Ok, everyone. Don't die of shock, but I actually finished the TR!!! Here is the last installment!
Day 8:
Well, it finally arrived, our last full day at
Disneyland. This is when things start to get a little bit sad. We woke up early, and got everyone ready to go. We hit the breakfast, and then began to pack up a little bit while waiting for everyone else to be ready. We also said good bye to my brothers in-laws, or as my kids call them Grandma Sandy, and Grandpa Bob. They live in Syracuse, NY, and wanted to spend some time in Vegas before heading back, so they left us this morning. As they were checking out, we found out that the hotel had cancelled our last night there, and they were waiting for us ALL to check out! It took some doing, but we managed to straighten things out, with the unfortunate side effect that everyone had to change rooms. Well, everyone but my little family. Because we had the most stuff, the hotel was nice enough to let us stay in our room, everyone else, had to be moved. That kind of threw a wrench in our works. Luckily, the hotel told us that the rooms didnt need to be vacated until noon, so we decided to do the parks until 11:00, then come back for lunch and to move.
Off we went. Now, you may remember that earlier in the week, a CM told Dad that it was possible that Peter Pans Flight might open this morning. It was not common knowledge, so we just quietly passed the word along to our group that at rope drop we would head straight there and camp out. Alan was positive that there would be no ride opening, and was all for our family heading to Tomorrowland to get a ride on Star Tours, and Fast Passes for Space Mountain. I put my foot down, however, and told him that he could do what he wanted, but the kids and I would be at Peter Pan, until we knew for sure! He grudgingly stayed with us. As we crossed the drawbridge of the castle, Dad stumbled on a cobblestone, and fell flat on his face. It was very scary, as the hordes of people didnt even stop for him, and if Alan hadnt been directly behind him, he would have been trampled. I have never heard such rude comments being made as people passed us. I thought it was incredible that a 78 year old man could fall, and people would make rude comments. Luckily, a CM saw what had happened, and quickly came over to make sure Dad was ok. He also kind of directed traffic, and that helped things a lot! Luckily, Dad was ok, not even a scraped knee. However, I think his dignity suffered quite a beating!
We made it to Peter Pan, and were the 3rd family in the line. A CM was standing there saying that the ride would open momentarily, as they were just trying out the ride vehicles. We were thrilled!!! We knew, from experience, that this line would get incredibly long, so we determined to wait it out! It did take a while, though. Alan had time to take the little kids through Snow White and Mr. Toad while we were waiting. Katie and Marina also did the walk through of the castle. This is a diorama of Sleeping Beauty, and it is really neat! Its been closed since 9/11 so it was thrilling for them to see it open again!
Finally, the line began to move, and we boarded the pirate ships. How I love this ride!!! There are so many wonderful memories attached to this ride for our family! When I got off the ride, I found myself wiping away tears, and I saw my dad doing the same thing. He said, I cried like a baby the whole way, thinking of your mother. We had a tender moment as we remembered how much she loved everything about Disneyland! Im so glad that we got a chance to go on this ride! It meant so much to Dad (and the rest of us!).
With Peter Pan behind us, we could leave Fantasyland behind. Wed done absolutely everything here, and it was time to move along. Yesterday, Alan had promised the kids that they could visit the Pirates Lair on what used to be Tom Sawyers Island. I had no desire to do this, so I decided to stay on the mainland and wait for everyone else. Dad waited with me. We watched the rest of the group board the raft, and go across the Rivers of America to the island. After they left, Dad and I decided to head down to Pooh Corner and do a bit of shopping. Dad picked up an oatmeal raisin cookie for breakfast, and I got a white chocolate raspberry cookie. These were fresh baked and really hit the spot! We looked through the store, but really didnt find anything we couldnt live without. I was specifically looking for a stuffed Dopey for Timothy. We think he kind of looks like Dopey with his ears, and wanted a remembrance of that. No luck, but I did find some 7 dwarves bath toys, that I figured I could come back to get if I couldnt find what I really wanted.
We meandered back to the dock and watched for our group to re-emerge. It was very pleasant to just sit and people watch for a while. Timothy was napping, and it was not hot. Very nice!!! We saw our group heading for the dock on the island, so we moved closer. As we did, we passed my weakness: the frozen lemonade cart! I love these things with a shot of vanilla. So yummy! I bought one for me and my family, and we were quickly reunited with them. The kids loved the lemonade, and it made me wish I had purchased a couple. Oh well. Next time! We wandered back to Critter Country for some last rides on Pooh Bear and Splash Mountain. I took Dad and Timothy on Pooh Bear (along with Mary and Olivia) while the others went on Splash. While we were waiting for the others to come back, Tigger, Pooh and Eeyore came for a meet and greet! Mary went nuts! Of all the characters, she adores Pooh most of all! So, we hopped in line and let her meet all these characters! She got their autographs and some pictures. It was so nice! Ive never seen her so happy!
The rest of the crew came back and we realized it was time to head back to the rooms to pack and move to the new rooms. Since we didnt have to move rooms, we decided to just do some preliminary packing and get things ready so we could take off early tomorrow morning. We fed the kids lunch (leftover pizza from last night), and then they played while Alan and I organized things.
As soon as the rest of the family were moved, it was time for another family tradition: shopping with Grandpa! This was something that Dad and I started about 5 trips ago. We take one afternoon and just poke in all the shops along Main Street. When weve worn ourselves (and our wallets) out, we head to the ice cream shop for Coke floats! Yum. Over the years, weve invited my niece, Marina and my mom to join us. This year, we invited my sister, and Katie to join us. We had a ball just browsing through the Emporium. I found some little things for stocking stuffers, and a fun card game for our family. I couldnt find a Dopey, so I got the set of 7 dwarf bath toys. They are cute! I also got some more stuff for my kitchen which will one day be totally Mickey Mouse!
We kept browsing and visiting, and Katie finally found the strength to break her 50 dollar bill. She found some earrings, and some candy for her friends back home. We ended up meeting my brother and his wife and they joined us for ice cream. It was so fun to sit together and just enjoy visiting! While we were there, Alan called to let us know that he and the others were at the Jedi Training Academy. This was the last chance the kids had to be chosen, and they decided theyd rather try one last time than go on any rides. We wished them luck and went back to our shopping. We were just finishing up in DL and were heading back to World of Disney in DTD when we got another call. Alan had some amazing news to report! Leslie had been chosen to participate, and my nephew Ian had been chosen, and my nephew Shaun had been chosen. As each name was told to me, my heart did a happy leap, and then a thunk as I realized that Jacobs chances were going down with each family member named. I just about passed out when Alan said that Jacob had been one of the last ones chosen! I could just imagine how thrilled he would be! Katie and I contemplated going back to watch, but realized that by the time we got there, it would be over, so we decided to just meet up with the rest of the group in DCA once it was over. We beat everyone to DCA, and popped into Mouse Gears for a quick look around. Im so glad that we did! It was here that we found a stuffed Dopey! I couldnt believe our luck. It was the only one in the whole store, and it was so cute!!!
We bought it and quickly went back outside under the Golden Gate Bridge to meet up with everyone else. Once we were reunited, we headed up to Condor Flats to Soarin. You might remember that I missed out on this ride earlier in the week, so it was now my turn. Dad, Josh, Jamie, Marina, and Katie all joined me on this ride, while everyone else went to get Fast Passes for California Screamin. Oh, how I love this ride!!! I could totally ride this all day long!!! We did have to wait in the line a bit longer than normal since we didnt have Fast Passes, but that was totally ok with me! When we got off, there was a whole new group of family that wanted a turn. I watched the little ones and fed Timothy while we waited. Once everyone had had their fill of Soarin. We went back for another run on Grizzly River. Again, no wait here! It was amazing! Alan took the crew on for another couple of runs while I watched from the observation area.
Once they were off, we went to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. This is something my kids have never done, and they all really enjoyed it! Its a large play area with rope bridges, swings, slides, etc. Very fun! We let them play as long as they wanted. Dad had gone back to the hotel to change into long pants and grab his jacket and told us to call him when we were on our way back to DL. I think he was finally feeling the effects of the fall earlier in the day. I was glad that my brother and his wife were with him.
After the Redwood Challenge Trail, we went for a last ride on Screamin. This had definitely become Jacobs favorite ride of the trip! As they got off the ride, we called Dad and told him we were headed back over to DL. It was getting to be dusk, and as the sun set, it was getting chilly. If Id been thinking straight, Id have sent Alan back to the hotel to grab jackets for the kids, but I wasnt thinking!
Once we got to DL, we decided some hot food was in order. No one wanted to eat at the Plaza again, so we went to our other favorite: Rancho del Zocalo. This is another place where the portions are large enough to share! By the time we got there, the sun was down, and it was really quite cold! Alan got us a taco salad, and 3 platters of soft tacos, and the kids chowed down on the tacos. Alan and I shared the salad which was freshly made and very yummy! After dinner, we were trying to decide what to do to end our time at DL, and an announcement was made that the new fireworks show could be seen at 9:30. It was 8:30 now, so we decided to make our way to Main Street and find a spot to watch them. Alan ran to the hotel to get jackets, and I left the 4 older kids in charge of my SIL, while I took Timothy to the Baby Care Center to change him into pajamas and feed him. I was glad I went when I did. The center filled up very quickly and by the time I left there was quite a line of mommys wanting to feed their babies in the warmth before the fireworks.
I contacted my family after we left and found that they were waiting for me at the Train Station. This is a great spot to watch the fireworks, although you dont get to see any projections on the castle. As we waited, I ran to the Emporium with Jacob who had 2 dollars left that he wanted to spend! He found a sword pen that he was thrilled with, and we made it back to the train station just as the show was starting. It was a great show, and we all loved it! Timothy fell asleep during the fireworks so it was peaceful, as well. No fussy baby! After the fireworks, the crowds began to leave the park. We knew it would be a mess to try to get out of the park, so we decided to take the train around the park. The whole crew of us boarded the train and did the entire Grand Circle! It was a wonderful way to end the day at Disneyland! I watched dad, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, and got just a small glimpse of what heaven must be like. I know that mom was watching over us on this trip, and sprinkling us with pixie dust. She was with us, just not in a physical sense. I know that Dad felt it, too! He was happier than Ive seen him since Mom died.
As the train pulled into the station, we put Timothy in his stroller, and led the kids out of the park. As we got to the Main Gate, they all turned around and yelled, Good Bye, Disneyland! We got through the gates and headed back to the hotel. I watched the kids, and was touched to see them in small groups, holding hands, or with arms around each others shoulders. It thrills me to see my children such good friends with their cousins. Family is the most important thing in the world, and these trips cement those relationships! Its been an amazing trip, and one that we wont forget.
Good luck in what ever you decide.
And today I was talking with a co-worker about hotdogs so now I don't know which one I want.
That piccata looks spectacular. I hope you had a great trip!
