Wrongway and family to DLR, but not under best circumstances

**WrongWay** · 11-13-2010 08:58 AM

16 y/o son and 12 y/o daughter had Thur and Fri off for Vets day. I have vacation to burn as my company got bought by IBM earlier this year and IBM doesn't allow carry. 19 y/o daughter in college in Colorado has class Thrusday morning, but then is off for the weekend.
So, plan is that we'll drive out Wednesday, she'll fly out Thursday evening.
Friday before the trip I'm putting away the junk ofter going potty, and think, hmmmm... is the right jewel swollen or something? Maybe it is my imagination... But, it is really hard. No pain.
Saturday morning, I'm all like, no... it is definatly larger than the left and hard... and this isn't right. Go to urgent care. They're concerned by lack of pian in the swollen jewel, and no fluid sack or anything that could be causing it. I need to get in for an untra-sound ASAP, which is Monday.
So, Monday they the untrasound shows a significant vascular tissue mass. Get to urologist ASAP are the orders.
The earliest I can get into a "mass specialist Urologist" is Tuesday AM. He too is HIGHLY concerned by the mass. Talks about this form of cancer that presents with these exact symptoms and we have to get the entire jewel out ASAP... How about Thurday? I say, no, how about MOnday. Monday will be fine.
Did I ever mention that my mom died of cancer when she was 40, so I'm already 4 years older that she ever got.
Anyway.... We pack up on Wednesday and leave about 3:30. Stop by my 88 and 90 y/o grandparents in alta loma to visit for a couple hours, and arrive at the Ramada Plaza on Katella at a little after 10.
Thursday we eat the free breakfast buffet in the hotel (good food. Eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, pancakes, toast, fruit, juice, milk, oatmeal, cold cerial, etc.) I love this hotel.
We got to Disneyland about 10 minutes after the 8AM opening. Go to Space to get FP, then ride Indy, big thrunder, mansion, get Splash FP, run around all over the island.
At this point I'm cycling between "it may not be cancer, and if it is, cancer in this area is one of the most survivable"... mixed with period of "OMG, this could be like my last trip to Disneyland EVER". Okay, stop being so dramatic.
We go toward Toontown to ride Roger, but it is closed. So is Small World. So, we do Autopia. It was just about to open when we arrived. We got on pretty quickly, but then it took a long time to get off as tehy were directong all new riders to the other lanes to get them open.
We rode Space. Man, the park is really getting crowded. Kids are getting hungry as it is noonish. Took the train past the dinos to NoS. Man the park is getting crowded.
We go to eat at hungry bear, but the line is halfway down the ramp. We use our Splash FP, then head over to DCA. Get tower FP and eat at Taste Pilots. Monsters, tower, get Screamin FP, Toy Story with an hour wait, Screamin. I left about 5PM. On the way out, I get asked to do a food survey. They take me into an office and drop me in front of a computer.
What did you like best about Taste Pilots? It is the least bad of the many very bad food options in DLR. What did you like least? I expect to pay 3x McDonalds, but the food should not taste 1/3rd as good (and I don't even like Mcdonalds).
WDW food totally blows away DLR. Not even in the same league.
Get in the car, dirve to LAX. Pick up my duaghter at 8PM. Stop for late dinner. Back to the hotel a little after 10.
Saturday it is just her and I, for some father-daughter alone time. At breakfast before the buffet opens at 7AM. Mega lines at bag check, then mega lines at the gates at 7:45. Yeah, this is going to be a busy day. 10 min prior to 8, they let us in for rope drop. We get in at 7:55 and are even with penny arcade.
So, we're on a mission to day. As a means to keep busy and keep my mind off Monday and beyond, we're going to try to do virtually every attraction in Disneyland. (excluding the closed attractions, and the merchandizing ones like princess fantasy fair and pixie hollow, and the arcade).
At rope drop we follow the crowd to Pan and the queue is half full by the time we get there. 20 mins to ride. Then over to dumbo with only 10 min wait. Circus train, we get the best seats, cabose looking backwards. Tea cups on our way to toon town, where we arrive at 9AM opening and ride go coaster with little wait.
As long as we're here, we do the rest of toon town including c&D tree house, miss daisy, Mickey's and Mini's houses. We get FP to Space. Nemo subs is too long so we'll have to come back to that. Out to Main Street to ride all 4 vehicles. Omnibus down, horsedrawn stret car up, xar down, firetruck back up. The park is getting packed, and people are pouring in. back into tomorrowland, we ride Autopia. Train to NOS.
Camera died... forgot to charge the battery. Switching to cruddy cell phone camera.
still a few mins until we can get splah FP, so we Pooh it. Get Splash FP, then 45 min wait for hauned mansion holiday. We did everything on the island. Pirates with a long loop outside the normal queue. Man, this park is really packed today.
Tarzan treehouse, get FP for Indy, JC. Already afternoon, so lets use splash before it gets any later. We got put in a log with 4 other big dudes. We're so heavy that we run right past the slow down run, drop off into the deeper water and SPLASH, giant wave SOAKS us all. Good fun.
Twain, we get the chairs center front lower deck. Thunder Ranch.. yep, Raindeer. Daughter has never done Columbua so we spend half the trip looking at the exhibits downstairs.
We split nuggets and ice cream at 4:30 billy hill. Train from NoS to entrance. Christmas parade is starting. We watch a little, grab sweastshits out of locker outside the park, then watch a little more parade before walking through the gallery before doing opera house and great moments with Mr. Lincoln. Then we watch all of steam boat willy and parts of the other movies in Cinema.
Space Mt. Line to use FP is to the ramp. Takes all fo 20 mins to ride. EO. Subs with 45 min wait. Matterhorn FL side. Matterhorn TL side. We get to watch fireworks from the line and get a great view of the finally.
Get BTMRR FP on the way to Adventrueland for Indy. First Fantasmic is about to end, so we flee to Fantasyland. Ride pinoc and Toad. Back to BTMRR during 2nd Fantasmic. Back to Fantasyland for Alice, Carousel, Snow White, castle walk through. FInally, we ended the night at Tiki room.
So, what did we miss? Buzz, Star Tours and Roger not open. Pixie hollow and Princess Fantasy fair... not thanks. Storybookland canal boats (hate it). Innoventions.. blah. starcade and shooting arcade. Other things we missed: Small World, canoes, Astro Orbitor, Monorail. I guess we failed to do everything, but we didn't fail to have a great time and have some true quality father-daughter time... and stay busy enough to keep my mind off other things.
It is now 9AM, and we have to hit the buffet and get to DLR. I think we're going to spend most of today in DCA.