Disneyland: 2014 Part 3

Let's wrap this up shall we. Since it's guaranteed to not be my last blog post on Disneyland, I will save some of my material for future posts. I will just highlight the things I have pictures of:

Day 3

Day three was back at Disneyland! 

Astro Blasters (again)

Chase showing off that he just graduated (oh I should do a post on that). By the way that is my girly lanyard he is wearing. (More on pin trading to come, aswell)

Link and Baba (and the Matterhorn)

We road Casey Jr. (One of my childhood favs)

We sat on the caboose and Link thought he was driving.

FINALLY by day three we got our first Dole Whips. (I need to teach Link a thing or two about Dole Whips I guess but for now I'm fine not having to share.)

We road what is now one of Chases favorite rides, Storybook Land Canal Boats. He LOVED all the miniature displays. It's a new "must do" he says.

Link loved it too.

That night we splurged on dinner. I had never been to Big Thinder Ranch BBQ before (and neither had anyone else for that matter) and was dying to try it. All you can eat dinner and a show? Yes please. While, yes it was pricey, it was so worth it. The food was SO good. The corn. The beans. The chicken. Mmm mmm. Because I knew before going to Disneyland that I wouldn't be able to ride all the rides I focused on what I could do. Which was eat, eat, eat. So I did a lot of food related research and made a list of "must eats." I recommend BTRBBQ to anyone who likes to eat! Yummm.

Food and a baby bump.

Side note: my other must eats were:

Dole whip 

Flos Cafe

Mint julep and Mickey beignets

Bengal BBQ

Cafe Orleans

Corn on the cob

Frozen apple juice

Corn dog truck on Main Street USA

Churros 

Apple fritters

Bread bowls

I recommend all of them as the best places to eat or get a snack at Disneyland. (and I think we've already established that I am a creditable source to recommend all things Disneyland related ;)

That night we ended over at Astro Orbiters.

Day 4:

Day four we rushed to California Adventure to get fast passes for World of Color and Radiator Racers (again). We spent the morning there, the afternoon at Disneyland, and the evening back at California Adventure.

We found out that there are four seperate fast pass tracks. You can hold fast passes for four things in California Adventure. All the fast passes in this picture are legitimate and active. (World of color: track 1, radiator racers: track 2, California screaming: track 3, tower of terror: track 4)

So Lincoln is more accurate than me... Whatever..

Back at Disneyland we had to show my mom that we went to the general store and listened to the party lines on the old phones.

We got SO lucky this day. Indiana Jones wasn't scheduled to open until the following day, but they did a soft opening right as we walked by. The big kids ran right on and only waited like 10 minutes (they weren't doing fast passes that day but they were able to get a rider swap pass). It was SO lucky that they got to go when they did because the next day (when it was supposed to be up and running) it was having so many shut downs that there wasn't even a chance to ride. 

Lincoln really loved the jungle cruise. It's funny because I remember a time in my life when I wasn't sure if the animals were real or fake and now Lincoln totally thinks they are real.

At this point we ate and rode and ate and rode. We got to ride Midway Mainia again (which is probably the best family friendly ride at California Adventure second only to Racers). Then we went and watched World of Color (from the side because Lincoln didn't want to be contained any longer).

Day 5

In my opinion, you always have to start and end with a full day at Disneyland. So we did that.

Happy! On the carrousel!! Fear conquered. 

Jingle: Dinseylands tribute to Mary Poppins.

Does anyone remember when Merlin would ACTUALLY help a kid pull the sword from the stone? 

He didn't love woody... But...

He did love...

BUNNIES!!!

It was springtime at Big Thunder Ranch and all the Disney bunnies were there!

And Baloo

And Mickey

And Pluto

And a roping cowboy.

The Big Thunder Ranch was one of the best parts of the trip because it's so hidden and not many people know about it. Lincoln could just walk around and enjoy all the characters.

We road the train (being sure to ride from tomorrow land to Main Street to see the Grand Canyon and the dinosaurs and then from Main Street to Toon Town to go through Splash Mountain.)

This is a picture of Chase eating the same thing that Darth is eating on his shirt.

Waiting for Fantasmic where Chase had no idea how greatly his "life would be changed"

You'll have to ask Chase how much he loved Fantasmic because I can't put it into words. He says it changed his life. It's a new "must do" for him. And I was glad to see it because I hadn't in years and it was my favorite when I was little.

His favorite part was steamboat willie driving the mark twain river boat at the end.

It was a great end to a great week. We rode every ride, saw lots of shows, ate all the (good) food, and had so much fun! I can't wait to go back. Like seriously I am already trying to figure out when we can go next. And to all those wondering if Disneyland is still fun while pregnant I say YES IT IS!!! And to all those wondering if their 17 month old will have fun I say YES THEY WILL (Lincoln liked it at 11 months also, and he likes santa and the Easter bunny... So maybe not all kids would like it. But they should just learn to like it)

Disneyland: 2014 Part Two (California Adventure)

Day two: California adventure - the by far inferior park of the two. I won't go into details (again) but I just don't get the same no detail spared, feeling like I do at Disneyland. And I attribute that to the fact that Disneyland is the only park the Walt Disney himself designed, completed, and maintained. (Okay, I'm done)

While I'm not in love with California Adventure, it's come a long way from what it was when it opened. And it does have some "must do" attractions. We rushed to the park that morning to get our fast passes for Radior Springs Racers. And then let everything else fall into place. 

We first road Maters Junkyard Jamboree which was very exciting because it was Lincoln's first ride with a height requirement. He managed to measure up to the 32 inches required to ride and we were so excited. 

I think this toy was maybe $10 or $12. He still loves it and plays with it almost daily. We remembered to bring it with us into the park everyday so I wouldn't be tempted to buy a new you everyday for him. 

We road the Chew Chew train in bugs land, Lincoln was about as unimpressed as we were. The highlight: the smell of cookies was mmm mmm good when we drove through the cookie box.

We watched the Aladdin show that was AWESOME. Comfy seats, AC, and a great show, it was a nice way to break up the day. Lincoln almost lasted the whole show too. Success.

Still hesitant about the carrousel but making progress.

Link and I went to Ghiarideli while the big kids road Hollywood Tower of Terror (the only ride I wish I could have gone on) but this kinda made up for it. 

No pictures of our DELISH meal at Flos Cafe, or our ride of Racers. I think Chase road Tower of Terror a hand full of times and California Screaming. It was a fun day. I think California Adventures biggest downfall is it's lack of family friendly rides. They have thrill rides, and they have kiddie rides. Where is the middle ground we see so much of at Disneyland? It's at Disneyland... Which is where we go again tomorrow!

  

Disneyland: 2014

So I think it's apparent by now that I love Disneyland. I'm not exaggerating when I say I know it better than the back of my hand. Growing up in the South Bay, my family usually had season passes and one year we went 37 times. Disneyland is like my oldest friend. (I'm very passionate about Disneyland... Obviously... And how it's sweaty cousin on the east coast doesn't hold a candle to it). Every time I leave I start having a slight anxiety about not knowing when I'm going back. I had a dream last night about having to move to Southern California and being so stressed about it and then realizing I could go to Disneyland everyday. 

You can imagine my confusion as to why, after 5 days at Disney, people were apologizing to me and asking how on earth I could stand Disneyland for 5 days straight. Do you not have a soul? Going to Disneyland and then knowing tomorrow I would wake up and go to Disneyland again, everyday for five days... Let's just say it was awesome. I am a planner, so I had everything panned that I could. Each night I would make sandwiches and snacks for the following day in to the park, I would lay out clothes for Lincoln and myself (Chase was on his own), pack the diaper bag with all the essentials, review our autograph books and pressed penny collection, admiring the success of the day, usually shower Lincoln and I so that we could skip that step in the morning, and load the stroller so it was ready to be pushed through the grand gates of the happiest place on earth. It was work, but it was the happiest work. Preparing to go to Disneyland each day was like Christmas Eve over and over again. 

Have I proven to you my love for Disneyland yet? Let's get to the trip details then.

We flew down on Sunday and went out to dinner. That was fun but it was hard being at Disneyland but not AT Disneyland. So we went to downtown Disney. We made a stop at wetzle pretzel, took pictures at the Lego store, tried every flavor of flavored churro (sold only at a single cart in DTD), and walked around the Disney store there (scoping out our eventual souvenirs).

The next day we took on Disneyland. (California adventure can always wait). A few rides were closed, which was sad, (pirates, Alice, smallworld) and the park was pretty crowded because of it (less lines to stand in = less people in lines = more people wandering around) but the lines weren't long at all. The stand by time for the brand new thunder mountain, only 20 minutes. 

Lincoln only has a slightly irrational fear of the carrousel that he conquered during the trip.

Buzz lightyear: Astor blasters! 

He really loved this goat.

One of the plus sides of me being pregnant was that while the big kids road a big kid rides, Lincoln and I would go buy things and treats. Here is Chase with a Mickey beignet and a mint julep that were waiting for him as he exited Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Oh and we shared our news of baby boy number 2 coming in September! Woohoo. As I was coming off the high of taking this picture (on the side of the castle with the wishing well) we continued on down the path to the well. I looked up from my phone and almost peed my pants (partially due to the pregnancy but mainly due to who I was facing). The scariest character I have seen at Disneyland. 

The Queen. 

I am not kidding, she was so terrifying. She was disgusted by the children, annoyed at the adults, and so so scary.

We ended up over by Winnie the Pooh, which is one of my favorite "dark" rides these days. And as we exited the ride, (after I got a chocolate dipped pineapple spear), we saw Eeyore, Tiger, and Pooh. The highlight of Lincoln's trip.

That night we went on Dumbo. Maybe this was the highlight of Lincoln's week. Maybe there will be many highlights.

He didn't care for the tea cups...

Why the heck am I on this thing...

Well that sums up the first day. I will probably do a seperate post about California adventure and then maybe one more. It's just so many pictures and so much fun!!!

Also: I know I know I skipped like 5 months of blogging. I will touch on a few highlights that happened during my hiatus, but let's start fresh and move forward shall we. ;)

Welcome 2014

2013 was such a good year! It was almost the whole first life of my first born! Every day brought something new. Lincoln learned to sit up, crawl, walk, start talking, eat food, everything. Chases graduation, an awesome trip to San Diego, an awesome trip to Disneyland. What an awesome year. I am so excited for 2014 and the changes that it will bring! We don't have much planned so far but I know it will be good. Lincoln will turn two this year! Chase will graduate again! With a masters degree! I am really looking forward to this year!!! (can you tell?)

We rang in the New Year the most perfect way. With most of our closest friends eating food and playing games. Not much has changed in the last (almost) ten years we've known each other and that is just the way I like it. It's good to know that when it seems like everything it's changing and undecided and no matter how far apart we are at times or how long we go without taking it all falls right back in to place when we get back together. I love these people and I love that they love Link and didn't mind that he wanted to stay up till midnight (or 2:00 am) with us!

Don't ask my why he loves Steen so much. But it is so cute!

And he doesn't hate Stephen anymore!

A couple of my resolutions are:

To read the Book of Mormon all the way through (and strive for daily reading)

Get healthy/lose weight. I'm limiting myself to only having sugar treats (cake candy cookies soda ice cream) on the weekends.