Family of 7 Goes to DLR 2/4-2/10/18 *update 9/9* - “Final Thoughts”

[trishakay84]

Your TR is so detailed and wonderful! I'm way jealous of the journals you made - if you felt like putting them on Etsy I'd totally buy them for my crew, lol. It's fun to read about another big family (we have 4 kids, pregnant with #5). Thank you for sharing your trip, it's giving me lots of ideas for our June trip!

 

[Jaina]

I haven't been on the boards much lately, and I missed your last few installments! Caught up now, and they look so, so fun! I'm actually really impressed with the family shots you did manage to get. With 7, SOMEONE is always unimpressed and/or won't cooperate... looking forward to the rest!

 

[swimchick1984]

I would love a link to the journal that you made.

 

[RedHotMama]

What can I say? Life happened. I'm sorry.

On the Friday afternoon before Easter (which also happened to be my birthday and a major spiritual event for my church), a note was stuck on our front door from our property management. We had sixty days to get out of the house we had been renting for nine years. Since we had moved in, we had added three kids and a whole lot of junk. I was immediately thrown into crisis mode and everything in our life was on pause. The housing market is rough where we live and rentals would disappear as soon as they were listed. But we were blessed to quickly get a new place. But it is much, much smaller! We went from a house over 2000 square ft, to one only 1180 sq ft. We lost a bedroom, and a car-space in our garage. We got rid of a ton of stuff. We had to pack and move quickly. That was rough.

But now we're pretty much settled. We find the new place cozy and like it more than the other house in many ways. Since then, I've been trying to catch up on all the balls I dropped during our emergency.

Now, I'm finally ready to come back. I haven't been on the boards in months and I miss it! I have this report to finish. Also, T and I went on a one-day-date trip in April in the middle of our chaos (because we couldn't change the dates with the hotel), and I have another trip to plan for September!


Tuesday Evening 2/6 California Adventure! - "A cozy, colorful evening"

We had had a super fun day in California Adventure! We’d spent the entire morning in Cars Land, and the afternoon in the Hollywoodland area. Then we bounced back and forth a little between the two.

At 6:10, on our way back into Cars Land, we remembered that we’d wanted a family photo in front of the entry billboard. It isn’t great, but not all the Photopass photographers are very good.

I wanted to try dinner at the Cozy Cone Motel. But first we got another family photo done in front of Flo’s.

While we were in line at the Cozy Cone, the kids warmed themselves by a lit cone on the side. They said it was a cozy cone.

The kids got Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cones and really liked them.

I ordered the Taco Cone. It would have been really good with the chunks of chicken, if it weren't so spicy! I couldn’t eat it.

T ordered the Chili Cone Queso. He was very sweet and traded cones with me. The chili one was good.

But honestly, the Cozy Cone Motel was probably the worst place we ate at in DLR. The value and quality just weren’t there. But it is fun to eat at the cones, so next time we’ll just get ice cream or snacks there.

It was also cool to eat right next to where Mater was greeting.

When they were done eating, T took the older kids to use the Radiator Springs Racers FastPasses. We were all so excited to ride it at night! It doesn’t look like they got their ride photo, but T did get some shots while walking through the line. It really is beautiful there.

Meanwhile, the little guys and I finished eating. P sometimes talks loudly / yells just to hear his own voice when he’s feeling satisfied. S joined P in his noise for fun, then Mater left, and S was calling at him to come back. Then he saw himself in my camera and waved at himself. Silly boy.

Then I got to use the Rider Switch to ride Racers with E and N. I think its funny that Disney makes the Rider Switch look the same as the FPs in the app. I think it would be less confusing if they were labeled as Rider Switch instead of FastPass. Oh well, it worked.

We were put in the back row. It was the first time N rode in the back and she couldn’t see anything. She was hugely disappointed and kept talking about it for a while after the ride was over. But I couldn’t feel too bad for her because she had gotten to ride four times that day! Anyway, I think we had more fun than the family in front of us.

While we were riding, T and S rode Mater's Junkyard Jamboree while J stayed with P. Then J rode Mater's by himself.

We showed up pretty late (7:45) for an 8:15 showing of World of Color . The spot I wanted (known as the Hydrant spot on these boards) was gone. The entire length of bridge was taken. Everyone along the bridge was sitting down, and I thought if any of them were going to stay sitting during the show, we could stand behind them with a great view. But as I walked down the bridge and asked, everyone said they were going to be standing. I didn’t know where we should park ourselves. It was getting very frustrating!! I hadn’t planned well and it was stressing me out. Finally, we stayed at the farthest end of the bridge behind a smaller group. It ended up being great! They had kids, and our kids sat next to them. They hit it off great and the whole time we were waiting for the show they were talking and having fun together. We had brought a bunch of glow sticks that the kids all shared. The kids all ended up sitting through the show, still talking and playing together while watching. The adults stood behind the kids and we all had a great view! The mother of the other group told us she really appreciated our kids playing with hers and sharing the glow sticks. It just worked out perfectly.

We loved the extra show before WoC that was special for the Lunar New Year. It was about a cute little lantern finding his way home. We were happily surprised that it included Mushu and Mulan. I took a video. It isn’t great because we are off to the side and you can hear us talking. But if you haven’t seen the show, I encourage you to watch it. It really was impressive.

And World of Color was beautiful!!!

I still wanted to try to see the show from another viewpoint, so I decided we’d try for it again on Thursday. And we would have to show up MUCH earlier!

We had walked 10 miles that day and my feet were tired! T ran over to CVS on the way back to the hotel to get me some shoe insoles and a few other things. T fell asleep by 11. I took some notes and went to sleep just a little after.

We didn't get to Turtle Talk with Crush, or get photos in front of the Storytellers statue that day. We resolved to do those Thursday when we’d be back at DCA.

Favorite part:T- GotG, watching S in Cars Land, N in Disney Jr and with Sofia, J finding the artist’s drawing a month later (he couldn’t choose just one!), R- RSR, E- WoC, J- WoC and RSR, N- Flo’s, S- he says his favorite part was the Disney Jr Dance Party

 

[RedHotMama]

The neon lighting looks so cool. Its definitely on my list for May (as well as so many other things...) Looks like you're having lots of fun!

Now that I've returned to the land of the living, I can't wait to find your report for your May trip!

This is so awesome! Love that they left this surprise for you guys!

I know! Its still one of our favorite memories from our trip!

We've just planned a trip to Disneyland for June! It's been 5 years since we've been. I'm enjoying your detailed trip report!

Have you come back from your trip? I hope it was magical!!!

It's fun to read about another big family (we have 4 kids, pregnant with #5). Thank you for sharing your trip, it's giving me lots of ideas for our June trip!

Congratulations on your #5! When are you due? Have you taken your trip?

I haven't been on the boards much lately,

Me, either!!! LOL!

I would love a link to the journal that you made.

I just designed them on my computer. I don't know if I'll be able to upload them anywhere. If I figure it out, I'll let you know!

 

[Jaina]

Oh my goodness, I lived in fear of that happening for YEARS! (At this point our landlady is happy to have us here not trashing anything and taking care of stuff, plus they're in another state for 18 months ;-) so I'm hoping by the time they're back, we'll be ready to buy. But the housing market, both buying or renting, is ridiculous right now here, so...) I'm sorry you had to deal with that with such short notice. There is a family I know that just decided to move AND sold their house in the last 4 weeks, and they're moving this weekend! We have cleared out a lot of junk in the last couple years, but I'm not sure I'd like to have to do it that fast!

I'm excited that you're continuing your trip report, and I look forward to hearing about your 1-day trip, too!

 

[RedHotMama]

Wednesday Morning 2/7 Disneyland! - “A whirlwind through space”

We had an early start Wednesday morning! I woke at 6, and tried to go back to sleep. J (12) was up coughing by 6:30. I sent him in for a long, hot shower. Everyone else got up early, too. It was a foggy morning, and everything outside was damp. So the outside eating area for breakfast was closed. I took a quick photo of my plate while my family was laughing at me for taking pictures of everything.

Look at that fog! We were able to leave early, at 8:30am. I was happy about that.

We were at the security tables, which had no lines, at 8:42, and to the very short lines at the gates at 8:46! I pointed out to the family the rewards of getting out early. They heartily agreed.

We went to check on that line we had found on Monday, that had been shorter than the rest. No one was there! We got the front place in the center line! In this short time, the fog had burned off and it was hard to not squint at the camera.

We sunscreened, took a bathroom break, and happily sung Disney songs.

We also tried to get portraits of the kids with this perfect backdrop, but it was just too sunny, and they were all shiny from the sunscreen.

The little guys got tired of the long wait, but we pacified them with animal crackers. And S (3) hid from the world behind his huge shade canopy.

And now I have to share another flashback. To the first day of our trip, five years ago...

***Memory Flashback***

The first day of our 2013 trip was T’s birthday and we had scheduled a character breakfast with Minnie at the Plaza Inn just before park opening. N (then 2) had never been to a Disney park, and E (then 9) and J (then 7) had only been to WDW, and they had been babies. One of my sisters was joining us for a couple days in our trip. We were all so excited!!! That morning was very wet. We had stayed at Desert Inn, a motel just across the street from the entrance, so the walk was very short. On the way, we pulled out our ponchos we had brought for Splash Mountain. By the time we got to the gates, we were soaked!

But we were at Disneyland and we didn’t care about the rain! We ended up in the front of our line, I’m guessing partly because most of the crowds were hiding from the weather.

The kids were just letting out their excitement, and dancing around, when a Cast Member came over, talked to us a minute, and asked if we wanted to be the First Family in Disneyland that morning! Of course, we said, “Yes!”

So they scanned our tickets, let us into the park, and took photos of us in front of the Mickey flowers.

Then they led us in the countdown to open Disneyland!

It was literally our family’s Best. Day. Ever.

The CM gave us two really special FastPasses. They would let our whole family on any ride in the park, and not just ones that accept FastPass. We ended up using them at the end of our day for Peter Pan’s Flight and Storybook Land Canal Boats.

Right after we opened the park that morning, we had a magical time at Minnie’s breakfast.

Little N was terrified of all of the characters. The Fairy Godmother was the only one she would let get close to her. We had a really special time with her that created lasting, sweet memories.

Thanks for sharing that Magical Memory with me!

***End of flashback.***

So, we were the first in line Wednesday morning, singing and dancing, and a Cast Member approached us. I had actually really hoped this would happen again, and had told the kids if they showed their enthusiasm, we’d probably have better chance.

And… We were chosen to open Disneyland again!! But, since we had done it before, she wanted to give someone else a chance. I get that. I should have said that the two Littles haven't ever opened the park. But I didn’t think about that. I made a mental note in case we ever had the opportunity again. The Cast Member was walking away and we called out that the people behind us haven't ever done it. (Hi, Hunt family from Lodi!) They were chosen, and we smiled, knowing what a great day they were about to have.

We entered through the right tunnel today, because we would be spending the beginning of our day in Tomorrowland! I purchased four MaxPasses and booked Space Mountain FastPasses right away. E saw a lady with Tinkerbell earrings and she just loved them. E hadn’t yet decided to pierce her ears, but made up her mind then to do it so she could get Tinkerbell earrings.

(Can you tell that my husband thinks I take too many pictures? heehee)

Our first stop was the Jedi Training sign up, which was a little hard to find. I didn't get clear directions from the Cast Member I had asked at rope drop. But we found it. There was quite a line. Here’s a video of N (7) playing with P (20mos).

N and J got spots in the 3:25 show that we were hoping for! They were asked some questions and received instructions about returning for the show.

T (Dad) and E (14) didn’t need to be with us for the Jedi Training sign-up, so I had sent them over to ride standby while it was a walk on for Space Mountain when the rope dropped. E loved it. She especially liked the music.

I love the look on her face!

 

[RedHotMama]

Wednesday Morning 2/7 Disneyland! - “A whirlwind through space” Part 2

After the family gathered together again, we headed back toward Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters! It was 10:20 and was still a walk on. We reviewed @WonkaKid ’s tips, and T got #4 of today's highest score (so far, lol)!

We went right back for a second round of Buzz with less than a 5 minute wait.

We saw that Autopia had only a 10 minute wait. I don’t really like that ride, but the kids do. And I’d rather wait 10 minutes in the morning than 25 later in the day, especially when its hotter. N wanted to ride by herself (which would have been great, because then I could have skipped it), but she wasn’t tall enough, so I rode with her. E took S, and J rode by himself. T got off easy and stayed with P.

S was yelling at E that he wanted a red car. Ended up we got three red cars in a row!

Yep, I still don't like Autopia. But I had fun with N. I think Honda needs to upgrade the cars to electric so there aren't fumes. Kinda embarrassing attraction, Honda.

It was time to use our Space Mountain FPs! On the way over, we saw some Stormtroopers harassing some guests and demanding to see their papers.

I was pretty excited to ride Space Mountain! I had enjoyed it in WDW, but it was closed when we last came to DL. Ends up, this time it was just ok. A little boring. I think it needs a lot more stars, maybe some planets or other telestrial glories. Riding in the dark really didn’t do much for me. I mean, it was fun, but I think there are a lot better rides at DLR. The kids liked it. We had forgotten to bring the baby with T to the entrance to get a Rider Switch, but we were able to get a RS at the exit. Then T, J, and N walked back up through the entrance.

While we waited for the others to ride Space, Sam wanted to ride Astro Orbiter. But the app said it had a 25 minute wait, and the sign out front said 45 minute. E said either way it was too long. She took S on Buzz again instead. P had fallen asleep in the stroller while we were on Space.

I love N’s face in this ride photo!

When the SM FP had become available earlier, I had booked Star Tours FPs. It was now the end of our window for the Star Tours FP at 11:50 and we weren't ready yet, so I cancelled them and rebooked again for 12:15-1:15.

T wanted to see Path of the Jedi, so we did that. It was nice and cool in the theater. It gave T a chance to settle his stomach after Space, and me a chance to rest my feet. T was disappointed though. “It was just a commercial!”

We left at 12:33, which meant our Star Tours FPs were ready. I rode first with the older kids, while T gave the little boys a gogurt snack.

We had a great time on Star Tours! It was a first for the kids. But most of us were feeling a little weasy by now.

At 1pm, we caught up with T, S, and P, who had just gotten in line for Astro Orbiter. It was a 25 minute wait, but S really wanted to do it, and T was up for it. We decided to do it as a family. A really nice breeze picked up and made the line for Orbiter comfortable. S and P had fun in line with all of us.

I did not like Astro Orbiters. I don’t like heights, P was freaking out, and poor E was squished behind us. None of us were comfortable at all! We kept our spaceship low and were glad when it was over and we could untangle ourselves. We shouldn’t have done it. The rest of the family enjoyed their ride, though.

T wasn’t sure if he wanted to use that Rider Switch for Star Tours. He was still feeling off after Space. I think it was a combination of all the activities that morning. None of us were feeling great. First, there was the spinning on Buzz, then the fumes and jerky driving on Autopia, and the zooming around in the dark on Space, then the Tours simulation, and finally Orbiter. After Orbiter, E felt much worse. We decided to just skip using the Tours RS and have lunch.

In hindsight, I think Tomorrowland would be a good place for us all to take some motion sickness medicine beforehand!

 

[Jaina]

Man, this is making me so excited to go in a few years when we have older-older kids and younger ones too. Especially when the baby is big enough to ride almost everything. She's almost 2 now, so I'm hoping for an epic trip in about 3 years. ;-) Our ages would be 5, 7/8, 11, 13, and 14. As long as my older kids will still hang out with us. I think they will, for Disneyland, hopefully!

Your flashback memory was so awesome! What an amazing memory, and an amazing day!!

I am not an autopia fan either, and my kids haven't been crazy about it, thankfully. We were able to skip it last trip...

I have a couple that get motion sickness, and I have just given them a low dose of dramamine (since it hasn't ever made them sleepy in the past) each day. It's not worth it! There is also something called "Motion-Eaze" that I've gotten at Wal-mart that is an oil blend that you can rub behind your ears, that seems to help. It helped me after I went on Harry Potter The Forbidden Journey twice in a row and wasn't feeling so hot. Just in case you want to try it in the future.

 

[RedHotMama]

Man, this is making me so excited to go in a few years when we have older-older kids and younger ones too.

It is wonderful when they can help with their siblings! It was an absolute life-changer when E was old enough to babysit.

I am not an autopia fan either, and my kids haven't been crazy about it, thankfully. We were able to skip it last trip...

I think we've all agreed that we'll skip it next trip, too.

There is also something called "Motion-Eaze" that I've gotten at Wal-mart that is an oil blend that you can rub behind your ears, that seems to help.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look for it. Does it have to applied before the rides? Or does it help to put it on after?

 

[RedHotMama]

Wednesday Afternoon 2/7 Disneyland! - “Conquer your fears, and have a dole whip!”

We had had a busy morning in Tomorrowland that left us all feeling just a little sick. After a quick stop in these cute bathrooms, our goal was the Plaza Inn for their famous fried chicken meal.

The fried chicken was everything you all said it would be. The sides that came with it were delicious, too. T said after I ordered that he would have liked to have tried the pot roast but I didn't know that. They were busy grabbing a table while I ordered. While preparing our trip, I had just planned on getting the chicken for everyone. I should have asked if he cared. T and Jared both want to try the pot roast next time we go. But we were all very happy with the fried chicken meals this time. Three of the plates fed our whole family. And we all loved it.

The restaurant is beautiful. It might feel too fancy for my family, except that the food is served cafeteria style and you seat yourself.

When we returned to where we’d left the stroller, near the bathrooms, Alice and the Mad Hatter came from backstage! Just seeing the Mad Hatter made a nearby little boy cry. As they walked away as quickly as they could, the Mad Hatter said, speaking about Alice, “She makes me feel that way, too.”

We had never ridden the Monorail at Disneyland. I think we were feeling full and tired after lunch so we thought this would be a good time.

I really liked the view of the Matterhorn from the loading area. If only the fumes from Autopia didn't carry over here, it would be a really nice place to just relax for a while.

The Monorail wasn't as cool (air temperature) as we thought it would be. It wasn’t really that “cool” either. We've done it. Probably won't do it again. Maybe we were just tired. Anyway, after doing the full circle, we got off and N (7) needed to use the bathroom. We only had 10 minutes before she and J (12) needed to check in to Jedi Training. Luckily, the monorail exit, the bathrooms, and the check in were all near each other, and we made it.

It wasn’t completely clear what we were supposed to do when we got there. No one was directing people when we arrived. I sent my kids to join the group of other kids. I saw a Photopass photographer and asked if there was a card I should be getting, and was given this. I took a photo of the front and back, in case I lost it. I was told I would need to go to the photo shop on Main Street to get the photos. But I figured I’d be able to scan it into my app like the other Photopass cards. I was right.

After being there for about 10 minutes, with the crew waiting for kids, and sometimes calling names out, I wondered if I was supposed to check my kids in. So I asked a CM, and they said, no, if they were given a paper ticket, they were fine. The CMs ended up adding 6-8 kids who were on a wait list. T wanted to get settled where the show would be and have the rest of the family wait there. I asked a CM where the show would be done and he gave me a really vague answer, saying it would be by some blue umbrellas. I could see the blue umbrellas from where we were, and that didn’t look right. I asked for clarification, and didn’t get anywhere. T decided to go figure it out. Ends up the show takes place on a stage that is behind the blue umbrellas, next to the Galactic Grill. I don’t know why that would have been so hard for him to say. But that was the second time I got bad directions from a Cast Member in Tomorrowland that day. They could work on their communication and details.

They gave the kids Jedi robes and light sabers to use for the show and had their portraits taken. These photos did not show up in my account right away. In fact, by our last day, some of the kids' photos were showing, but ours weren't, so I did end up going to the photo shop on Main Street. But I finally did get them. And they look great!

After being divided into two groups, and organized from smallest to tallest, the kids were given directions about the show. We parents were led to where there was reserved seating for family members. T had already found it, and had secured us a center spot. The show was very cute. T had meant to record the show, but it didn’t work out somehow. I think we had forgotten to charge our phones during lunch again, and at least one of our phones was being charged during the show. Luckily, the Photopass photographers got some great shots. N got to fight Darth Vader! And J got to fight Kylo Ren!

After J and N had defeated the Dark Side and conquered fear, we walked over to It’s A Small World. It was less than a 5 minute wait. My phone was still charging, so I didn’t get any photos. But that meant I was forced to just enjoy it. P loved it! It was his favorite ride out of the whole trip! He loved the music, and the colors, and doll children. T got these photos after the ride.

The plan for the day was to move into Fantasyland now. It was 4:35. I was finally able to check the Disneyland app and wait times were longer than I liked. So we decided it was a good time for Dole Whips! On the way over, I remembered that we hadn’t gotten a family photo in front of the castle yet. So we found a fun Photopass photographer off to the side.

On that last one, the photographer told us to show her our muscles we’d worked on last year. T. lol.

 

[RedHotMama]

Wednesday Afternoon 2/7 Disneyland! - “Conquer your fears, and have a dole whip!” Part 2

Then we got Dole whips! The line was shorter on the inside, where the Tiki Room audience waits.

This is the gift card I had ordered specifically for this trip. Because we’d be going to the Surf’s Up! breakfast. I guess I decided to take a photo of it while waiting in line.

T and J got floats. I thought those were too sweet, but they liked them. The Dole Whips were refreshing and perfect.

J gave S his umbrella from his float. It made S happy.

Fantasyland lines were still fairly long (for a slow day), so we decided to wait some more and do the Castle walk through instead. I think it is often overlooked, but we enjoy doing it.

After that, we ran into Peter Pan! He was fun and youthful. He liked that E and J have red hair like him. And he said J’s shirt was the "best color in the whole-wide-world".

At some point that afternoon, I guess I had booked FastPasses for the Matterhorn. T took the older kids while I freshened up the little boys.

They thought the Matterhorn was fun. But E thought the ride was uncomfortable. At some point she hit her hand on the metal bar. She also thought it wasn’t as fast as she had hoped. N didn’t like the Yeti. She doesn’t plan to ride it again.

Next, we went on King Arthur's Carousel. It was 6:10 and was a 10 minute wait. P did ok, but he would have liked much better if I had found a horse that didn’t go up and down. By the end of the ride, the music and lights weren’t enough to distract him from the motion, and he was crying. Silly, sensitive, little guy.

It was a good time to take another break and get some dinner. Some of us had really looked forward to checking out the new Red Rose Tavern, so we headed over there.

 

[Jaina]

It is wonderful when they can help with their siblings! It was an absolute life-changer when E was old enough to babysit.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look for it. Does it have to applied before the rides? Or does it help to put it on after?

We're almost there... My oldest is 11.5, and we can leave the 4-year-old with him if they're both busy, but it's going to be complicated because the older 3 are all within 4 years of each other. But it will happen! And the Motion-Eaze did seem to help me after the fact, and helped it be less rough on the other 2-3 times they wanted to ride again...

I love the family pictures by the castle! I struggled so much to get whole family pictures on our last 2 trips. I'm going to make it "Mom's priority" next time, so they will all have to cooperate (as much as they can)...
I have mixed feelings about the Jedi Training thing. It's kind of a pain, but the kids love it so much! I just have a hard time slowing down for shows at all, especially if it's warm at all. (That's a hot spot to sit and wait if the sun is shining on it!)
Great Peter Pan pictures! And the carousel is one of my favorite rides!

 

[RedHotMama]

Wednesday Evening 2/7 Disneyland! - “A quiet night in Fantasyland”

After a morning in Tomorrowland, and some time in Fantasyland, we were winding down and ready for dinner.

I was pretty excited about eating at the Red Rose Tavern. We had eaten at the same restaurant five years ago, with a Pinocchio theme (The Village Haus, I think), and had really liked the flatbreads and salads. Red Rose has been “temporarily” re-themed for Beauty and the Beast. It has a bit of a different menu, but pretty similar.

Inside the atmosphere is pretty fun and cozy. We were lucky enough to snag a spot right under the portrait of Gaston. Our table was wobbly, which was surprising to me. There wasn’t much of a line when we got there. But after ordering, it felt like the longest wait for our food all week. Just standing at the counter waiting for your food for several minutes gets pretty tiring. After getting back to our table, a whole bunch of people came in and the line was out the door. I wonder how long they had to wait to eat!

I ordered a couple each of the Slow-Cooked Beef Poutine, Poutine Flatbread, and Garden Mozzarella Flatbread for us to share. I thought it all was delicious! T had been skeptical about the poutine flatbread, but it ended up being his favorite. J said he thought fries on pizza was weird, but he liked the mozzarella pizza. Everyone really enjoyed dinner, except N. N didn't like anything there.

I had also gotten us all The Gray Stuff! I was so looking forward to this!

I was so disappointed. It looks better than it tastes. T didn’t like it either. The “gray stuff” part was very sweet, without having much flavor. There was cake inside, and it all sat on a cookie, but even these couldn’t redeem the overly-sweet, but empty dessert. All of the kids enjoyed it, however.

Then we were ready to get out for some more Fantasyland rides. None of us had ever ridden Snow White’s Scary Adventures. It was a 10 minute wait. Peter and I took photos of a nighttime Fantasyland while the others rode.

The kids thought the ride was kind of funny because the ride stops right when the witch dies. Then immediately its like, “Happily Ever After!” Kind of weird.

Next, we all went on the Mad Tea Party! The area is so pretty at night. It was only about five minutes in that line.

It was 7:55 and we decided to get in one last ride before calling it a night. They thought Alice in Wonderland would be worth the 25 minute wait. That one was probably our longest wait in our whole trip. They all liked the ride. J thought the part with the Queen of Hearts was funny. “Off with your head!”

P and I got to wander alone again and take more photos!

We were back to the hotel by 8:50. My feet were so sore! We got the older kids to bed and I started laundry at the hotel. P fell asleep after 11. I took a shower and was finally done with laundry at 11:40. Dried hair and was in bed at midnight. The next day, park opening would be an hour earlier. I was so tired.


We walked almost 8 miles on Wednesday.

We didn't get to ride Peter Pan (the line was longer than we liked), Mr toad, or the Disneyland Railroad. Pinocchio, either, because it was closed when we were over there.

More to try to fit in on Friday!


Favorites: T- Small World (because the little guys liked it so much), R- probably just being able to enjoy time to walk around, E- Dole whips, J- Matterhorn and Buzz Lightyear, N- Buzz, S- Tea Cups

 

[Jaina]

Snow White is always kind of weird... but I love the Fantasyland rides and the area at night! Most people have said they like the Grey Stuff. I'm curious now if my daughter and I will like it if we try it.

 

[RedHotMama]

Most people have said they like the Grey Stuff. I'm curious now if my daughter and I will like it if we try it.

You should try it. We've become very picky. Dessert snobs even. We make desserts a lot, so have learned to tweak recipes and search out the very best ones. We won't use regular buttercream frosting anymore. Also, my husband DJs weddings, so we've had a lot of really amazing cake. Sometimes the cake is a lie.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Inside the atmosphere is pretty fun and cozy. We were lucky enough to snag a spot right under the portrait of Gaston. Our table was wobbly, which was surprising to me. There wasn’t much of a line when we got there. But after ordering, it felt like the longest wait for our food all week. Just standing at the counter waiting for your food for several minutes gets pretty tiring. After getting back to our table, a whole bunch of people came in and the line was out the door. I wonder how long they had to wait to eat!

Yeah, that one gets such a line! Now there is mobile ordering which is sooo much faster!

I was so disappointed. It looks better than it tastes. T didn’t like it either. The “gray stuff” part was very sweet, without having much flavor. There was cake inside, and it all sat on a cookie, but even these couldn’t redeem the overly-sweet, but empty dessert. All of the kids enjoyed it, however.

I agree, it's not really good. When you visit again, try the Grey Stuff Twist. It's at Maurice's Treats (next to the Princess meet and greet) and is a braided pastry with some Oreo cookies crushed up in it, but you get the Grey Stuff dipping sauce, which is sooo good! Completely different than the version they have at Red Rose!

Most people have said they like the Grey Stuff. I'm curious now if my daughter and I will like it if we try it.

The Grey Stuff at Red Rose is different than the Grey Stuff at Be Our Guest in Orlando. In Orlando it's more of a whipped cream/panna cotta, and is really good. The one in Anaheim ends up being more like the frosting on store-bought cupcakes, with very artificial flavoring. It's also weird because within the cream is a raspberry cake and whole raspberry, which also have an artificial taste. You can try the Grey Stuff twist (I mentioned above), which is much better!

 

[BrerMama]

Ah, so much fun.

First, sorry about the rental. We just sold our home of 20 years last weekend and trying to get a place rented (we are downsizing as 2 of our 3 kids are moving out) is insane. I've had an application in with one place for almost 2 weeks and they still haven't processed it. Like... I have my house sold and no where to live in six weeks. They should want their apartments rented. What is the hold up?!? (OK, the leasing agent was actually on vacation for a week, but it's still been 4 business days when the website says 48 hours.) Anyway, moving is a hot mess and I can't imagine doing it with all those kids.

Second, you made me really glad that mine is 18 and drives her own car so I didn't have to do Autotopia. And no Star Wars for us either, although your young Jedis looked like they were having a lot of fun.

And last... as I'll someday post in my own trip report, I was so looking forward to a meal at Red Rose and it didn't work out. I mostly wanted to try the gray stuff, but you've made me feel much better about missing it.

I'm really loving all the family fun you're having.

 

[RedHotMama]

Now there is mobile ordering which is sooo much faster!

I CAN'T WAIT to try the mobile ordering in our next trip! Genius move by Disney!

When you visit again, try the Grey Stuff Twist. It's at Maurice's Treats

Oh my goodness!! I am so excited to try this! I had really wanted to like the grey stuff. The twists might redeem Disneyland for their get stuff flop. Thank you!

I have my house sold and no where to live in six weeks.

Oh no!!! I was freaking out when I had 60 days to find a place. But you're down to 2 weeks! I'll pray something opens up fast for you.

Anyway, moving is a hot mess and I can't imagine doing it with all those kids.

Yes, it was a huge pain. Gratefully, the kids are really pretty good and helped as much as they could. And I have some amazing family and church family that really saved me.

 

[RedHotMama]

I am SO excited to share our Thursday with you! I think it was my favorite day of our trip. There are so many photos!


Thursday 2/8 California Adventure - “Feelin' the magic again"


Thursday morning had a good start.

We had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, so that’s awesome. I really love that we got a good breakfast each morning at the Desert Palms.

My voice was getting worse though. My husband got me these really great, really nasty tasting cough drops called Fisherman’s Friend. I totally sounded like Ursula. “Eric, get away from her!” You know?

This morning, the parks opened an hour earlier than they had all week. So we had to push ourselves to get out quickly. This photo of us leaving the hotel was taken at 7:44, so we did pretty good.

Twelve minutes later we joined a longer security line than we had seen that week.

Everyone must have been going to Disneyland though (using their Magic Morning, maybe?), because we were only the third family in our line for California Adventure.

And everyone entering CA was heading to the left for Cars Land and Guardians. But we took the walkway to the right. I love, love, love the Grizzly Peaks area of the parks! It is so beautiful and peaceful! Walking alone on an empty path that clear morning almost felt like we were in a national park. I took a photo of the moment.

See that lovely Cast Member in the background? She offered to take a photo of all of us on our walk.

We were supposed to look like we were walking naturally. Huh. I didn’t do so good.

More morning photos, walking through Grizzly Peak:

This is looking through the trees at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail that was closed during our trip.

You can just see Koda and Kenai behind the fence.

Just before you reach the Rope Drop area is where the World of Color FastPass machines are located. I didn’t know that I could get them before rope drop, but they let me! Yay!

I had a goal to try out an ideal viewing spot that night.

I must have purchased MaxPass for four of us while we were waiting. But we wouldn’t be needing any FPs right away so I didn’t book anything yet.

There were very few people at rope drop. It was so relaxing, and exciting, at the same time.

Then they let us all the way in! We were the first ones over the bridge to the pier. I remember walking over the bridge, holding my girls’ hands, feeling completely happy.

This morning felt so good. It was a breath of fresh air. To be honest, the day before felt a bit lacking. The nausea of Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland being busy in the afternoon had been little downers for me. I mean, it was still a fun day. But it felt just a little off.

But this morning felt light, and happy, and refreshing.

As we walked past the old Cove Bar, we could hear construction. We shouted, "Hello workers! Thank you!" And we heard a "thank you!" back.

Before our trip, I heard a few people complaining about all the walls that were up at that time. These ones didn’t bother us at all. They were bright and cheerfully decorated.

We went straight to Toy Story Midway Mania!

P (20mos) didn’t like all the fast swinging around when the ride moves you to the different midway-style games. I learned to hold him close and cover his face during all the game changes.

We enjoyed the little scene at the end of the ride. It's quaint.

Then we rode again...

And again!

We rode standby 3 times by 9:45. It was a super fun ride! I wasn’t very good at it though. I can blame having to hold a nervous baby, right?

After our first Toy Story ride, N (7) had asked to ride King Triton’s Carousel. So we did that after we were done with the midway games.

It is a beautiful carousel! Each animal is a piece of art.

Since P hadn’t enjoyed King Arthur’s Carousel the evening before, we stayed off this time. However, while we watched the others, P motioned he wanted to go on. So we all rode again. P and I sat on the bench and it was perfect.