We went to Disney again this year with Steve's parents and most of his siblings. (Jeff did not come.) This time we did a 3 day pass hopper between California Adventure and Disneyland. We rented the same house as last year, that is super close to the parks, like less than a 5 minute drive.
I had more fun this time, maybe because I had a trip o Disney under my belt and I knew a bit what to expect and where things were. The kids had a great time. Gage and Trev still prefer the rides that are well, designed for little kids. Zac is somewhere in between a child and teen in what he likes. Jenna has certainly crossed over into liking the more thrilling rides.
Day 1 Travel Day
We had planned to leave by 7am, and got on the road at 7:40am. Not bad considering the day before was my birthday, and I was gone most of the day with my friend, Jen, at the hospital for her surgery, then Steve and I went to dinner. Most of the kids' clothes were packed the night before, but odds and ends were saved for that morning of the trip.
We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast in Orem, snacked, recorded license plates, and played "name that tune" while listening to the Disney Pandora station. I knitted some because it keeps me awake and does not make me car sick like reading does. We then stopped in Mesquite at McDonalds for lunch after driving around trying to find Popeyes that must have somehow gone out of business.We (Steve and I) were able to start catching some pokemon that aren't as common where we live. The longest leg of the trip was through Baker and Barstow, then on to Anaheim. The traffic was heavy. Trev and Gage did sleep a little and that is nice as we needed some quiet from them.. The GPS took us on a detour that cut off 10 minutes of the drive through a rather ugly park of California, but it was nice to get off the freeway.
We arrived at the rental house at 5:30pm, California time. The kids were happy to swim and stretch after being in the van all day. We ordered Papa John's for dinner and ate it on the patio. The weather was nice.
Day 2, Day 1 in the Parks "Mickey Day"
We started off with Pirates and rode rides until lunch. We ate at the Hungry Bear for lunch and did not miss out on a funnel cake. After lunch we went to Small World and ToonTown. I really enjoyed Small world, it as closed last year, so it was my first time. It was a sweet ride.
Missy was not feeling well so I took her and Jenna home. Steve stayed at the park with Steve's family and the kids. I ran the girls home then went to the grocery to get a few things that I thought would help Missy and bought some things for dinner. I returned to the park after 6pm ,but we only stayed for another ride then headed for the house by 8. We had spaghetti for dinner. Jenna and Missy night swam and I soaked my feet in the hot tub.
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| At the house... |
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| Cram on the tram |
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| After lunch at the Hungry Bear |
Day 3, Day 2 in the Park "Go Cougars"
The morning in the park started with rain, but by 11am, it cleared up all together. The obnoxious red ponchos proved beneficial. We started with Mr Toad's Wild ride in the morning, then Dumbo. We played until lunch, then ate at Rancho del Zocalo where we had street tacos, tostados, and pollo. Zac and Christian had a turkey leg. Zac used his birthday money to buy himself an Christian a wizard hat, most pictures to follow have someone in a wizard hat. After lunch, we went to California Adventure and some of us tried Screaming for the first time.(This is a true amusement park, 6-flags type, roller coaster.) I had fun riding it with Steve. He laughed the whole time, and I screamed. Jenna tried it to and loved it! Zac tried and did not love it, he said, "maybe when I am 14..." We stayed in California Adventure, played and rode rides until dinner when we had Corn dog meals. We headed home with tired legs and feet, but still smiling. As promised, the kids had "night swimming" when we got home with Lissa's kids. Not sure how they had the energy for it, but I think the water felt good on their muscles. . The pool there is really too deep for kids that aren't strong swimmers, but the house provided life jackets and I brought goggles. They swam for about an hour pretending they were otter trainers or shark trainers. The bigger kids did their own survival game. Steve and I watched while soaking our feet in the hot tub. There are times when I think that I want a baby, but moments when I can sit back and enjoy just watching is really nice.
Day 4, Day 3 in the parks. "You Choose"
We got a bit later start at the park this day, we did not see a big benefit to going earlier the first 2 days. We got there about the time the rides started. We came prepared with lists from each family member of what they wanted to ride. Jenna and Missy ventured off to tackle their list. The rest of us started in Disneyland, we did the Haunted Mansion and Pirates. Then made our way over to Star Tours and Space Mountain. For lunch, we ate at the French Market after our first choice was too busy and we were too hangry to wait. We ate a nice lunch and had fresh Mickey beignets. Wow! We then headed to California Adventure where we reunited with Jenna and Missy. We rode Toy Story Mania and Screaming and finished the day on the Storybook canal back in Disney.
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| Post donut crash |
We got on the tram and headed for the house. We got home close to 10pm. I logged over 19K steps on my fit bit.
Day 5. Travel Day
We planned to leave at 8, and left at 8:40am mostly on account of the house clean up in the kitchen. We cruised along. Movies are lifesavers. We stopped for lunch in Baker and dinner at Wendy's in Nephi. Gratefully, the drive to and from were uneventful. We got home at 8pm.
Steve plans and budgets for our vacations. He researches best places to eat and fun things to do. He is organized, but not too rigid. This trip there was a spreadsheet with possibilities and different scenarios. I am grateful for him and his talents. I am also grateful to Scot and Julene for covering the expense of the house. Thank you!
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