No way Jose! We are going to Disneyland! 3/13 - Movin' on Up!

[jenseib]

Merry Christmas Brook!

[ladylyons]

I hope you and your family had a very Mery Christmas!!! We leave in just 2 short days for our New Year's trip to Disneyland!!! Happy New Year!!

[Lovemy3babes]

Henry is so brave and big! What a great kiddo. I love that he tried it and had so much fun. His scared face is too precious.

[Caretames1]

What an awesome train show! I want to go to New York too!

Henry did look scared on the coaster! He must have loved it to go again. I'm so impressed with Toon Town in DL!

[DisMomAmy]

It took me all afternoon, but I'm caught up! I'm really enjoying your Disneyland pictures. I can't wait to get out there one day. LegoLand looks fun too... we are really on the fence about going there (FL). Zach is 9 & Alex is 12. Zach LOVES Legos but I think Alex would be very bored.

I love the different NY holiday pictures too!!

[podsnel]

Hi Brook! I am not on here much lately, but today, in my frenzy of summer vacation planning (yes- for August- I'm sure you understand ) I thought, I need to read a DL TR! So AWESOME and so HAPPY it's yours!!! Loving it all- only on your first full day- and have to run, but in case ten million of your fans have not told you yet- you are AMAZING with Henry, and don't worry- sooner than you can imagine, he'll be draggin YOU on rides YOU are afraid of!!!

[podsnel]

Yay for the brave boy! He really is soooo stinkin cute! It was great seeing how excited he was about Legoland, too- and you're right, my older boys would not enjoy it! I think we're planning to do Knotts and the beach instead- they're also going to see an Angels game one night (while i run around DL by myself, geeking out on all the stuff they wouldn't do.

Thanks for keeping me company on this snowy day!

[mickeystoontown]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[Tiggerrn2]

Have a Happy New Year!!! Hope you did something exciting to ring in the New Year! I bet it is great fun there in New York this time of year!

[BelleTinkMom]

Originally Posted by brookelizabeth

Well, I don't think I've done a life update since summer...and so much happened since then, but the biggest one as of late is Hurricane Sandy. Many of you I am friends with on Facebook so you know how we fared, but in case you haven't heard, we were/are 100% FINE! I live in Queens, and fairly close to the water, but far enough away that we weren't affected. We didn't even lose power. Joe's office was very badly damaged and he won't be able to go back into the office until next month, but he's able to work from home-so nothing lost there.

Unfortunately that is not the case for over a million people on the east coast.

Hurricane Sandy hit us HARD. There are still people without power. Thousands lost their homes and everything they owned. Many people thought they were going to die...and many did.

It has been a hit on New York City (and surrounding areas), but New Yorkers know how to work together. Within a day there were sites set up with donations pouring in. People were taken care of, homes were already being cleaned and repaired. There is a long way to go, but we are making awesome strides.

I've been fortunate enough to be a part of this in a small way. I was reading on Facebook about the damage, sobbing and thanking God over and over for how very BLESSED I am, and saw a note that there was a donation site just down the street from me. I had NO excuse not to get out there and help. I posted that I would be spending $100 of my own money to buy supplies and if anyone wanted to donate, they could.

Long story short, with that one message over $3,000 was raised! I cannot tell you how much that means to me. To be the "feet" of this little project, blessing others in their time of need. It's been a life lesson for me, humbling and amazing.

I still have a chunk of change and am using it to help families I have met, and using it to help some various projects - like a Kids Center for the Rockaways (Queens - where the 111 homes burned to the ground), a project called "Astoria Cooks for the Rockaways" where people from my neighborhood (and Henry's school has gotten involved in this!) are cooking for those in need - the volunteers working, the people living there who still don't really have a home or heat. Anyone. Last week over 1200 people were given a HOT, healthy, home cooked meal because of this little effort. Amazing.

On Tuesday I will be going to the Rockaways to serve with Astoria Cooks. I am very excited about this opportunity!

Thank you to everyone here who has prayed for New York, donated time, items or finances, either through me or another source. You are MOST APPRECIATED! Every time I talk about it, or even think about it all, I end up crying. It's devastating, and yet something amazing and beautiful has come from it. My words don't even come close to my gratitude. Thank you.

I am soo trying to get caught up on the DIS. I'm so glad that y'all fared well for Sandy. I know first hand how hard those times are/were. I am here on the Gulf Coast around New Orleans, we had Hurricane Katrina a few years back. I will continue to keep all those affected by Sandy in my prayers.

[ClaireW]

Haven't posted in a while but enjoyed reading the last few updates. Really liked seeing the holiday Small World.
Hope your New Year has got off to a good start

[brookelizabeth]

Christmas did me in! I'm behind again!

But, just a quick update - my ticker has been refreshed, we are officially NOT going in February. But we ARE going in March--and for 11 days!

Our plans include:
-2 days spent with my Mom
-the Chip & Dale Campfire at Fort Wilderness
-Blizzard Beach
-the AMC Dine-In Theater
-dinner at Be Our Guest
-and more! Possibly even an offsite adventure

I've been attempting to catch up here - hopefully this coming week.

I hope all is well for you in the New Year!

[mickeystoontown]

Originally Posted by brookelizabeth

Christmas did me in! I'm behind again!

But, just a quick update - my ticker has been refreshed, we are officially NOT going in February. But we ARE going in March--and for 11 days!

Our plans include:
-2 days spent with my Mom
-the Chip & Dale Campfire at Fort Wilderness
-Blizzard Beach
-the AMC Dine-In Theater
-dinner at Be Our Guest
-and more! Possibly even an offsite adventure

I've been attempting to catch up here - hopefully this coming week.

I hope all is well for you in the New Year!

Good to "see" you! Yay for still going to Disney even if it means switching it from February to May. The plans look great!

[Disneybuckeye]

Hi Brook!

I have been a small poster, but mainly lurker, or many of your trip reports. When I found out last week I was going to Disneyland in 2 weeks I immediately went to the trip reports section to find out as must as I could about DL. I was very excited to read your report to help me get ready for my trip. Thanks for all the details and explanations.

I am a little worried as I have no idea what we are getting ourselves into as I have not been to DL in over 20 years. Reading your report and looking at your pictures really helped a lot.

Have a great Disney year and enjoy your upcoming trip!

[PracPerfPatricia]

Henry's face is soooo serious on Gadget's Go Coaster.... he looks scared and like he's deciding something... so cute... I guess he decided that he liked it! That's a great little first coaster... if I remember it is very short but it has a nice little zip to it...

Toontown in DL seemed more elaborate and thought out in DL than it ever did in WDW (although I did think it was cute in WDW but I like what's there now better), it really does feel like it's own land in DL.. and the Roger Rabbit ride is really kinda cute...... I think they used to have a Jolly Trolley there... there are still tracks... Do you know if they decided not to use that anymore?

Hurray for your March trip... & 11 days to boot...