Up and Go to Disneyland

Disneyland?  Why not?!

We had free tickets, we had friends who wanted to join us, and we had no reason not to go.  None.

Really, if I had drafted a list of pros and cons for the trip the cons side would be quite blank.  And I had a hunch that this kind of list may never grace our lives again.  We're only going to acquire more responsibilities as the years come, right?

So we just did it.  

For the first time we pulled our tent out of the closet, which we've been dying to use since we got it as a wedding gift.  We shoved what little food we had into our cooler.  Peanut butter, honey, bread, and some granola bars.  We’d lived off nothing but those ingredients on our honeymoon, so we quite welcomed the nostalgic menu.

Camping stuff: check
Clothes: check
Toothbrushes: check
LSAT study material: no check

We didn't realize our slip until after Kenny & Andrea arrived and we headed off, watching movies and talking and munching on Cheez-Its.  When we had crossed the Nevada border we remembered.  Worth turning around?  I think not.

Besides, this may be the last time Roy gets to have fun for the next month.  He is going to be straining his brain non-stop until the test.  What better way to give your brain a break than...

It was Andrea's first trip to Disneyland since she was a little girl.  She didn't remember anything other than the amazing churros {and we did verify that they are still amazing}.  The newness made the trip pretty exciting as we guided her around.  And occasionally we messed with her too.

Like on Splash Mountain.  Seeing the giant drop and hearing people screaming gets you fidgety.  There are several steep platforms that drag you up and take you higher and higher.  On each one we told Andrea, "This is it!  This is it!!!"  She would start freaking out only to be let down.  Literally, and gently.  No where near as drastic as the last drop.  When she finally survived the last drop, it became a favorite.  Naturally, this ride is a favorite for almost everyone I know!  We soaked ourselves on Splash Mountain at least six other times, making it our most visited ride.

California Screamin' was a favorite, too.

I didn't know Roy was taking these pictures.

And here is a ride in the Bug's Life part of California Adventure.  Cute, right?  But um... we didn't realize that the ride would be painfully boring to anyone over the age of two.

And as you can see, Roy was just having the time of his life.

I guess we really liked getting wet, because the second most visited ride was Grizzly Peak.  Here we are anticipating the moments where tidal waves will drench us.  And trust me, they did.

When we weren't at the parks we were at our campsite.  Kenny did a great job at finding us a place. It's a quick fifteen minute walk from the entrance to the Disney parks.  More perks?  Nice showers and bathrooms, a hot tub, a pool, a grill, and an arcade.  Of course, we were too busy squeezing all the fun we could out of Disneyland.  At the end of the first night we dragged ourselves home with aching feet and legs and planned on hitting up the hot tub, only to discover that it closes at ten o'clock.  But STILL when we go back to Disneyland we want to stay there!  It was so nice!

Here is Andrea and I waking up.  Don't we look great?  But seriously, this is the most luxurious camping imaginable.  Both nights I slept like a rock!  And in unbelievably perfect conditions, too.  High seventies when the sun was up, and not too much cooler when it was down.

Here was our little patch of grass.  I love our tent.  There were also several rows of trailers, some of which I think have probably been parked there for years.  But hey- if I lived in a mobile home then I'd probably park my life on the edge of Disneyland too.

So here's day number two.  The submarine ride:

Indiana Jones:

And thunder mountain:  (Lynn, that picture of Bailey the Goat is for you)

On our way to pick up some fast passes for The Haunted Mansion, Kenny got plucked out of the crowd by a man in a top hat and a huge ribbon pinned to his lapel that said, "MAYOR." He had just become an involuntary actor for a Frontierland show.

The crowd that was gathering to watch had too many females, I'm guessing, because when they were looking for another participant they had to pick Kenny's friend.  My hubby!

So the story goes that the mayor is forcing some cowboy to marry his daughter because he is the last eligible bachelor in the town.  The desperate cowboy comes up with an alternative: pick some visitors, blindfold them, and have them compete for the mayor's daughter.

And the here is the reason for the blindfold:

Yeah, that's the mayor's daughter up there.
And here are our hubbies, blindfolded and unaware.  Well... I'm sure the sound of "her" voice gave them some kind of clue.

The first question was, "If you could use an animal from the wild west to describe yourself, what would it be?"

Kenny's answer was, "A cougar."

The second guy's answer was, "A big bad wolf."

Roy's answer was, "A chicken!"

Another question was, "If you were going to serenade the mayor's daughter, what song would you sing to her?"
Kenny said, "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy."
The second guy said, "I Knew I Loved You."
Roy said, "Who Let the Dogs Out."

You get the picture.  And Roy was a big hit.  But it wasn't all just his whit and charm.  The cowboy there was helping him out.

So Roy won.  And they took off his blindfold.

I can't say I was nervous that he'd pick the mayor's daughter over me ;-)
Once the blindfold was off, Roy yelled and bolted into the safety of the crowd.
He later told us that the cowboy gave him these instructions.  Still- it seemed like something Roy would do!

More favorites, The Tower of Terror, Matterhorn Mountain, Space Mountain, and the World of Color water show.  PAUSE.  The World of Colors show was mind-blowing.  If you go to California Adventure anytime soon, your first stop should be fast passes for that show.  Believe me when I say the hunt is well worth the wait.  Watch it on youtube-- there are no words.  Look up, "World of Color world premiere full show at the Disney California Adventure theme park".

And we just so happened to be there for the Christmas lights ceremony!  I love Disneyland no matter what time of year it is, but there is something special about sauntering down Main Street with Christmas music playing all around.  Disney company, THANK YOU for celebrating Christmas and not just the "happy holidays".  

But maybe this weekend to kick of Christmas was the reason for why it was so crowded on Friday! 

But it wasn't so busy on Saturday.  We were able to run right onto some of the rides.  And there was no line to take a pic with this Prince Charming!   

There was also a parade to celebrate the approaching Christmas season.  All the princesses made an appearance, as did Buzz Lightyear and all the characters in between.  They all wished us Merry Christmas and rode on enormous floats that produced toys for Santa's sleigh or danced along the street with Santa's reindeer.  Loved it and wished we could take more pictures. 

Roy humored me and rode the train with me to Toontown.  That was my favorite as a kid, so I still pay homage every time I go.

K, this picture cracks me up every single time.  We are wearing our 3D glasses for the Bug's Life show.  Roy looks exactly like a bug!!!!

And here we are, soaking wet.  An almost constant state of being for us.  At night the soggy sweatshirt did get a little cold.  But it was still worth it.

On our last ride on Saturday night I forced Kenny & Andrea into the front.  It wasn't surprising that they got twice as soaked as we did, since we were able to use their bodies as shields.  But I've had a guilty conscience ever since.  Sorry guys!

I could write forever on our adventure.  Unfortunately I have a fifteen page paper due tomorrow night.  Yeah, back to reality.  Back to the books for both of us!  So worth the memories.