Disneyland!!!

 We woke the children up with the news that we were going to the Happiest Place on Earth that day! After going crazy for a few minutes and simply running around from room to room screaming without purpose, we got busy. Though I already had everyone packed, Tiernan (our stuffie junkie) was obsessed with filling his bag with as many stuffies as he could. After limiting him to Pooh (his lovey), we were off. Their excitement was killed a little when they learned that we would not actually be going into Dland that day, as we were getting in too late. The next morning, however, it was ON!

Breakfast of Champions!

Per tradition, we started off in Fantasyland with our first ride being Dumbo.  Dumbo was both Kea and Tiernan's first ride ever.  I always video it, so we have lots of footage over the years of the kids growing up on Dumbo!

G recently grew a goatee and the kids nicnamed him "Skunk Beard" after the salt & pepper effect!

Later that day, Mom and Dad joined us.  They haven't been to the Happiest Place on Earth in 18 years!  We took it upon ourselves to break them in properly.  And if anyone knows us, they know we know Disneyland and DCA!  The kids were simply beside themselves, ready to show O'ma and Pumbaa the ropes.  The part they were most excited for was to ride The Mad Tea Party with Pumbaa due to his hard-spinning rep.  All these years I've been telling the kids that my dad is the best teacup spinner in the history of the world.  I truly believe this, and my sister will agree with me.  Needless to say, he delivered in spades (Alice in Wonderland pun intended)!

The kids (especially T) were more open than ever to trying new rides.  The big success stories were Peter Pan's Flight (they'd never been on it due to the darkness - a fave for both), Big Thunder Mountain (for both) and Splash Mountain (for T - K still claims to never ride it again after we forced her last visit).  Now I've been on Splash Mountain countless times and I have never seen nor heard of anyone getting as wet as T did.  He was DRENCHED.  From his neck down to his socks the only dry spot on him was a tiny square in the middle of his back.  Even his underwear and the inside of his shoes were literally dripping.  Right after this we saw a group of ladies headed in with rain ponchos and shower caps on!

In line for Toy Story Mania

My new toys!

We only had to wait 30 minutes for World of Color, but Kea
made a comfy bed of our backpack and two beach balls.

 

Ever since he was a baby, T has been obsessed with doors. On his first visit to Dland at 16 months old, he began his love affair with Minnie's House. In it, he can play with her fridge to his heart's delight.  On our last visit he found to his dismay that her fridge door was bolted shut.  He was a sad little man!  Imagine his delight when he took a pull this visit and it opened, spilling cool air onto him!

My little convicts.  I had to post both of these to show Sweet T...

...and Creepy T.

In line for Star Tours

When we booked the trip, we didn't know how far along K would be in her surgery recovery.  G and I agreed a long time ago that as long as long as the children could physically sit in the Disneyland strollers, we would rent them.  As you can see, they were in them.  Well past the maximum weight, but in them.  Because we walk an average of 10 miles a day in Dland, in the past it's been very hard on K's leg and foot (this time I literally walked the sole off of my tennis shoes - it fell off!).  With her surgery just 3 months behind us, we didn't know how she would react this time around.  To our surprise, it wasn't K that complained about the walking - it was T!

One of the treats my children picked were Mickey and Minnie head-shaped cookies, complete with black icing for the ears.  Just 2 warnings for those parents out there that may indulge their kids in this as well:
1.  They are incredibly messy and will stain everything they touch (as seen below).
2.  They will manifest the next day as not-found-in-nature-green poop.

One night, G graciously offered to stay with the kids (stating that he needed a park break) while Mom, Dad and I went back in.  A little backstory:  The whole day was particularly weird.  It started with us trying to collect fast passes first this in the morning, though every ride that we were attempting to obtain FP for or ride were broken down.  Now, we've had out fair share of rides breaking down, but it was starting to get ridiculous!  Jungle Cruise, Indy, Pirates, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion - pretty much everything in Adventureland, Critter Country and Frontierland.  The whole day we only rode on 4 rides!  We were absolutely determined to ride that night.  Well, it wasn't in the cards.  I tried every trick I knew to get us on some big ones, but the only one that was up and running was Big Thunder Mountain.  I'm just so glad that we can find the humor in things, because if that damn train didn't break down on us!  At least (we joked) it waited until we got past the first fun segment.  After waiting for a few minutes, the castmembers came to escort us off the train and through the bowels of the mountain.  I told him, "I don't want to see this.  It will ruin it for me!"  "What are you talking about?" he replied with a smile.  "You were never here."  The upside is that we got a readmission fast pass for all 6 of us for the next day!  The saving grace was that the next day (and Mom and Dad's final day) was rad!  Everything was running again and we hit so much with little wait times.  We wrapped it up with our 3rd Star Tours ride (which has 54 different combinations) and it was the best one by FAR!  Amazing!

One of my highlights was being able to share my favorite rides with someone else.  Usually I ride them alone due to my kids and G being unwilling.  I was thrilled that my absolute fave, Tower of Terror was theirs as well!  Of course, we had to get the obligatory ride shots. What's really great with my mom is that she always has the same ride face and she looks terrified:

Mom's first ride on Splash Mountain in 1994

California Screamin'

Tower of Terror

Dad immitating Mom's ride face on Splash Mountain

We were sad to say goodbye to Mom and Dad, but they left for Phoenix and Mexico while we partied it up some more.

Hangin' in Minnie's kitchen

A castmember painted Sebastian with water outside Ariel's ride before opening one morning.

And, of course, we ran into a bunch of these guys:

Tiernan stated that he was NOT interested in visiting with the princesses this year, and was very coy when interacting with them.  While K was visiting with Tiana (the 3rd princess), Belle (the first) decided that she had not yet had enough of our charmer.  She snuck up behind him and planted a huge smooch on his cheek.  He literally acted all woozy and twitterpated for a few minutes, but then got terriblygrumpy about the whole thing!

Smooches!

G and I built in an extra day for playing at the pool since we never seem to have time to play as much as we want.  The Disneyland Hotel's pool was just remodeled and it's rad!  With 2 pools, 2 hot tubs, 4 waterslides and a spray pad, I was a happy girl.

It was cold that day (the coldest I've ever had in CA) and we forced the children in the hot tub to warm up!

Disney did something this year they've never done before: stay open for 24 hours on Leap Day.  Holy Moly!  I was GONNA be a part of that!  I didn't make it the full 24 hours (we had a flight in the morning and I made the responsible decision), but it was a blast being in the park in the middle of the night!  I'm just so glad I know that place inside and out.  I have never seen it that busy in my life!  Just getting around as a single was a feat!

Not a great self-portrait, but hey - it was the middle of the night!

The Country Bears made an appearance!

Killing time in the lobby waiting for our transfer to the airport

Every vacation is not without drama for the Gardipees.  This one was no exception.  T had a minor cold while we were there, and we had the foresight to bring his nebulizer just in case.  One night, I was trying to give him a dose which he usually sleeps through, but this time fought me and got really wound up.  He screamed about his head hurting and his breathing was very shallow and rapid, so I called 911.  The Disneyland Hotel (I love this place and cannot recommend it enough) has a nurse on site 24 hours a day, and she was up in our room with a team of paramedics.  EMT Dude asked T how he was.  Now he was awake, and a completely different kid.  "Fine!" my son smiled.  "WHAT?"  G and I said.  He put an oxymeter on T's finger and listened to his chest and he was doing just fine (thankfully)!  I simply have no idea what happened.  Now, this is at about 1 am, and the lights are on, there are 7 people (not including us) in our room and 3 outside in the hall, and no one is even attempting to be quiet.  K slept soundly in the bed through the whole thing!

Each visit we spot a celebrity or two (or should I saw G does).  This time it was Kelsey Grammer, and though we didn't get to actually see them, Modern Family was filming there that day and we saw the crew and set.  I can't wait to see the episode!

K Funny:  While waiting to go on Toy Story Mania, where you play virtual 3D boardwalk games, K divulged her strategy to G.  "Dad, when I shoot pies at Woody's head, he reaches up with the shield to protect himself, and then I shoot him in the penis!"

T Funny:  While riding through Small World, we were pointing out all of the Disney Characters that have been installed in the appropriate "lands".  In the Africa land, I pointed Pumbaa and Timon out to T.  "Wait.  That's Pumbaa from Lion King, and Pumbaa's (my dad) name is Pumbaa.  Hmmmmm."  I loved watching each of the grandkids coming to that conclusion!