Disneyland 2011

I really was dreading this trip. 6 kids at Disneyland? I pictured Porter and I standing around all day. Going back and forth to the hotel for naps. Tired, hungry kids. Motion Sick Dad............

First of all - the 6 hr drive was a breeze! We couldn't believe we actually were at our destination already :)

Second - we never once went back to the hotel until the park was closed each night. Yes, kids were tired, but they had so much fun! I had so much fun! There were so many rides that our whole family could go on together, plus it was so not crowded. We rarely had to wait more than 5 minutes for a ride and often could go on rides multiple times without waiting. One time we were in a long line (Peter Pan) and I was complaining. Brett explained that waiting 15 minutes is nothing. He's waited over an hour for rides when he came in college. I hadn't been since I was 6 or 7 yrs. so this was new for me.

Claire and Eliza had thought Disneyland was inside, "like in a church gym with lots of activities and games". We didn't tell them anything different. Luke thought Disneyland was the place were you play miniature golf in Livermore (to give it credit, that place does look pretty Disneylandish). Joshua had just complained that he was the only one in his school class who hadn't been to Disneyland. Anna was excited, but wasn't sure how much she would like it. She was way off - she loved it!

The best thing for me was seeing how much fun everyone had. Running from place to place. The first day at Disneyland we made it to 26 rides (not counting going on some of them more than once). Not bad! I wasn't expecting to have fun on rides, but they had some really great rides that I would do over again. Like the Flying Over California ride which you feel like you are hang gliding over the beach, mountains etc. Also, the Grizzly Rapids where you are on a big innertube going over falls. The kids were so afraid, but I thought it was great because I KNEW we wouldn't tip over (unlike some of the innertube/canoe rides I took as a youth in real rivers!) I could do that one over and over.

The kids also talked me into doing some haunted thing - the elevator that falls. I really didn't want to do that one but they begged and begged and so I went on it and it was actually fun.

Luke was a little overwhelmed with all the older kids trying to convince him to ride on some of the bigger rides. I finally took him to Bugs Land and he was in heaven. He just ran from ride to ride and thought he was the king of all bugs :) The funny caterpillar ride that basically makes a figure 8 and lasts about a minute - he thought it was SO FUN!!! :) I also took him on the Winnie the Pooh ride 3 times in a row cause he loved that (while the big kids did the water/canoe ride over and over!) He cried and cried about going on the Storybook Canal ride cause he saw the whale with the teeth. We were trying not to laugh and basically forced him on the ride. Of course, he then liked it.

We went on California Screaming (the roller coaster that goes upside down) several times and that was surprisingly fun. Then I talked the kids into going on the Ferris Wheel? (gondolas?). As soon as we get in and it starts (we chose the swinging one) Joshua, Claire and Luke (who were on the seat across from Anna, Eliza, Porter and I) fell off the seat onto the floor of the car! It was kind of funny, but they were pretty scared! Then Joshua started to get a little sick and when we got to the bottom Luke yells at the man, "I want to get off!!!!" but we still had one more loop to go :)

I had thought our family (because of age differences) would have to divide up and be split up most of the trip, but we only did that one day for about an hour. The only bad part was when Brett's phone died and I was walking all over trying to find the big kids and Brett. (Man! Could have gotten 4 more rides in that time!) But really I was very pleasantly surprised about how much fun it was. Yes, my calves were a little sore (but that is due to my own inactivity lately!) but we will definitely start saving for another trip.