We treated the family on a trip to California this September. We had planned a trip to Yosemite early this summer, but that got squished out by other plans this summer, so I decided we needed to go to Disneyland this fall. We planned the trip in late spring, changed the days around several times as plans kept changing. We never told the kids about it. Two weeks before we were leaving, Devon decided it would be fun to tell each of the three oldest boys individually that we had a secret we wanted them to keep, and not to tell anyone - especially not their brothers. Within about half a day of telling them, Dylan told me that Ethan already knew the secret, and that he wasn't the one that told him. Devon and I laughed that the "secret" didn't stay a secret for long.
We drove the 10 hours in one shot, the kids got their fill of Disney movies as we went. We only brought Disney movies for the kids to watch, which was fun because they saw a few they haven't watched ever, or hardly ever.
We hit Disneyland on Monday, Newport Beach on Tuesday, California Adventure on Wednesday, LegoLand on Thursday, and Disneyland/California Adventure on Friday. It was a whirlwind of playing, and each night we were thoroughly exhausted.
Best Memories:
I took Lauren to see the Princesses in the Royal Hall while the boys did Star Tours and a few other rides. Lauren was so excited to see them! When I told her we were going to visit them, she asked me if they were real. She was so excited!! She really wanted to meet Cinderella and Belle. Sadly, they weren't in the hall. Belle was doing a show next to the Hall, so we did watch her for a minute or two. Lauren was so cute with the princesses, and the Princesses were so cute with her. She often gets so shy with new people and won't talk to them, but they got her warmed up quick. The last one she saw was Snow White, and she told her that she has a dress just like hers, but that it was at home.
Ethan wanted to try the Tower of Terror. He was being so brave. Once we got to the ride, he was feeling really nervous. The videos that lead up to the ride and as the ride starts got him a little too nervous, which combined with the ride itself made him not like it. After the ride he told us he was pretty sure he was going to have nightmares that night.
When we went to the beach we loaded up a bunch of snacks and water to get us through a good part of the day. Once we got there, we realized it got left in the hotel. We ended up spending $40 on a few water bottles, and a few small bags of chips and crackers. Ouch! On the bright side, we had lots of fun at the beach splashing, running, building, burying, and enjoying.
Ethan did a pretty good job at trying rides he wasn't totally sure about. He rode just about every single ride. Space Mountain he claimed he didn't like, but talked like it wasn't too bad for him. He didn't ride the Screaming Over California roller coaster, but I think that was the only one he didn't try at all. He enjoyed Matterhorn. He was afraid to ride Splash Mountain the first day, but at LegoLand he tried a ride that went up once, and down once, with a drop similar to Splash Mountain, so we convinced him to try it our last day, and he loved it.
Dylan wanted to conquer the Thunder Mountain Railroad train that he tried four years ago. He is a cautious boy, and doesn't like roller coasters. Last time that was the one he wanted to try, and cried the whole way. I felt so sorry for him. This time it was Austin that screamed at the top of his lungs the whole time. Poor Austin. After that he would ask if a ride went fast. Dylan still didn't enjoy it, but wanted to try it a second time to see if he would enjoy it more. As we got on the ride, he told me that not to mind him if he ducked down in his seat because he was scared. My heart hurt for him to see how badly he wanted to like it, and to see how hard it was on him as we rode the ride that second time. I'm sure some day he will like them. I'm proud of him for trying so hard!
The heat. I don't know if I would really classify this as a best memory, but it was definitely memorable. We expected mid-80 degree weather when we booked the trip, but instead were treated to over 100 degree weather. Our first several days were right around 105. Oh, it was so hot! You had to just embrace the sweaty heat! Even just standing in the line to get into Disneyland first thing in the morning you were sweating up a storm. I think we only survived because of the fans I purchased once I saw the forecast. Those things were such a blessing! We also consumed lots of frozen lemonade and popsicles, as well as water. I'm surprised we got through without any serious heat exhaustion, especially Dylan who is so susceptible to that.
After Austin went on Thunder Mountain Railroad, he would ask us before each ride if it was fast. He was so worried about going on a fast ride again. Even funnier was Lauren, who would ask the same question and then say "I like fast!" Of course all the really fast rides she was too small to ride. Someday this little thrill seeker will get her fill.
Austin's favorite rides were the Safari boat ride and the Casey Junior train ride. Lauren loved Its a Small World, and an Ariel ride in California adventure. Austin also loved most the rides in the Bugs Life area.
Two strollers for 6 kids. We felt like a circus, but it was so worth it. I don't think we could have survived without the strollers. These little ones crashed and needed the space. Also, I think all the walking would have been impossible without them.
