We were delighted with our hotel suite. It was perfect. The shuttle service was awesome and they make your trip as easy as possible. We were not IN our hotel very much at all but when we were, we loved it! We got up at about 6:30-7 every morning and ate a cold breakfast in our hotel room. Then we'd head down and catch the shuttle right in front of the hotel at 8:15. Mainstreet USA is open early but once you get to the end of it, it's roped off til 9. We had a plan everyday. And it worked like magic! One of my favorite parts was waiting at the roped off areas. A loud speaker would come on and say "Welcome to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth, where all your dreams can come true!" I loved that! Then when the ropes came down everybody spread like wildfire to their favorite rides. I would love to see a bird's eye view of that. And as everybody is walking fast to their first ride the loud speaker plays Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!! That was so cool! On day one we went straight to Peter Pan followed by Nemo's submarine voyage just as I was told. Let me tell you, we waited for each only 5 minutes and when we came out the lines were significantly longer. Good advice! We grabbed fast passes if lines were longer than 25 minutes but all in all, the parks were not busy on any of the 3 days. We never waited in a line longer than a half hour, there just weren't that many people. We did those 2 rides and then all of Tomorrowland as well as Fantasyland. The Matterhorn is the only ride that was closed. On day 2 we finished up with Adventureland, Frontierland, Critter Country, and New Orleans Square. Then we got started on California Adventures. We got most of that done so that on Day 3, we could finish up there but then go back and just do all of our favorites. The kids got to go on their favorites even more times because we did the family pass which allows you to go on with one parent, and then get a fastpass to go right on with the other parent. It was hard for everyone to pick favorites but here's what they said in the end...SHARRID: Innoventions, "It's tough to be a bug" 3D adventure, California Screamin' LEXIE: Peter Pan's Flight, Big Thunder Mountain, "It's a small world", Toy Story Mania, Ariel's undersea Adventure MARCELUS: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Goofy's Sky School PHOENIX: Splash Mountain, Autopia, Goofy's Sky School
I was really happy with how many rides Amar'e could go on. He was out of the stroller a lot and it just goes to show how brilliant Disneyland is. It seriously is for babies all the way up to the old people. I saw a bunch of old people, sometimes just sitting on benches near the Mark Twain riverboat, reading of all things! Or they'd be sitting at one of the outdoor sections of a cafe.
It is important to note what we did not make time for or do. It was more important to us to do our favorite rides multiple times than to see all the 3D shows in California Adventure for instance.
What we did not do: Main street cinema, The Disney Gallery, Mainstreet vehicles (a ride down mainstreet in a horse buggie), Enchanted Tiki room, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes, Tom Sawyer Island, Big Thunder Ranch (the petting zoo), Princess Fantasy Faire, Mad Tea Party, Sleeping Beauty castle walkthrough, Pixie Hollow (meet Tinkerbell) That was Disneyland. It seems like a lot but we literally did EVERYTHING else including the Frontierland shootin' exposition and the Disneyland railroad all the way around! We did not set a toe in Toon Town. Phoenix showed a little interest in standing in line to meet with characters but I knew I didn't want to waste the time on it. Between Disneyland and California Adventures, these are the characters that we saw or walked past or whatever...Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pooh Bear, Eeyore, Mary Poppins & Bert, Mr. & Mrs. Incredible, Frozone, Fineas & Ferb, and Buzz Lightyear. Seeing the characters was awesome. I just didn't feel it was nesseasry to wait in line for a picture or whatever. Here is what we did not do in California Adventures: Aladdin musical spectacular (it was closed), Disney Junior-Live on stage (I meant to get to this, just didn't make time), Turtle Talk with Crush, Animation Academy, Character Close up, Sorcerer's Workshop, Princess Dot Puddle Pad, Silly Symphony Swings (this was closed too), King Triton's Carousel (the kids went on King Arthur's in Disneyland but this one looked cooler but we didn't go on this one), Imagineering Blue Sky Celler, The Bakery Tour.
I thought between both parks we did the right things and missed the right things probably. Some of these California Adventure things I still don't know what they are but we'll hit them next time. We really could have done without the whole Bug's Land section. It is really for young toddlers who are about 2 years old or so. It's very juvenile. My kids did it anyway but it's like Toon Town probably, something my family can afford to miss. I was surprised at how brave the boys were. Marce couldn't help but break down and cry when we found out he was just 1/4 inch off from riding California Screamin' roller coaster. I took a few minutes with him to talk and he recovered well. He knows we will be back soon. That was the only ride he was too short for. Phoenix was not tall enough for California Screamin' or Indiana Jones. He had a bit of a meltdown when he couldn't go on Indiana Jones but I bought him a Tiki Juice dole whip and he was fine after that. Sharrid and I rode California Screamin' as single riders. We took advantage of Fast passes and Family passes and really made good time all 3 days. I still can't believe Phoenix went on Tower of Terror and Space Mountain...like it was no big deal. It's pretty awesome. I'm glad I don't have wimpy kids who won't go or cry! The boys really enjoyed the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail where you can earn your wilderness explorer badges from Russell of UP! Now I had planned all the places we would eat but quickly realized this does not work. It is good to know of all the places that you CAN eat so that you can still make a good decision. Since I had planned it, we ate at some that I had planned on and others I had not, but I did know about them all because I had researched them. Here is where we ate: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe- right at the end of Mainstreet USA, if you love Mary Poppins and big huge Mickey shaped cookies as well as pastries, you'll love this place! Big Thunder Ranch BBQ- We didn't know this was a buffet until we got there but we went ahead with it anyway. It was expensive but definitely good BBQ! Tiki Juice Bar- I bought a dole whip here which is pineapple juice with pineapple softserve ice cream on top. It is a must every trip now. Next time though I'm just going to get pineapple softserve alone. Red Rockett's Pizza Port- This was fun and the boys loved the all around feel of Tomorrowland. This was a great family friendly place to eat. Tomorrowland Terrace- also a very family friendly place in Tomorrowland. The food was good, they had great options, it was easy and there are plenty of tables and chairs. This place also overlooked the stage that the Jedi Training Academy takes place so we ate and then caught the show right after on our first day. The boys weren't picked to go on stage and we were all kind of bummed but they just didn't seem as excited as the other kids. My boys are a lot like me, let's just say that. It was a good show anyway and Darth Vader and Darth Maul were AWESOME!! We talked to the boys back in the hotel room about how to get picked (wear a certain shirt that I picked for them, jump up and down, raise their hands high, act more excited, ect.) They didn't want to wear the shirts I picked out and they didn't want to jump or act any more excited than they did so we decided not to go back to the shows, afterall at least we'd seen it once. I was okay with that because we saved time for other things and it would have been heart wrenching if they weren't picked again. In California Adventure, we ate at: Schmoozies- a fruit smoothie place, Corn Dog Castle- I think that's what it's called, the boys love corn dogs!, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill- good stuff, and Taste Pilots' Grill- this is right by Soarin' Over California and it was a great family friendly place to eat with simple options. I liked the fact that they have all the toppings and sauces on a buffet style bar so you can basically build your own burger. We bought Caramel popcorn, colored candy popcorn, churros, and other snacks along the way. The only other show that I wanted to see besides the Jedi Academy in Disneyland was the classic Micky parade down Mainstreet USA and we just never caught it so that is still on my bucket list! The only show we went to in California Adventure was World Of Color which was over the pier water and it was AMAZING. It is water, lights, music, fire, and images. It was so incredible to be there in person, it's pretty emotional. It is standing room only and a big deal. We had to get a ticket to get in and we had to be there like an hour early to save a space. So, I saved our spaces while the boys did the Muppet Vision 3D show. It is well worth it though. It makes the Bellagio water show in Vegas look like a cheap piece of crap.
We certainly had a good time as a family! It's a trip we need to do more and more. Disneyland is the place to be. There really is no other place like it, even California Adventure does not have anything close to the same feel. It is great to do the Hopper passes but Disneyland stands alone. We are so excited for Cars Land to open up in California Adventure though. It looks amazing and we can't wait to go! I loved seeing old and young, grown men wearing Disney shirts and Mickey ears. It is a place where anybody fits in, where anybody can be a kid.
I think I had just as much fun as the kids. I screamed and yelled right on cue. I danced and sang along to every fantasyland type ride. By the time we got out of "It's a small world" I was singing and clapping! I screamed on Space Mountain. I sang along on Pirates during the "Yo Ho Yo Ho, a pirates life for me!". I think we had about as much fun as we could have. After seeing everyone in their Disney gear, I wanted to buy a T-shirt but didn't make the time. We didn't have time to shop for clothes or toys really. I did buy the boys those big colorful Michey suckers and some chocolate coins.
The night we got into Anaheim we ate at the Outback Steakhouse because it was right next to our hotel. I have never had Outback before but I am a huge BBQ fan, and I have to say, it was excellent!
I can't wait to be in Disneyland again. It's the best feeling! I can't believe how clean the place is. I noticed that this time, it is spotless after all these years. There's nowhere alse like it and I can't wait to go back!
Funny Stories: We got stuck on Haunted Mansion for about 15 minutes in the graveyard section and Phoenix fell asleep! Sharrid slept on about half of the Disneyland Railroad trip around the park. Marce was hiper and over excited when we got on the Mark Twain riverboat and he ended up jamming his rip into one of those bar things that you go through to count the people coming through. He was quiet and just sat there on the riverboat but after that he was recovered. Amar'e and I got sprayed in the face on Jungle Cruise. Amar'e cried so thank goodness it was near the end! Phoenix really thought he was driving the Autopia cars! It was the cutest thing ever! I didn't really pay attention to the show "It's tough to be a bug" because Amar'e hated it and cried and wiggled through the whole thing! Sharrid and the boys loved it though! I could not believe Tuck and Roll's drive 'em buggies (bumper cars) were so slow! Some guy at the bumper cars questioned me about my age because I was driving the boys, then he felt really dumb when I told him! I don't know what he was thinking, probably that I was a 14 year old boy or something! Some other old guy in California Adventures totally thought I was as he told his worker to help me. I was wearing a big T-shirt and he never heard me speak. Other than that, I can't figure it out, but it doesn't bother me. Toy Story Mania is a ride where you have a sling gun and you shoot down 3D objects. It's one of my favorites and I thought I cleaned house, but at the end it shows who the winner is in your car and in the whole ride that time, and in the whole day! Sharrid was holding Amar'e and still creamed all of us with a score of 108,000. I got 67,000 and was sure I won! I could not believe it! Oh yeah, that "I can't figure it out" up there is a joke. I don't have any boobs or hips really, I have short hair, and I don't wear make-up. Throw a big T-shirt into the mix and I can totally see why that old dude thought I was a 14 year old boy! Anyway, other funny stories...I loved the shuttle rides to and from the park. You kind of get to know the people you are riding with everyday. I mean you see the same people on your shuttle who are staying at the same hotel as you are. It was fun to see everyone so ready and excited in the morning. It was equally fun to meet them at the loading dock at the end of the night. Everyone was tired, had balloons and Disneyland gift bags, had whiny, crying, or kids that were asleep. Everyone crammed onto the shuttle not willing to wait for a later one. On the way home every single night, all 3 of our boys fell asleep! It was so funny! We'd played so hard all day for 3 days in a row. The boys had no trouble sleeping at night. I initially had trouble before we left home, in Cal City, and the first night in Anaheim because I was so excited and wondering if I'd prepared well enough. I wanted everything to be perfect and it was!! After that first day though, I didn't have much trouble sleeping ha ha. I loved the shuttle ride to the park. Everybody was chipper and excited and ready, and we talked to each other and told each other the funny things of the day before or the tricks of the trade we were learning. It was great to just talk and make friends easy because we were going to the happiest place on earth. There wasn't that smug "keep to yourself" feel. We all knew we were going to Disneyland! And that everybody wanted the same things out of it. Disneyland has the ability to change people, that's what I believe. We in that shuttle were more like a team or a squad then anything else. In the park itself we saw a whole lot of LDS people. I don't know if it's an unspoken rule to wear BYU clothing or not, but there were tons of BYU clad people! We felt odd man out as we were not in BYU clothing or Disney clothing! Those are the highlights and funny stories from the trip I guess. If I've forgotten anything, it will definitely be followed up behind this post! After the 3rd day of Disneyland/California Adventure, we drove the hour to Carlsbad to spend a few days with my grandparents.
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