What I Did During My Summer Vacation: Part 3

Disneyland.  It was the reason for the trip.  It took us a few days to get there, but the next two days of the trip were thus spent.  John Stephen came with us the first day.  The kids were told we were going on a hike, and had been told so many times that we WEREN'T going to Disneyland this trip, that when it was finally revealed they (especially Rori) were argumentative as they thought they were being teased.  We brought lots of snack and PB&Js and grazed all day long, eating in line most of the time.  It cut down on our need to get out of any lines and spend more money.  Beth, John and I all downloaded apps that helped us maximize our time, spending less in line and more time on the rides.  It was also nice having one adult per child, a blessing, really, with no whining.  Let me repeat that - NO WHINING.  We had a great, exhausting, fun-filled day.

Day 2 was our first experience visiting California Adventure.  This park has such a different feel, and often felt like I wasn't in a Disney park because of the lack of fairy tales. The rides are a lot more mature - roller coasters, Tower of Terror, Soaring Over California, etc - but it was fun and always a surprise.  I really struggled getting the hang of the layout too, though Beth seemed to get it.  We were still pretty tired from out 10+ miles of walking at Disneyland the day before (thanks FitBit) and we didn't have John Stephen with us, so tempers were shorter and whining picked up a little.  But considering how tired all of us were, it was a great day and the kids were eager.

One of my favorite rides included Cars. We were wisely advised to get a fast pass for this ride before we did anything else.  When we got the the park at about 9, there seemed to be nobody at California Adventure (we went on the rapids ride three times in a row with now wait), but our fast pass time was for around 5 in the afternoon! That part of the park in general is the greatest thing - it looks just like Radiator Springs, and car characters from the movies are driving sporadically around it.  It was delightful!

 I also loved the Little Mermaid ride, Tower of Terror, the rapids, and (not a ride) the Disney animation experience, where a Disney animator teaches you how to draw a character.  While Sarah had an audible meltdown because she couldn't keep up and her pic didn't look like the one the animator was drawing, the animator then came and gave Sarah the drawing she was doing in front of us all after the session was over.  I wish we could have spent more time in that building, exploring the exhibit.

I also had a fun time with Sarah, and one of my favorite parts of the day was just with her.  She is actually quite a little daredevil, wanting to go on all of the wildest rides she could.  Unfortunately, she wasn't tall enough to go on the big roller coaster in the park, despite her wearing her shoes with a wedge heel.  While Beth took Mikey and Rori on the coaster, Sarah and I headed over to the not-as-tame-as-it-looks Ferris wheel.  The cars are on a rolling track, and when the wheel hits 1,2, 4,5, 7,8 10 or 11 o'clock, it will whip down the track, tipping back and forth.  I was nervous.  Sarah squealed with delight.