It's Genetic! 1985-2012 2012 November day 3 3/23

[PixiDustDears]

I've never done a trip report so please bear with me. My addiction with Disney began early and I blame it entirely on my Aunt and Uncle. When I was around 7 they took my Great Aunt (Madena) and Great Grandma to Disneyland. This would have been about 1985 I think. They had a blast! Now 5 generations later (Great Granny, Great Aunt, Aunt, Me, My Children) Disney is a family tradition!

Table of Contents:

2009
Pics from 1986
1991/1992
Intoduction and New Years Eve 2006
A family reunion 2009
A silly sleepover and Morning Madness!
Princesses and I end up back in jail
Wrap up and goodbyes

2010
2010 Begins in Hollywood!
Alphabet Fun
Poor Tink
I'm Wishing...+DCA
Toon Town pt 1
Toon Town pt 2 (just pics)
DCA and Day 3

2011-Halloween Time!

Day 1 Trick or Treat!
Day 2- A day in DCA pt 1
Day 2/3 WOC and the start of a day of firsts
2011 Photo wrap up

Thanksgiving 2012

An AP Surprise!
Its the Mickey and Friends Tram
Day 2...sorta lol
Day 3 Splash!

Here are some pictures from their first trip that started it all. It's fun to look at these old pictures of the park. It's also interesting to compare picture quality as the years go by as well!

Granny and Dean in front of the Haunted Mansion

Granny and Uncle David

Uncle David, Dean and Granny meeting Pinocchio and Giddeon

Granny with her favorite guy: Donald!

After their trip they brought me my very first pair of ears! (With my cousin)

My Great Aunt had so much fun that she wanted to go again. This time she wanted to take me, my Aunt Cindy, and my cousin Gary. My cousin and I saved cans for over a year for our spending money. My Great Aunt who was a seamstress sewed us new clothes for the trip. We were all set.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I LOVE old Disneyland pictures!! Thank you for sharing!

My parents recently had their first Disneyland trip home movie footage (from 1964) put on DVD and we watched it over the July 4th weekend. So fun to see how things have changed/remained the same.

 

[PixiDustDears]

I don't remember much of our first trip to Disney. The pictures have October of 86 on the back of these. The area around the park was so different at that time. There was no Downtown Disney, no California Adventure. It seemed the bus just pulled right up to the front gate (probably not but compared to now...)

My first time at Disneyland!

Photo in front of the flowers.

One of the first characters we saw was Pluto. I remember my Aunt Cindy reminding my cousin that the characters couldn't talk. Pluto shook his head at her and then barked at my cousin!

Here are a few more pictures from that trip.

 

[Belle Ella]

I'm along for the ride!

Uncle David, Dean and Granny meeting Pinocchio and Goodfellow(?)

And that would be Pinocchio and Giddeon!

 

[skiingfast]

These photos are an awesome prologue. I'm wonder if a younger me is in the background of any of your shots. Love how much is the changed and how much has remain the same.

 

[JH87]

I LOVE the old photos!!!!
I am staying tuned for this TR.

 

[PixiDustDears]

I LOVE old Disneyland pictures!! Thank you for sharing!

My parents recently had their first Disneyland trip home movie footage (from 1964) put on DVD and we watched it over the July 4th weekend. So fun to see how things have changed/remained the same.

That must have been very interesting to watch!

I'm along for the ride!



And that would be Pinocchio and Giddeon!

Thanks for helping me with Giddeon! I haven't seen him around in a while. Maybe Halloween??

These photos are an awesome prologue. I'm wonder if a younger me is in the background of any of your shots. Love how much is the changed and how much has remain the same.

Thanks! Everything around Disney is so different but when you walk down Main Street it seems as if nothing has changed!

I LOVE the old photos!!!!
I am staying tuned for this TR.

Thanks! I have a few more to share.

Ok so a few more old photos and then times get a little more current. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I'm really new to this.

 

[PixiDustDears]

It wasn't long after our first trip that we began planning our second trip. Again my Great Aunt made us matching shirts. I wish I had a picture of one set. They were day glow stripes!! You could see us coming a mile away. The characters would pretend to shield their eyes when we walked up. Or maybe they weren't pretending!

You can see us all matching here with Minnie

And Mickey

And here I am with Pluto

I only have one picture from my next trip. It was 1992 and our 8th grade class went to Disney for a graduation trip. I was 12 and completely on my own. The bus left the school around 10 and drove all night. Arrived at the park for opening. We were able to go where we wanted and do whatever without checking in with anyone. The only rule was to be back at the bus before the park closed. I wanted to ride splash mountain at night with a friend. We ran like crazy to get out of the park, almost couldn't find our bus, and made it back with only seconds to spare. Being 12 pictures were not that important to me. Here is the one picture I have from there.

This must be as they were building Toon Town. These little scenes were in front of the walls.

Before high school my parents moved to Arkansas. No Disney for 4 years. I moved back to California after I turned 18. Sometime in 97 my Great Aunt took me on one last trip to Disney. I lost her a year later and still have very fond memories of those trips.

Up Next: No Disney for almost 10 years! So we decided our first family trip should be New Years Eve. What were we thinking??

 

[skiingfast]

I was 12 and completely on my own. The bus left the school around 10 and drove all night.

Lucky you, I got to go to Lagoon. A small amusment park north of SLC.

 

[PixiDustDears]

Lucky you, I got to go to Lagoon. A small amusment park north of SLC.

It was fun but I have to wonder what my parents were thinking. I guess because my kids are still rather young but I can't picture putting my preteen on a bus and letting them go to Disney without more adult supervision. Honestly I don't remember seeing one teacher the whole day. Then again I wonder about a few different things that my parents did back then.

 

[kylie71]

I'm following! I had that t-shirt with Mickey, with the red sleaves!! Very cool. Love your pics!
Can't wait for more!

 

[PixiDustDears]

Well now that I'm caught up to more current times I guess it's time I really introduce myself.

My name is Amanda. I've been a Disney fan since I was a kid (as I'm sure you've noticed by now.) I work as an Independent Living Skills instructor with developmentally delayed adults. I love my job and the freedom it gives me to set my own schedule.

Jeff is my husband and we've been married for 7 years. It was a real quick courtship, engagement, marriage and then onto family. We had our first child almost exactly one year after we met. He tolerates my Disney obsession well so I think he's a keeper.

Brenden is 6, almost 7. He's my tall (4 1/2 feet) little boy. Brenden has some delays and experiences some sensory issues. He has trouble with things like fireworks and had an extreme meltdown one year when watching Fantasmic. But he loves almost all other things Disney. His favorite ride would be Autopia and I know he's going to be in heaven when Cars Land opens.

Sophia is 5 and about to start Kindergarten. She is my tomboy princess. She loves to dress up and then go play in the dirt. She loves all things Fantasy Land and must see either Princesses of Fairies on every trip.

Here is a picture of all of us on our last trip back in 2010.

Our first trip to Disney was new years eve in 2006. Ds was 2 and Dd was 9 months. I'm the first to admit that we didn't plan this trip very well...or at all really. Jeff said hey lets take a trip to Disney! I agreed and we found a cheap hotel on line. We bought one day one park tickets at the gate. We knew nothing about Disney really. We didn't find out you could leave and not have to repay to park. This made for a very long day!!

The hotel was nice and after being lost for a few hours (late at night) it was nice to finally lay down.

The next day (new years eve!) we were off to Disney! Our very first ride was the Jungle Cruise. Ds was not very sure about what was going on. Dd was just happy about everything.

Pooh was another fun experience.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Ds was NOT a fan)

and It's a Small World

Throughout the day both kids took turns napping in the stroller. Even then Ds was big for his age but somehow he found a way to get comfortable.

The park was really crowded that day. We decided to call it a night around 10 I think. We weren't really interested in ringing in the new year at Disney with 2 small children. What we didn't count on was people waiting for the fireworks. (Remember not planning? Bad idea!!) It took us about an hour to get from the castle to the gate. We were directed one way and then another. It didn't help that we were going against the flow of traffic. It seemed we were the only ones wanting to leave. Once out we were ready to head back to the hotel. All in all it was a good trip but things were so much easier the next time we went. By then I had found the Dis!!

First pair of Ears!!!

Next: A family reunion with lots of firsts!

 

[reyasmommy]

That picture with your DD wearing her first pair of ears is soooo cute. What an adorable smile she has. My DD is about to start Kindergarten this too. ((which I can't believe)) and is also a tomboy/girlie girl. ((I LOVE it))

Love all of your old Disney Pictures, they're great!

 

[skiingfast]

This is going to be so exciting when going so much more informed!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Wonderful pictures!

Wow... your 8th grade trip sounds like it was quite the adventure. That's crazy that there wasn't more adult supervision.

Looking forward to more.

 

[PixiDustDears]

I'm following! I had that t-shirt with Mickey, with the red sleaves!! Very cool. Love your pics!
Can't wait for more!

Thanks!! I has that shirt for a long time. Wish I still did.

That picture with your DD wearing her first pair of ears is soooo cute. What an adorable smile she has. My DD is about to start Kindergarten this too. ((which I can't believe)) and is also a tomboy/girlie girl. ((I LOVE it))

Love all of your old Disney Pictures, they're great!

Thank you! I love taking pictues of the kids. Just need to remember to be infront of the camera some times!

This is going to be so exciting when going so much more informed!

It was a lot more enjoyable and not so rushed thats for sure!

Wonderful pictures!

Wow... your 8th grade trip sounds like it was quite the adventure. That's crazy that there wasn't more adult supervision.

Looking forward to more.

Thanks!

 

[PixiDustDears]

I started planning our next trip sometime in the summer of 2008. I was online reading the Dis and chatting with my mother at the same time. She asked me why I kept getting distracted and I told her what I was doing. She told me she wished she could go with us as she had never been do Disneyland before. After sharing with her how I book our trips (I used the Disney web site so that I can make payments over time) she was interested. After talking with my step father, she was determined!

And so it was arranged that my mom and step father drove from Arkansas to Disneyland for the first time. As a last minute addition they brought my nephew Dakota. We were staying at the Quality Inn across from HOJO. My mom arrived the day before we did as they were taking a bit of a road trip. They visited with my step fathers family for the day. We arrived at what we thought was the hotel at about 7 pm the next night. Nope! Wrong hotel! finely found it and had a wonderful reunion! It had been about 3 years since I had seen my mom. The kids had a great time getting to know each other. We walked to Downtown Disney just to look around. It was nice to finely be in Disney again!

Now before I get to far into the trip and the photos, I have to jump ahead to a specific picture. Just so you can get the kids sorted out. On the left is Sophie. She's just about 3 in this picture. On the right is Brenden. He's 4 1/2. In the middle is my nephew. Based on the other two how old would you think he is? He is just a few months younger than my son, so 4!!

Now yes he is a little on the shorter side, but my son is REALLY tall! At just 6 now he is 4 1/2 feet tall!

Ok, so on to the first day. Since it was my mother's first trip she was very excited. But I think the kids were even more excited! We decided to wait for the bus instead of walk. It was a good thing because while we were waiting it started to sprinkle just a little. Dh ran back to the hotel and grabbed the jackets. I would have hated to have walked all the way there and had to wait for him to walk back again.

Once inside the parks my mom had to take the traditional picture in front of the flowers.

We hadn't even gotten onto Main St. (or to city hall to get all of our buttons: Family reunion, dd's birthday, dh and I's anniversary, mom's first time, and mom and Grant's Just Married! Boy were we celebrating a lot!!) when we ran into some characters just waiting for attention.

After City Hall and weighted down with buttons, we were off to Adventure Land. The Jungle Cruise is a great way to ease ds into rides because it's outdoors, slow, and not to loud. (Except the gun shot.) However with the slight rain running off the canvas I was starting to feel like I was on the Grizzly River Run!

You can see the rain drops in this picture.

We walked around some, had a snack, Dh took the kids into Tarzan's tree house. We wondered our way over to Critter Country and found a line for Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. Eeyore is one of my favorite characters and this was the first time I had a chance to have a picture with him. As you can see the rain was coming down harder.

Eeyore really liked my backpack!

I believe next we rode the Pooh ride. We started talking about heading back to the hotel to take a nap and dry out a little. It was starting to come down harder. However I had one mission. I wanted to get my mom on Splash Mountain. I told her we were already wet so why not. She grumbled at me all through the line. She almost chickened out when it was time to climb into the boat. She hit me when we reached the first little dip. And boy did she yell when we got to the big one!! I don't have a picture of it but this icon pretty much sums it up: It's amazing I walked away with my life since she was holding me so hard.

So we were off to the hotel for a nap. When woke up everything was still soaked so into the dryer it went (coats, shoes, etc). Just as we were starting to think about heading back to the park we ended up in a downpour!! So we decided it may be time to just pack it in for the day. Mom and Grant took dn and headed to Walmart to stock up on supplies for the rest of the week. They also picked up some ponchos which I am happy to report we did not need at all the rest of the week! Whew!

Now I'm mostly going off of pictures to try and remember the rest of the week. I think the next day was our Magic Morning. We started off with pictures in front of the partners statue.

I took this for mom and thought it turned out pretty good.

Mom on the other hand took this picture. I guess she wasn't thinking about Walt needing a head.

Here are some more pictures from Fantasy Land that morning.

We stopped into the Mad Hatter so mom could get dn his first pair of ears. And then it was nap time. I don't seem to have any pictures of the day after the nap. Or even that many pictures at night really. I do get better about that in the next trip at least.

Up Next: A silly sleepover and Toon Town Morning Madness!

 

[smarsha4455]

I am along for the ride! I loved the old pics. Have a bunch (some much older) from my many trips as a kid.

 

[PixiDustDears]

I am along for the ride! I loved the old pics. Have a bunch (some much older) from my many trips as a kid.

Thanks for reading!!

I know I took quite a break. I have to admit I'm not a very big writer. And I'm also having a hard time remembering our 2009 trip.

In other news though only 72 days til our Trick or Treat Party!!!

I have the tickets in front of me and am just dreaming of all the halloween goodness.

 

[PixiDustDears]

One night my nephew decided he wanted to spend the night with us after the park. My mom was looking forward to a little quiet (she wasn't used to a little one 24/7) so I figured why not. We were staying at Quality Inn across from HOJO. You can see a little bit of the room in the pictures.

Lets get silly!

They were having so much fun we had to put one of them in a sleeping bag on the floor. Otherwise no one was going to get any sleep.

The other two were out like a light.

Our Toon Town Morning Madness was a lot of fun. We hadn't gotten to experience it the trip before. Toon Town is a perfect place for little kids. Lots of over sized things that they can play with/on.

The Welcome

The kids joined me in jail.

My strong man

Roger Rabbit Fountain

Goofy (Ds was very excited and kept running back and forth)

Minnie's house: Lets have a tea party!!

Ds has a thing for brooms.

The Mouse himself!!

I have decided to take these pictures at every trip. It's interesting to see how the kids have changed.

Our final stop in Toon Town was Donald's boat.
Full Speed Ahead!!!