Charmama4 and family's trip to Disneyland!!!!

[charmama4]

This is my first preTR, so bear with me please. I am Charlene AKA Charmama4 wife to Scott, mother to 4 great kids. Scott is going away for training come this August so we thought that we should have a big getaway before he does and that's when Disney came up with Salute to the Armed Forces deal. So, of course we had to take advantage of that!!! We homeschool and love to travel and see new things. The pictures you are looking at (except Erin in her creation) were taken in the Black Hills of South Dakota. When I am not planning trips to Disneyland I am planning big camping trips. Right now until we find out when our next Air Force base will be we are trying to explore the area around Wyomiing, our home for now.

These are my boys: Scott (DH), Forrest (wearing yellow) age 12, Connor (wearing blue pants) age 10, and Hunter (wearing re pants) age 8.

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This is a picture of me and the kids at Mt. Rushmore. If you have never been, it's awe-inspiring but smaller than I thought it would be. That was a fun trip but somehow I think Disneyland will shadow it.

You really couldn't see Erin in the Mt. Rushmore picture so here ya go. Erin is definately a princess in training and loves to come up with her own creations. If I remember correctly, this outfit almost made it outside, but I had to pull my mommy trump card!!!

So, there ya have it. The McNutt family in all it's glory. Looking forward to letting you know how the trip planning is going and hearing about everyone elses trips. Thanks to SherryE and DizNee Luver for the suggestions and posting their TR so I can see what worked and didn't work.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Awwww shucks....thanx bunches!!! I'm very excited to see your trip come together!! It's almost as fun planning & researching Disneyland as it is to actually be there. (ok, being there ROCKS!!!!) Something about looking at Disney stuff just takes you to a happy place!!!

We'll wait for more!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Double shucks!! I am pleased to help (aka suggest Goofy's Kitchen) any chance I get! As you said, just call me The Pusher! And hopefully the GK experience will be a good one, because I am getting nervous with all these people reporting on DIS lately that they were dissatisfied! I wouldn't want to think GK is slacking off on the job! I know that one time and one time only I ate there and no characters came in the restaurant at all except Goofy - who walked quickly through and waved as he slipped out a side door! He didn't stop at any tables and no other characters rushed through. It was almost as if they were having a backstage staff meeting or something and all the characters were involved. That only happened one time, however. That is not the norm. There are always at least 5 characters running around - usually a few more than that. Anyway, if you end up hating it and want to yell at me, just let me know in advance so I can go hide somewhere!

Anyway - I love those pictures you posted, by the way! I have never been to Mt. Rushmore, sadly! Your family looks very happy and fun, so I can imagine that the DLR photos will be great! I always say that you can tell who the really fun families are in photos, and you can also tell who does not want to be there or who does not want to be posing for pictures and is miserable. You all definitely look fun!

 

[charmama4]

Awwww shucks....thanx bunches!!! I'm very excited to see your trip come together!! It's almost as fun planning & researching Disneyland as it is to actually be there. (ok, being there ROCKS!!!!) Something about looking at Disney stuff just takes you to a happy place!!!

We'll wait for more!!!

Planning is fun but my poor DH is starting to tune me out for some reason, hmmm....
We just went 2 years ago and I didn't plan like this. Tell me if I"m wrong, but is it just me but you could have the most horrible day and walk through those turnstiles and all is right with the world!??!! That's what I am hoping my kids will get from DL. Like I did when I was a kid and still do as an adult.
Well, thanks for chimming in and yes, I will have more.

 

[charmama4]

Double shucks!! I am pleased to help (aka suggest Goofy's Kitchen) any chance I get! As you said, just call me The Pusher! And hopefully the GK experience will be a good one, because I am getting nervous with all these people reporting on DIS lately that they were dissatisfied! I wouldn't want to think GK is slacking off on the job! I know that one time and one time only I ate there and no characters came in the restaurant at all except Goofy - who walked quickly through and waved as he slipped out a side door! He didn't stop at any tables and no other characters rushed through. It was almost as if they were having a backstage staff meeting or something and all the characters were involved. That only happened one time, however. That is not the norm. There are always at least 5 characters running around - usually a few more than that. Anyway, if you end up hating it and want to yell at me, just let me know in advance so I can go hide somewhere!

Anyway - I love those pictures you posted, by the way! I have never been to Mt. Rushmore, sadly! Your family looks very happy and fun, so I can imagine that the DLR photos will be great! I always say that you can tell who the really fun families are in photos, and you can also tell who does not want to be there or who does not want to be posing for pictures and is miserable. You all definitely look fun!

It's my Pusher!!! Thanks for reading the start of my TR.

No worries on the GK thing, even if I have a bad experience I won't have a bad experience. I am going to DL with the magic that DL offers. I am a positive person and refuse to allow anyone or character to make me have a bad time. Regarding the food, I look at it this way, I didn't have to plan the menu, cook the meal OR clean up after my family!@!!! Big plus for me. And when mamma is happy the whole family is happy!!!

We do have a blast together. My kids are terrific and each so incredible different from each other. It's never boring, to say the least. My DH is amazing and loves being with the kids, they help keep him feeling young. Kinda like DL!!!!
Thanks again and be sure to check back for more.

 

[kaoden39]

I am always the planner. We camp a lot and originally I had planned a camping trip in June but my DH and decided that this year instead of a week camping we would do Disneyland this year. The thing with Disneyland is I am not cooking and cleaning up after dinner like I do camping. Hmm win win.

 

[kokotg]

Yay--great start! Good looking kids you've got there. Mt. Rushmore looks smaller than I expected in that picture, too. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[charmama4]

I am always the planner. We camp a lot and originally I had planned a camping trip in June but my DH and decided that this year instead of a week camping we would do Disneyland this year. The thing with Disneyland is I am not cooking and cleaning up after dinner like I do camping. Hmm win win.

EXACTLY!!!!! Like I was telling SherryE about the possibility of not liking GK, at least I don't have to plan the meal, cook the meal and clean up after it
When we get back from DL we will still have 2 1/2 more months of good camping weather before DH has to go away for AF training.

 

[charmama4]

Yay--great start! Good looking kids you've got there. Mt. Rushmore looks smaller than I expected in that picture, too. Looking forward to reading more!

Thanks, I think they are pretty cool looking kids myself!! Mt. Rushmore IS small but it's the history that really makes it big!!!! If you are ever up this way go see Crazy Horse. You could fit 3 of Mt. Rushmore just in the horses head!!!!

 

[kokotg]

Thanks, I think they are pretty cool looking kids myself!! Mt. Rushmore IS small but it's the history that really makes it big!!!! If you are ever up this way go see Crazy Horse. You could fit 3 of Mt. Rushmore just in the horses head!!!!

I was curious, so I looked it up, and the carving on the side of Stone Mountain in GA (of Confederate generals) is actually bigger than Mt. Rushmore (or, you know, the sculpture is bigger; the actual mountain is much smaller!) I guess I've just always seen pictures of it from a different perspective that makes it look bigger. Still looks really cool, though--I'd love to see it up close someday!

 

[kaoden39]

Where we live here in the San Francisco bay area we have camping into the Fall too so we have camping longer.

 

[charmama4]

I was curious, so I looked it up, and the carving on the side of Stone Mountain in GA (of Confederate generals) is actually bigger than Mt. Rushmore (or, you know, the sculpture is bigger; the actual mountain is much smaller!) I guess I've just always seen pictures of it from a different perspective that makes it look bigger. Still looks really cool, though--I'd love to see it up close someday!

I remember Stone Mountain. Though I have never been to it I always drove by it when I went for my midwife appt.s It was something to look at that's for sure. On which side is the sculpture? I never noticed that or I was to far away on the highway.

 

[charmama4]

Where we live here in the San Francisco bay area we have camping into the Fall too so we have camping longer.

Sure, rub it in Hey, isn't there an AF up your way? I think we put that on our "dream sheet" of possible bases.

 

[kaoden39]

Sure, rub it in Hey, isn't there an AF up your way? I think we put that on our "dream sheet" of possible bases.

As a matter of fact I live in the town where the gateway to the Pacific is. Travis Air Force Base. It's not a bad town and we are in a great location. Forty five miles to our east is Sacramento and forty five miles to our west is San Francisco. There is camping all around us.

 

[charmama4]

OK, so here's the plan, man!!!

May 15: going to Denver to spend the night closer to the airport at a hotel. No frills but it does offer a continental breakfast and we can park our car there and they will shuttle us to the airport. It was the only hotel I could find that also had 3 beds in the one room!!!! That was the selling point for us.
May 16:get on the plane about 9am. I wonder how the security line will be about 7am? Kids love to fly so no worries there. I am planning putting together some folders with some Disney themed crossword puzzle, trivia and lined paper for some journaling.
We will arrive in SD about 10am and then there's two hours till our train leaves. Scott's parents are coming to get us from the airport and bring us to the train station. The are also bring us In and Out burgers~!!! We always make sure we get our in and out burger fix when we get back home.
This will be the kids first real train ride, the boys have ridden on the Coaster from Encinitis to Downtown SD but then we just went right back home. This trip has a destination!!! So we should get into Anaheim around 2pm. Grab a cab, just in time to (hopefully) check in at DLH and get into that pool!!

So, there's that and I'll post the iternary for the parks later. Any suggestions, advice, or heads up on cabs in Anaheim's train station or at the hotel would be great.

 

[charmama4]

As a matter of fact I live in the town where the gateway to the Pacific is. Travis Air Force Base. It's not a bad town and we are in a great location. Forty five miles to our east is Sacramento and forty five miles to our west is San Francisco. There is camping all around us.

And is it green? Being here in the lower part of Wyoming it's so brown. I love the wide open spaces and all but give me a little green please. That's right, Travis AFB. Yup, # 5 on our list.

 

[kaoden39]

Yes, this is a green area, for the most part. Here is a thread I did with pictures from our area.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31071924#post31071924

 

[kokotg]

I remember Stone Mountain. Though I have never been to it I always drove by it when I went for my midwife appt.s It was something to look at that's for sure. On which side is the sculpture? I never noticed that or I was to far away on the highway.

Hmmm....I'm not sure. I haven't been there since high school, though we keep meaning to get there with the kids. I know there's a big lawn in front of the sculpture side, so probably it's not the side you can see from the road. I didn't know you lived in GA! When were you here/where did you have a baby here? My last two were born here; one at Northside and one at North Fulton.

 

[charmama4]

Yes, this is a green area, for the most part. Here is a thread I did with pictures from our area.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31071924#post31071924

I didn't see any pictures. I'll google the area.

 

[kaoden39]

I didn't see any pictures. I'll google the area.

Try this then.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1994910