Disneyland 2012

Last year our family took our first trip to Disneyland. Brent had to really convince me to agree to this trip. Brent had never been before, whereas I have been several times. Most of these times were in my childhood, but still...I felt like I had been-there-done-that.

He used the children of course to tug on my heart strings. He described how fun and memorable it would be for them and so I caved. We attempted to coordinate with my sisters and Dad, but only Jen was able to come. 

We did this to split the costs of food and a suite plus we would have an added veteran of Disneyland in on the planning.

Jen was helpful pining down some times that Disneyland would be less busy. We chose the very last week of August into the first week of September. We planned the details and paid for most of the trip way before we actually went on the trip (like February). 

The problem with being proactive was our annual rafting trip. It ended up I wrote down the wrong dates...and it turned out we went rafting the week before our trip to Disneyland. The trips overlapped such that we had to leave from the take out of the rafting trip (Northern Idaho) and drive straight down to Anaheim, California. Ugh!

After researching Disneyland a bit, we decided to not  take August. He would not be big enough to do a lot of things and we did not know how he would react to the rides. So that means two weeks without my baby. He stayed with my mom. He loves grandma, but still it was hard. I made a lot of videos and things for August to still have a piece of us.

 We invited Justin. Our favorite Cruncle (cousin/uncle...long story).

He had also never been and we are quite fond of him.

Brent was unable to take the 2 weeks off in a row for the rafting trip and Disneyland, so he missed the rafting trip. Brayden and Brent came and picked us up at the take out in White Bird, ID.

Gross, sweaty, and dirty from a week on the river we got in the car and headed down to California.

We drove through Idaho into Southeastern Oregon, then into Nevada, ending in California. It was a little over 18 hours of driving, trading off here and there.

*And apparently after getting to the hotel I found I had been driving with a cactus needle under my toenail, due to a nature hike Max took us on while rafting*

Driving out of the canyon from the Snake River. We got a huge rock hitting our windshield. We watched the crack grow all the way down to California.

Our first stop for food

The long flat highway

Getting to pump our own gas in the other states

The bugs on our roof bag

We drove through desert, mountains, and these Joshua trees

All the palm trees

 Our first stop in Anaheim was to the laundromat. Justin, Mitchel, and I had our clothes from rafting that were very dirty. I stayed with the laundry while Brent went to check us in to the hotel and figure out lunch. We had arrived at the hotel a little early, but they let us into our room anyways...once the laundry was done the guys came and got me, and we headed back to the hotel. We had the boys rotate through showers and then let them unwind, while Brent and I unpacked all the groceries and luggage. Jen showed up shortly after, but she ended up getting her own room since she invited a couple of her friends along.

The kitchen area

the first bedroom

the second bedroom

Doing the laundry...

We all decided to go for a little swim and then eat dinner. We tried really hard to go to bed early-ish. We knew we wanted to be up early for our first day of Disney fun.

Our first picture in the most magical place on earth

Our first ride, of course, Space Mountain

We went to see the Star Wars tours

Played with our laser guns while helping Buzz Lightyear

took the boat out on a safari, our tour guide was very funny and I could not believe how it all looked the same from when I was a kid

It was so neat to see the boys excited and having fun. The lines weren't too bad, but the weather was a little hot. The boys kept wanting to go back to the hotel and swim :)

We pressed on and were tired, hot, and exhausted by the end of the day...

Our "scream your head off" Splash Mountain picture

While we stopped to eat lunch there was an earthquake. I thought I had felt something, like when you are standing on a dock and something hits is, but no one else felt anything. Once we finished eating we noticed there were more lines. They had to shut rides down to check them out. So we stayed in the line at thunder mountain...

We had purchased the hopper passes, so we planned on spending some time at Disneyland, then going over to the California Adventure park later on...

Mr. Toad's Wild ride, we decided to switch up on the rides and try to take turns with each other.

The Rodger Rabbit ride...this was new to me. Actually a lot was. The Indiana Jones ride was pretty fun. The boys really enjoyed it. The Haunted Mansion was closed so it can be ready for Halloween! Go figure.

Toon town, this was also new to me. We went and explored the houses of the Disney characters and met Mickey at his house.

headed to California Adventure and decided to take in the Aladdin show to cool off for a bit. We had to sit in line, but at least it was shady

tower of terror

the Bug's Life show...August would have loved it

I love this picture. Among all the chaos Brent and I are looking at each other like we are the only ones on earth.

Here we are in the California Adventure park

I hate heights, but I decided that I could be brave and try out the huge ferris wheel.

As it started going up I got more and more anxious

I started disliking the ride towards the top. The moments when it would stop I felt okay, but then it started moving again...

Jen took a picture of the view. I am glad we went on it at night. At the moments it had stopped I was able to look around and enjoy all the lights.

Our kids riding on the swings..

 We left before the light show that night. Instead we went swimming and ate dinner. Again trying to get to sleep for an early rise the next day. We were hoping to get to the cars ride early...Unfortunately it didn't matter. Even as they opened the gates to California Adventure park there was a three hour wait for the ride. We were only able to go on a couple things, as many were closed temporarily for repairs. We were not impressed...

This is the wilderness explorer camp...we actually spent a lot of time here. Swinging from ropes, climbing on walls, and trying to earn our wilderness explorer badge

 

California Screamin...the boys rode this quite a few times, but it kept shutting down. The car would get stuck. They would have to empty the ride...The boys only got "stuck" on it one time

Justin and Mitch flying away on the Peter Pan ride

In our submarine....now Finding Nemo themed, this was totally different than when I was a child

Our second night at Disneyland we decided to leave early-ish and go eat at the Medieval Times. It is a place where you eat like you were in the Middle Ages. Lords and Ladies, drum sticks no silverware. While eating you watch the knights and other acts. You are put in a section where your knight represents you by his color. We were in the red and yellow knights section.

Our third day at Disneyland we just tried to go to everything we liked the most. Brent, the boys, and I decided to go to Disneyland first. Jen decided on California Adventure. We were able to ride the Maddahorn several times in a row because there were no lines. By the end of the third day we felt Disneyland-ed out, and the next day headed to Knotts Berry farm.

 Knotts Berry Farms had more "big" rides. The boys were a little too short for some of them, or they did not really wanted to try them out. Unfortunately they were slightly suffering from theme-park fatigue.

 Justin and Tyler decided to buy rocks...
They were thunder eggs that you picked out, then the gal would saw them open. She was great at building the suspense and letting you feel very special. That you were the first one in thousands of years to touch the inside of that rock. The first one to see it. She would saw it, keep it closed and then pull the pieces apart in front of you. It was pretty cool.

 Justin did this super scream "drop" ride by himself. No one felt well enough to ride along. Brent just went on some huge twisty roller coaster and the plunge several times. Justin enjoyed it though.

I continued making Brent sick by riding the spinning mexican hat ride, similar to tea cups

I tried to get a picture of Brent on the roller coaster, but it went around the whole west side of the park...he's up there somewhere

I loved the water rides, mainly because it was so hot out, and they didn't go up super high. The boys were not as excited. Apparently Brent talked them into going to make me happy :)

Haha! Which he told me later. What good sports.

We ended our trip staying at my dad's house in Red Bluff. We were going to go to the water park in Redding on our way home. We kept telling the boys to get ready that morning, and they kept putting on movies. Brent and I decided they were not showing the necessary interest to spend that much money. This decision was kind of hard to make. Number one, because we both really wanted to go. Number two because we drive by it and the boys were pretty upset. Still, we do not ask them more than once to get ready without a consequence. Besides, we were more excited about it than them...maybe next time they will be ready to go?!

Overall I am super happy we made that trip. And since then we have taken August to several smaller sized theme parks and he loves rides. He loves crazy big rides too! He will have a blast in Disneyland. Now we just have to wait for him to be tall enough.