Even More Travel Bug Bites

After having such a wonderful trip to Disneyland with my wife and son, we decided that we couldn't wait until next year to have another travel adventure. We wanted to book a vacation a little closer to home and just a little bit more relaxing.

So we have booked a fall get away to the San Juan Islands of Washington State. My wife and a co worker were discussing family trips when she (the co worker) mentioned their annual trip to Orcas Island. Her children (who are now adults) have amazing memories going out every year and meeting up with newly made friends.  They stayed in very nice waterfront cabins that are completely cut off from the internet. This may scare some of you but there is an appeal to not being reachable by every website on the universe.

After some quick looking around we discovered that they have an accessible cabin that sleeps 10, and also an apartment attached to their lodge. Unlike most accessible rooms these are both waterfront. After contacting them on Friday asking them about the accessibility of the apartment (door width, is there a ramp, how wheelchair friendly are the grounds) and getting a reply on Easter Sunday (cheerful and full of major details including an offer to move some furniture and creating a make shift ramp),  we booked the apartment as we do not need room for ten. I will share what I find about the area in future posts but let me just say that I am very much looking forward to cooking some seafood, Riding my handcycle, taking some pictures, and hanging out in a beach chair watching my kid play in the cold water of the Puget Sound.

Not that I don't love my Disneyland vacation but it will be very nice to connect to nature again.

Return the Conquering Heroes

It has taken me several weeks to figure out exactly what I want to post about this vacation. After all, this is my frst trip to Disneyland with a little kid (all  previous trips were with teens or adults), the first trip as a family. So it seemed to deserve a special post.  I can say per usual that the new and referbished Disney rides are gettting better accessibleized every trip I go. The Little Mermaid ride is prime example of that with it's roll in car with room for the family. The King Arthur Carousel has had a ramp added so that I could ride it along with my wife and son whjich was nice. The fear that my son wouldn't like the rides or be afraid to go on an atraction were totally unecessary, as he is quite the daredevil (whom I will have to keep up with when he is a little older and a little taller). It was a wonderful family vacation with the great Disney magic that I have beome spoiled to expect. The staff at the parks and hotels were top notch. My travel agent let them know that it was my son's first visit so that he had a special pin he could wear which blew his mind. He even got to meet the mouse himself. All in all it was a great vacation until we got sick. Yep we were exposed to a bug before our trip and went full blown sick the day before we were suppose to fly out (which really puts a damper on the close down on your vacation).

I have to say that it was still great to go down there. I rode some rides that I never had any interest in (until my son came along I had never explored the kiddie rides). It's a Small World has a specialized boat for people who want to stay in wheelchairs (which I knew, but it is still nice), I have heard that Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland both have a vehicle that has a wider opening for easier transfers (although we didn't ride it so I cannt tell you how easy the transfers are), in Toontown Mickey and Minnie's house are accessible for wheelchairs (if not a little tight in spots). In DCA the new Little Mermaid  ride has it's own ride vehicle that I can roll up on and ride with two other passengers. The Monster's INC ride has a roll up ride vehicle too and if you plan it just right you can go on it more than once in a row. SWEET!

There is a lot of construction going on with the addition of Carsland, and Buena Vista Street. This leads to some bottle necks and weird detours that do not flow as smoothly as previous trips. All that accounted for it was still a great family vacation with  wonderful Disney magic. We will definately go back....when my son is a little taller.

Kid Friendly restaurant choices in Disneyland

Here is a handy list that we had on our phones and on laminated index cards for food choices inside the Disneyland Resort. These were great when trying to find food that wasn't fried and also that were kid friendly. I hope they help you if you are heading to the happiest place on earth. Please excuse my shorthand but I am not quite a proficient smart phone typer.

Disneyland food choices



Main Street

Plaza Inn BLD

Refreshment Corner (Mikey pretzel + chili) Blue Ribbon Bakery ( yogurt veg) Fruit Cart


Adventureland

Bengal BBQ

Tiki juice bar ( Dole Whip)

Tropical Imports ( fruit stand )

New Orleans Square

Blue Bayou ( lunch )

French Market ( salad lunch)

Royal Street Veranda( soup)

Critter Country

Hungry Bear (L/D)

Fruit Cart (Kids power pAck)

Harbor Galley (soup&salad)

Frontierland
Riverbelle (BLD) fruit
Fantasyland

None

Toontown

Clarabelles (power pack salad sandwich)

Daisy's Dinner (pizza, applesauce )

Pluto's Doghouse (Mac-n-cheese, apples )

Tomorrowland

Tomorrow land terrace (fruit plate, vegiburger, sandwich)
 Reds Rocket Pizza Port (pasta/salads)
Fruit Cart tomorrow land terrace


DCA

Backlot

Fairfax Market ( fruit)

Schmoozies

Studio Catering Co. ( sandwich, salad)
Golden State

Taste pilots grill (burgers,ribs,)

Cucina Cucamonga (Mexican)

Lucky fortune cookery (Asian)

Pacific Wharf Cafe (Powerpacks, kids turkey wrap, soup,sandwich)

Paradise Pier

Boardwalk pizzeria & pasta (l/d)

Corndog Castle

Paridise garden grill ( l/d, kids meal, skewers)



Hotels

PP

PCH grill ( character breakfast, dinner)

DLH

Coffee House (breakfast fruit yogurt)

Goofy's Kitchen ( buffet Mac n cheese)

Tangara Terrace (bld, Hawaiian food yogurt. Vegi and to go)

GCH
White water snacks

Storytellers cafe

5 Fave Friday - Travel Apps

Where ever you look today it seems everyone has a smart phone. From IPhone, Droids, to Blackberry people want to stay connected. This seems particularly true for travelers who use apps for everything from checking in to the airlines to playing games while waiting for a cab, or even messaging someone and sending emails. I am no exception to this technological craze having had a quad band Blackberry that I could instant message my wife even when she was in Europe. I am now using an IPhone (mostly so I can message my wife without having a texting plan) but I do so like the deals of the apps while I am traveling. I am new to the apps so my experience is limited but here are my 5 for this trip:

5. Alaska Air check in app - I like the idea that I can check in for my flight while waiting on the plane for the isle seat. This is handy because I am the last one off the plane and that can make it difficult when trying to make the connection.

4. Angry Birds (free edition) - My 2 year old gets squirmy when we have to wait in lines so we discovered this game. He likes the sounds that the birds make when they are tossed into the air, and also yelling "BOOM!!" when the buildings are knocked over. I see us playing this while waiting for Dumbo, or Smallworld.

3. Packing (+TO DO!) by Quinn Genzel - We are list people. A smooth trip starts out with many lists and this is a great one for figuring out what you have and where it is. basically it gives a item by item inventory of your luggage and gives a guesstimating of weight. In this age of pay by the pound luggage and no frills flight it really is nice to have things organized.

2. FlightTrack - Live Flight information by Ben Kazez - This will be great for being able to see departure updates when I am away from the big board, it has great maps that I can zoom in on gives me gate numbers and much more. I figure I will have at least one more big trip in a year and this will be very handy to have for it.

1. Disneyland Magic Guide by VersaEdge Software LLC - I am going to Disneyland with a toddler for the first time so it is very important for me to know where things like "where is the closest bathroom" or "where can I get a kids power pack". This program (which offers a free version) is full of information like ride waits, GPS location tells you where you are, it shows a map with restaurants and restrooms, and has useful things like park hours, and priority dining reservations. All in all I will probably get my three bucks worth out of it on my trip, and future Disneyland trips to come.

List sharing

So I have mentioned that when our family travels we create some pretty extensive lists. Anything from Things to do, Things to buy, stuff to pack, and places to eat. I thought I would share a few of them so you can see what type of things we put on them. Who knows you may have suggestions for me. Please share.

1. Things to do

Pull out luggage -gets the old closet smell out and lets you see if there is any damage to them

Look through toiletry bag - dump half crusty bottles, replace razor blades, make sure that you have what you need

Clean- nothing worse than coming home to a messy house. Especially after staying at a nice hotel.
Pull warm/cold weather clothing- depending on where you live you don't always get to wear shorts or a coat best to go through them early to see if they still fit

Contact bank and CC company - let them know where you are going so that you don't have your cards turned off for suspicious charges. Really important when going outside of the US.

Stop mail - or arrange someone to pick it up for you. Also a good ideal to put a few lights on timers to discourage anyone who might break in

Get cash & Disney gift cards - always take small cash for tipping and food/magazine vendors, or vending machines it is appreciated. Also if you are going to a place like Disneyland that has gift cards buy some. It is much than juggling cash around and it keeps you on budget.

Pack - aways my job and I am REALLY good at it

Put clean sheets on bed - after a long or short flight it is nice to sleep on clean sheets on your own bed.

Snacks - don't buy a $5 can of nuts out of the mini bar. Leave a little room and take something to snack on. Spend the extra on  another trip

Measure Kid- you want to know how tall they are so you can keep them from being disappointed when they are to short for a ride.

Pay bills - in the heat of doing all the travel stuff things can be forgotten. Trust me.

Pack DVD and portable player - I have a kid who is good on planes but can get board after the third hour of flight. This is why you bring some favorites for them to watch.

5 Fave Fridays - Tough Jobs

I know that there are a ton of people that think that there couldn't be jobs in travel that are tough. I am here to say that you would be wrong if you think this. When I fly I see all the jobs that are overlooked when the ideal of airtravel (or travel in general) is thought. So in my opinion and breif knowledge, here are 5 tough travel jobs:

5. Train/Bus station ticket clerk - In larger cities this job gets exposed to amped up customers who may be suffering from being overstimulated, smaller towns this person may be exposed to the elements, or forced to stay in a tiny little booth until they are relieved. Have you ever tried to stay in a phone booth for 8 hours. Sounds tough to me.

4. Hotel/Cruise ship custodial - These under appreciated people have the thankless job of cleaning up after people who (lets face it) are on vacation and therefore not concerned that they left all the wet towels on the floor, or missed the toilet bowel all together. If you work on a ship you not only have to keep your area rooms clean but you have to make a towel animal every night (or people complain). They manage to do all this with a smile, or helpful attitude. Think you could smile at a person who just trashed a room you cleaned up less than 8 hours ago? Me neither.

3. Train Stewards/Flight Attendants - Despite what TV shows us these jobs are not "Pan Am" or "Thomas the Tank Engine". These folks are on the front lines taking abuse from intoxicated and rude passengers, disrespectful kids/teens, unruly seniors. Rarely do you hear a complaint from them (how they don't manage to spill a drink or toss more passengers...looking at you Alec Baldwin...is beyond me). Try to be nice on your next trip, you would be amazed.

2. Customer Service Operators - There are many names that this position goes by but basically they are there to answer your questions and help when something goes wrong (because no one ever calls when they have had a good trip). They have to put up with a ton of crap from people who have legitimate complaints, as well as those people who didn't prepare properly and missed their flight/bus/train/etc. I guarantee that you would cuss someone out if you had to deal with just a fraction of their calls.

1. Baggage Handlers and Support Personnel - These people are out in the elements, work holidays/nights/weekends, NEVER get compliments when they do a good job (when was the last time you heard someone say great job loading the bags into the airplane). As with all of these jobs they do not make a ton of money, and there isn't much job security thanks to the economy.

So if you are fortunate enough to get to travel, and you just happen to run into someone on this list (or someone who is not). Thank them for doing a great job. You will make their day

You may be right, I may be crazy...

I may very well be a little insane to use Disneyland as incentive to potty train my son, thinking I would have a little time before he would "meet Mickey". However whats done is done and I plan to uphold my part of the bargain. That being said I want it to be a good trip and that means planning. I and my wife have been to DL many times and I could probably give you directions around the park over the phone just by what you describe to me. Having a little one with us is a bit of a switch, as we will end up in all the areas we avoided on previous trips. As with all my trips I have a distinct order of how I plan (alongside my travel agent Mary in the Mt Vernon AAA office). Start off with the following and you should do well:

1. How much time do I have between now and the trip? This will let you figure out how much money you can save between now and then. Hopefully alleviating any need to go into debt. I know some people who wait until tax time because they figure they can use their refund on a trip. What ever you are comfortable with.
2. How much money do I currently have for the trip? This is very important, as it will determine not only if you can go, but were you can afford to stay/eat/souvenirs/and transportation/etc. Try to do a budget and then look at how much you can save realistically for this type of trip.
3. Once the money is figured out then you can start looking at the hotels that your budget will allow for. Even if you are on a bare bones budget you can get a decent hotel. You just have to look hard and consult experts ( travel agents, friends who go there a lot, you know). If you have little kids make sure that they have good ratings on travel sites, that they have a pool (your kids are not going to want to be at the park the whole time) and that it is in some part restful. After all that is the reason behind a vacation.
4. Admission and other askadentals. Park admission is steep. However we just learned that if your kiddo is under 2 years old he gets in free (partially the reason we are doing this trip before his birthday). Askadentals are the things that are not covered as incidentals (i.e. glow sticks, balloons, baked goods, and that glass of wine with dinner).
5. Transportation to the park. Do you live close enough to drive (or do you want to do a National Lampoon trip before the park). What would it cost to fly or take the train. Do I take shuttles, cabs, or rent a car. These are all deeply individualized things. I can tell you that we will fly and take a super shuttle, and use the ART system if we need to get around Anaheim.
6. Make your travel lists (what do I need to do/pack/buy/etc. before the trip). These will be revised over and over before you leave. It is just a guideline so that you don't forget your kids blankie.
7. Get in  "park shape". This may mean that you have to do some exercise. Walking, weights, any cardio to prepare you for the hours and hours of walking transfers, lifting of children, and various other activities. It would be a shame to hurt yourself, or get so exhausted on the first or second day that you cannot enjoy the rest of your time there.
8. Review all your travel documents. You will want to be relatively familiar with your travel itinerary so that you will know where you need to be, at what time, with which air carrier/bus company/train station/shuttle company/rental car agency. If you save this for the day of the trip you will just add stress to that day and make it more difficult than it needs to be.
9. Travel. Once you have prepared yourself as well as you can it is time to roll with the punches. Things will happen. It just will so try to remain calm, and work with the people who may be trying to help make your situation better. Yelling at the ticket person doesn't do any good and it might keep you from boarding the plane.

Number nine is very important because once you have stepped out of your house the day of the trip you are on vacation, and therefore have very little control. Things will go right, and things will go wrong. If you plan ahead it will make both scenarios go just a little smoother.