Last Wednesday we had a full day in Disneyland! It was so much fun! I am really glad we got to spend it with Raymond's parents and my sisters. It made it that much more exciting and fun and I am glad we were able to share our special day with them. I love these people so much!
Since it is the "off season" at Disneyland, the park doesn't open until 10 am during the week. It was great for us because it gave us lots of time to get ready and grab breakfast at McDonald's before we needed to board the shuttle to the park.
Here's Shanna with Nathan, snuggling together after a good night's rest.
Waiting outside of our hotel for the shuttle to take us to Disneyland!
Ah! It's really happening! The day we've been waiting for months is finally here!
Our hotel was really close to the park and the shuttle drops us off about as close as you can get! It was awesome. We had to wait in line to get inside the grounds but we didn't have to wait very long.
Greg had already gotten our tickets all ready the day before when we went to Downtown Disney so we zoomed right through the turnstiles and were inside! Greg won 4 Park Hopper tickets at a Christmas party this past year so he generously gave them to Raymond, my sisters, and me.
We all headed in, rented a stroller for Jonah, and took off toward Fantasyland. Nathan wanted to walk so one of us pushed an empty stroller while Jonah was only too happy to ride. Haha!
Photo opp in front of the castle!
The first ride we went on was Peter Pan's Flight!
Posing for more pics after our first ride!
The kids didn't like how loud some of the inside rides were, but thankfully didn't cry and refuse to get on. I was worried they'd get upset and hate it! Nathan did cry when we were in line to get on Snow White's Scary Adventure, but it wasn't because he was afraid but because it was too loud. Thankfully with Grandpa there, he was easily soothed. :)
It was really not crowded, especially first thing when the park opened so we were able to get on most rides with very little wait time. Some of the rides had a 10 or 15 minute wait while others had no wait time at all and we could just walk right on! It was awesome!
Since we had 6 adults and 2 kids, we took turns riding with the boys. They both preferred to ride with Grandpa (he is their most favorite person on earth!) but they didn't complain too much when others wanted their turn with them.
April and I on Dumbo!
The three sisters in a non-moving tea cup, the only way I'd get on one of those! ;)
It was a beautiful day and it was really nice to not have to wait very long to get on each ride. We were able to ride everything we wanted in Fantasyland, eight rides total, before we stopped to have lunch.
On the Casey Jr. Circus Train.
Nathan trying to escape the line. ;)
The girls and the kids on the Alice in Wonderland ride.
We stopped for lunch at the Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland and it was really nice to be able to sit down in an air-conditioned room and relax for a while. Nathan started getting really crabby and April started to not feel so well after all of the walking we did. It was decided that Shanna and April would take Nathan back to the hotel to nap. I felt bad since I'm the Mom and I should be the one to go, but my MIL insisted she wanted to do it. The three of them ended up taking 2 to 3 hour long naps at the hotel. (Two hours for the adults and three for Nathan!)
Meanwhile, the rest of us got in the 30 minute wait line for the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride. This was one of two times we had to wait that long. We never waited longer than that! It was a really cute ride.
The 5 of us then headed to the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride and just sailed through and got to walk right onto the ride with no wait! It was really fun to blast the targets. I beat Danielle. ;)
After that, Raymond, Danielle and I decided to split up from Greg and Jonah so that we could head to California Adventure and actually use our Park Hopper tickets. Greg took Jonah to Mickey's Toontown. The three of us adults went on Star Tours and Space Mountain before we left Disneyland. I do not like roller coasters at all, but I was stuck going on Space Mountain since Raymond and Danielle really wanted to. I hated it so it was my least favorite ride of the day, but since Danielle loves roller coasters it was her most favorite ride! Now that I've been on it once, I do not think I will go on it again. :S
Greg and Jonah rode the Astro Orbitor before heading to Toontown.
Jonah on the Roger Rabbit ride.
Meeting Mickey!
Driving the fire truck!
It's Pluto!
And Goofy!
This is the Golden Gate bridge at California Adventure.
We didn't do too much at CA Adventure. We rode on the Soaring over California and then took a brief tour of the Brother Bear recreation area.
Dani and me.
Raymond and me.
We also went on the new Toy Story Mania ride. It's another one of the interactive shooting rides and it was a lot of fun. There was a 25- 30 minute wait but it wasn't too bad. It is a 3-D ride and it's cool because when you shoot some of the different items, you might feel a blast of air as you hit a balloon filled with confetti or another item that gives you a blast of air. It's 3-D so there's really nothing there but it makes you feel like it's reall!
Over at Disneyland, Greg and Jonah went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was too loud for Jonah so he didn't like it. He didn't seem to be afraid of it though.
Ahoy, me mateys!
Raymond, Danielle, and I went on the Monsters Inc ride (another ride we got to walk right on!) and then we decided to head back to Disneyland to see what Jonah was up to. I was glad to get to explore CA Adventure but I was also bummed out on missing what Jonah was doing. I really wish I could have seen him meet all of the characters but the pictures will have to do.
It was getting close to dinner time and Shanna, April and Nathan were headed back to the park. They met us all in Frontierland where we grabbed some food. Nathan saw Mickey Mouse in passing as they entered the park but didn't get to meet him. That is my one regret, that he didn't really get to meet any of the characters, especially since he talked about seeing them before we went to Disneyland. We contemplated attending the parade but since the park was closing at 8 pm and we wanted the nappers to have time to ride more rides, we didn't go. Instead we went on the Pirates ride, without Greg and Jonah because Jonah didn't want to do that one again, (like, almost started crying when we told him to ride it with us) and then all of us rode on the Winnie the Pooh ride. While we were on the Pirates ride, Jonah and Greg walked up and down a ton of stairs on the Tarzan's Treehouse play area. They were so tired when they finished the course. Jonah told Grandpa, "Whew, I'm tired!..... Let's do it again!" My FIL, being the wonderful Grandpa that he is, agreed to do it again! When we heard what they did while we were on the ride, I told him he should have just said no! Poor Grandpa! I think I would have passed out if it were me. My legs were already killing me, there's no way I would have done that course even once!
Oh, on the pirates ride, once it was done, we asked Nathan how he liked it. He said, "Scary Pirateship." LOL. I was nervous he'd cry or end up having nightmares after that ride but thankfully he didn't!
By now it was dark out. Some of us wanted to ride the Indiana Jones ride but the line was a 25 minute wait and we didn't want to wait that long since the kids, April, and Shanna were not going to go on it. It was getting close to 8 so we decided to hit the gift shop before we left.
The castle is beautiful at night, even at a distance.
April and Dani wanted to buy each boy a special souvenier and I told the girls they should get Nathan a stuffed Mickey. Nothing says "I went to Disneyland" more than Mickey Mouse! Nathan was all grins when presented with this Mickey, and he immediately hugged it and kept it close to him.
Jonah, when asked, said he did not want a stuffed animal, so the girls allowed him to browse. His friend, Logan, is a huge Star Wars fan right now, so that influenced his decision greatly, haha! He spied a Star Wars set and asked for it. Since it was in the price range the girls wanted to spend, they said he could get that. We had no idea what it was and were kinda disappointed when we opened it the next morning. They are soft squeaky toys and really remind us of dog toys. :S
What we didn't think of before giving Nathan his Mickey, was that we had to take it away to actually buy it. April tried to gently get Mickey to purchase him but Nathan burst into tears and wouldn't stop crying. We had to take him out of the store and try to distract him, all the while trying to explain that Mickey needed to be bought and have the big plastic security button taken off. Once he was able to get him back, he did not let go!
The big letters in front of CA Adventure.
After one last diaper change, we headed out of the park toward the shuttle stop.
We were all exhausted from our big, long day! Sadly, Greg had to leave because he had to fly out early the next morning from our hometown for a business trip. Someone had booked the trip without even asking if it worked for him and we had already made the plans to go to Disney. So that's why he rented us a mini-van, that way the 7 of us could get home in one vehicle while he drove his truck home that night. I don't know how he made it home and got on a plane at 6 am the next morning after the full day we had!
We got back to the hotel where Greg packed up his stuff and left. I got the kids ready for bed and they quickly fell asleep. Raymond, Danielle and I got in our swimsuits and headed to the hot tub to try and relax our sore muscles. It felt nice after all of that walking!
Unfortunately, most of us slept horribly that night. I couldn't sleep because of all the excitment from the day and my brain wouldn't shut down. The AC in the room would blast on and freeze us to death but as soon as it shut off we'd feel hot. Ugh. It was not a good night for me. Poor Shanna had to share a room with the kids and Nathan tossed and turned and cried out all night, keeping her up. He seemed to sleep fine, he's just a restless sleeper and he moves all over the place! We had set up the 2 upholstered chairs against the bed to provide security for Nathan so he couldn't roll off the bed. Then we used the extra pillows (thankfully the hotel provided 5 pillows per bed!) and put them under the fitted sheet to create a long speed bump so that Jonah, on the other side of the bed, couldn't roll off. It actually worked very well!
It was a very long, exhausting, fabulous, very fun day!
Since it is the "off season" at Disneyland, the park doesn't open until 10 am during the week. It was great for us because it gave us lots of time to get ready and grab breakfast at McDonald's before we needed to board the shuttle to the park.
Here's Shanna with Nathan, snuggling together after a good night's rest.
Waiting outside of our hotel for the shuttle to take us to Disneyland!
Ah! It's really happening! The day we've been waiting for months is finally here!
Our hotel was really close to the park and the shuttle drops us off about as close as you can get! It was awesome. We had to wait in line to get inside the grounds but we didn't have to wait very long.
Greg had already gotten our tickets all ready the day before when we went to Downtown Disney so we zoomed right through the turnstiles and were inside! Greg won 4 Park Hopper tickets at a Christmas party this past year so he generously gave them to Raymond, my sisters, and me.We all headed in, rented a stroller for Jonah, and took off toward Fantasyland. Nathan wanted to walk so one of us pushed an empty stroller while Jonah was only too happy to ride. Haha!
Photo opp in front of the castle!
The first ride we went on was Peter Pan's Flight!
Posing for more pics after our first ride!
The kids didn't like how loud some of the inside rides were, but thankfully didn't cry and refuse to get on. I was worried they'd get upset and hate it! Nathan did cry when we were in line to get on Snow White's Scary Adventure, but it wasn't because he was afraid but because it was too loud. Thankfully with Grandpa there, he was easily soothed. :)It was really not crowded, especially first thing when the park opened so we were able to get on most rides with very little wait time. Some of the rides had a 10 or 15 minute wait while others had no wait time at all and we could just walk right on! It was awesome!
Since we had 6 adults and 2 kids, we took turns riding with the boys. They both preferred to ride with Grandpa (he is their most favorite person on earth!) but they didn't complain too much when others wanted their turn with them.
April and I on Dumbo!
The three sisters in a non-moving tea cup, the only way I'd get on one of those! ;)
It was a beautiful day and it was really nice to not have to wait very long to get on each ride. We were able to ride everything we wanted in Fantasyland, eight rides total, before we stopped to have lunch.On the Casey Jr. Circus Train.
Nathan trying to escape the line. ;)
The girls and the kids on the Alice in Wonderland ride.
We stopped for lunch at the Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland and it was really nice to be able to sit down in an air-conditioned room and relax for a while. Nathan started getting really crabby and April started to not feel so well after all of the walking we did. It was decided that Shanna and April would take Nathan back to the hotel to nap. I felt bad since I'm the Mom and I should be the one to go, but my MIL insisted she wanted to do it. The three of them ended up taking 2 to 3 hour long naps at the hotel. (Two hours for the adults and three for Nathan!)Meanwhile, the rest of us got in the 30 minute wait line for the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride. This was one of two times we had to wait that long. We never waited longer than that! It was a really cute ride.
The 5 of us then headed to the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride and just sailed through and got to walk right onto the ride with no wait! It was really fun to blast the targets. I beat Danielle. ;)
After that, Raymond, Danielle and I decided to split up from Greg and Jonah so that we could head to California Adventure and actually use our Park Hopper tickets. Greg took Jonah to Mickey's Toontown. The three of us adults went on Star Tours and Space Mountain before we left Disneyland. I do not like roller coasters at all, but I was stuck going on Space Mountain since Raymond and Danielle really wanted to. I hated it so it was my least favorite ride of the day, but since Danielle loves roller coasters it was her most favorite ride! Now that I've been on it once, I do not think I will go on it again. :SGreg and Jonah rode the Astro Orbitor before heading to Toontown.
Jonah on the Roger Rabbit ride.
Meeting Mickey!
Driving the fire truck!
It's Pluto!
And Goofy!
This is the Golden Gate bridge at California Adventure.
We didn't do too much at CA Adventure. We rode on the Soaring over California and then took a brief tour of the Brother Bear recreation area.Dani and me.
Raymond and me.
We also went on the new Toy Story Mania ride. It's another one of the interactive shooting rides and it was a lot of fun. There was a 25- 30 minute wait but it wasn't too bad. It is a 3-D ride and it's cool because when you shoot some of the different items, you might feel a blast of air as you hit a balloon filled with confetti or another item that gives you a blast of air. It's 3-D so there's really nothing there but it makes you feel like it's reall!Over at Disneyland, Greg and Jonah went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was too loud for Jonah so he didn't like it. He didn't seem to be afraid of it though.
Ahoy, me mateys!
Raymond, Danielle, and I went on the Monsters Inc ride (another ride we got to walk right on!) and then we decided to head back to Disneyland to see what Jonah was up to. I was glad to get to explore CA Adventure but I was also bummed out on missing what Jonah was doing. I really wish I could have seen him meet all of the characters but the pictures will have to do. It was getting close to dinner time and Shanna, April and Nathan were headed back to the park. They met us all in Frontierland where we grabbed some food. Nathan saw Mickey Mouse in passing as they entered the park but didn't get to meet him. That is my one regret, that he didn't really get to meet any of the characters, especially since he talked about seeing them before we went to Disneyland. We contemplated attending the parade but since the park was closing at 8 pm and we wanted the nappers to have time to ride more rides, we didn't go. Instead we went on the Pirates ride, without Greg and Jonah because Jonah didn't want to do that one again, (like, almost started crying when we told him to ride it with us) and then all of us rode on the Winnie the Pooh ride. While we were on the Pirates ride, Jonah and Greg walked up and down a ton of stairs on the Tarzan's Treehouse play area. They were so tired when they finished the course. Jonah told Grandpa, "Whew, I'm tired!..... Let's do it again!" My FIL, being the wonderful Grandpa that he is, agreed to do it again! When we heard what they did while we were on the ride, I told him he should have just said no! Poor Grandpa! I think I would have passed out if it were me. My legs were already killing me, there's no way I would have done that course even once!
Oh, on the pirates ride, once it was done, we asked Nathan how he liked it. He said, "Scary Pirateship." LOL. I was nervous he'd cry or end up having nightmares after that ride but thankfully he didn't!
By now it was dark out. Some of us wanted to ride the Indiana Jones ride but the line was a 25 minute wait and we didn't want to wait that long since the kids, April, and Shanna were not going to go on it. It was getting close to 8 so we decided to hit the gift shop before we left.
The castle is beautiful at night, even at a distance.
April and Dani wanted to buy each boy a special souvenier and I told the girls they should get Nathan a stuffed Mickey. Nothing says "I went to Disneyland" more than Mickey Mouse! Nathan was all grins when presented with this Mickey, and he immediately hugged it and kept it close to him.
Jonah, when asked, said he did not want a stuffed animal, so the girls allowed him to browse. His friend, Logan, is a huge Star Wars fan right now, so that influenced his decision greatly, haha! He spied a Star Wars set and asked for it. Since it was in the price range the girls wanted to spend, they said he could get that. We had no idea what it was and were kinda disappointed when we opened it the next morning. They are soft squeaky toys and really remind us of dog toys. :S
What we didn't think of before giving Nathan his Mickey, was that we had to take it away to actually buy it. April tried to gently get Mickey to purchase him but Nathan burst into tears and wouldn't stop crying. We had to take him out of the store and try to distract him, all the while trying to explain that Mickey needed to be bought and have the big plastic security button taken off. Once he was able to get him back, he did not let go!
The big letters in front of CA Adventure.
After one last diaper change, we headed out of the park toward the shuttle stop.
We were all exhausted from our big, long day! Sadly, Greg had to leave because he had to fly out early the next morning from our hometown for a business trip. Someone had booked the trip without even asking if it worked for him and we had already made the plans to go to Disney. So that's why he rented us a mini-van, that way the 7 of us could get home in one vehicle while he drove his truck home that night. I don't know how he made it home and got on a plane at 6 am the next morning after the full day we had!We got back to the hotel where Greg packed up his stuff and left. I got the kids ready for bed and they quickly fell asleep. Raymond, Danielle and I got in our swimsuits and headed to the hot tub to try and relax our sore muscles. It felt nice after all of that walking!
Unfortunately, most of us slept horribly that night. I couldn't sleep because of all the excitment from the day and my brain wouldn't shut down. The AC in the room would blast on and freeze us to death but as soon as it shut off we'd feel hot. Ugh. It was not a good night for me. Poor Shanna had to share a room with the kids and Nathan tossed and turned and cried out all night, keeping her up. He seemed to sleep fine, he's just a restless sleeper and he moves all over the place! We had set up the 2 upholstered chairs against the bed to provide security for Nathan so he couldn't roll off the bed. Then we used the extra pillows (thankfully the hotel provided 5 pillows per bed!) and put them under the fitted sheet to create a long speed bump so that Jonah, on the other side of the bed, couldn't roll off. It actually worked very well!
It was a very long, exhausting, fabulous, very fun day!
2 comments:
I am SO loving seeing all your pictures and hearing about your trip!!!! The boys look sooo adorable. Looks like you had such a fun time!!!!!!!!!
I was wondering if you guys knew what the Star Wars toys were like before we bought them. I had no idea, but when I saw it opened it looked like dog toys to me too. Kind of expensive for dog toys! At least Jonah and Nathan don't know any different so they still enjoy playing with them!! :)
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