Another early preparation that I took care of was the trading pins for Blake. This trip was sort of meshed into Quinn's birthday, so I knew she'd be getting a little extra attention. Also, I wasn't 100% sure that Blake would love the actual rides, so I knew I wanted to do something that was just for him. I came across quite a few pins on Pintrest about Pin Trading at the park and I knew he'd love it. I brought it up to Beau and he totally agreed, so I purchased a started pack online (after lots of research) that was MUCH cheaper that buying them in the park! I payed about $2 per pin, and in the park they're anywhere from $6-$20 per pin! You didn't get to pick your pins, which was fine, because the goal is to trade them with the Disney employees for ones you like more. He got a few that he liked in the set, but then a few like Tinkerbell and Minnie, that we convinced him were great to have so he could have them to trade!
Okay, so onto Day 1!!
We woke up BRIGHT and EARLY on Monday, our hotel was fairly close to the park, less than 1/2 a mile, so we walked to the park. We got there about an hour before the gates opened, which was my plan, and were 2nd in line! The kids were pretty good waiting, and lucking the lady started scanning tickets about 15 minutes early, so our family was scanned in and ready to go by the time they let us in, so we ran straight into the park instead of having to wait to be checked in! We didn't really have a plan of action, which I regret. I had gone back and forth about whether we should plan out or days, or just go with the flow. To ease stress, I opted to just go with the flow. Big mistake.
Right when we walked into the park, we saw Minnie! We went straight to her and got our picture, and as soon as we were done, Mickey walked out!! I was a crazy stalker mom and followed him until he stopped and we were first to take a picture! We got a family shot and I called it good! Then we saw Chip & Dale, and decided to hop back in line with Mickey for individual pictures. Beck was NOT a fan of the characters, so Beau and Sandy stayed with him! After Mickey, we got back in line for Minnie. She was so cute with Quinn! After that was done, I took the kids into a hat store to pick out Mickey ears. Blake immediately picked out Iron Man ears, and I couldn't decide for the other two kids, so I got Quinn her Birthday button, and the boys their 'First Visit' buttons and we moved on. All of that took a good 30 minutes, and once we got back to Peter Pan (the ride I wanted to hit first) it already had a 40 minute wait. So we headed over to the Pinnochio ride, and on the way, we saw Peter Pan and Captain Hook! Peter Pan was hilarious and loved teasing Blake! He kept calling him 'Iron Mickey', Blake said it was "Annoying", but the smile on his face told a different story!
Side Note: I am SO glad I didn't spend $ on autograph books! I ordered sketch books off of Amazon for $3. They really didn't get into the characters, and most of the time they didn't even want their signature, and the pictures are more important to me, so spending $30 on books for them would have been a waste!
We did the Pinnochio ride first, which was a little creepy to me!
I'm having the hardest time remembering the order that we did the rest of the rides! I know that we did the carousel and Dumbo very first thing! Beck was in HEAVEN on the carousel! He LOVED it! Then we went over and did the Story Book Boat ride, which was really cute!
We went over to Tomorrowland and I think the only ride that we braved over there was the Buzz Lightyear AstroBlasters ride, which was a lot of fun! Blake loved that one!
After that, I think we headed over to Toon Town. We saw Goofy very first, and Blake was the only one who wanted to see him, so we got a picture with him. Then we ran into Pluto while walking throughout some of the little houses. The Roger Rabbit ride had a fast pass distribution, so we thought it HAD to be a good one, and since there was no line at all, we got right on. That ride was a big mistake! I think it terrified Beck and he didn't want anything to do with rides for the longest time after that! I think we also did the Tiki Room and the Jungle Cruise. We did a LOT of walking around that morning, trying to decide what to do next! We ended up over in Critter Country for lunch where Quinn (due to hunger, heat and being overly tired) had a MELT-DOWN. We all got lunch, which wasn't too amazing, it was good, but not for the prices! And I went back to grab a few Ice cream sandwiches for all of us, and she was not pleased that she didn't get one to herself. I had had enough, so I strapped her into the stroller kicking and screaming and went to find a place to sit. The others followed shortly after and Grandma rocked her to sleep. She slept for a good hour in the stroller, so we walked over to Tomorrowland and Beau, Sandy, my mom and Blake did Autopia while I took a breather (which I needed, I was starting to lose my cool). We also did Star Tours with Blake! That was always my favorite ride growing up, and Blake definitely followed in my footsteps! He LOVED it! I think after that, or shortly after, we headed back to the Hotel.
We relaxed for a few hours and then our Mom's offered to watch the kids while Beau and I went back to the park. When we got there, all we had on our minds was a corn dog! So we got in line and waited for about 10 minutes before we heard them announce that they were out of corn dogs and it would be 10-20 minutes before they got any more. So we decided to find something else to eat, which resulted in us walking around for 45 minutes, until we finally got some over priced meat on a stick, a pretzel that they didn't have cheese for, and finally….. a flipping corn dog! It was a disaster as far as food and time management go, but I loved being there with Beau. Don't get me wrong, we get tons of date night and alone time, but any time spent together is amazing! We went over to tomorrow land and hit Autopia and ended the night with Space Mountain (My favorite ride). We technically had fast passes to ride twice in a row, but it was late and I was afraid if I tempted fate by riding a second time, that corn dog might come back to haunt me. So we headed back to the hotel where all 3 kids were snoozing soundly!
We shared a hotel room with all of us, which actually turned out perfect! It had 2 rooms that were separated by sliding french doors, one side had bunk beds and a pull out sofa, and the other side had a King bed. Blake and my mom took the bunk beds, Sandy was on the pull out, Quinn had a little bed on the floor and Beck slept with us in the bed.
The night before, Beau and I went with a different approach, and we made up a game plan for the morning. Things went MUCH smoother! We had a Magic Morning, so we got to go into the park an hour early. That also meant that we had to leave the hotel at about 6:00 am!
Once we got into the park, we RAN to Peter Pan! We'd talked to a few people in line around us, and heard that everyone else planned to go on that ride first as well, so we booked it! Luckily we only had to wait about 15 minutes to get on. I GET why that ride is always SO busy! It's WONDERFUL! The pirate ships actually fly through the air! The track system they're on is attached from above, so you feel like you're flying! It was definitely a favorite of everyone! After that, we rode Alice in Wonderland, and then I took the kids on the tea cups because there was no line at all! I went by the kids alone, since that is the one ride that makes Beau sick! Quinn LOVED it! She kept saying FASTER FASTER!!! Blake liked it too, but kept trying to make me stop spinning it! I was so grateful that Beau thought to grab my camera and get some pictures with me in them! It's hard as the mom to make sure you get in pictures when you're always the one taking them! We headed over to Tomorrowland afterwards, and rode the rocket ships. We tried to get Beck on them, but at the last second he wigged out and they had to have my mom come into the ride and grab him from Beau!
After we finished up there, The rest of the lands opened, so we went over to Adventure land to go to Indiana Jones. When we got there, the line was HUGE, but the ride wasn't open yet. So I got the stroller switch passes and Beau waited with Blake and Sandy while my mom and I walked over to Splash mountain to get fast passes, and ended up riding the Winnie the Pooh ride with the little kids since there was absolutely no wait! After they got done on Indiana Jones, my mom and I used the stroller pass to get on it within just a few minutes, and Beau took the kids on Winnie the Pooh again! Blake said he didn't love Indiana Jones, but he was SO good to try EVERY ride! I think he loved them, he had just never experienced that kind of a THRILL and didn't know what to think! He was always smiling and laughing and ready to tackle the next ride! Then we took Blake and Quinn on the Haunted Mansion, I'm not sure they loved that one, but they were good sports! Beau and I took Blake on Big Thunder Mountain, which again, he said he didn't like, but he smiled the entire time! Beau and I love that ride! We're both roller coaster junkies! I can't remember what we did right after that, but I know we did Splash Mountain not too long after that! Sandy came with us! Beau sat in front, then Blake, then me and then Sandy. I though Blake would freak out more than he did, but he thought it was hilarious! It was definitely one of my favorites with him! Blake got to choose a treat for being so brave on all the rides, so he chose cotton candy. While we were sitting in the shade, we ran into Pete and Tyra Leavitt and their kids. We decided to just wait in line for It's a Small World, it was SO SO HOT, but totally worth it, because Quinn and Beck adored that ride, and it was the one ride that my mom loves! It was nice and cool as well, so it was a good break for everyone! I went into a few shops after that and found us a Disneyland Christmas tree ornament. I had a specific list of souvenirs that I was looking for, and I was intent on finding the perfect ones! Then we made a pit stop to get fast passes to Star Tours before calling it for the afternoon.
After that, we walked back to the hotel, and stopped at the CVS downstairs to grab lunch. They had all sorts of salads and sandwiches.
Everyone was COMPLETELY exhausted when we got done with lunch, so we all took about a 2 hour nap! It was wonderful!
We headed back down to the park and saw Ariel and Cinderella, so we stopped to see them. Then we headed straight over to get dinner. Beau got a corndog and the kids some chicken strips, while my mom and I went over to get the corn chowder in bread bowls! They were amazing!
After we ate, I think we headed over and got our Parade spot, which was kind of a joke, but we ended up with a really great spot, and met some nice people! My mom stayed at the parade spot with Beck and Quinn while Beau, Blake, Sandy and I went over to use our fast passes for Star Tours. Once that was over, and we convinced Blake to wait until tomorrow to build the light sabers that they had at the end of the ride, we hurried back to the parade spot, so my mom and I could hustle over and grab some ice cream. The line at the parlor was FOREVER long! Oh my heck! I was shocked at how many people were waiting! But we got our ice cream and booked it through the crowds back to Beau with Sandy and the kids just in time for the parade. Quinn was acting a little 'off', I figured she was just tired, and let her fall asleep in the stroller. The kids liked the parade, but it definitely wasn't worth waiting all that time, and fighting the crowds to get out of the park afterwards. We were all happy to get back to the hotel.
Once we got everyone settled and to bed, Beau was in the shower and everyone else was asleep, when Quinn started to cough really weird. I got really worried about her and was so glad when Beau got out of the shower. Just a few minutes after he got out, Quinn started gurgling and choking and finally threw up. It was a LONG night after that. She threw up 3-4 more times, and kept asking for Granna Kafy (Grandma Kathy), so I woke my mom up, and I was so grateful to have her there! Beau went down to CVS right below our hotel and bought a nose sucker (because I thought she had a lot of drainage that was gagging her) and vitamins for the rest of us and Sprite. I had, luckily, brought our really nice thermometer, so I checked her temp all night. It was pretty high for awhile, I don't remember exactly when it broke, but I think I finally was able to go to sleep around 2 am.
Day 3 was our first day in California Adventure. I was actually SUPER excited for this day! The park didn't open until 9:00, but like every other day, we got there an hour early. Which we learned wasn't nearly early enough! They let everyone into the actual park early, so everyone was packed into this tiny little entryway waiting for them to drop the ropes. It was so crowded and annoying! I I made a judgment call and sent Beau over to cars land to try and get fast passes for the radiator Springs ride, while my mom and I took The kids over to the other side of the park to try and find some other rides to go on. It was a huge disaster. Beau went past the fast pass distribution, and by the time he found where it actually was, they were out of them. By the time I got over to any rides, there were so many people in line that it wasn't even worth it! I was frustrated and tired and ready to throw in the towel! We ended up taking the kids on the little mermaid ride, which they actually all loved! Especially Quinn! She was in absolute heaven! Which made me happy considering the night we'd had! We utilized the fast passes and stroller switch passes to ride Soarin' Around the World, I rode it with my mom and Sandy, and then again with Blake and Beau. After that, we walked around the park forever... and I mean FOREVER, and I had a *tiny* little freak out session, before we went over to Bugs Land and watched the "It's Tough to be a Bug" show, and took the kids on the Bumper cars. When we left, it was HOT, and I was ornery. Blake did get to see Oswald on the way out, which made me happy, because, for some reason he'd REALLY wanted to see him while we were there!
I called California Pizza Kitchen and had them deliver to our hotel room a few minuted after we got back. It was a good call! The food was good, not spectacular, but we all enjoyed it! The best part was being able to eat in bed!
That evening we went back over to California Adventure and Beau took Blake on the Ferris wheel and Goofy's Sky school, the two rides that Blake requested, while My mom, Sandy, Quinn, Beck and I rode the Little Mermaid again. After we got off the Little mermaid, we walked over to the Big Land again, and I took Quinn on the Ladybug ride, and then got a stroller pass and took her on the TowMater ride. She LOVED that ride! It whipped you back and forth on a trailer attatched to a Mater truck. It about gave us whiplash and she was in heaven! She's a little thrill seeker! Once we were done on that ride, we went and found my mom and Sandy, they'd take Beck and gotten food at Flo's Cafe, and then I went back over to the Mater ride and rode it with Blake and Beau. There were early any people because the World of Color show was going on, but after the parade, we decided that those things weren't really for us. Once we finished that ride, and got a little food (and Beau got another churro) we realized the if we wanted to beat the crowd that was going to be leaving the World of Color, we'd better get out of there. So that's what we did! I didn't get hardly any pictures that day, I wish I could say I had a better day than I did, but it was a little too high strung for me.
Backup a little, One of Quinn's birthday gifts was going to be lunch with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. I'd figured that on Thursday (our last day), we'd be in California Adventure, so I could take her to lunch. To me, the price would be worth the experience! Well, fast forward to that evening when we were leaving. We had 1 park per day passes, and no one in our family cared one bit to go back to California Adventure the next day. At all. Everyone wanted to go to Disneyland! So I went over to the ticket desk to just change Quinn and I's tickets into park hoppers for the day, so we could 'hop' over to C.A. for lunch and then spend the rest of the day in Disneyland. Well, you can't just upgrade ONE day, you have to upgrade every day on your ticket (in our case, 4) and it would be like $90 per person! Plus, lunch was going to cost at least $60! I was floored! Plus, I knew Quinn didn't feel that great still! So I left without upgrading our tickets and figured we'd take care of it in the morning.
Sandy decided early that morning that she was going to rent a Jazzy, the walking was just way too much for her! It ended up being a HUGE blessing that day!
Pirated of the Caribbean had been closed the entire time we were there, and was supposed to open that day, so we booked it over to Adventure land very first, to try and get a decent spot in line. Well, us and 2,000 other people! And when we finally got there, the ride was still closed! I was kind of annoyed, but I decided that I was going to have a fantastic day no matter what, so I didn't let it bother me. Then we went over to Fantasy Land and rode Dumbo and the Carousel again, as well as Mr. Toad's wild ride. After those, we decided to try and see how the wheelchair rider passes worked, turns out, it's pretty much the same thing as a fast pass, only you get to the front of the line, instead of the back of the fast pass line! We rode the Nemo submarine ride (By FAR, Beck's favorite ride!) and then went on Alice in Wonderland, I took the kids on the tea cups again, including Beck this time, who LOVED it almost as much as Quinn. We also went on It's a Small World again! I loved that ride on this trip! I don't know if it's because of the nostalgia, or the air conditioning, but I could of gone on that ride 300 times! We saw Merida walking around, I was SO excited because Quinn (Okay, I) LOVES Brave! But she was in a hurry and couldn't stop for pictures! I thought it was a little rude, but whatever. She was actually really cute about it. We did Autopia, and then I gave in and called the Dining Reservation place to cancel our reservations at Ariels Grotto, and the girl was SO sweet when she heard that Quinn had been sick that week, and waived the cancelation fee. I was sad that we didn't get to go, but I knew that Quinn didn't care, so it wasn't too big of a deal. We ate lunch in Tomorrowland, and then Beau, Sandy, Blake and I went and did Star Tours AGAIN! and Blake got to build his light saber. We also picked up fast passes to Space Mountain for Beau and I that night.
When we were leaving the park, I felt bad about canceling Quinn's lunch, so we let her pick something from the shops, and she picked a freaking $30 Elana of Avelor barbie. (insert eye roll) Like I said, I take pride in my souvenir purchasing abilities, and I knew we could get a barbie just like that for $10 at Walmart. But, we let her pick anyways, and I bit my tongue! I stopped everyone on the way out of the park and did a little shopping, Beau and sandy ended up taking the kids back without us, which was fine with me, I bought a few things, and then my mom and I headed back too.
Sandy got REALLY sick that afternoon. Like, REALLLY sick. I felt horrible for her. When we all decided to go back to the park for the evening, she opted to stay in bed.
When we got to the park, we went over to Toon Town, we let the kids play around in Minnie's house, and Mickey's house, and then Blake and I rode Gadget's Go-Coaster, which was 40 minutes of waiting in line for a 60 second ride. Then, as we were walking back to Tomorrowland to ride space mountain with our fast passes, we decided to call it a night and just head back to the hotel. I stopped and did a little more shopping, and let Blake pick out something for him, and I got the other kids something as well.
Sandy was still extremely sick when we got back, so we quietly went to bed.
The next morning we woke up, Beau and I packed the car and we hit the road.
My thoughts about our trip...
It was expensive. We spent about $3,000 from our hotel, to gas, tickets and souvenirs. We were smart with our spending, we splurged here and there, but no matter what, it was pricey. However, the memories we made were 100% worth it, and no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise.
As much as everyone told me NOT to over-plan, I wish I had!! I'd started to make spreadsheets, and maps, and lists, but I stopped because everyone told me to just go with the flow. Well, the days we went with the flow kinda sucked, the ones that we had a set plan, were fantastic! We got to do the most rides on the day we had a plan!
I think our kids were going to have meltdowns no matter what. Looking back, I wish I would have just given into their demands on the spot, and saved a few tantrums.
I'm SOO glad we did the pin trading for Blake! He LOVED it! He loves to collect things, so this was totally his niche! He was constantly looking for cast members with pins and politely asking to trade! He knew what he liked, and what he wanted to trade!
I don't know how anyone does Disneyland without a stroller! It SAVED us!
Beau's favorite ride: Splash Mountain
My favorite ride: Space Mountain
Blake's favorite ride: Star Tours
Quinn's favorite ride: Little Mermaid
Beck's favorite ride: the teacups or Nemo's submarine
I'm sure I'll tweak and add to this post as time goes on, I'm sure Beau, my mom and Sandy will read it and remind me of more things we did, or help me remember the order of things better! But it's been over a month since we went, and I just needed to get it all out of my brain before I forgot everything!
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