A Spring Fling at the Disneyland Resort! About This Page:

[TiggGrrrl]

Sunday, April 21, 2002
Hooray – We’re in Disneyland!
First day of stay
Adventurers: Jeannie aka TiggGrrrl (that's me!) - 12th visit (I think)
Ria – Jeannie’s sister – many visits (CA resident)
Shane – my DS, 16 ½ months – 2nd visit
Tina – Ria’s DD, 6 – 5th visit
AJ – Ria’s DS, 3 – 2nd visit
Grandma Connie – Jeannie & Ria’s mom – 5th visit

We all piled into the Ford Windstar I rented upon arriving at LA’s Union Station from New York at about 10:30am to make the trip from Camarillo to Anaheim. We hit absolutely zero traffic (an amazing feat if you know anything about the LA freeway system) and arrived at the Embassy Suites Anaheim South – Adjacent to Disneyland – WOO HOO! Fortunately, our room is ready and we make our way upstairs in the glass elevator (the kids loved this!) to the third floor. We have a two room suite with a fridge and sink – helpful with three little ones along. The living room/dining room area has a sofa bed that sleeps 2, a tv and dining table. The bedroom has 2 queen beds and we requested a crib for Shane. I highly recommend Embassy Suites when traveling, especially with children. They offer a complimentary full hot breakfast every morning as well as cocktails and appetizers at 7pm every night.

The plan for the day was to head over to Downtown Disney and boy was I chomping at the bit to do just that! So we fed the kids and a shopping we went [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] . First stop was the LEGO Imagination Center – very big on AJ’s fun scale. Shane got a big kick out of the figures made out of LEGOs throughout the store, but wanted to get out of the stroller and do some damage so we beat a hasty retreat out of there. We were just planning on taking it easy and doing some leisurely strolling around and that’s just what we did, wandering in and out of the shops and enjoying the lovely sites. Marceline’s Confectionary is a site to see even if you don’t buy anything – but who goes into a candy store and doesn’t buy anything? Certainly not me! I bought a yummy Mickey shaped rice crispy treat with the added bonus of the ears being dipped in chocolate [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img] Ria and I decided a stop in Sephora was a necessity – after all, it’s just like a candy store for makeup and all things foo foo! Grandma Connie was nice enough to stay outside with the kids while we played around in there for a little while and naturally spent some $$. And now it was time for the big kahuna – World of Disney! WOO HOO!!! I can spend many hours – and mucho dinero – in that place! It’s pretty similar to the one in WDW – it’s a pretty overwhelming place with the kids so I didn’t have much time to take in the décor so I’m not sure if the specific character themes in each of the rooms is the same. We spent well over an hour canvassing each merchandise filled room – plush, picture frames, t-shirts, photo albums, watches…you name it, it’s there. I had a heck of a time deciding what I wanted and in a very short time, the top of Shane’s stroller was sagging from the weight of all I had piled on it. I settled on a Tigger t-shirt that says “it’s all about me”, a Disneyland 2002 photo album for the pictures from this trip, a Tigger romper and Buzz Lightyear pjs for Shane and a Disneyland pressed coin book. Make no mistake – this was not the only shopping I did on this little trip and many more bags made their way back home with me (so many, in fact, that I had to send a 50 pound box home with the overflow [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] )

After all that shopping, we were feeling a bit hungry so we headed over to the Courtyard of Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen for a little snack – we had ressies at Goofy’s Kitchen for dinner so we didn’t want to eat too much. Naturally I had to have the beignets – oooh are they ever good – with some seriously strong New Orleans style coffee. Mom and Ria had the same, and the kids split a chicken tenders and French fries meal. This is a really nice spot for a quick snack or a light lunch, and with outdoor seating its very kid friendly as well.

I really wanted to get a look at the Grand Californian Hotel and since you can access it from Downtown Disney (some of the rooms are actually over the shops there!) that was our next stop. My jaw dropped as soon as we hit the lobby – it really is a site to behold! Similar architecture to the Wilderness Lodge, warm and cozy, just lovely. Mom decided to sit and rest on a big comfy chair there and Ria took Tina and AJ to the restroom so Shane and I headed around the lobby for a full tour. I noticed some doors headed outside and away I went. They led out to a courtyard with big wooden chairs and an outdoor fireplace and a garden with a trellis - the wedding garden! The best part of this courtyard though, is that it faces California Adventure! What a kick it would be to get married with California Screamin’ and the Maliboomer looming behind you! I realized we had been out there for quite some time so Shane and I headed back inside to find the rest of the family. I had to share my find with them so I dragged everyone outside to see the beautiful courtyard and also to admire California Adventure – I was absolutely chomping at the bit to get there at this point!

Since we had Goofy’s Kitchen to look forward to that evening, we decided to head back to the hotel and rest up for the evening’s festivities. When we got back there, everyone laid down for a catnap and before we knew it, it was time to get up and get ready. Ria and I got up first while the kids were still sleeping – much easier to get ready that way! Mom was next and then the kiddies – soon we were all ready and off we went.

Goofy’s Kitchen is a buffet character meal in the beautiful Disneyland Hotel and we were really looking forward to it – and we were not disappointed! After we checked in, we were ushered over to a little kitchen setup where Pluto was waiting to take pictures with the kids (and me, Shane didn’t want to go by himself…um, yeah, that’s it…). He was very fun and sweet to the kids and the adults got a big kick out of watching the action.



We only waited about 5 minutes for them to call us for our table and as we were walking in to be seated, Buzz and Belle were right there at the front of the restaurant! Tina and AJ just about fell on the floor, and Shane started squealing like crazy! Mom followed the waiter to the table while we stayed there and let the kids meet the 2 stars. I discovered that Shane is pretty crazy about Buzz – I couldn’t get him away from him! And well Belle said “hello Prince Shane” I about lost it – there went the tears. Ria and I just kept saying to each other “wouldn’t you just love to be her?”. She really was magnificent in her beautiful, sparkly yellow ball gown – I felt like a little girl in the presence of a princess!
We finally tore the kids – and ourselves – away from Buzz and Belle and sat down at our table. It was in a great spot right by a window with a pretty view – everything about this night was right!



We took turns going up for food – the usual kids fare such as mac and cheese and pizza; and for the grown ups there was prime rib, chicken, pork loin, veggies, soups, salads, etc. and of course the desserts! Excellent food all around and while we ate, we were visited by Goofy, Chip, Dale and Minnie. AJ was quite taken with Minnie and blushed when she kissed him – too cute! Shane was his usually flirtatious self and cocked his head to the side when she came to him, then reached out to her and gave her a big kiss on the nose – you can imagine what a proud mommy I was at that moment. A few times during dinner, they turn up the music loud and all the characters get together at the front of the restaurant and dance! All the children run over there and everyone dances together, we had the best time! One time they did the Macarena and my sides were hurting from laughing so hard as I tried to do it while holding Shane and Ria was trying to do the same holding AJ – we must have been quite a sight! But who cares, it’s Disneyland after all! After sampling a few of the desserts, it was time to head back to the hotel and put the kiddies down for a good night’s rest before our trek into Disneyland the next day.



Once they were all bathed and tucked in, Ria and I headed back to Downtown Disney for a little sister time – YAY! We wandered around the shops there for a little while before deciding to board the monorail to Disneyland to get a few rides in. I had bought a discounted 3 day hopper and we were only going to be there for 2 more days so I figured why waste it! And Ria purchased resident annual passes for her, Tina and AJ so we were on our way – WOO HOO! We only had about an hour until closing so we headed right over to the Haunted Mansion since we knew Tina and AJ would not be up for the trip the next day – too dark and scary. I absolutely LOVE New Orleans Square in Disneyland and the Haunted Mansion there is the centerpiece of this marvelous land. I could just sit on a bench and sit there for an hour taking it all in. It’s my favorite land in any Disney park and if you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to do so. In Disneyland, you enter the Haunted Mansion through the front door – a real kick if you ask me! We had very little wait to get into the stretch room and my heart was pounding in my chest as those doors closed and the walls began to stretch – great stuff no matter how many times you do it! Next we boarded our doombuggy and off we went for our tour of Master Gracey’s mansion. We had a great time as always – our favorite part is the ballroom and we both marveled about how seeing it never gets old. Our top hat wearing hitchhiking ghost wedged his way in between us and we bid him goodnight as we headed off. We hoofed it over to Adventureland to squeeze a trip on Indiana Jones Adventure and with little wait, got seated right in front of our jeep – FUN! This is another great, not to be missed attraction here in Disneyland and we really had a blast riding it. After Indie, we just strolled around enjoying the fireflies flickering in the trees and the beautifully lit up Sleeping Beauty Castle. We really enjoyed each other’s company, spending some great sister time together. It doesn’t happen that often these days since we live 3000 miles apart and this was a really special time [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Next: We’re going to Disneyland!

[tikibird]

Woo hoo! So happy you decided to post this - love hearing about DD and the pics are great!

Question - is there a Virgin Megastore in DD? DS was asking this last night as I was viewing the DL trip planning video. We haven't been there since CA opened, and are anxious to go back. DS, however, is only concerned about if there is a VM whereever we go! [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Great report - Shane is such a cutie - looking forward to more!

[TiggGrrrl]

Thanks tiki [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Sorry to say, there is no Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney CA. There is, however, an ESPNZone that he might find entertaining [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[TiggGrrrl]

Monday, April 22, 2002
Fun, fun, fun in the Magic Kingdom of the left coast
Second day of stay
Adventurers: Jeannie aka TiggGrrrl (that's me!) - 12th visit (I think)
Ria – Jeannie’s sister – many visits (CA resident)
Shane – my DS, 16 ½ months – 2nd visit
Tina – Ria’s DD, 6 – 5th visit
AJ – Ria’s DS, 3 – 2nd visit
Grandma Connie – Jeannie & Ria’s mom – 5th visit

After a good night’s sleep, we were all up and at ‘em by 7:30. We headed downstairs to have some breakfast and then off we went to the park! Ria and I had a bit of trouble trying to get Mom’s rented ECV into and out of the minivan (when we rented one in WDW in February, DH and Ddad were there to do it) and it was quite a site to see. We got many amused looks and we were laughing so hard we couldn’t see straight. We finally got it figured out and we made it into the park without further adieu. We all had our passes so no wait to get in and before you knew it, we were on Main Street – YAY!

First order of business was to take a spin around the park on the Disneyland Railroad. We parked the strollers and were on the train within five minutes. The railroad here is different from WDW in that you get some surprises along the way! If you stick around and ride between Tomorrowland and Main Street you get to “see” the Grand Canyon – an amazing painted version that includes lots of animals like deer and mountain lions, loads of pine trees and a beautiful sunset and rainbow. It’s hard to describe and wonderful to see! The next thing you see is what the CM called the Primeval World diorama – a prehistoric scene inspired by Fantasia – which includes a whole lot of prehistoric critters as well as some beautiful scenery…the one I remember best is the volcano for some reason [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] . After our trip around the Magic Kingdom, we collected our strollers and started our way up Main Street. We were immediately met by Mary Poppins and Tina and AJ ran over to get their autograph books signed. I was slathering Shane with sunscreen so he missed her this time, but he didn’t seem to mind. I was on a major pressed penny mission this trip and I headed into the Penny Arcade to smush some pennies – and as it turned out nickels and quarters too – WOO HOO!

Tina was bursting to go on Dumbo so the family scooted on over to Fantasyland. We were expecting the usual LOOOONG line here but we were pleasantly surprised and only wait about 3 groups for our turn – less than 10 minutes and we were ready to take flight. I really enjoy this ride – always have, and now that I get to do it with my sweet baby Shane its all the better. Ria took pictures of us while in flight; I unfortunately couldn’t do the same for her ‘cause I was holding onto my very excited little boy!



When we came back to earth I got the bright idea that we should go on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Well, it’s been a pretty long time since I rode that puppy and I forgot about the scarier aspects of it. I’ve managed to scar my nephew AJ for life, methinks. Suffice it to say that neither he nor Tina enjoyed the Dante’s Inferno scene, I thought my sister was going to wring my neck but she just laughed! Shane got a little scared but not too bad, I guess he’s still little enough to not get too upset by that stuff.

Unfortunately, the line for the Matterhorn was really long so we had to skip that. We were going to baby swap it (didn’t want to leave Grandma with the 3 kids while they were awake) but it was just too long for some reason. Probably because Big Thunder Mountain was down for refurbishment so the overflow was hitting Matterhorn. We decided to take a spin on Alice in Wonderland, which I had actually never ridden before - it’s one of the longest Disney rides I’ve ever been on. It’s a cute ride where you sit in caterpillars and take a trip to Wonderland. The kids enjoyed it as well as its sweet and fun, nothing scary here! Tina begged to ride the Tea Cups but I don’t do spinning rides too well (you can flip me upside down, but don’t spin me around!) and neither does my sister Ria – who is as chicken as they come…you’ll read more about that later. To my absolute joy, It’s a Small World was down for refurbishment – I was dreading getting dragged on that but it’s one of my mom’s favorites and Shane digs it too. Next up was a trip over London on Peter Pan’s Flight. Another big time favorite all around! We all loved the beautiful scenery and magical twinkling lights – this is why I love Disney! Tina was itching to get over to story time with the Princesses – she just had to meet her favorite Cinderella and she was doing the story time at 12 noon or so if my memory serves me. Ria took her and AJ in for the story and Grandma, Shane and I wandered around Sleeping Beauty Castle and the surrounding area just enjoying the sites. I didn’t think Shane would sit still long enough for the whole story and I didn’t want to disturb anyone. As it turned out, he nodded off for a few short minutes while we waited for them. Tina got to meet not only Cinderella but Prince Charming as well! She brought a card she had drawn for her and Ria said Cinderella made a real fuss over it. They both signed her and AJ’s books and they headed out to meet us. With one more spin on Dumbo, our trip to Fantasyland was done. AJ fell asleep just before we went on and Shane fell out right after. We decided this was a perfect time to head over to Tomorrowland…

As I mentioned earlier, my sister Ria is a first class chicken when it comes to rides – and she’s not ashamed to admit it [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] . That said, oddly enough she loves Space Mountain! So we figured while the boys were asleep we could go for a spin around the universe together while Grandma stayed with the kids. We had gotten Fast Passes earlier and hoped we’d be able to ride together and it worked out great! In Disneyland, you get to sit side by side as opposed to one per seat in WDW, which is fun. Unless you’re sitting next to my screaming sister. I was laughing so hard at her screaming I could hardly breathe by the time the ride was over! It seems to me that the Disneyland version of this ride is faster, longer and rougher than the WDW version and I love it to death! When the ride ended the two guys sitting behind us asked, “alright, who was the screamer and who was the laugher?!”. How funny is that? I quickly pointed out that I was the laugher and Ria and I continued our hysterics while we headed out to look at our picture. Let me say now that the CM behind the counter there said ours was the funniest picture she had ever seen and she had been working there for quite some time. Now look at the picture – and make sure you’re not eating or drinking when doing so, you’re going to laugh your butt off!



Are you done laughing yet? Okay then, let’s continue…

AJ & Shane were awake when we got off the ride and he really wanted to go “drive the cars” so we went over to the Tomorrowland Autopia to grant him his wish. As was the case throughout this trip, the line was more than manageable and we were on the road in less than 15 minutes! Grandma drove with Tina, AJ drove with Ria and me and Shane burned rubber together. Tina could actually see over the dashboard so her and my mom were doing great. AJ was another story and I laughed so hard watching him rough Ria up bouncing her all over the place on that road! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I did the driving for us and Shane enjoyed it as much as a little guy who can’t see much from that car seat can.

We were getting pretty hungry by this time so we decided to stop and have some lunch. We decided on burgers and fries at the Stage Door Café in Frontierland – they’re really good and they also have a kid’s meal so it was the perfect choice. We relaxed at a table with an umbrella and enjoyed the view of the river. Shane was interested in nothing more than French fries and I accommodated him – after all, we were in Disneyland!

Since we were so close to Adventureland, I asked if I could take a spin on Indiana Jones and everyone was a-ok with that – YAY! I flew right through the queue area and was in my vehicle and off in 5 minutes or less. I tell ya, I could ride that ride 5 times in a row, it’s so much fun! I really wish they had this at WDW!

Next on the agenda was a visit to our favorite outlaws in Pirates of the Caribbean. Grandma sat this one out and Ria and I took the kids. We had a little bit of a wait for this one, but nothing the kids couldn’t handle. AJ didn’t like the drop too much and Shane just said “mama, mama” but was okay as soon as he had stuff to look at. When we finished our trip with the pirates, we decided it was time for Mickey bars all around. WOO HOO! Naturally, the kids got good and messy while eating them – would you have it any other way? As you can see, Shane really enjoyed his!



As we passed through Critter Country (formerly Bear Country where my sisters Nisi and Ria and I used to really enjoy visiting the Explorer Canoes captained by usually handsome, strong young men with one syllable names [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ) it became clear that due to the somewhat late hour in the day there was not much of a line here. I knew Ria wouldn’t be taking this trip with me since the first and only time she was ever on it was the year it opened and we waited 90 minutes for her to scream her head off as we plunged down the big drop, cursing me and swearing she’d never do it again. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] I got into my boat and politely warned the people joining me that there was a good chance I’d be screaming and they might want to brace themselves. This ride scares the bejeepers out of me, I think because you’re not strapped in – there’s something about the possibility of plunging head first out of that log that frightens me. As promised, I did just that with a whole lot of laughing mixed in. Fortunately there were 2 other screamers in the boat – and one was a man.

We made our way back over to Tomorrowland to see “Calling All Space Scouts – A Buzz Lightyear Adventure”. We knew the boys were going to lose their minds with this one! Grandma was pretty tired by this time so she got herself some coffee and waited up by a table while Ria and I took the kids down front to watch. This is an awesome show! The Evil Emperor Zurg is a big and somewhat frightening guy, but our man Buzz takes care of him with no prob. He has some help from a Space Ranger in training and together they teach everyone the “to infinity and beyond” credo along with the proper hand signals to go along with it. You cross your arms one at a time while saying to infinity and they raise yours arms up over your head and shout and beyond! Shane hasn’t stopped doing it yet!

We heard that Woody and Jesse were over in Frontierland (gotta love those CMs!) so we hoofed it over there to get some more photos and autographs. I was pretty excited too, as this was my first meeting with the couple!

It was getting late and the kids – and adults – were getting really tired. We decided to do our Main Street Shopping – can’t leave without doing that – and then head out. As always, Ria and I bought some chocolate covered stuff - pretzels and toffee - in the Candy Palace and then moved along into the Emporium. Grandma bought the kids each a stuffed character of their choosing and Ria and I got to pick stuff too! YAY MOM! I got a little black backpack that says Princess and in little letters Disneyland resort and has a rhinestoned crown on it, that I now use as my diaper bag/purse. I bought a few souvenirs for the folks at home, especially my wonderful DH who enabled me to go on this great trip!

With the shopping done and a quick bite at the Carnation Café – sandwiches and chips – we were out of the Magic Kingdom and off to the parking lot. I looked at California Adventure longingly and full of excitement for the next days activities!

When we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, Ria and I more efficiently unloaded Mom’s ECV and put a couple of packages in her basket. In a flash, she was off and long gone – apparently she had had about all she could take of her daughters and grandchildren for the day. Ria and I looked at each other and burst out laughing – it was the fastest we’d seen her move in a very long time! We still get a giggle about that! We got back to the room and bathed all the kids together and before very long they were all fast asleep, as was Grandma. Ria and I stayed up for a while and ate candy and had a little wine. It’s these special alone times with my sister that I love most – and make me miss her a whole lot! It was the perfect end to a magical day!

Next: OH YEAH, CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE BABY!

[ 08-07-2002, 10:59 PM: Message edited by: TiggGrrrl ]

[LilMarcieMouse]

I can't wait till I can get there!!! I'm looking forward to hearing about CA.

[tikibird]

Hee hee - that picture of your sister is PRICELESS! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Loved hearing more about DL - and the pic of Shane after the Mickey bar is great!

Looking forward to hearing about CA!

[GoofyMom]

I wanna go back, I wanna go back, I wanna go back!!! Jeannie, your TR is sooo much like being there. And I'm still giggling about your Space Mountain pic. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[TINKN]

Loving your TR so far! Sounds like so much fun! Looking forward to DCA.

[Tara O'Hara]

Jeannie, I LOVE [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img] your report so far and your pictures are great! It sounds like you guys are having a blast!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Tara

[wdwlovers]

What a great TR Jeannie!!! Love it! The pics are awesome, especially the one of you and your sis on SM! Can't wait to read more!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Jsbalcio1]

Great report so far, keep it coming! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Elliot'sDragon]

This is a great report. That picture on Space Mountain is so good.

[infinity&beyond]

That is a fantastic picture of you and your sister! I was laughing out loud! I want to go back NOW! I guess I'll have to wait patiently until September, then I am all over Space Mountain! This is a great report, thanks for sharing!

[TiggGrrrl]

NOTE: I've got lots of pictures to share from this day so I'll break it down into a few posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2002
California Adventure – could I be anymore excited?!
Third and last day of stay
Adventurers: Jeannie aka TiggGrrrl (that's me!) - 12th visit (I think)
Ria – Jeannie’s sister – many visits (CA resident)
Shane – my DS, 16 ½ months – 2nd visit
Tina – Ria’s DD, 6 – 5th visit
AJ – Ria’s DS, 3 – 2nd visit
Grandma Connie – Jeannie & Ria’s mom – 5th visit

Once again, we were up pretty early, although not quite as early as yesterday since we were so beat from our trip around Disneyland – and also because the park opened at 10. After breakfast, we stopped at the front desk to check out and loaded up the car. We decided to leave the rental ECV at the hotel for pickup so we wouldn’t have to come back later and rent one at California Adventure. We all piled in the car and I swear my heart was pounding as we headed over!

Let me preface this by saying that like any first visit to a Disney park, we barely scratched the surface! There were things that were high on the priority list that got done and many other things that I’ll have to go back again and again before I see it all. It really was my day, as I was the one who really wanted to go back there, Tina and AJ were not so thrilled but Ria knew how badly I wanted to go there and she really helped to make my day wonderful!

When we got to the gates there was barely anyone there and after bag check we were so in the park! WOO HOO! I could have done cartwheels right there! Upon entering, the first thing you see is the Golden Gate bridge! We got this awesome family picture taken there and were on our way!



My first priority was to get a Fast Pass for California Screamin’. As scared as I was, I was determined to go on that ride – it was my first visit to California Adventure and I wasn’t going to let a little thing like fear and riding alone stop me! If you read the previous day’s installment, you know there was no way Ria was going on with me! Along the way to Paradise Pier, we spotted Mike and Sully from Monster’s Inc. and stopped for a quick photo – they can’t sign autographs. Shane walked right up to Sully but I don’t think he could see him so I grabbed him and Ria took the picture.



At this point, Tina had a meltdown upon realizing we were not going to Disneyland and Ria said Mom, Shane and I should go on without them and they’d meet us in a half hour. So we continued on over to Paradise Pier – what a beautiful place CA is! It’s so well done and I really tried to take as much in as I could that day. I saw California Screamin’ looming ahead and my heart was racing. We crossed the bridge into Paradise Pier and went right to it and the sign said there was a 5 minute wait for stand-by. I asked Mom if she’d mind me going on and she said absolutely not – Shane is easy to take care of ‘cause he’s in his stroller. I walked the longest mile to the line and started nervously chatting with the folks around me. Before I knew it I was being called into my spot for the next ride. The put a man next to me and I politely informed him that this was my first go round on this baby and there was no doubt that I’d be screaming – A LOT! He said, no problem, his wife just about popped his eardrum on his last trip – LOL! I pulled that restraint down over my head and there was no looking back. The music started and we pulled out of the loading area. You wait right next to the boardwalk where people can watch you as you…shoot out from 0 to 55 in 4.7 seconds – HOLY COW – then flies up a massive hill to your first drop! There are several more great drops as well as the famous…err…infamous…loop around the huge Mickey head and lots of other fun stuff along the way. THIS IS THE BEST DISNEY RIDE I HAVE EVER BEEN ON! I was so proud of myself for having faced my fear and going on! I could have went right back on but Ria would be waiting for us, so I got a Fast Pass for a return trip later. I spent much of this first trip with my eyes closed and I was determined to do it again and see everything. My mom was very glad to see me, she just kept saying I was crazy! As is my tradition of the first time I ride a new Disney ride, I bought the picture. It makes me laugh every time I see it – the thing is, you never realize you’re making these ridiculous faces when you’re on the ride!



We met back up with Ria and the kids and thought it would be a good idea to get them on something. The only thing AJ and Shane were big enough for here at CA was King Triton’s Carousel and that’s right near California Screamin’ so we headed on over. This has got to be the most unique and certainly one of the most beautiful carousels I have ever seen (and I love them!) – Disney really performed their magic here. Each sea animal is done is amazing detail and is absolutely breathtaking. There are seahorses, dolphins, seals, sea otters and lots of fish – Shane loves seahorses so I plopped him on one and he squealed with delight – too cute! Whether or not you’re traveling with children, this is a must see/do!

We strolled by the Maliboomer and I decided not to ride – believe it or not that sucker scares me more than California Screamin’ ever did! I will definitely go on it next trip with DH, but I didn’t feel up to braving it alone. I think the idea of being shot upward bothers me far more than the falling downward – after all, I love ToT!

Tina spotted the Jumpin’ Jellyfish and I told her I’d take her on since AJ was too small and would be staying with his mom. She was a-ok with that and off we went! This is a parachute ride where the seats look like jellyfish – very cute. It’s a mild free fall once you get to the top, but Miss T just loved it!

[Tara O'Hara]

Jeannie, doesn't California Adventure ROCK?!? It sounds like you had as much fun as we did and your pictures are awesome! Keep it coming! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Tara