Disneyland!

We did it! We finally made it to Disneyland as a family! And it was a BIG success!

However, I had the (not-so-bright) idea to buy a new camera for the trip - small and cheap so to be easier for carrying along each day. Our pictures are therefore lame lame lame. What a major bummer. When the battery ran out on the new camera (after one day), I switched to my Droid camera, which isn't much better. So much for making a memory book of our trip. Can't do that with lame pictures. Anyways, enough griping. I've learned my lesson (and will sell the camera) and now on with our tale ... WARNING - this is an extraordinarily loooong post b/c I actually did a quick journal on my phone every night of the trip. Since this is the official family record of our lives, it's all going down here.

Day 1 started in Tomorrowland at the Buzz Lightyear ride. I think it was a little overwhelming as a first ride for kids who had NO idea what to expect of Disneyland. It was also our first clue-in that Disneyland is a loud place for a noise-sensitive kid like Ethan. I, however, thought it was a literal blast and wished we could go again right away!


We hit Autopia (by the end of the trip, all 3 kids had this ride on the top of their favorite list) and the Finding Nemo Submarines. The most entertaining attraction was the Jedi Training Academy, where our own Princess Leia was chosen as a trainee:

Though she'd been talking excitedly all morning about fighting Darth Vader, when the real one entered the scene, she decided it wasn't such a good idea after all!

Feeling like we'd finished Tomorrowland, we ventured onward. Jeff and Jason took Ethan to Indiana Jones (where he covered his ears, put his head down, and shook in terror without seeing anything)and Janell and I took the other three to It's a Small World. Everyone learned the song, but I could tell that something was bothering Ben. Eliza singing with Janell:

While waiting in line for the princesses, I finally figured out what was bothering Ben. We'd left Tomorrowland with one ride unvisited ... Space Mountain. He insisted we go back, even after I explained the nature of the ride. In true Ben form he persisted, so off we went to Space Mountain. I was nervous for him, and to make a long story short, the ride terrified him. At the end, as we came in to stop, he said, "Phew, that was a close one!" I hugged him (and hugged him) and promised him a milkshake. Poor kid! The up side was catching our buddy Buzz before the ride:

We took a break at the hotel while Janell and Jason did some rides together. We met back up with them in the afternoon to do Soarin' Over California. It was an immediate favorite for the entire group. Actually, everyone got back on right away for a second time! We got the kids home in bed, then Jeff and I went back out on our own. FUN! We did the Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mtn. Railroad and just enjoyed being together in such a happy place.

Day 2 (Friday) started with breakfast at IHOP. We were starving! There's no time to eat when you are having such fun! We waited a long time for the food but then the kids ate and ate and ate. Ben had mac & cheese & fries ... for breakfast (I had to look the other way!).

We started the day at the funny Jungle Cruise. Ethan got some of the jokes, but once again, looked like this for the whole ride:

By now we'd accepted the fact that Ethan really was having fun, just adapting the volume to what pleased him. Note to self: next trip to Disneyland, bring ear plugs for Ethan.

Pirates of the Caribbean next! Ethan was skittish about getting on, but we convinced him to trust us and he liked it (with ears covered, of course). Eliza sang along yo ho yo ho. Ben barked at the dogs.

Next stop Indiana Jones store where Ethan did some shopping and 4 adults lost track of Ben. He was lost for 30 (very anxious) minutes. We contacted security and sent out our own scouts. Jeff found him at the Buzz Lightyear ride (where Ben knew we were headed next) and corralled him until I got there. "Did you know you were lost?" "Well, sort of (which in his mind means no)." I lectured him for a minute about the panic he caused to which he said, "Fast pass? (he was waiting for us to come with the fast pass to get on Buzz Lightyear)" Sigh ... he clearly had no idea the anxiety he caused :(

So then Janell & I took the 3 littles on Buzz Lightyear and Astro Gliders while Jeff & Jason took Ethan on the steamboat to Tom Sawyer Island. Ethan begged for more time on the island, but no, it was time to head to CA Adventure!

Bug's Life area was so super cute. My not-so-thrill-seeking children loved every ride, and I was impressed that the Disney folks even put their all into a ride so simple as Heimlich the caterpillar. We were also particularly grateful for our special needs pass in this area. I can't imagine having to wait in a long line for those little rides!
We saw It's Tough to be a Bug (loved it!) and then Jason and Janell took the 4 kids to the Aladdin show (another favorite) while Jeff and I fast passed our way onto California Screamin', the ultimate of classic rollercoasters. I wish we could have gone again! Instead we took a stroll through Paradise Pier then met back up with the family.

On the way back to do Toy Story Mania, we caught a roving show of the Green Men from Toy Story. Eliza participated in the show, then Ethan and Ben followed the army truck as it drove to its next stop - running/dancing/skipping the whole way. I had to run to keep up!

Toy Story Mania = AWESOME! Jeff had the high score for our ride. Here's Jason demonstrating his skill:

Then we hit the Carousel and the Ferris Wheel. Jeff, Eliza and Ben went on Grizzly Rapids (Ben got the wettest) while Ethan, Blake and I took a peaceful break on the Redwood Trail. Here are the kids checking out Grizzly Rapids and deciding whether they want to ride it or not (Eliza: YES! Ethan: NO! Ben: maybe)
Eliza and I then raced to Disneyland to try to catch the princesses before closing, but we were too late :( The park was jam packed for the Halloween party that night. The comfort was that she and I got to party with the Celebrate Parade instead. Eliza waved to everyone and even got up to dance and do the conga. It was such a joy to see her so involved in the whole experience. Jeff took the boys to the Lego store in Downtown Disney and Janell and Jason took some time on their own to see the Pixar Parade, do CA Screamin' and eat dinner.

Jeff and I met up in Downtown Disney (they'd been at the Lego store) for pizza slices then booked it home to bed to find Janell and Jason already there. Everyone was exhausted, but the kids were happy cooperative, darling, and excited for a new day. Eliza was asleep within minutes of her bedtime story. I talked with Ben about being lost and me praying and asking Amy, Grandma Joan and Betty to pray too.. "Was finding you an answer to our prayers?" "Well, a little bit." "Now we'll pray to show we are grateful to find each other." I said a prayer then asked him to say a thank you to Heavenly Father. He repeated with me: "I thank thee for helping me find my family." Sweet boy.

Day 3 (Saturday) was Sick Day! Janell was up in the night with D___ (I just can't write that word on my blog) then Jeff a few hours later. By 9:30, when the kids were all ready to go, Janell felt better enough to come along (what a trooper!), but Jeff stayed home to rest.

This was our final day at Disneyland so the day to repeat favorites and do a few new ones. Autopia was first on all the kids' lists! Ben said he was a very crazy driver. We took a loop on the monorail and then stopped at Space Mountain for fast passes and a diaper change. Ethan was frustrated with any lag time.

We decided to try out Fantasyland, but it was just mobbed with people. We did Alice in Wonderland (Ben laughed out loud a few times and Eliza was scared of the Queen of Hearts), then the 3 kids went solo on the teacups. I had to give Ethan a short lecture about being patient about waiting for a few minutes. We were so spoiled with the special needs passes! The children were unwilling to attempt Snow White's Scary Adventure (Ben: "because it has Scary in the name") and Janell and Jason's attempt to get Eliza on Mr. Toad was foiled by a last minute potty emergency - Jason rode alone! So we finished the Fantasyland experience with a lovely ride on the Storybook Boats and then made a desperate escape from the madness!

At CA Adventure we saw the Muppets 3D (okay - Ethan covered ears a lot, of course), then Monsters Inc, then Ben's first legitimate almost meltdown (we should have just stayed with the redo the favorites plan). Jeff met up with us to help with kid cover, bless his sick little heart, because we girls had a date with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto!







While we had our girl time, Jeff, Jason, Ethan and Ben repeated Soarin' Over California and Toy Story Mania, had lunch at the Grill, then headed back to Disneyland for ride on the River Boat. We met them as they got off and Janell and Jason took off on their own. We Smiths tried to go on rafts to Tom Sawyer Island but it was closed - Ethan was VERY bummed. We spent a few minutes watching the big dip on Splash Mountain (Eliza: YES!, Ben: maybe, Ethan: NO!). Eliza, Ben and I hopped on! Eliza loved the zip-a-dee-do-dah song; Ben loved it too, but the big dip was "too scary" ("you thought that was fun but I think you are wrong"). Eliza was scared too, but later reported "I loved it - it was so much fun!" I love that girl!

And that was the end! Jeff was totally spent from being so sick and the kids were tired. I got Blake and Jeff settled, picked up soup for Jeff from IHOP, then took Ethan and Eliza swimming in the hotel pool. Ben stayed in the room and played word games on my phone.

After everyone was in bed, I went back out on the town. I scouted out World of Color, did Soarin' (caught breaking rules with Stroller pass - major guilt) and did some shopping. I met up with Janell and Jason for a bit but I was too exhausted to stay for rides/shows.

We were so grateful to Jason and Janell for travelling from Virginia to spend the weekend with our family. They were helpful and happy and just so easy to be with. We love you!

Ethan cried and cried when we got home, "back to long days of fifth grade and all that hard work all the time! I want to be entertained with something new every 10 minutes!"

And that (phew!) was our trip to Disneyland.