Tablefor5
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2008
- Messages
- 321
Okay! First off Hello!
My first PTR and hopefully it will continue to a finished TR!
Tablefor5 includes:
Me (33), DH (35), DS (10), DD (5), DD (3)
This picture is from our last trip in Sept. 2008
Introduction to our Disneyland history.
I grew up in Arizona and great-grandma lived in Anaheim. We would drive at least twice a year to visit and of course take a side trip to THE park (since of course there was only one park (DL) back then)
. I remember fireworks from my great-grandmas apartment complex pool, and I have very vivid memories of characters and rides from when I was a small toe-head of a child. I remember being frightened of the people mover and the ole’ rickety bridge on Tom Sawyer’s Island.
I also visited several times with church youth groups and in Jr.High School.
I have been to WDW once when I was 8 years old, although I do not remember a ton, I do remember it was not as magical as DL. Perhaps that is why I don’t remember a lot.
I moved to Northern California and went through a dry spell of 4 years without a visit, with High School keeping me busy.
Flash-Forward to me meeting DH and our love for Disney. We met when I was 18, married at 23. During our dating, there were many trips to DL (still only one park). Often these trips were last-minute. “Babe, after I cash my paycheck lets head down to Disneyland.”
We didn’t care much for hotel amenities and were good to eat junk food all day. I was smitten and it didn’t help that this was a guy who could wear a Mickey baseball cap with pride. 
Our most memorable trip was New Year’s Eve 1996, so in love and no cares in the world. During that trip he asked me “What I would say if he asked me to marry him?” It wasn’t a true proposal, that came 3 years later, but memorable and magical anyhow! We had a great spot in front of the castle for the midnight countdown!
A few years later, a wedding, and along comes Baby #1: At our baby shower, one of the trivia questions was “How many times will we take our baby to Disneyland during the first year?”
Well, I was still finishing my college degree and time/money didn’t allow us to take our son until he was 2 years old. We went at Christmas Time and the trip was magical and it seems like just yesterday. During that trip he was infatuated with Cinderella and we looked hard the whole trip (only two days)…then we found her all alone near the Plaza Inn. I was thinking she was headed back to CM only area, but my son spotted her and called out. We got a little private time with the princess. It was the first time I saw my son blush.
He is ten now and still gets smitten with the pretty girls.
Baby #2 arrives: Sorry no trips….
Baby#3 arrives: This mommy is starting to feel a little sad that I am not expressing the true Disney meaning to my children. YES, we know the characters, watch the movies, sing the songs…but my girls have not seen the castle, or tasted the fudge! What kind of mother am I? And I know my husband doesn’t object to Disneyland. Well, put my foot down, we are going to plan a visit!
September 2008 visit: Our kids were 8, 3, 1
During this planning period is where I discovered the wonderful DisBoards!!
We stayed at the HoJo and loved it! We did 4 days in the parks (plural now, since there are 2 parks). I suppose I could do a whole trip report but to summarize:
We had PS for Minnie & Friends, great interaction and okay food!
My 8yo son was terrified of the rides yet my 3yo girl couldn’t get enough Matterhorn and Splash Mtn. The parent swap worked great!
We did the TOTP, it was fun but it was our last night and the kids were exhausted. They fell asleep before 10. We wheeled all 3 around in the double stroller, with the little one on top (not recommending and do not want to get sued by anyone if they try it)
We loved the HoJo and the Pirate area! We stayed in a 2Q GardenPool view and really like it!
We have relatives, Aunts/Uncles/Grandma that live in Orange County and stayed a day on each end of this trip.
On our drive home Hubby and I agreed we shouldn’t have waited so long to go back!
2009: We wanted to plan another trip, but our kids were invited to be in a family wedding in Canada. As much as I wanted to plan for a Mickey Mouse trip, it was super fun planning a Canadian trip, EH!
So earlier this year, DH & I are on a date (rare, very rare) watching Alice in Wonderland (with Johnny…oohhh so dreamy)! And the Sleeping Beauty castle silhouette appears before the trailers…hubby looks at me and sighs “we should go back!” I say calmly
“okay, during the kids Fall break again”…and inside I am “whoop, whoop
” …alas I re-enter the Disboards to help plan and talk about Disneyness!! We have decided to plan a surprise trip this time for fun! We will see if I can keep my mouth shut 
Other things about me:
I work full time as a Registered Dietitian.
I love to garden and recently purchased the official Disneyland and Beauty Within (Belle) roses from Jackson and Perkin’s (although sadly the company filed for bankruptcy)
We have 2 doggies.
I love to sell (and buy) on ebay…random stuff.
My son wanted to name his sister Cinderella and call her Cindy.
So "Here We Goooooo!"
My first PTR and hopefully it will continue to a finished TR!
Tablefor5 includes:
Me (33), DH (35), DS (10), DD (5), DD (3)
This picture is from our last trip in Sept. 2008
Introduction to our Disneyland history.
I grew up in Arizona and great-grandma lived in Anaheim. We would drive at least twice a year to visit and of course take a side trip to THE park (since of course there was only one park (DL) back then)
. I remember fireworks from my great-grandmas apartment complex pool, and I have very vivid memories of characters and rides from when I was a small toe-head of a child. I remember being frightened of the people mover and the ole’ rickety bridge on Tom Sawyer’s Island. I also visited several times with church youth groups and in Jr.High School.
I have been to WDW once when I was 8 years old, although I do not remember a ton, I do remember it was not as magical as DL. Perhaps that is why I don’t remember a lot.
I moved to Northern California and went through a dry spell of 4 years without a visit, with High School keeping me busy.
Flash-Forward to me meeting DH and our love for Disney. We met when I was 18, married at 23. During our dating, there were many trips to DL (still only one park). Often these trips were last-minute. “Babe, after I cash my paycheck lets head down to Disneyland.”
We didn’t care much for hotel amenities and were good to eat junk food all day. I was smitten and it didn’t help that this was a guy who could wear a Mickey baseball cap with pride. Our most memorable trip was New Year’s Eve 1996, so in love and no cares in the world. During that trip he asked me “What I would say if he asked me to marry him?” It wasn’t a true proposal, that came 3 years later, but memorable and magical anyhow! We had a great spot in front of the castle for the midnight countdown!A few years later, a wedding, and along comes Baby #1: At our baby shower, one of the trivia questions was “How many times will we take our baby to Disneyland during the first year?”
Well, I was still finishing my college degree and time/money didn’t allow us to take our son until he was 2 years old. We went at Christmas Time and the trip was magical and it seems like just yesterday. During that trip he was infatuated with Cinderella and we looked hard the whole trip (only two days)…then we found her all alone near the Plaza Inn. I was thinking she was headed back to CM only area, but my son spotted her and called out. We got a little private time with the princess. It was the first time I saw my son blush.
He is ten now and still gets smitten with the pretty girls.
Baby #2 arrives: Sorry no trips….
Baby#3 arrives: This mommy is starting to feel a little sad that I am not expressing the true Disney meaning to my children. YES, we know the characters, watch the movies, sing the songs…but my girls have not seen the castle, or tasted the fudge! What kind of mother am I? And I know my husband doesn’t object to Disneyland. Well, put my foot down, we are going to plan a visit!
September 2008 visit: Our kids were 8, 3, 1
During this planning period is where I discovered the wonderful DisBoards!!
We stayed at the HoJo and loved it! We did 4 days in the parks (plural now, since there are 2 parks)
. I suppose I could do a whole trip report but to summarize:We had PS for Minnie & Friends, great interaction and okay food!
My 8yo son was terrified of the rides yet my 3yo girl couldn’t get enough Matterhorn and Splash Mtn. The parent swap worked great!
We did the TOTP, it was fun but it was our last night and the kids were exhausted. They fell asleep before 10. We wheeled all 3 around in the double stroller, with the little one on top (not recommending and do not want to get sued by anyone if they try it)
We loved the HoJo and the Pirate area! We stayed in a 2Q GardenPool view and really like it!
We have relatives, Aunts/Uncles/Grandma that live in Orange County and stayed a day on each end of this trip.
On our drive home Hubby and I agreed we shouldn’t have waited so long to go back!
2009: We wanted to plan another trip, but our kids were invited to be in a family wedding in Canada. As much as I wanted to plan for a Mickey Mouse trip, it was super fun planning a Canadian trip, EH!
So earlier this year, DH & I are on a date (rare, very rare) watching Alice in Wonderland (with Johnny…oohhh so dreamy)! And the Sleeping Beauty castle silhouette appears before the trailers…hubby looks at me and sighs “we should go back!” I say calmly
“okay, during the kids Fall break again”…and inside I am “whoop, whoop” …alas I re-enter the Disboards to help plan and talk about Disneyness!! We have decided to plan a surprise trip this time for fun! We will see if I can keep my mouth shut Other things about me:
I work full time as a Registered Dietitian.
I love to garden and recently purchased the official Disneyland and Beauty Within (Belle) roses from Jackson and Perkin’s (although sadly the company filed for bankruptcy)
We have 2 doggies.
I love to sell (and buy) on ebay…random stuff.
My son wanted to name his sister Cinderella and call her Cindy.
So "Here We Goooooo!"
and maybe that it what I remember as the ole' rickety bridge. I remember my boney lil kness buckling across with those bratty kids jumping all around me. 
Anyhow, childhood memories are what we make of them at the time!
