Disneyland Finale

 

I just wanted to share some last thoughts to wrap things up.  I'm sure you can tell by now this trip meant a lot to me and my family :)  

*Disneyland really can be such a happy place.  We met so many people in line feeling friendly and wanting to talk.  It was a great feeling to just be open to it and to share ourselves with others even a little bit.  I already mentioned Mary Jane but also wanted to mention a very kind father/son duo we met at the Grizzly River Run.  We enjoyed making a connection with them.  Also the friendly guy in line at It's a Small World and the "Grandpa for Hire" on the train ride...I could go on and on!  

*Lucas is such a little daredevil.  He was willing to go on any ride he was tall enough for including Space Mountain which was "done up" for Halloween with a flaming skull image that kept popping up out of nowhere.  Over the top if you ask me, but Lucas loved that it was "scary!".  He turned down Gadget's Go Coaster in Toontown because it didn't "seem very interesting."  I think he missed the memo about how he's only three years old.  

*We really, really liked where we stayed.  It was within a block of the front gates to both parks and I didn't know just how amazing that access would be.  So convenient and easy to get to and from every day.  Huge pool, fantastic breakfast buffet each morning, impressive staff.  This place will figure prominently in our Disneyland memories for sure.  

*We learned a lot about ourselves on this trip.  It was interesting to discover, for example, that we were the types to fit in as much as we possibly could and we stayed 'til closing every night, wishing we could stay longer.  Eating was a burden -- we were too busy having fun.  Normally I  don't like to overdo things and I'd rather not push it and pay a higher price later, but I guess Disneyland just brought out the instinct in us to do it all.  And we really didn't have to pay a high price; our kids handled it very well and were real troopers throughout.  

*Just wanted to mention a few of our top rides; Soarin' over California was amazing.  Loved the experience.  I think that's about as close as you can get to the sensation of flying.  Of course Pirates of the Caribbean was a favorite (even though Caden fell asleep on Jake's lap the first time through!).  Joshua loved Autopia and even got a "driver's license" which doesn't expire until the year 3000 so he should be set.  Daniel loved the Winnie the Pooh ride because it featured a song he had learned in first grade that he really liked.  I like that he enjoyed it for sentimental reasons :)  

*So now that we've been once and know the ropes we'll definitely have to go back.  Plans for next time will probably include 5 days since we really felt like we needed one more day at each park.  Also, we'll need to fulfill Jake's dream of going to Medieval Times and possibly my newly found dream of eating at the Blue Bayou (the restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean -- talk about atmosphere!).  We're thinking it will be a few years yet but we're really looking forward to it already -- especially now that we know what we're in for!

 "Disneyland was Walt's gift to a weary world.  Once you pass through its gates, the stress and strife of our everyday reality seems to melt away..." Julie Andrews