Wednesday morning we were up and ready to hit California Adventure. Since the boys have so little they can do, it didn't take us very long at all. It would have been much longer if we'd done the shows but seriously, how many 3 year olds and 1 1/2 year olds do you know that can sit through a bunch of shows!?! So, we went straight to the back of the park where they have the Bugs Life area and the boys had a blast on all the kiddie rides! I did too for that matter! I was a bit sad we were a month early to see the new Cars Land, but the Radiator Springs rock formation is awesome!
After lunch at the highly over priced Mexican grill, (At least at Disney World the dishes are huge! I was expecting the same, so we ended up needing seconds! I fell for this multiple times!) we watched (and danced at) the Phineas and Ferb street party and then went on The Little Mermaid followed by Mickey's Fun Wheel. By the time we'd finished, had a snack and gone through a couple gift shops it was time to head back to the hotel to catch up with Will's parents who'd flown in earlier that day!
After a nice nap for James and some downtime for the rest of us, my MIL and I went to pick up my SIL and her family, then we all wandered off to Dave & Busters for dinner and some fun! It was my first time at a Dave & Busters and I had a pretty good time and a very good steak! lol
Thursday and Friday mornings we were all up early to be at Disneyland at park opening. There are some things about Disneyland I really liked over Disney World, like the rides are still much like they originally were. Read Space Mountain is still completely dark and Pirates still has drops and is long! BUT, I was very disappointed by the lack of "magic" in the park. A friends husband says he prefers Land to World because it doesn't have all the extra 'fluff' but I call this the magic of Disney. Maybe its because I was raised in Florida and went to World at least once a year. But Disneyland doesn't have the extra little touches. Another friend who was raised in California asked my incredulously, "you didn't like it because of a shrub!?!" lol And really, yes it comes down to the shrubs!! At Disney World, every single bush is perfectly tended and formed, if not into a Disney character, than into a classic work of tree art! At Disneyland, the bushes were like every other bush in the area! But this is just an example, another would be the lack of Mickey heads! They are everywhere in Orlando and I went all day without seeing one in Anaheim! I was a sad kiddo!! (And yes, a bit ridiculous!)
But I overall enjoyed the park immensely! I loved watching my boys charm Will's family, since we don't get to see them but every few years (They hadn't met James yet!) and enjoy the wonders that Disney offers. They loved Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Winnie the Pooh, and poor James slept through Toon Town, while Keirnan ran around Donald's Boat and Mickey's House and saw Mickey again! They both even loved the parade! (I also got to enjoy Space and Splash Mountains!)
Overall it was a great trip and I am so glad we were able to make it happen. Not only was this trip a dream of mine, but such a great experience for my boys!!
