Yup, we did it. We braved the almost 7 hour drive, with 2 kids, and one awesome Auntie Dana, and the car packed to the gills (including the double stoller) and off we went to Disneyland. Eddy really pushed for this trip to happen, and for as hesitant as I was to attempt it with a 15 month old in tow, it was a great great family trip. We were blessed with amazing weather, and minimal crowds, and since Dana has been to Disneyland more times than she can count we had our own built in tour guide....I mean she even knows exactly where to find every single bathroom throughout the entire park. Awesome. We spent 3 days in the park, and pretty much managed to do it all. Kaitlyn LOVED any character that was fuzzy, Ryan was not at all scared at the idea of taking a photo with Mickey, Goofy, etc. We all rode on plenty of the rides, Eddy and I even got one night to do all the big scary rides, again thanks to Auntie Dana!, as Dana took the kids back to the hotel for bed and we walked/ran ourselves silly trying to get on every single ride that we knew the kids would not be able to go on. Space Mountain is still awesome, in case you all were wondering! It was an exhausting 3 days, but there really is something magical about that place.
Here are some of our favorite moments...
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| Paradise Pier, at California Adventure |
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| our first official ride of the trip...the carousel, of course |
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| getting ready for the Toy Story ride, 3D glasses and all |
Cars Land is one of the newest attractions at Disneyland, and it really was amazing. Looks exactly like Radiator Springs in the movie! And the Cars ride was definitely one of my favorites.
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| standing in front of the Cozy Cone Motel |
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| Dana and Ryan found Big Red |
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| and Tow Mater |
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| Eddy and I are in the front row of the blue car, I am in the middle seat and Eddy is on the far inside seat. Super fun!! |
Our hotel was about a 15 min walk from the park, which was perfect so we could go home and nap for a few hours mid day, and then head back for the "nightlife". We happened upon a parade the first night, that the kids loved (and Disney does parades just right...they last about 20 minutes, perfect for wiggly little kids and parents). Ryan and Kaitlyn were waving at everyone who walked by.
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| watching the Pixar Parade |
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our first Mickey sighting!
Kaitlyn was in awe, and couldn't take her eyes off him. Ryan ran right up to him and gave him a high five. It was precious. |
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| the kids and our awesome Disney expert Auntie Dana |
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| love this photo! |
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| Ry got to drive his first car on Autopia...he was a horrible driver, and loved every bang, bump, and crash |
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| taking a rest on the trolley in Toon Town |
Disneyland is great. But there is one minor down side....waiting in line. The lines weren't terrible when we were there, and Disneyland does a
great job of trying to make the waiting entertaining, but there were moments when we had to get creative with how to keep the kiddos entertained.
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| the family photo with Mickey |
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| Mickey shaped ice cream bar, and one happy kid |
Before this trip, I was nervous that Ryan wouldn't want to do any of the rides. Only recently has he had the courage to ride any rides, anywhere. But Ryan surprised me and rode a few roller coasters, even did the Cars Ride and Pirates of the Caribbean (both of which have big dips that he did NOT like), and he really loved the Jungle Cruise, the Buzz Lightyear ride, and running all through the Tarzan Treehouse and Tom Sawyer's Island.
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| the Jungle Cruise, a family favorite |
He also LOVED any ride that he could "drive"...the bumper cars, Mr Toad's wild ride, and Autopia.
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| "I LOVE Disneyland!!!" |
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| about to set sail on the Peter Pan ride (Ryan telling the worker man that he's 4) |
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| even Kaitlyn got to drive on Mr Toad's Wild Ride |
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| who let these 2 behind the wheel? |
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| Exploring Tom Sawyer's Island |
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| we found the Pirate's treasure! |
By the middle of day 3, we were all exhausted. We took the train around the park, just to enjoy it all one last time, and headed back to the hotel for some serious naps.
And as we were walking down Main St in Disneyland on our way out, we realized we had not yet taken a photo of the castle. So here ya go, with both kids cooperating oh-so-well. But we know we will be back some day....thanks for the fun Disneyland!
