DISNEYLAND!

     When I first started this blog, I was catching up on a lot of things that happened earlier in the year before I started blogging.  I was still learning to use Blogger and I wasn't very good at it.  So sometimes a blog post would take me a couple of hours to do.  I recapped our Project Linus service day that we did as part of Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" deal.  But I never blogged about our actual Disneyland trip because I was so intimidated by the amount of time it would take since we took so many pictures.  But here it is, 2011, and I really want to make my blog book.  So I must finish catching up 2010 since I'm already getting behind in 2011!
     We traded in our 1 day tickets for the Southern CA 2-day park hopper tickets.  It was only an extra $20 to get the second day so it was completely worth it!  Kelsey was free so the only ticket we had to buy was Mackenzie's.  Nate was still safe and sound in my tummy.  We started by spending our first day at Disneyland.  We went on March 24 and 25, a Wednesday and Thursday.  Wednesday the 24th was wonderful!  The lines were short and we got to do so many things.  We left very early in the morning and got into the park around 9am.  Our great friends, the Cannons, went the same day as us so we met them there right away.  We went on several rides together until the afternoon, when our kids started melting down.  By then we had met up with my mom and dad too.  It was getting very hot anyway so we went and checked into the hotel and made the kids nap.  My parents decided to do the same thing.  We had gotten hotel rooms next to each other.  After they woke up we went to Hometown Buffet for dinner and then headed back to the park.  Thanks to a great nap, they were able to stay awake and have fun until closing time.  I was glad we got to see the fireworks.
     The second day we started by trying to see the Princesses at Disneyland.  When we got there the line was already so long.  We waited about 10 minutes and the kids decided they didn't want to see the princesses badly enough to wait for an entire hour or more.  So we went quickly to California Adventure.  It turned out that was a good choice because Disneyland was way more crowded that day.  In Disneyland we pretty much just went on rides.  But at California Adventure we went to some of the shows too.  We saw the Playhouse Disney show and Aladdin.  Aladdin was almost an hour long but our kids sat mesmerized through the whole thing.  We went to the Bugs Life show too but they didn't like that so much.  I personally think it's hilarious.
     The kids were starting to tucker out around dinnertime so we thought we'd go do a couple more things and then take off and eat somewhere outside the park before heading home.  We had just come out of Aladdin which was right be the Tower of Terror.  We had gotten Fast Passes for the Tower of Terror and it was the right time to use them.  By then, my cell phone was dead so we decided that Daren would take the three older girls on the Tower of Terror, and Kelsey and I would wait outside for them.  As soon as they walked in I realized it would be crazy to waste that time with Kelsey just sitting and waiting for them.  After all, we were right next to Bugs Life World and there were lots of rides there she could go on.  I didn't want to miss them however so I just took her on one ride and then went back to wait at the Tower of Terror exit.  It took so long for them to come out that I was starting to worry that I had missed them after all.  They finally emerged and Daren told me how horrible it had been.  They had only been in the line for a few minutes when Mackenzie started freaking out and decided that she didn't want to go on the ride after all.  Daren tried to take her out to me but couldn't find me and the other kids badly wanted to go on the ride.  So he pretty much made Mackenzie go.  It ended up being her favorite ride of the whole trip and she talked about it for a very long time.  Even now, she still remembered that that was her favorite ride.

Our favorite parts of our trip:
Daren- the Jellyfish ride with Mackenzie on our 2nd day at California Adventure.  He pretended to be terrified and Mackenzie thought it was hilarious.
Lisa- my favorite is always watching the kids with their faces all lit up with excitement.  I also loved the revamped submarine ride how it's all "Finding Nemo" now.  It was so much more fun than the old one.  I think the thing that made it most fun of all was being there with family and friends.
Mackenzie- riding on the Tower of Terror and seeing Sleeping Beauty, my favorite Princess.
Natalee- Space Mountain and riding the Tea Pots with Katie at Disneyland.  The Tower of Terror and Grizzly River Run at California Adventure.
Haylee- for California Adventures it was Tower of Terror and Grizzly River Run.  For Disneyland it was Space Mountain and Finding Nemo.
Kelsey- I don't care!  (I don't think she remembers it very well.)

Here are our fun Disneyland Pictures:

First Ride: Dumbo!

Kelsey on her first ride at Disneyland!

Mackenzie and Joey on the Teacups.  This was essentially Mackenzie's first trip to Disneyland too since she was only 3 weeks old the last time she was there.

It was so fun to be there with the Cannons!

 

Playing at Tarzan's Treehouse

BFF's Haylee and Grace

About to go on the Jungle Cruise

Waiting outside the Tiki Room and starting to melt down.

A cool fountain in front of Disneyland.  We took this picture on our way out for our nap.

Riding the Tram back to Disneyland

We saw Mickey and Minnie right away when we got back into the park.

Waiting in line....

Natalee trying to pull out the sword in the stone.

Daren and Natalee on Space Mountain

Dad and Haylee on Space Mountain.  I think this picture is funny because my dad looks like he's going to throw up!

California Adventure Pictures:

At California Adventure we met up with Mike and Cindy and kids.  We hung out with them for a little bit before we ended up going to some different rides.  We met up again later at the Brother Bear Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.  The kids had a great time playing in there but I was out with a sleeping Kelsey during that fun.

Haylee and Ally riding the Jellyfish ride together.

Mackenzie and a terrified Daren riding the Jellyfish ride.

Natalee and Audrey rode together.

N is for Natalee!

The kids just had to ride Ariel's carousel.





Yay!  We found Donald Duck!

Kelsey and I waited for them all to get wet on the Grizzly River ride.  She was too short and I was too pregnant.

They got soaked!

Me and the girls getting ready for the Bugs Life 3D show.

Kelsey snuggling in the stroller.

Aaahhh!  It's Hopper!

A car from Monster's Inc.

Natalee in front of Boo's door.

After we got out of the Monster's Inc. ride we stumbled on a little show and decided to watch the rest of it.  Suddenly Sleeping Beauty and some other characters came out and Mackenzie's jaw just dropped.  Since we had skipped the princesses earlier, this was an unexpected treat.  We were so thrilled that she stayed to take pictures after the show.  She asked the girls if they were sisters or friends and they said sisters.  She told them that sisters could be your very best friends.  I liked her a lot!

Kelsey on the caterpillar ride while Daren and the others went on the Tower of Terror.

Daren, Natalee, Haylee, and Mackenzie on the Tower of Terror.