Disney Take 2

 At the end of March, we were looking over our calendar for the rest of the year.  It was filling up quickly.  Matt said, "You know, this is the last Spring we won't have any kids in school.  We should take a little family trip somewhere."  After such a fantastic trip to Disney World last spring, it wasn't hard to decide what we wanted to do.  We roped our parents into the adventure, and 3 weeks later we were on our way to Disneyland.  Since the trip was planned on such short notice, we decided to surprise Danny and Kaylee.  They thought we were just dropping Grandma and Grandpa off at the airport.  When luggage was pulled out of the trunk, dad found a present for them too - their little Disney figurines.
"Where do they live?" asked Matt.
"Disney."
"Guess where we're going right now?"
"Disney!?"   

And I'd like to say it was magical and brought tears to our eyes, like all the Disney commercials do, but in reality there was just a lot more confusion than anything. 
"What?  Really?  How?"  Once it settled in, both kids were giddy as could be. 

Matt and I have both decided, however, that it was more fun to let the kids know ahead of time so they could help plan and share in the excited anticipation.

Day one, we hung out at the pool, explored Downtown Disney, and met up with my cousin Michael who lives in the area.  We enjoyed dinner at Rainforest Cafe, except that the loud rainstorms, which occurred every 30 minutes, frightened my children so much that they spent the entire meal covering their ears. 

 Day Two we spent the morning at Disneyland and the rest of the day at California Adventure.

 Day Three we hit Disneyland hard - arriving before the gates opened and staying through the fireworks. 

Day Four we spent time in both parks, hitting our favorite Disneyland rides and California Adventure shows we'd missed the previous days.  By 4:30 we were headed back to the airport to fly home.

A few things I learned this time around.

1. My children don't share a bed well.  After Danny accidentally kicked Kaylee off the bed the first night, we made her a little bed on the floor.  They are, however, capable of sleeping in matching umbrella strollers.  

 

2.  My children surprise me.  And they are different.  Kaylee LOVED meeting characters and could spot them a mile away.  

 

Danny, however, had no interest in character interaction at all.  He watched, but didn't want to participate in Incredible Training.  When we were in Mickey's house, he was timid and didn't want his picture taken.  He even decided he didn't want to do Jedi Training this year.  But, invite this same kid to join us on a thrill ride and he was brave as could be.  Guess who was screaming most on Tower of Terror?  It was me, not Danny.     

3.  It's important to pause and enjoy the details once in a while.  Of course the big rides and shows are hugely fun.  There are so many amazing things to see and experience - Soarin', Big Thunder Mountain, Screamin', World of Color, Aladdin, Pirates of the Carribean.  But Kaylee & Danny found equal, if not more, joy in some of the smaller details and unplanned moments.  Splashing in Dot's Puddle Park, digging on Pirate Island, playing with $1 Store glowsticks before Word of Color began, dancing in the lobby of Disney Animation while we waited for Turtle Talk with Crush.  I am the type of person that likes an organized plan at a theme park.  Before we went, I had spent hours meticulously creating the ideal schedule for our group so that we could see and do it all.  I am still a firm believer in doing this, but it was good that others in my group reminded me to treasure the little moments, even if they weren't on the itinerary.   

 

 

 4.  Bringing grandparents is the BEST.  For us, having my parents along was a win, win, win, win situation.  Kaylee and Danny loved having them around - extra spoiling, extra attention, extra hands to hold.  Matt and I loved having them around - extra eyes to watch the kids, extra ride buddies for us (Matt and my dad did a mountain tour while my mom and I took the kids to the hotel for a rest), extra late nights kid-free (when Grandma and Grandpa take the kids to the hotel for bed).  And Grandma and Grandpa seem to love coming - extra magical time with the grandkids and kids.  Having my parents come with us on both Disney trips made the experiences even more wonderful.  

We decided after this trip that we should take a break from Disney and have some new adventures, but it may be hard to stay away after two magical Disney vacations.