Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Okay so my son turned 11 on saturday and about a week and half ago asked if he and I could go to DL for the weekend to celebrate, nevermind we had just went the week before for spring break ...So I followed the other LPer's advise about Priceline and selected a 3 star hotel and was willing to pay $50 per night - the computer did it's little wait a moment while we check and wala I was committed to a room at the Hilton across from Angels stadium (about 2 minute drive from Dl). So DS and I leave the rest of the gang at home with Daddy (rolling his eyes over the fact that we want to go to DL again already - hehehe). We leave town right after school - daddy said no missing school again - and get to our hotel around 9:30. We walk up to check in and all around us is people dressed in formal attire for a party and awards ceremony for boeing (i think that's who they said they were with) and I am thinking I bet they wish they used priceline ...SO we go to our room on the 7th floor and we walk into a 2 room suite!! Room one is a living room with a wet bar including a sofa bed, chair/ottoman, desk, microwave, tv, and refrid. Room 2 is the bedroom with a king size bed, another tv, and a closet. The bathroom has separate shower and bath - even the toilet has it's own area and the bathroom connects in a "L" shape to both rooms! The hotel was beautiful with a center atrium that was all the way to the top floor with the rooms going around it (made DS11 a little dizzy). The people were so nice even though they knew we had booked through priceline for only $50 per night they acted like we paid full price and were so very polite. The ART bus did go from the hotel to DL and I was told it was a 10 min trip - but I am PAP so I had free parking so I saved the $6 per day and drove us over. Now for DL Sat morning they didn't open the turnstiles until 8 so no rope drop . The park was slow until about 10:30 and we had collect fastpasses for SM, BTMRR, and had already rode Matterhorn, POC, HM, buzz and had gotten lanyards from the dream team. So we headed over to DCA went to the bakery and fast passed screamin and waited in line for the 12:20 Aladdin show - still sub Jafar . We fast passed ToT. We left the park after that and went to ESPN zone for lunch and to catch the end of the sharks game (they lost . Headed back to DCA and fastpassed SOC and walked down to the wine event (my uncle works for Silverado and was pouring for their event) we missed the start and my uncle was busy so we headed to the Restrooms - but when we got back we couldn't find my uncle so we went to Cal Dream and then back to Screamin. We finished DCA with Soarin and headed back to DL. Fast passed Autopia and road SM and went back to ride Autopia (short wait for FP times. Went over to BTMRR and then left for the night (7:30/8:00) found DS a taco bell and headed to the hotel and was asleep by 10:30 ... Sunday started with us packing up car and at Goofy's kitchen by 8:00 we parked in the hotel lot (get 5 hrs with validation from GK) so we would have to leave by noon. Took Monarail to DL rode BTMRR again then went to JC. Son wanted to shop a little (he already got a couple shirts as we forgot to pack some...oops)Got DS18 the mickey ears with cap and tassel 2007 (grad in 5 1/2 weeks) and my SIL cinco de mayo ears. Walked out through DTD stopping at the big store and deciding against waitimg to get DD a shrek BaB nothing new at Legostore so we head out and leave parking lot just in time to not have to pay. Son had a great time and loved the trip - we also did the Visa Character meet in DCA, son wasn't happy about Chip (liked chip) with the Ariels Grotto background so didn't collect our free picture . Home by 7pm w/little car trouble - guess got some watery gas as it worked its way through had some engine light and backfiring but ended up with better gas and made it home - Oh yeah ran into BoyStory and DyGDisney and starbucks in Buttonwillow
Originally Posted By ABBY Sounds fun. I'm glad your DS got to have a magical 11th birthday I have always wanted to try Priceline but have been to chicken. What happened to Chip??? Other than that how is the Visa Character meet. We were planning on checking that out.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Chip was fine it was the fact that he is an 11 year old boy and didn't want a picture that had Ariels Grotto as the background. What I am going to do from now on with priceline is always request at least 3 stars and if I can't get my price at the last minute I will still have the hotel that I book early (can always cancel the first hotel just not the priceline one) You can look through priceline and see how they rate the hotels they service - I looked at the 3 stars and they were all hotels I would book (or like the Hilton - better). If you don't like the hotels in the 3 star range go to the 4 star range - as long as you are flexible about how far the hotel is (none in the DL area are too far) and are willing to drive to the park or use the ART you shouldn't be disappointed>>>
Originally Posted By ABBY Oh! I understand about Chip now. I didn't read carefully enough the first time. Thanks for the additional information on Priceline. One of these days I'll get up the nerve...
Originally Posted By BoyStory Sounds like alot of fun packed into a little bit of time- cool! As you know DyGDisney and I were there the same day but didn't see you until Starbucks on the way home- talk about out in the middle of nowhere, LOL! How weird was that? PL is very cool -esp for just two people - and you scored a room big enough for even more! Maybe use PL again just for you and non-Disney hubby so he'll be impressed
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove ABBY: we've done Priceline at least 20 times and got burned only once (the now-famous "Diesel Motel" in Oklahoma...lovingly christened by my daughters who said it sounded like a diesel truck was outside the room because the A/C was beyond antiquated). Just try it once....c'mon...be adventurous!
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove Oh yeah! Good report, gottaluv, and happy belated birthday to your son!
Originally Posted By ncnike7 So with priceline, you put in how much you are willing to pay and it pops up a hotel. Are you then locked in? Is there any way of cancelling at all?
Originally Posted By RAM1984 YOU GOT DREAM LANYARDS!???!!!!!!!!!!!!! And all anyone talks about is booking on Priceline? I have coveted those lanyards since my daughter's family (even the 4 month old) got them early in the YOMD. Have been back 10 times and still have had no luck. Glad you had such a good time. Nobody in my family would think it at all weird to do a turnaround Disneyland trip. Especially for a birthday. That suite for $50 was really cool.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains ncnike7 Yes you are locked in - before you can process your offer you have to put in your credit/debit card number. They do have insurance - but it's for medical and you have to have proof you couldn't travel. RAM1984 Yes we got the lanyards - we didn't realize they were that special (we really wanted the ears - DS11 wanted the dream pass) since they had 2 guys passing them out to everyone who walked passed them - they were up between the big thunder bbq area and the pinoccio bathrooms standing on either side of the trail just passing them out around 10 in the morning.
Originally Posted By RAM1984 Yeah, that is how it goes. Totally random. My daughter's family was just passing through the castle in the morning. (And DH and I had left them just moments before to help DD2.) THEN, to make us all feel even worse; when we parted company the next day they got Dream Fastpasses as well, coming off Splash. (We had stayed behind to tend the baby.) I figure all that positive Kharma should come back to us some trip:0)
Originally Posted By ShivaThDestroyer Ruthie, save the good kharma until the clones are with you. If that doesn't work we'll try stalking them. They're sneeky though, they send out decoys.
Originally Posted By abandbelsmom I know this comment will be in the wrong spot, but I've read so many people talking about it...Is Splash really open? Others have posted a couple other comments saying that the Disneyland.com still has it as being down. Are they just doing test runs, or is it back from refurb? Thanks
Originally Posted By GMLSKIS On the free Visa picture here's a tip for next time. You don't have to take as your free one the one that is taken at Aierels Grotto. Have your picture also taken throughout the 2 parks by Disneylands photograpers and have them give you a photopass card. You then can have dozens of pictures from all over to choose from as your free one.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Thanks for the tip - going again this weekend... Priceline $55 for the Courtyard by Marriott in Buena Park (reserved Monday). Happy with price and location since the Pirate Premier is going on, wasn't sure I could find a decent price for a good hotel...
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains 2.5 I think - I am here now and it is wonderful - food nearby, pofolks (very good lots to share), outback, knotts, fudrukkers - best yet starbucks 2 doors down - Disneyland 5 mins...
Originally Posted By dlkozy GML SKIS-did you then just take the photpass card to the photo store and showed them your Visa and asked for the freebie?
