pretty nice mountain areas. Grace took over somewhere in Idaho, stopping in a town called Dubois, which was pronounced by Grace as Doob-i-ous by accident. We all had a pretty good laugh at that one, and even bought a magnet with the towns name on it, so we could remind her of her sillyness. I didn't get many pictures during this time as it was the middle of the night and not many big towns anywhere. But I did get a couple from the car when we could actually see what we were driving by.
I started driving just before we got to Utah and drove through Salt Lake City where we stopped at Chili's for some real food. Apparently I was really bad with the camera while doing the driving portions of the trip, because I don't have any pictures of that.
The drive through Utah was very long and very boring. The sights were cool at first, but after 5 or 6 hours, you lose interest eventually. As soon as we got into the little portion of Arizona though, the sights changed drastically. Unfortunately I was driving though, so I didn't get any pictures. And for some reason no one else thought to either. I told myself I would get some pictures on the way back, but of course it had to be dark then.
At about 5:00, we stopped in a town called Mesquite Nevada. That was our first taste of palm trees! And the heat in Nevada. I believe my car said it was 37 degrees. Celcius of course. So hot!
We decided to try somewhere that we don't have in Canada. Jack In The Box.
It was ok, but I only had the chicken strips, and they were almost too hot to taste anything for a long time. And the fries were just ok. Dillon loved his burger though.
It was at this time where Garrett started feeling a cold coming on. In less than 24 hours, he managed to catch the cold Dillon and I were almost over. It really sucked for him, getting a cold before our trip barely even started.
We were on the road shortly after, and were excited to see our first taste of Vegas in just a short while.
Just as the sun was setting is when we finally started seeing it. Perfect timing to be seeing it for our first time all lit up.
We didn't stop, so the pictures are kind of blurry. I tried to get Dillon to roll down his window to take the pictures, but for some reason he wouldn't.
It was at this time that it dawned on me that it wouldn't be long until we were in California. We hadn't planned on being there until the next morning originally. We thought about getting a hotel near Hollywood, since that was where we were thinking of spending our first day. But then I thought about checking to see if it was an Entertainment night at the Howard Johnson, and seeing if we could just check into our room a night early. Luck was on our side, because it was a cheap night, and there was a room available for our whole stay! That was a big weight off our shoulders, knowing we could just check into one place and not have to worry about a place to stay for 8 nights.
Once we got to California around 8 or so, we stopped in Baker for more gas and a stretch of the legs. Wasn't much farther to go now.
We didn't eat at Big Boy, but I knew it was a well known place, and I was lacking in the picture department, so I stopped to get a couple shots.
We had now been driving for 24 hours, so we were starting to get really antsy about getting to our hotel. Only 3 more hours of driving and we were finally there. It was exciting to see the signs saying how close LA was. After a slight detour thanks to some construction, we finally pulled onto Harbor at about 11:00.
There was a little confusion checking into the hotel. They had charged me $129 a night for every night that we were booked there, when I had a rate of $109 for the Disboards discount, and $69 for 3 of the nights for the Entertainment Rate. After I showed the guy my confirmation sheet, he fixed it up for me and we were on our way to check out our room!
We ended up getting Building number 4, which was conveniently the closest one to the parks. But we got the farthest room in the building. Second floor, room 4202. It was a decent size, and even though it was a disaster once we got our stuff in (and stayed that way the whole 8 nights), it worked. And the beds were really comfy despite being a little smaller than we are used to.
Well we were finally there! It was so exciting to be just across the street from Disneyland. But we were ready for sleep! I don't think it was long before we were all passed out for the night.
Coming soon: Day 2- Hollywood and the Santa Monica Pier.
DisneyStitch626
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
Just wanted to come tell anybody that might be following, that I haven't ditched my TR. I just have a lot going on at the moment, and have been a little distracted. I hope to update in the next couple days.
reyasmommy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2007
Loving your TR thus far!
Driving through UTAH can be boring at times. I love that small strip that your drive through in Arizona also.
Glad you were able to arrive earlier then expected, that's always nice.
Looking forward to more.
Driving through UTAH can be boring at times. I love that small strip that your drive through in Arizona also.
Glad you were able to arrive earlier then expected, that's always nice.
Looking forward to more.
samsmainla
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2009
Waiting patiently for this trip report!
Looks like a fun drive, one day we will try it, we have always found a seat sale that makes the price of flying better for us.
That Calgary photo looks like such a familiar N.E. street to me.
Looks like a fun drive, one day we will try it, we have always found a seat sale that makes the price of flying better for us.
That Calgary photo looks like such a familiar N.E. street to me.
DisneyStitch626
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
Ok, so I have to apologize for seeming to have ditched my TR. I haven't. I am still here!
I have been just a little distracted the past few weeks, as I have found out that Dillon and I are going to be having a baby! We are very excited, and things have just been a little hectic since finding out with doctor appointments and telling our families and friends.
So now that that is out, I hope to continue on my TR, and at the very least, post all my pictures from the trip. So once again, I do apologize for ditching my TR, but I think I may have had good reason.
I have been just a little distracted the past few weeks, as I have found out that Dillon and I are going to be having a baby! We are very excited, and things have just been a little hectic since finding out with doctor appointments and telling our families and friends.
So now that that is out, I hope to continue on my TR, and at the very least, post all my pictures from the trip. So once again, I do apologize for ditching my TR, but I think I may have had good reason.
samsmainla
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2009
Wow, congrats you guys! Just wait until you get take the little one to Disneyland too!!!! Looking forward to your report!
kaoden39
<font color=peach>Prayers and pixie dust from your
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2006
Ok, so I have to apologize for seeming to have ditched my TR. I haven't. I am still here!
I have been just a little distracted the past few weeks, as I have found out that Dillon and I are going to be having a baby! We are very excited, and things have just been a little hectic since finding out with doctor appointments and telling our families and friends.
So now that that is out, I hope to continue on my TR, and at the very least, post all my pictures from the trip. So once again, I do apologize for ditching my TR, but I think I may have had good reason.
That's wonderful Andrea. I have what will sound like a strange question. Is the baby a souvenir from your trip? Now my reason for asking, Kacy my oldest was a souvenir from our first trip to Disneyland together.
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