PHXscuba's TR: Summer Sweet 16 at DLR -- New Photos 8/19

[PHXscuba]

So I have been reading some reports on the new 60th anniversary entertainment and the crowds. The lowest level of SoCal AP is blocked when we are there but nothing else. It will probably only get busier in the evenings as locals arrive. I think we will have to accept "OK" spots to watch from unless we want to spend hours of our precious days curb-sitting. I console myself with the idea that I will certainly be back before they end those shows -- does anyone see them replacing a brand-new fireworks show and night parade any time soon? They are still using the Electrical Parade from the 70s at WDW, and RDCT lasted 10 years.

On that note, I think with higher-than-we-are-used-to crowds, we will be super-thankful for single-rider lines. Especially glad they put one at Matterhorn since it has no FP. That should be a big time-saver. And I think I'd rather SRL RSR and not get a far-out FP that precludes me from collecting others. But there's always some unexpected bottleneck, bad weather, or ride breakdown to complicate even the best intentions! We will have fun no matter what!

PHXscuba

 

[PHXscuba]

I should also mention that after much grief and rejection, DD15 got a job!! She was so happy she actually cried a little when she told me. There is a new indoor family-fun bowling/glow golf/movie/pizza place opening up nearby and she went to an open interview. They offered her a job as an "event host," i.e. the one who helps with the kids' parties, etc. If you knew her you, you would know how perfect that is for her -- she loves kids and is great with them, loves to plan events, etc. And it should mostly be Friday nights and Saturdays, which means she can keep it after school starts (and shouldn't conflict with our Disney trip at all). We actually know one of the commercial real estate developers who is building that center, but she didn't see that he was there that day. Apparently he told the hiring manager to be sure to take a good look at her.

She may not get a ton of hours but it is a perfect first job that will harness her skillset, not conflict with the other things she has going (like dance), and allow her to grow and get experience. It's like the perfect job was just waiting to see if she would be patient enough for it to arrive.

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

No, I'm afraid the crowds will be nuts all year. I think that when we go which is in the middle of September it will be busy because it's probably going to be the beginning of Halloween at the parks.

Congratulations to DD! With any luck my younger DD gets a job soon.

 

[PHXscuba]

So I think I mentioned that my friend and her daughter already have APs from last fall and that much of her family still lives in SoCal. They went to SoCal last weekend and ended up doing a day at DL for my friend's birthday!

I am always glad when someone gets to go to DL, but I'm a little sad that we won't be seeing all of the new stuff together for the first time. I don't know if they caught any of the new entertainment, or rode Matterhorn to see the yeti, etc. I just hope they are still willing to put up with my wide-eyed excitement when I get to see it all!

We're in the home stretch now -- into June, and 3 weeks from now, I imagine we might be .... squealing as we plunge down the drop on Splash Mountain.
PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

Under a month! Woo hoo! I understand how you're feeling. But, think of all the fun you'll have seeing it with your daughter for the first time.

 

[Jaina]

Following along and hoping your trip is awesome! I DID watch the new parade on Youtube, since we won't be able to go until sometime next year. Possibly late in the year. :-/

 

[PHXscuba]

Following along and hoping your trip is awesome! I DID watch the new parade on Youtube, since we won't be able to go until sometime next year. Possibly late in the year. :-/

Thanks for following. I promise the actual TR will be more interesting than me ranting about park hours unposted and ruminating on strategy. We are a fun bunch and the girls are so excited, almost as much as the mamas.

As for Youtube I am holding out for the real thing. My friend said the waiting to watch the parade and fireworks is well worth it!! I hope you get to see them for real!!

PHXscuba

 

[PHXscuba]

So now I am re-thinking my "half day in each park then switch" idea. It certainly makes gathering FPs after the first couple hours tricky. And it sounds like my friend is leaning toward seeing the early DL parade and fireworks together to only wait once, even if we do some trading off for an hour or two total. So if we did that the second day it means our "must-dos" would be done after the 9:30 fireworks and we could decide to ride more or head out. I do kind of like having that option.

I am juggling several projects right now:
-- dance programs to the printer by Monday (waiting on cover photos), plus the recital next weekend (I am am the stage-right manager)
-- a big writing project due Wednesday
-- finally down to the last of the spring cleaning in my kitchen (I am soooo unmotivated)
-- all the daily stuff my kids need/want
-- my mother will be in town for the next week watching my niece/nephews and I'm sure we'll carve out time to spend with her

The good news is that most of this drops off by a week before the trip, so I will have time to finalize things and relax a little bit. A 2-day Disney trip is many things, but I don't think I'd say it's relaxing!

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

A little break before can go a long way towards making the trip more enjoyable.

 

[PHXscuba]

Since this is a mother-daughter trip, I figure it might be nice to do a "Flashback Friday" and share some mother-daughter pictures of my mother and me at Disneyland.

Age 4.5, with Mom, my little sister, and Goofy outside It's a Small World



One of my all-time favorite Disney photos, on the steps of the treehouse (presumably same day as above)



Taking a photo on the treehouse steps. I do this every time we go.



California Adventure. Photopass photographers are weird, but so are we.



Three things I love: My mother, Christmas, and peppermint hot chocolate.



... and (coincidentally) back where we began, at It's a Small World.​

Next time: Pictures of my daughter and me at the Disney parks.

PHXscuba​

 

[Lynne G]

So nice to enjoy the parks with family.

It is getting close. My kids have 9 more days of school. Eek!

Glad to hear DD got a job. I am lucky, my DS is again working at the camp my DD is going to. Here, we do not hire kids until age 14, and poor DD does not turn 14 until the end of the summer. So, at least one last year of having to pay for camp.

 

[kaoden39]

What great pictures! I remember the ones with your mom from a past trip report.

 

[PHXscuba]

So nice to enjoy the parks with family.

It is getting close. My kids have 9 more days of school. Eek!

Glad to hear DD got a job. I am lucky, my DS is again working at the camp my DD is going to. Here, we do not hire kids until age 14, and poor DD does not turn 14 until the end of the summer. So, at least one last year of having to pay for camp.

Nice that they are at least on the same schedule. DD15 has the job secure but the place is still getting the last of the city permits (our friend the developer is all ) so she won't even be trained/oriented until this week. She may not do any actual work before we leave at this rate! And she is getting bored ...

What great pictures! I remember the ones with your mom from a past trip report.

Yep, my mom was my partner-in-crime for my day trips a couple years back. She originally came with the fam for a day on our March trip and bought a SoCal AP to go with my brother's family in the summer, so it was easy to go together in the fall/winter. And after I realized I got NO pictures of her and me together in March, I was sure to get some of both of us.

PHXscuba

p.s. Only 15 days until we leave for our trip!!

 

[kaoden39]

So close!! Woo hoo!!

 

[PHXscuba]

Ok, more mother/daughter pictures! I realized while hunting these that I don't have many of just her and me. I take the majority of our pictures, and I tend to get in the group shots but not necessarily individuals. And I am often the ride buddy of her younger brother or sister.

On the teacups with little sis and big bro (DD was 7.5)



DH caught our looks of glee/terror/surprise as we took off on Screamin' her very first time (age 10)



Waiting for Fantasmic at Disney World (age 12)



Our last visit to DLR together, when she was almost 14



... and just because we are silly dorks!
​

She went to DL with her school's fashion club a little over a year ago for a day that included a youth education tour. Teens are funny ... a couple months ago I was talking about wearing Disney T-shirts to the park and she was saying she planned to just wear "normal clothes." ... but then just yesterday she was bemoaning that she has outgrown all of her Disney shirts! I may buy her one, but I also have insider knowledge that my friend has bought both girls Peter Pan T-shirts that say "I'll never grow up!"

It's getting close ... only 11 days until we leave!

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

Love the photos! Less than two weeks that's great!!

 

[Disney127]

Beautiful Mother/Daughter photos!

 

[momtohms]

We were just there a couple of weeks ago and celebrated my oldest & youngest daughter's birthday (they were born on the same day, 3 years apart!) It was definitely more crowded than I was expecting for that week based on past crowd calendars, but it was also the first full week of the 60th celebrations and there were 3 grad nights too so I wasn't super surprised. Getting an early start really helped!

Love all your mom/daughter pics and the pics of the girls growing up together! What a great way to celebrate turning 16

 

[PHXscuba]

We were just there a couple of weeks ago and celebrated my oldest & youngest daughter's birthday (they were born on the same day, 3 years apart!) It was definitely more crowded than I was expecting for that week based on past crowd calendars, but it was also the first full week of the 60th celebrations and there were 3 grad nights too so I wasn't super surprised. Getting an early start really helped!

Love all your mom/daughter pics and the pics of the girls growing up together! What a great way to celebrate turning 16

Thanks for reading along! I will admit to being just a tad bit jealous that my daughter gets to be there on her actual 16th birthday. I have been to DL many times, but the closest I've been to my birthday was 6 days before. I wore a birthday button anyway! My younger DS also turned 8 at Disneyland a couple years ago -- his birthday often falls over our spring break.

PHXscuba

 

[PHXscuba]

One week to go!!!

I cannot believe we will be halfway to Anaheim in one short week! It has been a super-busy week with the dance recital yesterday. The girls did SOOOOOO well and danced beautifully. I cannot believe how much they've grown up at that studio over the last 12 years. I pretty much lived for 2 days in the wings: directing traffic, quick-changing dancers, keeping small people in tap shoes quiet, cueing entrances. My finest emergency repair: both entire soles of a little girls' tap shoes had come completely off (what was she doing to them backstage?!?) and we had about 2 minutes before she had to go onstage. I wrapped strips of masking tape all around the bottoms and then held my breath -- and they held! I am mentally and physically exhausted. DD15 said my friend was backstage on and off during dress rehearsal and got pictures of the girls, so I will have to get them from her.

So now I have a week to get things finished up before traveling. I have houseguests arriving 24 hours after I return, and my guest room/office/den looks like a dance store exploded in it. I have some business stuff that needs resolving, and my two kids getting left at home need some extra attention before I abandon them to go to Disneyland.

I can't wait!!

PHXscuba