Disneyland trip

Well, the trip we'd been waiting for and planning for came and went in a whirl, but we had so much fun! We got up at 3 a.m. on Wednesday and left for the airport in Denver, and it seemed like weird hours and long days followed us for some time after that, but it was totally worth it.

We had some incredible luck the first day as we arrived in LA, rented our car, and it was about 9 a.m. We were trying to decide whether to go straight to the park with all of our luggage in the minivan or to try and leave it in a holding room at the hotel. The hotel actually let us check into our two rooms at that time! So we unpacked, changed our clothes, and went to our first day.

I know that the kids, especially Aidan, have been excited to go to Disneyland, but they're young enough that I wasn't positive that they truly understood what it would be like. As soon as we entered the park, all of the characters were out signing autographs, so we stood in line for Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Tigger, and Chip n Dale before they left for a break.

My biggest concern was that Aidan just wanted to see all of the princesses and that maybe we'd have trouble finding them, but they've added a feature at the back of the park that is supposed to look like a palace ampitheatre. Down on stage, they do coronations, princess crafts, and skits. Up at the top of the Ampitheatre, there is a "room" where three princesses wait to sign autographs. It's one on one and quite personal, if quick, but it was the attraction we stood in line for the longest. Of the seven main Disney princesses, Aidan's order of favorites (which can change on any given day) might go like this: Snow White, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Mulan. The top four are somewhat interchangeable, so it was just important that one of those be in the "room," but you don't know which ones will be there until you enter. When we finally went around the corner, the very first princess was Cinderella, and Aidan didn't know what to do, I don't think. She had been practicing saying, "May I have your autograph, your Majesty?" but when we got there, she just stood there. The girls that play those princesses are so great, though, with their mannerisms and voices, and she just welcomed "Snow White" over (Aidan had on a Snow White dress). She signed her autograph and took a picture with her. Aidan liked this attraction well enough that we stood in line for it again on our second day.

The kids also loved the parade that evening. If you're like me, you remember the Electric Light Parade, but they've changed it now, and they have elaborate floats that contain the Disney character favorites. That was where Aidan got to see all the princesses at one time. She just knew they were waving and winking at her.

Honestly, before we went, I thought she might be outgrowing the princess phase, but it was so magical for her that I think it's here to stay for a while.

We also went to Huntington Beach, where the kids saw the ocean for the first time. They splashed in the waves, built sandcastles, and Aidan found seashells. The weather was perfect, and then we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, which, by the way, is incredibly ugly for miles and miles...and we gave up on it before it became pretty.

Overall, the trip was even better than I had imagined, and even Terry said he could see us going there again (this from the person who wanted to just let the grandparents take the kids to Disney while the two of us went to L.A.). We ended our trip by driving up and having lunch in Hollywood before our plane left. We got home super late Saturday night and started packing for our move on Sunday, but that's another entry...

I have too many great pics for one blog post, so I'm adding another bubble photo to the main blog page. Watch for it!