PTR: Duffy and ShellieMay go on an adventure.

[Jonjo]

DW and I are off to DLP in early January 2014 for five days so I'd thought I would start a little pre trip report.

I booked our trip back in May when the 2 nights, 2 days free offer was launched and we decided to take full advantage of the offer and stay at Hotel New York. We will be arriving at DLP on Sunday 5th January so we will be there for the last two days of the Christmas season and we leave on the Thursday.

Our Eurostar tickets are booked and we will be traveling down to London on the Saturday where we will staying at a hotel near St Pancras International the night before we leave on the train to France.

To make our trip complete today I booked a pair of tickets for the Disney On Ice show 'Dare To Dream' at the O2 for the Saturday evening.

A few weeks ago I ordered DW a ShellieMay for Christmas, but she came home from work so stressed one day last week that I had to do something to cheer her up so out came ShellieMay.

We have now decided to take our Disney bears with us to DLP so Duffy and ShellieMay will be going on a little adventure.

 

[MissSkellington]

How sweet!

I love your Jedi Duffy, DS would love one. And though we've been to the parks loads of times, we have yet to make it to a Disney on Ice! Shame on us...let us know how it goes.

And on a side note...we used to live in Cambridgeshire also.

Keep updating, I'll be following along!

 

[Disneyfanswicklow]

Sounds like a great trip has been planned....looking forward to your updates. we usually go at that time and have always had a great time! Low crowds...it can be quite cold do wrap up warm and take plenty if hot chocolate! :-D

 

[Ms Poppins]

Love your Duffy pictures

Sounds like a nice trip you've got plannned, and your evening at Disney on Ice before will be great

 

[Jonjo]

We checked the park opening hours and ride closures for when we are at DLP yesturday and found that there will be quite a few ride closures during our trip.

Captain EO, Autopia, Casey Jr, the Storybook Boats, Armageddon and the Studio Tram Tour will be be closed from the second day of our trip on the Monday. With Indiana Jones and the Riverboat Landing added to that list closed from the Tuesday onwards.

So to same some time, we have now added the Disney Express Service to our booking so we don't have to worry about taking our bags to the hotel when we arrive, and can hit the parks running when we get of the Eurostar on Sunday afternoon.

The plan is to spend as much time as possible riding the attractions in the Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios that will be closed on the rest of our trip on Sunday and then stay to watch the Chistmas Dreams! show at 9pm.

We are going to have to pop to the Hotel New York at some point in the afternoon after 3pm to collect our room key and put our bags in the room and then head back to the park.

Our resturant planning is coming along with the Blue Lagoon and the Silver Spur on the list togther with La Grange at Billy Bob's and King Ludwig's Castle.

I'm just waiting for the first Christmas Park Guide to be published in November so we can start to schedual our meals.

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[ILOVEDLP]

Reading along
We love Duffy bear to

 

[kizzabel]

Oooh im in too - we love Duffy! And am very envious - would love Shellie Mae to appeal under the tree at Christmas! Looking forward to your updates

 

[Jonjo]

With the first Programme for the 2013 - 2014 Christmas season finaly published on the DLP website today DW and I will be busy schedualing our meals for our trip this evening.

This normaly involves printing out a time table grid and moving lots of post-it notes around on it until we are happy. Then I plan to call the resturant reservations line tomorrow to make our reservations. That is when I will find out if our chosen resturants will be open.

One meal we have already made a reservation for is for lunch on the Saturday afternoon when we arrive in London. I have booked at table at the Babylon resturant, located in The Roof Gardens in Kensington. The resturant is set on the 7th floor within 1.5 acres of three themed gardens sprawling over the London roof tops. You get some some amazing views of the London's skyline from up there.

You can find some great photos of the gardens here. I just love these tucked away hidden parts of the city people walk past without knowing they are there.

 

[Jonjo]

Called DLP this morning and made our resturant reservations. Some of the ones I wanted are closed mid week so a bit of a change of plan, but here is our dining plan:

Sunday Lunch
Thought we would just have a quick snack at one of the counter service resturants in Fantasyland so either at Au Chalet de la Marionnette, Toad Hall or Pizzeria Bella Notte.

Dinner
The plan is to pop into Earl of Sandwich after checking into Hotel New York on our way back to the park to watch Dreams! of Christmas.

Monday
Lunch - Blue Lagoon
Dinner - Cafe Mickey

Tuesday
Lunch - Going to try one of the counter service resturants in Frontierland on this trip so either at the Last Chance Cafe, the Cowboy Cookout Barbecue or Fuente del Oro Restaurante.

Dinner - Parkside Diner

Wendesday
Lunch - Agrabah Cafe
Dinner - California Grill

Thursday
Lunch - Restaurant des Stars

 

[Jonjo]

I called the Restaurant reservations line today to book our meal at the California Grill and was told that the Inventions restaurant is closed during our stay in the first week of January and that the Character Buffet has been moved to the California Grill restaurant.

So we have booked our evening meal that at for the Manhattan Restaurant at Hotel New York

 

[Jonjo]

We have been seeing the photos of the long lines of people waiting for Counter Service meals at weekends at the parks and thought we should book a resturant for Sunday lunch. So we have booked a table at the Silver Spur Steakhouse.

That's all our resturant reservations made, and now we are just counting down the days.....

 

[Jonjo]

With five days to go we start packing tomorrow.

The weather forecast for next week is for rain, thunder storms, drizzle and cloudy days, much like home then. But at least there is no snow forecast for this trip and with temperatures at 11°c it's going to be nearly tropical.

Just need to leave room in our cases to bring home an Olaf and a Sven if we can find any.

 

[Jonjo]

Oh well the Greatest plans of mice and men, had a call this evening from the Concierge of the Hotel New York to advise me that Manhattan Restaurant will be closed on the Wednesday evening of my trip and would I like to transfer my reservation to another restaurant. So we moved it to the Steakhouse in the Disney Village.

 

[kizzabel]

Oh well the Greatest plans of mice and men, had a call this evening from the Concierge of the Hotel New York to advise me that Manhattan Restaurant will be closed on the Wednesday evening of my trip and would I like to transfer my reservation to another restaurant. So we moved it to the Steakhouse in the Disney Village.

But that's not too bad of an inconvenience! Lovely restaurant all set now?