We accomplished a MAJOR family milestone a few weeks ago
***DISNEYLAND***
Stark and I discussed the pro's and con's of visiting Disneyland with really young kids
Della (2 1/2 years) and Huck (10months)
Our discussion didn't focus on whether the kids would enjoy themselves
but on whether we would survive the inevitable tantrums and major meltdowns
that were sure to result from exhaustion, sensory overload, hunger, and heat.
We decided to schedule the trip and set some goals for ourselves, as parents.
Travel at the speed of our kids ... this trip is for them, not us.
Always have snacks on hand ... lots of food and water.
Naps ... every day at the normal time
Swim breaks in the hotel pool ... to take a crowd break (and promote naptime)
Enjoy ourselves and this moment in time
***SURPRISE***
Della and Huck were amazing!!!
We had NO major meltdowns and Della, Huck, Mama, and Daddy had a GREAT time.
We are already looking forward to our next trip.
Hopefully next time we won't visit during a 101 degree heat wave ... it was HOT
***PICTURES***
Lots of pictures
Day 1
Showing off her brand new 'travel' backpack
it has LOTS of buckles (and a few new toys) to keep her entertained on the flight
Being mischievous while the parents loaded the car
Entertaining themselves at the airport
Buckles to the rescue & ready for takeoff
Della is most comfortable without clothes although I did manage to convince her to leave on pants
With a little *milk* persuasion Huck slept like a champ for most of the flight
then he proved to be mama's child by playing under the seats
just as she had during all those flights to & from Hawaii when she was young.
(yes we know how absolutely, horribly, dirty the plane floors are ...
pick your battles and pack sanitizer)
Our flight had been delayed so we just missed our transfer bus and had to kill an hour in the airport
Della discovered the children's cartoon lounge while we checked into the Grand California Hotel
there's a TV that plays only classic Disney cartoons ... Della was laughing out loud!
First Family Disneyland Photo
Halloween *Scary* picture
We didn't get far that first afternoon as we arrived just in time to find a seat for the evening parade
Della really enjoyed the parade and made herself known to the crowd
by yelling, at the top of her lungs, an introduction to each and EVERY parade character
"Hey Goofy! It's ME Della!"
Hey Arial! It's ME Della!
and so forth ... it was absolutely adorable
Day One Complete!
DAY 2
As Disney Resort guests you get to enter the park an hour early so we dutifully
waited in line to get in the gate and then
waited in line to actually enter the park
This was a novice mistake and one we won't make again
The next day we showed up just after the gates opened and most of the crowd had dispersed by sprinting to their favorite rides ... leaving us to enjoy the nearly empty park
We rented a stroller and stocked it with lots of snacks & drinks. It was worth every dollar!
First rides at Disneyland
We visited the Fantasy Faire where Della was able to meet her favorite Princesses!
My normally outgoing and brave little girl was just a tad shy
We met Alice wandering through the park
Della took Alice by the hand and lead her on a nice long walk
Disney princesses are the nicest girls ... so sweet and caring towards all the kids
Pre-Nap Swim break!
There was a waterslide in the big kids pool which Della LOVED
I don't have a picture as I was waiting in the water at the bottom of the slide for my
daredevil *but doesn't know how to swim yet* daughter
Lunch at Ariel's Grotto
Expensive but it was our back-up plan guaranteeing we'd meet princesses just in case we didn't find any in the park. Worth the price if Princesses are your goal!
Classic toddler behavior ~ yes Della is picking her nose
Bell is one of Della's favorites and she was so sweet
I don't know what she's looking at but it apparently hung around during the week as Della was often staring off into space for pictures.
The Princess lunch gives you just a couple menu options plus a desert tray
This was Della's first taste of Jell-O most of which ended up on her hands as she played with it
Sibling Stroller Bonding
Daddy waited in line for an hour that morning to secure tickets to meet the Frozen princesses
These poor princess's were exhausted by the time our afternoon visit rolled around
It's a tough life being the most popular princesses in the park
They were still really sweet even though their feet had to be hurting
This is as close as she got to melting down
She was upset that I wouldn't let her stay and 'look' at everything in the Bibbity Boppity Boutique store ...
for another 15 minutes ...
there's only so much browsing of princess costumes a mama can handle
While mama and Della enjoyed another Disneyland evening parade Daddy and Huck headed back to the Hotel ...
or so they said ...
When Stark saw the short line to California Adventure they detoured through the park and met ...
Mickey Mouse!!!
DAY 3
Breakfast on a bench in California Adventure while considering our options
The Design and Engineering of all the attractions is absolutely amazing
Cars Land mimics the movie perfectly including the mountains!!!
The Car's are the stars here ... rather than princesses!
Della is a FANTASTIC line-waiter
Bring some snacks and water and she can do 15+ minutes with no problem!
I should mention that we changed from sandals to walking shoes specifically so we could insert cardboard and boost her height above the 42" mark required for most rides. She was less than a centimeter shy but they are very strict about height requirements.
I should also note that Della LOVES rollercoasters and any ride that goes FAST!
We scheduled an early Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen and after a lengthy visit to the pool we decided to let them nap in the stroller before dinner ... thank goodness for the stroller!
(and the little battery powered fans we brought along!)
When they woke up it was time for pictures and Della wasn't having any of it.
Poor Goofy tried unsuccessfully to gain Della's trust but she refused to get near him.
Of course, once in the restaurant, she was all about meeting his friends!
Chip & Dale
We learned that Pluto is a FAVORITE
Pluto was also the last character to visit our table. We had finished dinner and had to wait a bit longer for Pluto as Della had specifically requested to meet him. This picture doesn't do the moment justice as she was literally jumping up and down to meet the fuzzy dog.
We headed back to California Adventure for the evening. It was nice and quiet with minimal crowds and very short lines on all the rides.
Monster's Inc!
We hit this ride three times ... and then twice the next day! It was definitely a favorite.
Hotel Life
Yes ... we know that bathroom floors are dirty but after being locked into a stroller for most of the day he'd earned some fun!
DAY 4
If you look closely you see mama and Della in the back of that log
plummeting over a 50ft waterfall!!
Della LOVED it and went twice!
Mama ... is feeling old
Critter Country
Where Winnie the Pooh and his friends live!!!
Sofia the First
a favorite TV show at our house
Heading Home
It didn't take long for Della to fall asleep ... and once out Daddy wasn't far behind
With Huck quietly snoozing mama relaxed with a well deserved glass of wine!
A family tradition ...
Riding the SeaTac tram while daddy collected the luggage
In my classic style I over planned, over packed, and over stressed about so many details prior to this trip but I can honestly say that our first family adventure milestone went nearly perfectly.
We learned a lot about Disneyland and the 'tricks' to make our next trip even smoother!
Della ...
Your enthusiasm, excitement, and overall enjoyment of everything Disney is contagious.
You single handedly turned this family into a Disney Family, something neither of your parents ever thought possible. There just might be a Disneyland timeshare in our future.
Huck ...
Thanks for being patient and accommodating. I promise it only gets better.
I should note that you perfected your 'walk' while at Disneyland. You were still a crawler when we left but when we returned home you were most definitely a walker!
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