Can you just incorporate a bathroom stop before you even sit down to eat and then have another one when you leave? That way everyone can use the bathroom before the meal and they can wash their hands.
Family bathrooms have started popping up with more frequency in the past few years so maybe you will luck out and find some. Since they tend to be single-stall, they can both go in at the same time or you can all use it together.
Chicken noodle casserole. We just tweaked the Better Homes and Gardens tuna noodle recipe and swapped out the tuna for chicken. We use cream of chicken soup b/c I'm allergic to mushrooms, toss in a decent amount of parmesan cheese and garlic powder and it is a quick and tasty meal.
beerlover I've had cavities filled without Novacaine before and it wasn't that bad; it was more annoying than painful. That being said, the only time it has hurt was when they had to do shots on the roof of the mouth. If they have to do that, ask them to numb the area before the shot; they should be able to swab it with a bit of novacaine. Will your dentist allow you to wear headphones or earbuds? If so, that might be a way to help calm your nerves since you can block out some of the noise.
You cant just book a night. It is an immersive experience so you would have to commit to the 2 nights. Prices that I've seen start around $2700 a person and go as high as $7000.
Oh geez. Baby Yoda figure it is.
If he is a big fan, book him an appointment at Savi's workshop and let him build his own lightsaber. It is definitely an experience that a big Star Wars fan will enjoy.
When is opening? My H turns 40 early next year and I’m considering getting him a night there as a gift.
You cant just book a night. It is an immersive experience so you would have to commit to the 2 nights. Prices that I've seen start around $2700 a person and go as high as $7000.
You need an emotional support human to go with you. They can help distract you/keep you calmer and write down anything that the doctor says in case you miss it. If you have someone you can bring along, do it.
Bowling is hard and I am surprised more people don't get injured. You are flinging a 12-18 lb ball down a slippery wooden floor wearing rented shoes.
I broke a bone in my foot trying to avoid stepping on a cat and ended up kicking the corner of an empty cardboard box. Weird injuries happen all the time.
Post by alleinesein on Feb 4, 2020 22:19:08 GMT -5
gennyu If you like history and just want to unwind, go check it out. But if you have a phobia of large birds, be aware that there are free-range peacocks.
Post by alleinesein on Feb 4, 2020 18:59:03 GMT -5
Mmm...Burger Bench! I am working in downtown Esco this week and I keep walking by Burger Bench and it smells so good.
If you like wine, Orfila Vineyards is close to the Wild Animal Park and their tasting room is open until 7pm.
On your way back to San Diego from Pala, you can take the "long" way and and loop through Valley Center and stop at Bates Nut Farm before you head down the hill.
Post by alleinesein on Feb 3, 2020 19:21:47 GMT -5
I love my Costco Thermoflasks. They still had ice in them after a long day at SDCC. I also have an insulated Tervis bottle that I picked up at a Disney event that is my go-to water bottle for Disneyland. It is smaller than my Thermoflask but it fits in my purse and in most cup holders.
A few times for car accidents that I witnessed while driving home at 3 am. Watched a pick up truck get clipped when some asshole cut him off, he lost control, spun out and rolled across the freeway and everything in the truck bed went flying. I got put on hold for that call because so many of us witnessed it and we all called it in at the same time. Another time, I called in a suspected drunk driver and while I was on the phone with them, the car lost control, crossed all lanes of traffic, hit the center divide, spun out and then the people in the car got out and started running back and forth across the freeway (the 5 between San Clemente and San Onofre).
Called once when I worked in Denver. An air force academy cadet was in town celebrating a birthday with his buddies and some random drunk guy attacked him right in front of my work. His friends brought him into our retail store and he was a bloody mess. Our phones were down due to a water leak at the Westin next door (16th st mall for those that are familiar) and my cell phone call to 911 got cut off. They had to call me back.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 30, 2020 20:42:53 GMT -5
My inner voice works just fine and it has never had some crazy ass convo with itself to fuel anxiety. My inner honey badger doesn't give a fuck about the "what ifs" or the "what could go wrongs"; she just putters along doing her own thing giving no fucks while a musical soundtrack plays along in my head.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 30, 2020 3:30:04 GMT -5
Depends on what is wrong with it. Our oven was having issues and it was under $300 to fix it or $5000 to get a new one and reconfigure that section of the kitchen to fit a new one since they no longer make that size and we would've had to tear out cabinets and resize them just to make it fit.
If it's something that can easily be replaced and fixing the broken one costs a little less than buying new one, just get a new one. If fixing it is cheaper and will extend the life for another 3-5 years, fix it.
Our current oven and rangetop are 28 years old. We've only had 1 issue with each one. They are gas so that might be why they have lasted so long, less things to break and they can do be used without electricity.
Can I ask a DVC rental question? We are hoping to stay in a studio at Boardwalk next year for President's week. we'll put the request in as soon as it's allowed, but does that sound like a reasonable possibility? this will be my first time renting points so I'm not sure what to expect.
The sooner, the better. No one can book it until 11 months out so it really comes down to finding someone who owns at that resort who is renting out their points.
I just did a split stay with 1 night at Coronado and 4 at BLT. I was able to book FP for my entire trip 60 days out from that first day at Coronado
The system is jacked up and sometimes it lets you and sometimes it doesn't. So if it works, great but if it doesnt, then you have to wait. DVC members lose their everloving minds over this all the time in my DVC groups; they love their split stays and throw hissy fits when they have to call to book their FPs because the system doesn't let them book for the second half of their split stay.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 27, 2020 19:24:20 GMT -5
I think I stayed there for a night with escrow but I'm not 100% sure. Its about a 10-15 minute walk from the parks so not far but can seem like it at the end of the day. There is a CVS and Walgreens right on the corner of Harbor and Katella plus a ton of casual and quick service options close by. It is close to the Toy Story parking lot for the parks so you can always use that as a way to get there if you are feeling lazy or want to give your feet a break.
alleinesein , thanks so much for your tips - we are heading to DL in May mainly for GE but have never been either (or to that part of CA even) --- any good recs in downtown disney?
Earl of Sandwich is great if you are on a budget. Black Tap is okay but it is kid friendly; get there when they open if you dont want to wait in line. Naples and Napolini are standard Italian fare. Naples is the sit down restaurant and Napolini is their quick service; they have create your own pizza. It is $$ so you might be better off eating at Alien Pizza planet if your kids want spaghetti; you can easily feed 2 people with one entree.
Splitsville has standard american fare plus sushi. I've had a few things there and while they aren't amazing, they were perfectly fine and satisfied my hunger. Their french fry app (cheese fries) is huge so you can easily share it.
Tortilla Jo's is meh; not the best mexican in town but not the worst. Avoid their quick service; it is overpriced for what you get. They do make tableside guac so you can customize it. Margaritas are always tasty.
Jazz Kitchen Express is great for fresh beignets. They are better than the ones you get in the park. We dont eat at the full service restaurant anymore b/c of food allergies but I do love their bananas foster dessert.
Salt and Straw is a must do on every long trip. Honey Lavender is my favorite flavor. The monthly flavors are hit or miss; the current flavors are all vegan and I wasn't a fan (but their regular line vegan stuff is tasty).
Jamba Juice is currently being refurbished and rebranded. It is a good option when you aren't super hungry in the morning but you need something to keep you from turning into a hangry beast in a few hours.
There are 2 Starbucks in DD; the main one and downtown disney west (by the old movie theater). But offer mobile ordering so if you are staying on property, you can order when you leave your room and it will be ready by the time you walk down there.
We very rarely go to Uva bar and Catal; our last experience at the Uva bar left a lot to be desired. Service was slow, food was underwhelming and I practically had to tackle someone for silverware. La Brea Bakery is another option (and one of the few breakfast options). I dont love it but I dont hate it; I just never really go there.
Dont bother eating at Ballast Point. It really isn't a true restaurant. They have a very small dining area and thats about it. Their upstairs bar takes up way too much floor space and it really is more like a glorified tasting room. If you are into beers, you may want to pop in for a few. I do love some of their sour beers.
One thing to keep in mind if you want to cut down on your food costs is that you can get postmates, grubhub deliveries, etc. We did that two of the nights because even just trying to get a large pizza in Downtown Disney was like $50.
Naples? Their small pizzas are overpriced especially since you can get the same thing in their quick service but that giant pizza is a pretty good deal if you are feeding a large family. I do like their new build your own quick service option but that can get $$.
Fps are based on your park tickets, not your hotel. If they can see in your reservations that you are staying on site, you should be fine doing them for the whole trip. I'm not exactly a pro at this though, just planning a trip for March. Anyone who can confirm?
Post by alleinesein on Jan 24, 2020 18:08:03 GMT -5
Dining reservations can be booked 60 days in advance. Some dining reservations (mostly WOC and Fantastic packages) might not show up at the 60-day mark because the entertainment schedule has not been finalized so just keep checking back every few days.
The restaurant selection isn't as extensive as WDW so you will be very limited in sit down dining options. But, you will be here during Food and Wine at California Adventure so there will be more quick service options in the park. We have started skipping dull service restaurants and have been mobile ordering quick-service food. We find a table, peruse the menu, order and pick up our food.
My only must dine restaurant is Carthay Circle. I prefer it to Napa Rose and Steakhouse 55. It is one of the dining options for WOC.
The Blue Bayou is the flagship dining experience at Disneyland. Quite frankly, it is overrated and if you are on a budget, skip it. You will pay $$$ for mediocre food so you can have the experience of dining inside of Pirates of the Caribbean. If you want the Monte Cristo, you can get it at Cafe Orleans for less money. I've been dining at the Blue Bayou for 40+ years and I will probably not go back unless someone from out of town has to eat there.
For full service, I like Carnation Cafe (fried pickles, baked potato soup, spinach salad, milkshakes) and Cafe Orleans (pomme frites, monte cristo, beignets) in Disneyland. For quick service, I like Red Wagon Corn dogs, Plaza Inn fried chicken, Bengal BBQ, Tropical Hideaway, Galactic Grill (for a quick breakfast), Ronto Roasters (ronto wrap). We dont really eat in California Adventure but we will snack on stuff in the park during the festivals.
There are 5 character breakfasts on property; one at each hotel and one inside of Disneyland. For food, I prefer Goofy's Kitchen because it has the largest variety. For characters, Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn in Disneyland has the most characters. If you want breakfast with Mickey, that is at Storytellers Cafe and it has gotten very $$ in the past few years. The 5th character breakfast is the insanely priced princess breakfast at the Napa Rose. They don't do it every day and it is geared more towards the younger kids.
Fast Passes, MaxPass and boarding groups. Disneyland still uses the traditional fast pass system where you can get a free fast pass by going to the machine and inserting your ticket. We do not do advanced reservations for fast passes; they are day of and on a first-come, first-served basis. MaxPass is a paid service that allows you to book fast passes in the Disneyland app and includes photopass downloads during your stay. If you want to use MaxPass to book your fast passes in the app, everyone in your party needs to have it on their ticket and it can get $$ since it is $15 per person, per day. For a family of 4, that adds up to an extra $60 a day in addtion to the cost of your ticket. Boarding groups are currently being used for Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy's Edge. You must be in scanned into the park prior to park opening in order to try for one. At the official rope drop time, you can go into the app and try to get one. It is the same system being used at WDW but our boarding passes are being distributed in under 5 minutes whereas the ones in FL are still available 15-30 minutes after park opening.
Let go of the desire to plan out your entire day. Disneyland is more of a "go with the flow" park and does not require any planning other than being at the park when it opens. We are a locals park and the crowd flow throughout the day reflects that. Locals start to trickle in around 11 am and again around 6 pm.
I strongly suggest downloading the Disneyland app so you can familiarize yourself with it. Spend some time looking at the park maps; Disneyland is laid out a bit different than the MK at WDW so while stuff is still in the same general area, there is enough of a difference that you will notice. Be prepared to walk a lot and definitely be open to park hopping. It takes less than 1 minute to walk between the front gates of each park so park hopping is easier out here than in FL. Since everything is so close together, you will walk more than you do in FL b/c you won't have to rely on transportation to get between the parks, hotels and downtown Disney. A slow/lazy park day is typically 8-10 miles for me and a normal day is 11+ miles. Bring comfy shoes!!
Im up at Disneyland at least once a month so if you have any specific questions, hit me up.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 22, 2020 23:52:34 GMT -5
$8k-10K a month take home after taxes if you want to keep your current lifestyle and be able SAH. Rent or a mortgage payment is going to suck up a few thousand a month. Add in the cost of commuting to work (car, insurance, gas) and that can easily be $300-$1000 a month if you still have a car payment. I drive a 19-year-old car and, if I am working every week, have to fill up 2-3x a month at $3.50-$4.00 a gallon so it adds up. My monthly car expense runs at least $200 a month (car insurance and 2 full tanks of gas). If you have a gas guzzler, expect to easily pay $75-$100 for a tank of gas. Factor in another $500-$1000 a month for utilities (gas, electric, water, sewer, phone, cable/streaming).
I'd recommend doing an audit of your current expenses and figure out what expenses are necessary/essential and which ones are "fun" and get a rough idea of your basic monthly living expense. Then look at what you have left for housing and start looking for places in your budget; then realize that your budget is too low and up it by at least 50% and see what you can find!
Post by alleinesein on Jan 22, 2020 21:22:16 GMT -5
Poly is wide open right now as well as a few other resorts. As long as someone with home resort priority has the points available and is willing to book it, you should be fine.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 19, 2020 0:13:56 GMT -5
meganew They havent announced an official date yet but construction is moving fast. Avengers Campus Summer 2020 can mean anything from end of May until August. I'm really hoping it is open before July so I can check it out with all my Comic Con friends.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 18, 2020 16:47:32 GMT -5
So I braved the crazies and took part in ROTR opening day at Disneyland.
We stayed at the Grand Californian in a 1 bedroom villa on Thursday night so that we wouldn't have to drive up from San Diego on Friday morning. I got up at 3:30 am to get in line for the park. They were officially letting us line up around 4 am. By the time I met up with my early morning park buddy and got in line, it was 4:15 am. The lines were only back to the monorail track and by 5:15 they stretched all the way back to the entry of DCA. Shortly before 6 am, they opened the gates and started scanning us into the park. We were on main street at 6 am. Once main street filled up, they opened up the hub. We snagged a bench and just chatted while watching the sun rise. One of my old coworkers joined our group of 5 and we synced up all of our APs in the app.
At 8 am, the boarding pass system went live and it was a total random crapshoot. We got our boarding pass at 8:01 am and ended up with group 97. The people standing next to us got group 15 and 72 so it was definitely random. They were guaranteeing up to boarding group 82 so we were in one of the back up groups. All boarding passes were gone by 8:02 am!!!
They didn't start calling boarding groups until around 9 am. We bounced out of the park as soon as we had our group and went back to the room to just chill and eat breakfast. There were people trying to get into the park as we were leaving who were pissed that they couldn't get a boarding group. All of the "advice" that WDW people have been giving out about still being able to get a boarding pass 15-30 minutes after the park opens did not work out here.
We headed back into the park after 11 am and both parks were dead; aside from a few rides, everything was either walk on or less than 15 minutes. We figured that the locals who tried to get a boarding pass just went home when they didnt get one and the locals who got boarding passes in the first few groups went home after they rode it. We watched the boarding group status all day and figured that we would get on the ride sometime after 6 pm. At 7:27 pm, our group was called!! One big difference is that you only have a 1 hour return window at Disneyland. We had to wait about 15 minutes to get in line since one member of our party was on Pirates. We were finally scanned in at the ride at 8:01 pm; 12 hours after we got our boarding pass.
The line moved way too fast!! I actually wanted the line to move slow since there are so many things to do in the datapad and we couldn't even get crates scanned because the line was constantly moving. My old coworker is also a huge SW fan so we paired up in line and just geeked out over everything. We had everyone around us in line cracking up and even the First Order officers were trying not to crack a smile. We were the only FO supporters in our group and the only ones excited to see Kylo and Hux. We walked off the ride around 8:40 pm. It was a lot of fun and my mom is dying to go back so it looks like there will be at least a few more day trips in the next few weeks.
Disney did a good job of keeping the boarding groups fairly small and the line moved really fast in the evening. We think it might have gone down for a little bit during the day since they stopped calling groups for awhile when they hit group 61. They stopped around group 114 last night so I dont think they were running the ride until closing time. We left the park at 9 and they were up to group 112 when we walked out. I also think that the 1 hour return window might have sped things up; if you give people too much time, they will wait until the last minute and if everyone does that, it causes a backlog of people.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 18, 2020 16:11:35 GMT -5
Disneyland doesn't really do discounted park tickets. There are a few places where you can get a very small discount on multi-day park hoppers but the discount is only a few percent off; you might save more just buy disney gift cards with the 5% Target red card discount.
Your cousin can book a hotel room with an AP discount but it typically isn't valid for weekend stays so as long as you want to stay Sun-Thurs nights, they might be able to get something at 25% off rack rate so while it is "discounted", you can still end up paying $250-$600 a night depending on the hotel and room type. The only issue you might encounter is that your cousin might need to physically be there to check you in. Back when I used my AP discount on rooms, I would have to show my AP at check in to get the discount.
I'd actually recommend staying in a hotel for 2 nights; drive up in the evening the day before you want to go to the park. That way you can check-in, enjoy the pools, and be able to get a decent amount of sleep and not have to get up super early on your first park day. Then you can also pop back to the hotel during the afternoon for pool time and a nap; this is really nice if it happens to be hot outside.
The Avengers Campus is supposed to open this summer so there is no way to predict how insanely busy the parks will be this year. With ROTR opening yesterday, how people do the parks out here is going to dramatically change. Gone are the days of locals waltzing in after 11 am b/c if you want to ride ROTR in GE, you need to be in the park before it opens. As long as they continue to utilize boarding groups for the ride, expect Disneyland to be packed as soon as it opens while everyone tries to get a boarding group.
One thing to keep in mind is that Mondays tend to be just as busy as the weekend days. Its just an odd thing about Disneyland; I've been on random Mondays throughout the year and they are all stupid busy.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 15, 2020 22:00:00 GMT -5
Late July as in the last weekend of July or the weekend of the 23-25? If it is the latter, good luck finding anything affordable since that is Comic Con weekend.
Post by alleinesein on Jan 12, 2020 20:17:15 GMT -5
Restaurants in Cbad- Campfire (they have a kids play area on the patio) for weekend brunch or dinner any day, Shorehouse Kitchen for breakfast, Handels for ice cream, Pizza Port for pizza.
Up the road in Oceanside, I like Panca Peruvian and Beach Break Cafe.
If the weather is nice, I prefer the Crack Shack in Little Italy but if the weather is crappy, the Encinitas location has indoor seating.
What else do you want to do in the downtown area? If you only want to do the zoo and the rest of your time will be spent doing stuff in coastal north county, definitely get a hotel in that area. Traffic on the 5 can be a bitch and you dont want to have to deal with it every day that you want to do something.