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5 Happy Days

Great updates! I love the photos. Your kids are just adorable!
 
I'm loving your trip report so far. Can't wait to hear the ending. Both of your kids look like they had a blast. I think that's the best part of going to DL, seeing children's faces...they're full of such joy and happiness :goodvibes
 
We have another Magic Morning since we are staying on-site. We aren’t concerned about being first in line this time, so we take our time. We pack up our things and tidy up the room. We leave a thank you and a tip for the wonderful housekeeping staff. They really did a great job. Our room was always tidied up by the time we returned for our afternoon naps. I was really impressed. The Disneyland Hotel was definitely not new or fancy, but the staff was amazing. We were quite comfortable there. After taking our bags down to the bell stand, we check out and head for Disneyland for the last time.

We get to the park at around 8:30, so we have a half hour to wait for the start of Magic Morning. We are actually far back enough that we cannot hear the countdown. Once we get in, we head straight for Fantasyland and Peter Pan. We have to wait a couple of minutes to get on Peter Pan, but nothing too bad. The kids really enjoyed this ride the second time around. It goes by so quickly, that I don’t think they really appreciated it the first time. We then go to Dumbo. Kaleb doesn’t yet talk much, but he is screaming “Dumbo” over and over. He actually picked up quite a few new words at Disney. They are of course all Disney words: Mickey, Goofy, Dumbo, you get the idea.

After riding Dumbo, Bob tries to talk Riley into going on Snow White. I really don’t want her to go on this ride. She isn’t easily scared, but I think that ride would do it. Thankfully, she tells Dad it is too scary for big girls. (She has taken to calling herself a big girl as opposed to Kaleb who is a baby.) She does want to go on the Matterhorn, though. She and Bob had ridden it on Sunday. It was down the rest of the week, but it is now back up. She and I get in line. It is a fairly long line considering the park is still not open to everyone yet. We wait for over half an hour and it is our turn. She rode this ride without a hitch when Bob took her on Sunday. Today she is pulling my arm over her head to cover her eyes. We get off and she tells me it is too scary to ride with Mommy. It is only a good ride for big girls to ride with Daddy. Go figure. :laughing:

Bob took Kaleb on Alice and on Dumbo a couple of more times while we rode the Matterhorn. The park has now opened, so we headed for Casey Jr. We haven’t ridden this one yet. Riley pretended to be a giraffe and we got into one of the cages. The kids really liked this ride. I would have like to have ridden the Storybook Land Canal boats, but there is already a sizable line.
After Fantasyland, we stop by Tomorrowland to ride Buzz again. I did even better than before. Bob wouldn’t tell me his score this time, so I think I out-scored him again. Go me!! We saw Buzz outside before we went on the ride. This is the only character Riley wouldn’t go up to. Not sure why. Kaleb was all excited to see him, but got a little timid once we got close. I have to admit that I think he is a little odd looking. I know- he is supposed to look like a toy, but it is still kind of odd.

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We head to Adventureland for the Tiki Room which we still haven’t done. The kids loved the Dole Whip Float and loved the waiting area. They were not too impressed by the show, though. I remember seeing it as a kid, but I cannot remember if I liked it or not. Well, at least they got ice cream out of the deal.

We have to go for another ride on Winnie the Pooh, so we head for Critter Country. The stand-by line for Splash Mountain is only 5 minutes, so Bob leaves me and the kids to ride Winnie the Pooh and goes to Splash Mountain. The kids and I ride Pooh 3 times and still no Bob. I call him and he tells me he has been stopped on the ride this whole time. They were having some kind of problem. The kids are asking for Tigger Tails, but we haven’t had lunch yet. Bummer, I would have liked one myself.
Bob catches up with us and we head to Café Orleans. They don’t have a record of our PS, but get us right in anyway. We split Pommes Frites and a Monte Cristo. Bob, Kaleb and I really liked the Pommes Frites. Riley did not- at all. We liked the Monte Cristo, but couldn’t have eaten a whole one. The kids had the PB&J. They ate the fruit and that was about it. Bob and I make arrangements to meet up in the hotel lobby to catch the Disneyland Express at 3:00. I leave Bob to pick up the check and head back to the hotel for Kaleb’s nap.

Kaleb cannot do without a nap and we no longer have a room. Check out time is 11:00, so we knew this would be happening. I find a comfy chair in the lobby of the Wonder tower. I nurse Kaleb and off he goes to dream land. This was a much comfier spot than the Baby Care Center I used on our first day, but I cannot wait until naps are a thing of the past. Anyway, I am staring at the walls because I have of course forgotten to bring a book with me.

Well, while I am trying to stay awake, Bob and Riley are out having some last minute fun. I heard all about it from Riley when they arrived back at the hotel at 3:00. She tells me that Dad took her to see the scary bugs. I am a little confused as to what she is talking about. Bob looks at me and says, “I made a parenting mistake.” He admits to taking her to see It’s Tough to be a Bug. This is the show that I had made a point of telling him was supposed to be really freaky. So I ask how it went. He sheepishly tells me that he is watching the show and hears a kid screaming. He looks around and cannot find the source of the noise. Then he looks down to his lap. It is his daughter screaming. Riley is not a screamer. I don’t think I have ever heard her scream out of fear. He said that the part where the bug spit poison at her really freaked her out. You think?!!!

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Well, he rushed her out of the theater and then they went on rides. Don’t worry. She is not emotionally scarred. They went on Riley’s favorite DCA rides to end the trip: The Bug’s Land rides, the carousel and of course Monsters Inc.

Kaleb and I left the Wonder tower and headed for the main lobby after nap. Going out of the Wonder tower was kind of sad. Every morning, Kaleb would jump into his stroller and start pointing to the doors as soon as he woke up. He would not get out of his stroller except to get clothes on and to grab a banana or box of cereal to eat in the stroller. Was he afraid we might forget him?!!! Once the rest of us were finally ready to go, we would head out the doors. Kaleb’s cries of “Bubbles” as he saw the waterfalls always signaled a new trip into Disneyland. This was the last time I would hear that.

While we are waiting for the Disneyland Express bus, Goofy wanders into the lobby. My kids mob him. Then they start to push each other and fight over who gets to hug Goofy. We have a picture of Kaleb crying while standing next to Goofy. It is not because he is afraid. It is because he wants to hug Goofy and Riley pushed him out of the way. This encounter lets me know that it is a good thing we are heading home. The kids have been great up till now, but they are in need of some down time.

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Sorry it is so dark. I don't think the flash went off.

We board the bus and head for the airport. The bus driver puts in a video- Princess Diaries 2. Not the best choice for my little ones. They could care less, so this doesn’t keep them occupied. We do our best with snacks and books. We get to LAX and check in and head for security. It occurs to me that the kids and I are wearing Crocs without socks. YUCK!! Our flight is in two hours, so we get the kids some dinner. Not much to choose from, so we get Burger King. There is nothing to do in that airport, so we break out the DVD player and watch a show. The airport seriously smelled like a sewer, so I kept checking Kaleb. It never was him.

Bob checked with the agent to see if they could ask the person next to me to move so that I could have more room with Kaleb. We didn’t buy Kaleb a ticket. Anyway, she said she couldn’t make anyone move. Of course not. We just wanted her to ask the other person if he/she would be willing to move. Well, the agent was not willing to do that. We had no problem having this done in the Boise airport.

Finally it is time to board the plane. It is 6:30 which is almost the kids’ bedtime, so we are hoping they will sleep on the plane. We board and the lady sitting next to me asks me if I would mind her sitting in another seat. Thank you!! The stewardess is lovely and helps make this happen.

This is the worst part of our whole trip. Kaleb is nursing and trying to go to sleep. He inadvertently kicks the seat in front of us. The man in that seat asks me to please not let my child kick his seat. Of course I wasn’t letting Kaleb kick his seat. It was an accident. I tell him I will do my best. The man starts looking back at me constantly and making comments under his breath. I understand no one wants to have his or her seat kicked, but Kaleb only did it once and it was an accident. Anyway, I was ready to cry. The man actually asked to be moved but the stewardess wouldn’t move him. (I think she thought he wanted to move because he was a larger man and sitting next to some one on a jumper plane had to have been a little uncomfortable for him and his seat mate.) Every time Kaleb would breath too deeply, this man was giving me dirty looks and muttering. It did help that when he got up to use the bathroom all the other passengers around me told me not to worry about anything that he was just a grump. Kaleb did really well on the flight and only cried a little when the lights came on when we landed. That was because he got woken up. I would cry too. :sad1:

That part of my trip still gets me upset. I understand no one wants to listen to another person’s child cry on a plane and no one wants to have their seat jostled, but try to cut us parents some slack. There was another little baby wailing almost the whole flight and all I could think was how sorry I felt for the mom and the little one. I cannot imagine actually making that mom feel worse than she already did by making mean comments.
 
I'm loving your trip report so far. Can't wait to hear the ending. Both of your kids look like they had a blast. I think that's the best part of going to DL, seeing children's faces...they're full of such joy and happiness :goodvibes

Thank you. They had such a great time. I really didn't know what to expect going into this as we don't travel much with them. They absolutely loved every thing about Disneyland and our trip. I know Kaleb won't remember this trip, but I am glad I got to see him at Disney when he was a baby.
 


This is the worst part of our whole trip. Kaleb is nursing and trying to go to sleep. He inadvertently kicks the seat in front of us. The man in that seat asks me to please not let my child kick his seat. Of course I wasn’t letting Kaleb kick his seat. It was an accident. I tell him I will do my best. The man starts looking back at me constantly and making comments under his breath. I understand no one wants to have his or her seat kicked, but Kaleb only did it once and it was an accident. Anyway, I was ready to cry.

That guy sounds like a jerk, he acted like you were applauding the fact that your baby kicked the seat. Some people just find any reason to complain, I deal with people like that on a daily basis, I work retail. People are just grumpy constantly. :grouphug:

But I'm glad you had a good trip minus the jerk on the plane.
 
Wow...that guy on the plane sounds like a real jerk. I always feel bad when I hear babies crying on planes. And it's one thing if a toddler accidently kicks my seat...but if an older kid is messing around and kicks me seat constantly...then I get annoyed...haha.

The picture of Kaleb crying made me laugh because of the way Riley is looking at him. Siblings are just lovely to eachother sometimes...haha.

Your comment about the airport smelling like a sewer and checking Kaleb's diaper.... :rotfl: :rotfl2:
 


There are few things worse than a jerk on an airplane. :sad2:

Your kids are sweeties. Don't worry about him. :goodvibes

I really enjoyed your report and I thank you for reminding me that I need to be in tune with my kids' needs when we head to DL on Saturday. Too often I get bogged down in my own dreams. :lmao:

If I may ask, why was Crocs without socks yuck? :confused3

Again, thanks for sharing your report. I'm glad that y'all had a great trip. :goodvibes
 
Your kids are adorable!!!! Loving the report so far. That Captain Hook picture is priceless!
 
I cannot believe I forgot to write about our getting Dreamed. Well, here it is.


On our way through Downtown Disney Tuesday afternoon, Bob spots some members of the Dream Team standing right in front of the outdoor bar Catal. They are carrying really big duffel bags, so Bob immediately thinks something is up. I have never heard of anyone being Dreamed in DTD, so I just want to keep moving. Bob goes up to the Dream Team and asks how one goes about getting the dream ears. We know how one gets them. I think he was just hoping to be handed one right there. Anyway, I am ready to move on and get into the park, but Bob will not move. The Dream Team look at their watches. It is exactly 3:00. They then open their bags and hand us each dream ears and tell us “You have been Dreamed.” This was pretty exciting for us because that is the only souvenir that Bob really wanted. :cool1:

FYI- Kaleb and I saw the Dream team in front of Catal on Thursday at around noon handing out dream ears again. This might be a place to keep an eye on if you are interested in getting dream ears. :goodvibes
 
King Shockey04, Mrs. Bee and Boston Tea Party, thanks for feeling my frustration about the plane incident. Usually I don't think I would have gotten as emotional, but I was pretty darn tired.

Mrs. Bee, I completely agree with you about getting a little upset if someone is intentionally hitting another person's seat. I have been known to throw a look or two in those cases.

I will not let his bad vibes spoil my vacation memories, though. I will never see him again, so really what do I care what he thinks about me and my kids?!
 
If I may ask, why was Crocs without socks yuck? :confused3

We had to take our Crocs off to go through security, so we were walking on the floor of the LAX airport without anything on our feet. That floor looked like it could use a good washing.

I have nothing against Crocs without socks. I just don't like walking on yucky floors without something between my feet and the floor.
 
I really enjoyed your report and I thank you for reminding me that I need to be in tune with my kids' needs when we head to DL on Saturday. Too often I get bogged down in my own dreams. :lmao:


Again, thanks for sharing your report. I'm glad that y'all had a great trip. :goodvibes

Have a magical time. :goodvibes
I would have liked to stay at the parks for longer stretches, but there will be time for that when they get a little older. For now, it was better to do short treks to the parks and keep them well rested and well fed. My kids aren't as easy going when they are tired and hungry.:laughing:

I cannot wait to go back with my little ones. Disneyland is a great place for a family vacation.
 
What a great trip!
I am so sorry about the jerk on the plane. I know what it is like to have a fussy toddler on a plane. It really doesn't help when they the other passengers are rude.:hug: Please don't let that man ruin your memories.

Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
 
We had to take our Crocs off to go through security, so we were walking on the floor of the LAX airport without anything on our feet. That floor looked like it could use a good washing.

I have nothing against Crocs without socks. I just don't like walking on yucky floors without something between my feet and the floor.


Note to self: Wear socks Saturday because I am sure that IAH ain't much better! :lmao: ;)
 
Have a magical time. :goodvibes
I would have liked to stay at the parks for longer stretches, but there will be time for that when they get a little older. For now, it was better to do short treks to the parks and keep them well rested and well fed. My kids aren't as easy going when they are tired and hungry.:laughing:

I cannot wait to go back with my little ones. Disneyland is a great place for a family vacation.

So when do you think your next Disneyland trip will be??
 
Thanks, we will do our best. ;)

It will be bittersweet. My father is ill and this will likely be his last trip. :( I am heavy into the "making memories" aspect this time. Thanks for the well wishes. :goodvibes

I am so sorry about your father. I think it is wonderful that you all are making the most of your time together, though. I wish you the best! :love:
 

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