Disneyland

I am openly and Disneyland grinch. I just don't get why people love it so much. I mean it's fun and all, but dude, the cost is ridiculous. I have been a couple times as a kid and didn't really have a desire to go back because, been there done that. I did want to take J though, because she is a princess loving girl and just the right age for magic. Yet whenever I calculated the cost, I couldn't pull the trigger. I mean, Disneyland for three days, or a cruise to the Caribbean for a week. Two trips to Disnleyland or one trip to Europe? And all the money to stand in lines with a toddler? No way. 

But then there was this epic roadtrip where we would be paying for gas and hotel anyways... might as well right? We could never do it cheaper. So away we went. I knew my aunt Cheryl has a love of Disneyland and an annual pass and would love to watch my kiddos experience it so I shot her a text. I was also fairly certain she was in California at the time too. It all worked out perfectly! They were even able to shuttle us to the car repair place to get the AC fixed. (There is a car repair shop a mile from Disneyland with 75 positive yelp reviews. Talk about a niche market!)

And then Aunty had to spoil us completely with all the snacks and food and watching M. J and I waited for Peter Pan's flight and M hit 10 kiddie rides in Fantasy land in the same 40 minutes. His time was much better spent. He went on Dumbo and the train with us a second time with us.

Tea Cups!

She had been dying for one of these suckers since Monterrey Bay aquarium. I had to give in because I remember desperately wanting one as a kid and the joy of actually getting one.

M needed one too even though I had no delusions about how long he would actually spend eating it.

Cheryl the Great around means you can get an ice cream AND a churro.

M requested to watch "Toys!" over and over in the car. He wouldn't keep the headphones on so he spent almost 40 hours watching movies without sound during the trip. But boy, did he get excited to see Buzz!

They really enjoyed ToonTown. I did too because there was plenty to explore that didn't involve waiting in line.

I debated on whether it was going to be worth the time to see Mickey. Would they freak out? Would the line be terrible like every other line (yes, we went in the middle of summer when it is packed and HOT)? The answer is yes, yes it was worth it. They both were delighted to meet Mr Mouse himself.

Our kids love carousels and this wasn't very crowded so they could ride multiple times.

Captain Hook showed up too!

Look at that smile!

 Not the chosen one today.

I didn't get a picture, but M and J both loved Star Tours. M is so tall he was able to ride several rides that were a little above his maturity level, but he enjoyed every single one. I would never have made time to watch the parade, but Cheryl camped out and got us great seats. I'm so glad she did because watching J experience it was my favorite part of the whole day. Such excitement! And so many cast members interacted with her directly.

"Rapunzel!"

"Cinderella!"

And then there was popcorn and cotton candy.

 Look at her riveted face!

M was completely passed out at this point and missed the whole thing. We kept going strong all through the evening before heading back to the hotel around 9. We completely wore them out :)

It was a really fun day and I'm glad we went!