Well... Here's the play by play. Or, if not an actual play by play, a general recap. Maybe the top 10.
That's a better way to do it. A top 10.
10- Disneyland at Christmas/winter. The last 3 times I've been to Disneyland was in December. I love Christmasy Disney. And I love Disney in the winter. I think I'd have a hard time going in the summer, when it's hot and the crowds are so much bigger. It might be colder, but I prefer jackets and gloves to heat and crowds.
9- Flying. I dislike road trips. And I loathe road trips with small children. I'm glad that we were able to fly. The kids did A pretty good job on both flights. Even on the way home, when Kate and Hyrum had their own row.
8- TSA pre check. Thanks to Justin's status with Delta and military benefits we were all (the 5 of us) pre checked. No taking off shoes and jackets. No declaring liquids. No taking electronic devices out of their carriers. It's awesome.
7- Favorite Rides. Milo's was anything that even remotely looked like a train and Buzz Lightyear. I lost count how many times we rode that one. The two big kids loved Star Tours. Everyone liked Little Mermaid, that might have been one of Justin's favorites. I LOVE Tower of Terror -the big kids tried that one, once. They did NOT like it. But, Denise, April and Austin and I rode that one a few times. Everyone LOVED the new Car's Ride, and we managed that one a couple of times too. Hyrum and Kate were pretty brave and tried a lot of roller coasters. Kate usually ended up crying, but she was almost always willing to go on the next one.
6- Souvenirs Our kids are pretty good on vacations as far as asking to buy stuff. Usually we prep them beforehand that they get to pick one toy out for the trip. At first they want everything that they see, but after some suggestions and waiting periods, they usually come home with something memorable. This year Hyrum wanted the Mickey Wizard Hat and Kate picked out a Else/Anna combo doll. I just picked something out for Milo, a light up Buzz toy. It was cheap. And he loves it. Win-win.
5- STAR WARS Okay... so I'm not a HUGE Star Wars fan. I remember watching Star Wars and Indian Jones (my dad must have liked Harrison Ford) a lot. But, I'm by no means a fanatic about it. I actually rented the original three from the library sometime ago and the Hyrum and Kate sort of liked them. Guns and Lasers, what's not to like. But, Justin took the big kids to see the new Star Wars movie after Christmas, and I think we have three little Star Wars fans at home. (Milo sings/hums the Imperial Death March pretty much all day every day.) So, if you're a fan of Star Wars (even if you're not, we were able to somewhat convert even the most staunchest of Star Trek fans, Grandpa Lafeen, over the the Dark Side), Disneyland is the place to be. They are in the process of infusing every square inch of that place with Star Wars. And, it worked. The big kids got to to the Padawan Training, and defeated Darth Vader -which they totally loved.
4- Going with first timers. It's always fun taking people to places that you like when they've never been before. April and Austin had both never been, and it had been 20+ years since Scott and Denise had been. We go so seldom, that there's always a few new things every time we go too.
3-Fast passes. Justin had never used them and was a doubting Mufasa. I converted him. I converted ALL of them! Also, the parks for the first 2-3 hours. Hardly any waiting on any ride.
2- Going with family. This trip was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Lafeen, April, and her boyfriend Austin. Disneyland is a fun way to spent time with family and it also makes young kids easier to handle!!
#1 The night shows. As strange it might sound, especially if you've never been to Disneyland, this makes the Disney Magic real. To big and little kids alike. Maybe they pipe something in the air, or maybe you're just happy you get a reprieve from standing in lines for 10 hours, but there is something magical about the night shows and fireworks. I thought it was bordering on child abuse keeping my the kids up so late, but they begged us to stay for the parade and fireworks the last night, so they must have felt the magic too. We saw Fantasmic over in California adventure land the first night. It's not my favorite, but the kids definitely had that look of awe as they watched it. We pretty much missed the fireworks trying to get to the fireworks display that night, but we had pretty great seats for the Paint the Night Parade and saw everything they projected on the castle for the new fireworks show the last two nights. It was awesome. And, you somehow walk out afterwards just thinking the world is great, full of wonderful, kind, creative people. It's just magic.
And what's a top ten without a bottom three? (It's a stretch, but it's not all roses).
1- Taking a 3 year old that wants to be held constantly. And will only accept mom holding him 85% of the time.
2- $$ It is what it is. And, thanks to a few strategic Christmas gifts (Disney gift cards) and bringing a bunch of snacks (one carry-on was pretty empty on the flight back) we managed pretty well. Not to mentions the military discounted park tickets.
3- Waiting and waiting and waiting in lines. My kids don't do well waiting in lines. And, I know what you're thinking, what kid DOES well waiting in lines. It seems absolutely IMPOSSIBLE, for Hyrum and almost inconceivable for Kate to stand still. Ever. So, the amount of climbing, touching, bumping into, and overall movement in small space was a nightmare. For everyone.
Honorable mentions
Turkey leg
Milo finding a girlfriend on the last Jungle Cruise
Meeting a few characters, especially the princesses for Kate
Hilarious photo shots during rides.- April was particularly photogenic during most of them.
People watching
Diet Coke Breaks
The First Aid clinic on main street
The Go Pro
Until next time Disney...
