julydeya
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
(our kids') California Dreams! (COMPLETE)
- Thread starter Jaina
- Start date
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
Our kids were still up bright and early (about 6 am CA time I threatened them if they got out of bed before then, so I dont know when they actually woke up) on Tuesday, and they enjoyed playing with all of our friends Disney princesses (they havent been a lot, but Grandma and Grandpa have APs, and since their little princess is still free, SHE gets to go a lot! 
) and watching Disney Junior (we dont have cable) to get in the mood. 
After everyone was up and ready we drove over to IKEA to meet up with other best friend that lives about 45 minutes from La Habra. On the way, of course, we drove right by the Park. 
Our kids were pretty excited and in awe even though they knew thats what we were there to do. There is a fun video I put together of parts of the drive (like when they first realized we were outside DLR) on Youtube. I tried to keep it short, but its a minute and 30 seconds, if youd like a live introduction to our little munchkins. It was hard not to keep whipping the video camera out. How many chances do you get to introduce three kids at the same time to so much magic as on their first Disney trip? 
Here is the link:
DH dropped me and the kids at IKEA while he went to get an adjustment (he is a chiropractor that specializes in NUCCA) and believe it or not, Newport Beach was the closest Dr.(to us) he trusted to get a really good adjustment of that type After he was done with that (a couple hours later) he came back and picked up the kids while I spent a few more hours with my two friends. He took the kids to Downtown Disney, and they had a blast playing at the Lego store and walking around in the Esplanade checking out the Parks from the outside!
Here is DD2 on day 2 (of 6) of having to nap somewhere other than her bed. She did surprisingly well with it!
That night we had a yummy steak, organic roasted veggies, and potato dinner. I love my friends. ;-) And their cute girlies, too. Look at this sweet 4-month-old. She is like super-baby, and almost never cries unless shes hungry or her diaper needs changing. Shes just so content, and actually fusses to be put down sometimes so she can put her little self to sleep. If my babies were like that I would have like 6. (To be fair, her first had colic )
We actually had the house to ourselves that evening after dinner because my friend had to go teach a Lamaze class (shes a L&D nurse when shes not mommy-ing) and her husband was playing basketball for a few hours. Because of their crazy schedule their girls stay up late, so they just went to Grandmas until about 10. So we got our kids put to bed (it took them a while to settle down, DD5, especially, was WAY too excited) and then we got to relax in their little outside Jacuzzi for a while. A very nice treat! Now if only I- had been able to fall asleep at a decent time. WAY too many thoughts swirling around in my head about the next day!!
) and watching Disney Junior (we dont have cable) to get in the mood. After everyone was up and ready we drove over to IKEA to meet up with other best friend that lives about 45 minutes from La Habra. On the way, of course, we drove right by the Park. Our kids were pretty excited and in awe even though they knew thats what we were there to do. There is a fun video I put together of parts of the drive (like when they first realized we were outside DLR) on Youtube. I tried to keep it short, but its a minute and 30 seconds, if youd like a live introduction to our little munchkins. It was hard not to keep whipping the video camera out. How many chances do you get to introduce three kids at the same time to so much magic as on their first Disney trip? Here is the link:
DH dropped me and the kids at IKEA while he went to get an adjustment (he is a chiropractor that specializes in NUCCA) and believe it or not, Newport Beach was the closest Dr.(to us) he trusted to get a really good adjustment of that type After he was done with that (a couple hours later) he came back and picked up the kids while I spent a few more hours with my two friends. He took the kids to Downtown Disney, and they had a blast playing at the Lego store and walking around in the Esplanade checking out the Parks from the outside!
Here is DD2 on day 2 (of 6) of having to nap somewhere other than her bed. She did surprisingly well with it!
That night we had a yummy steak, organic roasted veggies, and potato dinner. I love my friends. ;-) And their cute girlies, too. Look at this sweet 4-month-old. She is like super-baby, and almost never cries unless shes hungry or her diaper needs changing. Shes just so content, and actually fusses to be put down sometimes so she can put her little self to sleep. If my babies were like that I would have like 6. (To be fair, her first had colic )
We actually had the house to ourselves that evening after dinner because my friend had to go teach a Lamaze class (shes a L&D nurse when shes not mommy-ing) and her husband was playing basketball for a few hours. Because of their crazy schedule their girls stay up late, so they just went to Grandmas until about 10. So we got our kids put to bed (it took them a while to settle down, DD5, especially, was WAY too excited) and then we got to relax in their little outside Jacuzzi for a while. A very nice treat! Now if only I- had been able to fall asleep at a decent time. WAY too many thoughts swirling around in my head about the next day!!
Last edited:
DLR29
We create happiness
- Joined
- May 30, 2006
That video is awesome! Priceless. Your kids are too cute, and their reactions to the whole experience is adorable.
Disneyland Doctor!
Disneyland Doctor!
Markie Mouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2010
Missed this until now.
HAHA, awesome. Its not often you meet another 'Zonie. I know I have been 15 times in my life. Went every year since I was a baby till I was 15, then our recent trips. You big girl is so cute "Thats carsland behind that wall......Her: I want go behind that wall"
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
This post is quite picture heavy. Sorry to those that are not into pictures of other peoples' kids! This post also took me a while to piece together. Thank heavens for the video I went through afterwards. I totally forgot about some things!
It was a great one. Wonderful. Magical. Not crowded. A bit warm. But still amazing, and pretty much what I dreamed and hoped for!
We were all up by about 6:30-ish and had to kill time and get ready to go for an hour and a half because the Park didnt officially open until 10! We donned our matching t-shirts that DH had picked out and I had Mickey-ized and tried not to blind each other with how bright we were.
We got SO many comments on these shirts all day, and we wished we had done different neon colors and personalized them for the other days, too. (This pic isn't a very accurate one of the actual color - the pics further down are correct)
DH is good to me and understood my need to be there super early on our first day, so we started our 20-ish minute drive (avoiding the freeways that time of morning!) about 8 AM. I. Was. So. Excited. And everyone else was happy too. ;-) Wonderful DH dropped us (and our double jogger, and our huge bag of snacks, and my shoulder bag with all the things we might need, and our Mickey ears (that our kids were done wearing after about 1.5 hours) and our tickets, and no less than 4 cameras and one video camera) off at the gates and went to park the car at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel & Suites. The kids and I frolicked (pretty much) to security, where there was no line, since they had been open for some time for CAs EMH and took our place in line at gate 12, I think, according to the video. Somewhere in the middle section, 2 groups from the front. I think we got there at 8:40 AM. After about 20 minutes DH joined us, I passed out the first snacks of the day, and we applied lots of sunscreen.
So, SO happy. I couldnt believe we were actually at the Happiest Place on Earth with our kids. It shouldnt have been able to happen, in our current circumstances, but it did, I was thrilled.
The gates opened right about 9:30. We bought our tickets through a friends work (we checked with several people to find the best discount) and we had printed passes that said to take them straight to the gate. They didnt take much extra time to issue us real tickets and write everyones name on them (mine was already printed on mine). They didnt take our pictures that morning, though they were taking other peoples.
As soon as we walked under that arch, (the left one) I cried. I dont know if Ive ever done that before. Like there were a few actual tears that needed wiping. I was so happy! We went straight to City Hall and got the kids their 1st Visit buttons, then strolled down Main Street to wait for rope drop. I dont know how often they do it, but all the shopkeepers, etc. were out lining Main Street with white Mickey gloves giving our kids high fives and welcoming everyone. It was so cool, especially for our 1st day! They didnt do it when we started the day there Friday. I wish I had had the camera out for the first part of our walk down Main Street to capture that! The train station was draped, which was a little weird, but not a big deal.
We knew Peter Pan would be a perfect first ride, and we didnt want to stand in any kind of line later in the day for it, so we settled on the benches by the Partners statue and waited another 20 minutes or so. Many, that sun was getting warm at only 10 AM!
At rope drop we ran er, speed-walked (not running over anyone) through the castle and then had to pause to park our stroller. That extra minute put us just outside the building, which means we waited in line for 5-10 minutes, but the stroller was essential, and we didnt begrudge the extra time it took. Someone else didnt properly lock their jogger though, and we saw it strolling by itself back to the castle. A kind soul stopped it and park it to the side.
Our kids loved- Peter Pan so much. They had never been on anything anything like that! We are the family that doesnt ride the carnival/fair rides, or even very often the mall rides unless we can get a free carousel ride. They are so expensive, and I always think of Disneyland, and how that money could be better applied to a cooler, cleaner experience The black lights were awesome with our neon shirts. You can see an instance of them really glowing once or twice in the video below.
After Peter Pan I followed the rules and we rode Dumbo next. Another bit of a wait. Almost more wait on those two rides, first thing, than most of the rest of the day. The kids liked Dumbo, especially DD2. She kept asking for it until we rode it again on Friday.
Then we checked Snow White, but it was closed, so we headed to the Teacups. Another hit, of course. It was fun that we could all get in the same one! I love the pics we have from the Teacups. (Does anyone actually call that by its real name?)
This was all so exciting and fun! Fantasyland with almost no lines is such a rush, and one that I never experienced until I was about 23 and 8 weeks pregnant with my first! (And running to Space, Indy, or Splash wasnt an option). My family (parents) didnt have a lot of patience for Fantasyland lines, except for Peter Pan or maybe the Carousel. We never did it all at once! We jumped in line for Alice again, 5-8 minutes. They loved this one, too.
(this is before, in the line obviously)
The older kids were anxious to try to Matterhorn (and we didnt really want to do scary rides like Pinocchio or Mr. Toad yet) so we went over to get a child swap. On this one (though not on any others) the CM had us wait in the line that was starting to wrap to the left for a few minutes all together with the stroller until we got to the split line, at which time she gave us a child swap pass. Then DD2 and I strolled over to Tomorrowland and got FPs for Space Mountain and walked around through Main Street by the castle. I saw two stormtroopers in Tomorrowland and was sad that DS6 wasnt with me! I took a picture for him, but hoped he would get to see them. (Hes a little Star Wars fanatic the original trilogy are actually the only grown up movies weve let him watch so far.) I would have relaxed if I had realized that theyre parading around fairly often there. So cool, and something I hadnt ever seen before! (We hadnt been back since they redid Star Tours).
At that point I saw Cinderella with just a few people lined up by the wishing well. I already had a healthy fear of waiting in a 45-60 minute line just to meet a few princesses (which I had never been into), so when DH called to say they were done, I asked them to come meet me! We took a quick bathroom break there between the Matterhorn and the castle and then went to see her. (BTW, my DD5 always noticed the theming in the bathrooms and liked it!) The girls loved meeting Cinderella and it was so fun to watch. I have such respect for the face characters; that wouldnt be easy! (But it would be fun if you were any good at it!)
After Cinderella I stood in the standby line (because I heard it was fun) with the older kids for Star Tours while DH took DD2 to ride the Carousel and what-have-you. The line for Star Tours actually took us at least 20 minutes. Maybe 30. I think we waited in line more that morning in Disneyland than we did the last half of the day The kids LOVED Star Tours. DS6 was already excited about it, but DD5 was even more enjoyable to listen to. We scored front and center seats, which meant they couldnt quite see the bottom of the screen, but they were fully immersed in the action. I was impressed with it too. It was so fun to be experiencing Star Tours again and while not pretty much having the ride memorized. After Star Tours we went over to meet up with DH and DD2 as they were getting off the Storybookland canal boats. (Im not good at even knowing- their real name )
We trekked back over to Tomorrowland for DS6 and I to use the Space Mountain FPs, but grabbed a quick snack in the shade first. I was really expecting cooler weather in March, though I knew its anything-goes in California It was pretty much lunch time (especially with the time difference) so we had granola bars, Go-gurts, and Bel Vita breakfast crackers to get everyone full. (Probably shouldn't have done that -right- before Space Mountain, but DS6 had actually had half a dose of Dramamine that morning because he's prone to motion sickness, so I hoped we'd be okay!)
Both older kids wanted to try Space, but I knew it was unsettling enough that I wasnt going to have them experience it the first time without me or DH right next to them, so we had to take turns. DS6 seemed a little nervous in line, and I told him I could hold on to him or he could hold my arm once we got settled. He declined both, but grabbed right on about 30 seconds later when we started up into the tunnel He did great, but said he didnt like it much and probably wouldnt ride that one again until he was older.
When we got out we opted not to use our child swap right away (or ever if DS didnt like it, I didnt want to scare DD5 too!) and DH hurried to take the older kids on Star Tours again with the child swap while we still had a valid FP to get a second child on. (The child swaps are only for two people). I took DD2 on Buzz Lightyear, and she enjoyed it, especially the talked Buzz in the queue. When they got off ST (the FP line wasn't much shorter than the standby!) we deliberated what to do next, then decided a bathroom break was in order. Somehow on between the deliberation and the walk over to Adventureland, DD2 crashed. DH said he was watching her and that she deliberately snuggled in and went right to sleep when he offered her pacifier. This does not happen. With the later bedtimes and busy, exciting morning, coupled with the warm weather, she was just ready to sleep, apparently. This was pretty awesome since I had worried about whether she would sleep in the stroller or if we would have to take precious time out to take her back to the room to try to get her to sleep there! (Or if she wouldnt sleep at ALL and just be cranky in the evenings!) Isnt she adorable?
While she slept (for quite some time) we had our bathroom break (at what would become our most-visited bathroom) and then we grabbed a FP for Indy.
After that we ran over to Splash Mountain with the remaining 3 tickets to get FPs for that.
I sat outside the Haunted Mansion (which isnt my favorite anyways) in the stroller lineup (with the sleeper) while DH took the older kids on the ride. He likes Haunted Mansion. I am not a fan of ghosts and spooky things, so its not a must-do for me.
They are such brave little people! He said they seemed a little spooked at first, but once they got a good look at the ghosts and remembered it was all for fun, and nothing is really real or can hurt you they settled down and enjoyed it. I enjoyed resting in the shade for a few minutes, people watching, and chatting with my mom, who had been thinking about our adventures excitedly all day. She was wishing they had decided to come with us (both our families were technically invited) but they had just been with my brother and SIL in September (during another heatwave) and hadnt really wanted to spend the extra money. It would have been fun with some grandparents along, but we were actually pretty happy with the way it ended up working out. Its never as stress-free when youre trying to coordinate with people, and this was the neatest opportunity for our own little family to experience together. Im sure there will be grandparent involvement in the future, which will be a different kind of fun.
After they got off HM, I sat outside of Indiana Jones while DH did single rider line. Its one of his favorite rides and we were both interested in the recent upgrades. Our older two are both right at 43 inches, so it will be a couple years before theyre big enough for that one!
At this point our Splash FPs were valid, so I took the older kids. This is one of my favorite rides! DH likes it, but didnt like the idea of possibly being wet for several hours if things didnt go well. The fast passes were awesome; we basically walked all the way to the front of the line, with only a handful of people ahead of us! Many memories of waiting 45-60 minutes in that line (my family never entered a line that said more than 60 minutes, and rarely any that said 45 or more!) really made me really appreciate this! Luckily (or perhaps on purpose) we got put in the back, where one of the kids could sit next to me. DS6 was brave and took his own seat. (Which he said he almost fell out of, as in, probably caught some air, on the drop!) The kids both did great on it and liked it, though later DD5 said she hadnt liked the big drop, and didnt want to go again.
The little one had woken up while we were Splashing and DH had taken her on Winnie the Pooh. After that we finally went on Pirates of the Caribbean, which had been calling DH's name. The line had been 5 minutes for quite a while though, and other things (with slower loading times) had been taking precedence. The older two really liked it, and DD2 watched a lot of the time, but buried her face in me during quite a bit of it, too.
12 rides, (16, if you count the double-ups when we were split!) 2-3 bathroom breaks and a meet and greet in less than 6 hours. And all of it fun. Not too shabby!
We were having such a good time and couldnt decide if we could really leave Disneyland and park hop over to California Adventure. We had decided to see World of Color that night if possibly, because there was an AP event (the Peter Pan showing) going on in Disneyland, and we thought crowds might be increasing as the day went on. Also, Thursday night was extended hours in CA for APs, which would make World of Color busier I thought. And we hoped to see Fantasmic Friday night
For you video-oriented people, here is the video to accompany this first part of this day. (It's really more than half, at least picture-and-video wise. I tried to keep it short, but it's over 3 1/2 minutes...)
It was a great one. Wonderful. Magical. Not crowded. A bit warm. But still amazing, and pretty much what I dreamed and hoped for!
We were all up by about 6:30-ish and had to kill time and get ready to go for an hour and a half because the Park didnt officially open until 10! We donned our matching t-shirts that DH had picked out and I had Mickey-ized and tried not to blind each other with how bright we were.
We got SO many comments on these shirts all day, and we wished we had done different neon colors and personalized them for the other days, too. (This pic isn't a very accurate one of the actual color - the pics further down are correct)
DH is good to me and understood my need to be there super early on our first day, so we started our 20-ish minute drive (avoiding the freeways that time of morning!) about 8 AM. I. Was. So. Excited. And everyone else was happy too. ;-) Wonderful DH dropped us (and our double jogger, and our huge bag of snacks, and my shoulder bag with all the things we might need, and our Mickey ears (that our kids were done wearing after about 1.5 hours) and our tickets, and no less than 4 cameras and one video camera) off at the gates and went to park the car at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel & Suites. The kids and I frolicked (pretty much) to security, where there was no line, since they had been open for some time for CAs EMH and took our place in line at gate 12, I think, according to the video. Somewhere in the middle section, 2 groups from the front. I think we got there at 8:40 AM. After about 20 minutes DH joined us, I passed out the first snacks of the day, and we applied lots of sunscreen.
So, SO happy. I couldnt believe we were actually at the Happiest Place on Earth with our kids. It shouldnt have been able to happen, in our current circumstances, but it did, I was thrilled.
The gates opened right about 9:30. We bought our tickets through a friends work (we checked with several people to find the best discount) and we had printed passes that said to take them straight to the gate. They didnt take much extra time to issue us real tickets and write everyones name on them (mine was already printed on mine). They didnt take our pictures that morning, though they were taking other peoples.
As soon as we walked under that arch, (the left one) I cried. I dont know if Ive ever done that before. Like there were a few actual tears that needed wiping. I was so happy! We went straight to City Hall and got the kids their 1st Visit buttons, then strolled down Main Street to wait for rope drop. I dont know how often they do it, but all the shopkeepers, etc. were out lining Main Street with white Mickey gloves giving our kids high fives and welcoming everyone. It was so cool, especially for our 1st day! They didnt do it when we started the day there Friday. I wish I had had the camera out for the first part of our walk down Main Street to capture that! The train station was draped, which was a little weird, but not a big deal.
We knew Peter Pan would be a perfect first ride, and we didnt want to stand in any kind of line later in the day for it, so we settled on the benches by the Partners statue and waited another 20 minutes or so. Many, that sun was getting warm at only 10 AM!
At rope drop we ran er, speed-walked (not running over anyone) through the castle and then had to pause to park our stroller. That extra minute put us just outside the building, which means we waited in line for 5-10 minutes, but the stroller was essential, and we didnt begrudge the extra time it took. Someone else didnt properly lock their jogger though, and we saw it strolling by itself back to the castle. A kind soul stopped it and park it to the side.
Our kids loved- Peter Pan so much. They had never been on anything anything like that! We are the family that doesnt ride the carnival/fair rides, or even very often the mall rides unless we can get a free carousel ride. They are so expensive, and I always think of Disneyland, and how that money could be better applied to a cooler, cleaner experience The black lights were awesome with our neon shirts. You can see an instance of them really glowing once or twice in the video below.
After Peter Pan I followed the rules and we rode Dumbo next. Another bit of a wait. Almost more wait on those two rides, first thing, than most of the rest of the day. The kids liked Dumbo, especially DD2. She kept asking for it until we rode it again on Friday.
Then we checked Snow White, but it was closed, so we headed to the Teacups. Another hit, of course. It was fun that we could all get in the same one! I love the pics we have from the Teacups. (Does anyone actually call that by its real name?)
This was all so exciting and fun! Fantasyland with almost no lines is such a rush, and one that I never experienced until I was about 23 and 8 weeks pregnant with my first! (And running to Space, Indy, or Splash wasnt an option). My family (parents) didnt have a lot of patience for Fantasyland lines, except for Peter Pan or maybe the Carousel. We never did it all at once! We jumped in line for Alice again, 5-8 minutes. They loved this one, too.
(this is before, in the line obviously)
The older kids were anxious to try to Matterhorn (and we didnt really want to do scary rides like Pinocchio or Mr. Toad yet) so we went over to get a child swap. On this one (though not on any others) the CM had us wait in the line that was starting to wrap to the left for a few minutes all together with the stroller until we got to the split line, at which time she gave us a child swap pass. Then DD2 and I strolled over to Tomorrowland and got FPs for Space Mountain and walked around through Main Street by the castle. I saw two stormtroopers in Tomorrowland and was sad that DS6 wasnt with me! I took a picture for him, but hoped he would get to see them. (Hes a little Star Wars fanatic the original trilogy are actually the only grown up movies weve let him watch so far.) I would have relaxed if I had realized that theyre parading around fairly often there. So cool, and something I hadnt ever seen before! (We hadnt been back since they redid Star Tours).
At that point I saw Cinderella with just a few people lined up by the wishing well. I already had a healthy fear of waiting in a 45-60 minute line just to meet a few princesses (which I had never been into), so when DH called to say they were done, I asked them to come meet me! We took a quick bathroom break there between the Matterhorn and the castle and then went to see her. (BTW, my DD5 always noticed the theming in the bathrooms and liked it!) The girls loved meeting Cinderella and it was so fun to watch. I have such respect for the face characters; that wouldnt be easy! (But it would be fun if you were any good at it!)
After Cinderella I stood in the standby line (because I heard it was fun) with the older kids for Star Tours while DH took DD2 to ride the Carousel and what-have-you. The line for Star Tours actually took us at least 20 minutes. Maybe 30. I think we waited in line more that morning in Disneyland than we did the last half of the day The kids LOVED Star Tours. DS6 was already excited about it, but DD5 was even more enjoyable to listen to. We scored front and center seats, which meant they couldnt quite see the bottom of the screen, but they were fully immersed in the action. I was impressed with it too. It was so fun to be experiencing Star Tours again and while not pretty much having the ride memorized. After Star Tours we went over to meet up with DH and DD2 as they were getting off the Storybookland canal boats. (Im not good at even knowing- their real name )
We trekked back over to Tomorrowland for DS6 and I to use the Space Mountain FPs, but grabbed a quick snack in the shade first. I was really expecting cooler weather in March, though I knew its anything-goes in California It was pretty much lunch time (especially with the time difference) so we had granola bars, Go-gurts, and Bel Vita breakfast crackers to get everyone full. (Probably shouldn't have done that -right- before Space Mountain, but DS6 had actually had half a dose of Dramamine that morning because he's prone to motion sickness, so I hoped we'd be okay!)
Both older kids wanted to try Space, but I knew it was unsettling enough that I wasnt going to have them experience it the first time without me or DH right next to them, so we had to take turns. DS6 seemed a little nervous in line, and I told him I could hold on to him or he could hold my arm once we got settled. He declined both, but grabbed right on about 30 seconds later when we started up into the tunnel He did great, but said he didnt like it much and probably wouldnt ride that one again until he was older.
When we got out we opted not to use our child swap right away (or ever if DS didnt like it, I didnt want to scare DD5 too!) and DH hurried to take the older kids on Star Tours again with the child swap while we still had a valid FP to get a second child on. (The child swaps are only for two people). I took DD2 on Buzz Lightyear, and she enjoyed it, especially the talked Buzz in the queue. When they got off ST (the FP line wasn't much shorter than the standby!) we deliberated what to do next, then decided a bathroom break was in order. Somehow on between the deliberation and the walk over to Adventureland, DD2 crashed.
DH said he was watching her and that she deliberately snuggled in and went right to sleep when he offered her pacifier. This does not happen. With the later bedtimes and busy, exciting morning, coupled with the warm weather, she was just ready to sleep, apparently. This was pretty awesome since I had worried about whether she would sleep in the stroller or if we would have to take precious time out to take her back to the room to try to get her to sleep there! (Or if she wouldnt sleep at ALL and just be cranky in the evenings!) Isnt she adorable?
While she slept (for quite some time) we had our bathroom break (at what would become our most-visited bathroom) and then we grabbed a FP for Indy.
After that we ran over to Splash Mountain with the remaining 3 tickets to get FPs for that.
I sat outside the Haunted Mansion (which isnt my favorite anyways) in the stroller lineup (with the sleeper) while DH took the older kids on the ride. He likes Haunted Mansion. I am not a fan of ghosts and spooky things, so its not a must-do for me.
They are such brave little people! He said they seemed a little spooked at first, but once they got a good look at the ghosts and remembered it was all for fun, and nothing is really real or can hurt you they settled down and enjoyed it. I enjoyed resting in the shade for a few minutes, people watching, and chatting with my mom, who had been thinking about our adventures excitedly all day. She was wishing they had decided to come with us (both our families were technically invited) but they had just been with my brother and SIL in September (during another heatwave) and hadnt really wanted to spend the extra money. It would have been fun with some grandparents along, but we were actually pretty happy with the way it ended up working out. Its never as stress-free when youre trying to coordinate with people, and this was the neatest opportunity for our own little family to experience together. Im sure there will be grandparent involvement in the future, which will be a different kind of fun.
After they got off HM, I sat outside of Indiana Jones while DH did single rider line. Its one of his favorite rides and we were both interested in the recent upgrades. Our older two are both right at 43 inches, so it will be a couple years before theyre big enough for that one!
At this point our Splash FPs were valid, so I took the older kids. This is one of my favorite rides! DH likes it, but didnt like the idea of possibly being wet for several hours if things didnt go well. The fast passes were awesome; we basically walked all the way to the front of the line, with only a handful of people ahead of us! Many memories of waiting 45-60 minutes in that line (my family never entered a line that said more than 60 minutes, and rarely any that said 45 or more!) really made me really appreciate this! Luckily (or perhaps on purpose) we got put in the back, where one of the kids could sit next to me. DS6 was brave and took his own seat. (Which he said he almost fell out of, as in, probably caught some air, on the drop!) The kids both did great on it and liked it, though later DD5 said she hadnt liked the big drop, and didnt want to go again.
The little one had woken up while we were Splashing and DH had taken her on Winnie the Pooh. After that we finally went on Pirates of the Caribbean, which had been calling DH's name. The line had been 5 minutes for quite a while though, and other things (with slower loading times) had been taking precedence. The older two really liked it, and DD2 watched a lot of the time, but buried her face in me during quite a bit of it, too.
12 rides, (16, if you count the double-ups when we were split!) 2-3 bathroom breaks and a meet and greet in less than 6 hours. And all of it fun. Not too shabby!
We were having such a good time and couldnt decide if we could really leave Disneyland and park hop over to California Adventure. We had decided to see World of Color that night if possibly, because there was an AP event (the Peter Pan showing) going on in Disneyland, and we thought crowds might be increasing as the day went on. Also, Thursday night was extended hours in CA for APs, which would make World of Color busier I thought. And we hoped to see Fantasmic Friday night
For you video-oriented people, here is the video to accompany this first part of this day. (It's really more than half, at least picture-and-video wise. I tried to keep it short, but it's over 3 1/2 minutes...)
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OMG I am LOVING your trip report!!! You have such an adorable family 
Your shirts turned out really nicely, I like them. And that "sleeping in the stroller" pic - adorable...a keeper for sure
I totally understand the teary moment. I had it as well taking my DS7 last year, being able to give him the memories etc. There is something sentimental about that
Your shirts turned out really nicely, I like them. And that "sleeping in the stroller" pic - adorable...a keeper for sure I totally understand the teary moment. I had it as well taking my DS7 last year, being able to give him the memories etc. There is something sentimental about that
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
OMG I am LOVING your trip report!!! You have such an adorable family
I totally understand the teary moment. I had it as well taking my DS7 last year, being able to give him the memories etc. There is something sentimental about that
Thanks! Why aren't there more places like Disneyland where you can all wear super bright matching shirts and people just think they're cool? It might be several years before we go back, but hopefully my older two won't be too cool to match;
I had so much fun coordinating and I love seeing the pictures!
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! After how much fun we had, I'm excited for everyone's trips!
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
We knew this was our best chance to see World of Color during our trip, and we were pretty interested to see what had come of all that construction over at California Adventure the last 5 years, so we did our first park hop. It was never any big deal getting through the gate with our double stroller. One parent would push the stroller with whichever kids were in it through the center gate at any turnstile and the other parent and child(ren) would go through the regular exit/entrance next to it. When we got over to CA they realized we didnt have pictures yet and took them quickly. No big deal.
Even though I had seen pictures, it was still crazy seeing CA looking so different from the last time we visited! (June 2009) While I missed some of the old stuff, it was beautiful and fun to see it so fresh and interesting. Is it just me, or are the facades on Buena Vista street taller than they were originally? Awesome. And there were some friends to greet us as soon as we walked in.
We headed over towards the Grizzly River Rapids(still closed) to get our World of Color FPs, but when we saw that Soarin was 10 minutes, DH took the older kids in and grabbed a rider swap. DD2 and I strolled over to grab our WoC FPs (yellow, since it was already 4 PM) and came back to wait for our riders. I asked the ride attendant if I would need another FP to bring 2 kids back on with me for the rider switch and the lines were still calm enough that they just gave me another rider switch. Minnies Fly Girls started performing while we were out there so the little one and I watched that for a while. We didnt get to see the whole show though before they were done with Soarin.
We were starving now, so we walked into one of our good ol standbys, the Taste Pilot Grill. Did their chicken sandwiches used to be breaded, or have they always been grilled? I was ready for a touch of indulgence and was mildly disappointed when I realized my sandwich wasnt breaded and fried
Its easy to be distracted when you have 2 kids that suddenly decide they must go to the bathroom while youre trying to order. I did get french fries with my grilled chicken sandwich on some kind of non-white bun. Great, health-wise, (which is usually how I try to eat) and more or less tasty (with mayo and lots of yummy green leaf lettuce). The fries were good. DH had
something gluten free that he liked. It really was a crazy meal! Oh, he got the chili cheeseburger on a gluten free bun. He said it was good. He doesnt miss bread much, but sometimes its nice to have a normal burger. Two of our kids got Power Packs (goldfish crackers, carrots, apple slices, chocolate milk, and the holy grail: yogurt) and the third got the kids hamburger, but he was upset when it came that it didnt come with yogurt. What can you do? They had all had Gogurts earlier that day, by the way, theyre just all obsessed with the stuff
After dinner DH kept DD2 while I took the other two on Soarin again. I love- that ride. But the screen does look like it could use a little TLC these days Our kids loved it, of course. DS says its his favorite ride in CA. When we got off DH was a sweetheart and said he would go back to the room and check in, move all our stuff in, and come back with everyones jackets. (We had expected to do that earlier in the day, because we didnt think DD2 would nap in the stroller!) Here is a picture he took on his way out of in.
So while he trekked back to the Anaheim Plaza Hotel & Suites (not really a bad walk, but add getting over to the Pier and it took some time!) while we went to ride Ariel for the first time. This ride was a win, I thought. I know some people dont like it, but our kids enjoyed it thoroughly, and I loved how quick-loading it was, so we never had to stand in line more than 5 minutes. Awesome.
After Ariel we rode the Golden Zephyr. Im not sure if Ive ever been on this or not. It seems like its usually under refurbishment or closed for wind. Anyway, we basically just had to wait for the ride to cycle and then got on. DD2 LOVED this one. There is a cute part in the video below where she says, Im flying! It really was one of her best reactions.
We deliberated after this, but finally ran all the way around to the other side of the pier and rode King Tritons. Carousels are always a win with my kids. And with me. I LOVE how at Disneyland I can ride too without anyone looking at me strangely!
When we got off I realized it was past time to be in line (I had been shooting for 6:40, with WoC starting at 8:15) so we speed-walked back around. DH called us on the way, so was already in line when we got there. Not too many people were behind him, (ie he hadnt been there long) so we just joined him. We probably should have had him come back to us, but I didnt think of that at the time.
About 7:15 (I think?) they opened the line and I took one child with me to hurry down to try to get a spot on the rail. I wish I had realized the true angle of the show, or I would have gotten a slightly different spot. I read and read, but still didnt realize the best angle! Next time Ill try to remember to pretend Mickeys Fun Wheel is the screen and well do a little better. Anyway, we still had a rail spot, and could mostly see. We would have been totally fine except there was a family to the back right of us that somehow ended up almost in front of us. Which was fine, in case of the 5 kids, but their parents squeezed right up there with them. I kind of used my arm to form a barrier to protect my kids viewing, but DH was fairly annoyed because even though he could see now, my view was not so good anymore. (Im only 53) As long as my kids could see, though, I was okay, because I knew they couldnt enjoy the show if they couldnt see it, while I could still see some and still liked it. A lot. Being that close was overwhelming in a good way, and I got choked up several times. Definitely cool, and something well try to see again. And despite my fears, the wind was in our favor, and we didnt too misty or anywhere near soaked!
After World of Color cleared out (and I ran poor DD2 to the bathroom for a change, because after 2+ hours of sitting there waiting we couldnt clear the crowd quickly enough to get her to a bathroom!) we walked around by Cars Land to at least get a glimpse of it at night, since we didnt know for sure wed be in CA at all the next two nights. It was already closed off, but it was fun looking down the street seeing it all lit up for a moment. (Before they doused the lights)
Great day. Long day. We were all exhausted. For the first time in most of their lives, my kids got pajamas on, were put in bed, and were out within 2 minutes. I do not make good sleepers. But they sure were that night!
Video:
Even though I had seen pictures, it was still crazy seeing CA looking so different from the last time we visited! (June 2009) While I missed some of the old stuff, it was beautiful and fun to see it so fresh and interesting. Is it just me, or are the facades on Buena Vista street taller than they were originally? Awesome. And there were some friends to greet us as soon as we walked in.
We headed over towards the Grizzly River Rapids(still closed) to get our World of Color FPs, but when we saw that Soarin was 10 minutes, DH took the older kids in and grabbed a rider swap. DD2 and I strolled over to grab our WoC FPs (yellow, since it was already 4 PM) and came back to wait for our riders. I asked the ride attendant if I would need another FP to bring 2 kids back on with me for the rider switch and the lines were still calm enough that they just gave me another rider switch. Minnies Fly Girls started performing while we were out there so the little one and I watched that for a while. We didnt get to see the whole show though before they were done with Soarin.
We were starving now, so we walked into one of our good ol standbys, the Taste Pilot Grill. Did their chicken sandwiches used to be breaded, or have they always been grilled? I was ready for a touch of indulgence and was mildly disappointed when I realized my sandwich wasnt breaded and fried
Its easy to be distracted when you have 2 kids that suddenly decide they must go to the bathroom while youre trying to order. I did get french fries with my grilled chicken sandwich on some kind of non-white bun. Great, health-wise, (which is usually how I try to eat) and more or less tasty (with mayo and lots of yummy green leaf lettuce). The fries were good. DH had
something gluten free that he liked. It really was a crazy meal! Oh, he got the chili cheeseburger on a gluten free bun. He said it was good. He doesnt miss bread much, but sometimes its nice to have a normal burger. Two of our kids got Power Packs (goldfish crackers, carrots, apple slices, chocolate milk, and the holy grail: yogurt) and the third got the kids hamburger, but he was upset when it came that it didnt come with yogurt. What can you do? They had all had Gogurts earlier that day, by the way, theyre just all obsessed with the stuff
After dinner DH kept DD2 while I took the other two on Soarin again. I love- that ride. But the screen does look like it could use a little TLC these days Our kids loved it, of course. DS says its his favorite ride in CA. When we got off DH was a sweetheart and said he would go back to the room and check in, move all our stuff in, and come back with everyones jackets. (We had expected to do that earlier in the day, because we didnt think DD2 would nap in the stroller!) Here is a picture he took on his way out of in.
So while he trekked back to the Anaheim Plaza Hotel & Suites (not really a bad walk, but add getting over to the Pier and it took some time!) while we went to ride Ariel for the first time. This ride was a win, I thought. I know some people dont like it, but our kids enjoyed it thoroughly, and I loved how quick-loading it was, so we never had to stand in line more than 5 minutes. Awesome.
After Ariel we rode the Golden Zephyr. Im not sure if Ive ever been on this or not. It seems like its usually under refurbishment or closed for wind. Anyway, we basically just had to wait for the ride to cycle and then got on. DD2 LOVED this one. There is a cute part in the video below where she says, Im flying! It really was one of her best reactions.
We deliberated after this, but finally ran all the way around to the other side of the pier and rode King Tritons. Carousels are always a win with my kids. And with me. I LOVE how at Disneyland I can ride too without anyone looking at me strangely!
When we got off I realized it was past time to be in line (I had been shooting for 6:40, with WoC starting at 8:15) so we speed-walked back around. DH called us on the way, so was already in line when we got there. Not too many people were behind him, (ie he hadnt been there long) so we just joined him. We probably should have had him come back to us, but I didnt think of that at the time.
About 7:15 (I think?) they opened the line and I took one child with me to hurry down to try to get a spot on the rail. I wish I had realized the true angle of the show, or I would have gotten a slightly different spot. I read and read, but still didnt realize the best angle! Next time Ill try to remember to pretend Mickeys Fun Wheel is the screen and well do a little better. Anyway, we still had a rail spot, and could mostly see. We would have been totally fine except there was a family to the back right of us that somehow ended up almost in front of us. Which was fine, in case of the 5 kids, but their parents squeezed right up there with them. I kind of used my arm to form a barrier to protect my kids viewing, but DH was fairly annoyed because even though he could see now, my view was not so good anymore. (Im only 53) As long as my kids could see, though, I was okay, because I knew they couldnt enjoy the show if they couldnt see it, while I could still see some and still liked it. A lot. Being that close was overwhelming in a good way, and I got choked up several times. Definitely cool, and something well try to see again. And despite my fears, the wind was in our favor, and we didnt too misty or anywhere near soaked!
After World of Color cleared out (and I ran poor DD2 to the bathroom for a change, because after 2+ hours of sitting there waiting we couldnt clear the crowd quickly enough to get her to a bathroom!) we walked around by Cars Land to at least get a glimpse of it at night, since we didnt know for sure wed be in CA at all the next two nights. It was already closed off, but it was fun looking down the street seeing it all lit up for a moment. (Before they doused the lights)
Great day. Long day. We were all exhausted. For the first time in most of their lives, my kids got pajamas on, were put in bed, and were out within 2 minutes. I do not make good sleepers. But they sure were that night!
Video:
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julydeya
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
Sorry to hear about that family being kind of rude.... Were you able to get into WoC with your stroller?
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
Yes, actually it wasn't bad. I hurried down with one child to save our spot and DH didn't have any trouble bringing it (and the other two kids) down to join us at a slower pace. We parked the stroller behind the 3 or 4-kid-wide rail spot we had staked out and when the show started we pushed it up to the rail and stood right behind it when the show started.
Thanks! Being cute is their defense for how they can act at times! It's a survival thing...You have beautiful kids! I loved the video with the princess saying "I am flying"
what a excellent trip report !
, something very special about your childrens first trip wouldnt you agree?...when we took our two boys for their first trip it had been nearly 20 years since we had been ourselves(splash mountain was being built) I was in 5th grade 1988 ! wow! and we completley fell in love with the parks I felt like a kid again!... any way, Glad your trip was a great one
, something very special about your childrens first trip wouldnt you agree?...when we took our two boys for their first trip it had been nearly 20 years since we had been ourselves(splash mountain was being built) I was in 5th grade 1988 ! wow! and we completley fell in love with the parks I felt like a kid again!... any way, Glad your trip was a great one
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
what a excellent trip report !
Thanks! It was awesome! A very different trip than any I had been on before. I'm so glad we decided to spend the money to take them right now, even though it didn't totally make sense, financially.
In other news, we had some money left on our "Disneyland card" (we loaded a predetermined amount on a Bluebird AmEx card for food and a few souvenirs during our trip, so we KNEW how much we had spent) and DH just went to Target to use some of what's left to get Wreck-It Ralph (with the $7 coupon) and we're having a family movie night tonight. I'm excited, because I haven't seen it. (The kids saw it at the dollar theater with DH and liked it!)
Jaina
Actually, my name is Sara. It's a long, VMK story.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
Small, non-TR update: Very mixed feelings about Wreck-it Ralph. I liked it and enjoyed it more or less, but didn't feel like some of the humor, language, scary stuff or attitudes were very appropriate for my kids at their ages. Which is why it has the PG rating, right? So parentals can make that decision individually. That one might spend some time on an out-of-the-way shelf for 4-5 years. I struggle with a few of the older Disney movies with this too, and we watch some more than others... Does anyone else have this problem, or am I just crazy-mom?
Praying none of my kids get it... (or worse, DH - they always hit him hardest for some reason!)Share this page
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