We're going to Disneyland!!!!!
Auntie Robin has been waiting almost 10 years (when Avery was born) to take her to Disneyland!
We decided to wait until Annalise was big enough to remember it and be able to do all the rides. The time had come and we were all pretty excited. I think Auntie Robin was the most excited....she even sent the girls a "10 days until Disneyland" package!!!
We were all set!
We went to Seattle the night before our plane left.
Annalise made herself at home in the hotel room the moment we got there....
We were just so happy to be with Geoff and Robin again!!!!
Poor Avery discovered the day before we left how fun it is to have pink eye!!! UGH!!!
She believes it's her "Spring Break Curse".
Seems like she always has something big happen either right before or during Spring Break.
This year wasn't so bad....some good antibiotics for the eye and she was good to go.
We were up and at 'em early on Saturday morning.....
After an uneventful (phew!) plane ride, we arrived in Orange County.
Auntie Robin had a surprise waiting for the girls.
We were waiting for our "shuttle" when something happened.....
A limousine pulled up!!!!!!! Their first time in a limo!!!!!!!!
It was seriously the most fancy limo EVER!!!
There were lights in the ceiling that changed color and put on quite a show!!!
Such an awesome start to the trip!!
(**We each did a Top 3 Highlight List of our trip....This was My, Avery and Mark's #2.)
We stayed in the Adventure Tower at the Disneyland Hotel.....
The room was super cool!
And the POOL was fun! The minute we arrived the girls were ready to hit the pool!
I'm glad we did...it turned out to be the WARMEST day of all....
the water slide looked fun!
They got a thumbs-up!
We left the pool and decided to head to the park.
Just as we were leaving, we saw our FIRST character!!
GOOFY!!!
Off to the park we went....
First stop....New Orleans Square!!!!
We got good at waiting in line....
this was the line for the Haunted Mansion
(which was #2 on Annalise's Top 3 Highlights of the trip! The ride...not the line!).
Next up was Tarzan's Treehouse....
On to the Jungle Cruise.....
The next morning we had early entry into California Adventure.
We were amazed with the little Disney details...like these Mickey and Minnie shrubs by the pool.
We headed straight to Cars Land once we got in the park....
The ride was sooooo cool!!! (#1 on mine and #3 on Annalise's lists.)
Even waiting in line was cool....
After that, we went to the pier!!!
We waited in line for the Toy Story ride forever.
Then....right as we got to the front of the line....the ride broke!
They gave us fast passes to come back another time!
A little Churro snack for Robin....
And did you know that you can be walking down the sidewalk at Disneyland and a concert will just start?? This one was rolling down the street...Phineas and Ferb!!
Uncle Geoff took one for the team on Grizzly River Run.
He got SOAKED!!! So fun!
We decided to try the Tower of Terror BEFORE we went to lunch.
This was NOT Avery's favorite ride. Don't ask her about.
Annalise says she would do it again...the look on her face does NOT say that.
We were all hungry and ready for lunch. We had a reservation at the Blue Bayou Restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean. We could watch the boats go by and hear the people screaming as they took the first drop into the ride!
After lunch we went over to Critter Country.
We started with Winnie The Pooh's ride.
(Weird that this one didn't make any of our lists! ;) )
Then on to Splash Mountain.
This was NOT Annalise's favorite ride. Don't ask her about it.
(Luckily we got out the girls' worst moments at the beginning of the trip!)
We headed back to the room for a little R and R and more pool time before going back to California Adventure for the World of Colors show that night.
The night was fun.
Geoff got his groove on with a mariachi band....
Mark lost and then recovered his cell phone on Goofy's Sky School,
The girls went to Mater's Junkyard Jamboree while he went back to get it.
Then it was time for the show....
The next morning we were up early again for the Character Breakfast in Disneyland.
So. Many. Characters.
Uncle Geoff was ready to "wrap it up"....
Auntie Robin and Avery wanted to photo bomb....
And finally....the last picture....
A perfect start to our adventure in Fantasyland!!!
Auntie Robin and Avery were the only two who wanted to try out the teacups.
(Annalise later changed her mind and went back with Mark!)
It's a Small World was closed for repairs.
(Some of us were not disappointed...)
After Fantasyland, we went to Toon Town!!
Then....around to Tomorrowland.
Matterhorn was closed. :(
Space Mountain was open!
This was Avery's #1 Highlight of the trip!!!
And Autopia was so fun we had to do it a couple of times.
The girls even became licensed drivers!!!
A quick trip on the monorail back to Downtown Disney....
Then lunch at The Rainforest Cafe...
There was even a thunderstorm while we were there!
Our last full day at Disneyland happened on April Fool's Day.
Robin really wanted to trick Mark with a snake we found at The Rainforest Cafe, but he didn't even flinch. Turns out though that his #1 Highlight happened later that night when he thought he was being tricky and shut the connecting door between our rooms, "locking" Geoff and Robin out of theirs. He had grabbed their room key and thought all was good. Well...turned out Geoff had put the bar across the front door and they really were locked out. Mark had to make a call to maintenance who came and worked on getting their door unlocked. Hahaha. April Fool's!!
It's ok...we made the best of it when we were waiting!
Anyway....our morning started with our final trip to the Disneyland park.
We had early entry so we were second in line at Fantasy Faire
(a chance to meet and greet PRINCESSES!!!).
This was Annalise's #1 Highlight, my #3.
Ariel was our favorite....she asked Annalise if she brushed her hair with a dinglehopper. :)
Princess Aurora....
And Cinderella....
Off to Frontierland we went....
Annalise didn't want to do Thunder Mountain, so she and Mark went on their own adventure....
While the rest of us waited for the ride!
When we thought we had seen all we wanted to see at Disneyland,
we went over to California Adventure for the last time.
We met Flik....
He wouldn't let go of Annalise's hand.
He really liked her.
Then the big kids were ready for California Screamin'.
Avery wasn't so sure, but they talked her into it and it ended up
being both her and Mark's #3 Highlight!
Annalise and I went back and did Toy Story again...
There's a place in Hollywood Land where you can take a quiz and they will tell you which Disney character you are most like. Mark took it first...he was Gaston. Geoff was quick to leave before we could get him to take the quiz.
Annalise was Lilo....
Avery was Merida (from Brave)....
Auntie Robin was Cinderella....
And I was Mrs. Incredible....
We caught another parade in California Adventure....
Our last dinner of the trip was amazing at the Jazz Kitchen!
We had a great last night!!
The next day it was time to leave....
We had some time to play a few games at the ESPN Zone....
And do a little shopping at the LEGO store.
Annalise LOVED this LEGO friend!
So she got one of her own to keep her occupied in the airport!
What a great first trip to Disneyland!!! :)
