Tomorrow Land

Day One

(Adeline was in the stroller)

In order to save my sanity (curse you blogspot, it takes forever to load pics), and to give you an organized walk through of the parks, I will go by lands.  I don't have pictures of everything, because taking pictures just gets in the way of having fun, so I had to take them sparingly!!  OK, actually, I have a ton of pictures of the first few hours we were there, and then, the camera just got in the way!

Tomorrow Land

First ride-Astro Orbitor

Aiden was a little apprehensive and didn't ride with the other boys, but instead met Buzz, and got his autograph.  This is a huge part of our Disneyland experience, buying an autograph book and hunting down the characters!  I meanwhile ran to the 'fastpass' booth, for tickets to Autopia!

This was one of the displays in the long 'holding' area you wind through while waiting to ride Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters, this was one of the boys most favorite rides in D-land.  One night while my mom and I were with the boys till midnight, (we stayed each night with the twins until closing, while Ryan took the younger two back to the hotel) we rode this about four times in a row, no lines!!!!!

This is an interactive ride, the car turns in all directions while you shoot at Zurg and other targets, so much fun!

Here is Zurg, you can see the square targets, you aim your laser at those and shoot, at the end it shows you your score, and takes your picture, which you can then email to yourself!

Autopia

Aiden behind the wheel, watch out!!  This was another of the boys favorite rides, we rode this one a few times at night also!

That's Granny with Anden behind the wheel!

Finding Nemo Voyage, with the Matterhorn in the background.  This had one of the longest waits, and there is no fast pass, but we all agreed, it was well worth it!

The boys enjoying their underground voyage!
If you are claustrophobic in any way, you will not enjoy this ride.

This little gem is Space Mountain, and this is me taking a picture of the picture it takes of you riding the ride. As you can see from the picture, the twins are in the front row, and yes that is me holding onto the back of their shirts.  About two seconds after we loaded, I remembered something my friends daughter told me about riding this ride, she said, "I slid so much in my seat that my dad had to hold onto me".  So in a panic, thinking holy you know what, my kids are smaller than her, I better reach over the back of the seat and hold onto them for dear life.  All of the other riders really got a kick out of this picture as we unloaded!  Needless to say Anden rode the whole way with his head tucked down and his eyes closed, and behind me is Ryan with Ashden.  He was in such shock after the ride ended that it took until we unloaded and were walking away for the tears to start.  The other boys just walked in silence.  Maybe we should have saved that ride for a future visit!!

Anden & Aiden with Master Yoda, after riding Star Tours!

So there you have it, Tomorrowland in a nutshell!

Next up, a park favorite, Fantasyland!

Disney Top Ten

I am almost done editing all of the pictures we took at Disneyland, but I just couldn't wait to post a few thoughts!

First of all, it really is the Happiest Place on Earth!  I have such fond memories of going there as a child, and I just couldn't wait to share all of that joy with my kids.  I will confess that I cried as we walk into the park, cried at every parade, cried watching the fireworks, and shed a few tears with Anden as we left the park for the last time.  We really felt blessed to have had this opportunity!  Here are the top ten reasons why everyone needs a little Disney in their life, and can use it as a basis to live by.

1.  It is seriously the cleanest place.  They have an entire staff decked out in white outfits and green gloves, sweeping, and wiping every nook and cranny.  Ashden dropped a little cotton candy right before the parade started, and out of no where a lady arrived to pick it up with a napkin.  Can't have Tinkerbell flittering her fairy dust on a dirty parade route!

2.  Every, and I mean every ride is themed, with coordinated outfits, and theatrical music.  A visiual masterpiece for me.  If I had it my way, my kids would be color coordinated and music would play at appropriate times throughout the day.  Each bathroom in the various 'lands' is also coordinated to match the area it is in....heaven!!

3.  On that same note, each 'castmember' never breaks character.   If you are riding Soaring over California, you are referred to as 'Passangers', on Buzz Lightyear, you are Astro Blasters, (this way Astro Blaster, or exit here Astro Blaster).  And no matter how many times they have to tell you the same thing, over and over and over, they do it with a smile, and a gentle wave of the arm.

4.  They know how to throw a good parade, and three of them to be exact!  Audience participation, bubbles coming out of the sky, confetti at the end, and music to shake a tail feather to.

5.  They end each night with fireworks, all color coordinated to give you a virtual tour of disneyland through music and fireworks.  Genious!

6.  Only at Disneyland can you lose a $1200 camera, and have it returned in an hour, but lose a $20 hoodie on the bus back to the hotel and it was never to be found again.

7.  If your kid is crying, or having a fun induced meltdown, 'castmembers' will stop at nothing to make him or her happy again.  No one wants to see a sad kid as Disneyland.

8.  I'll be honest, I have seen better props at our ward Christmas parties, but It's a Small World is still a crowd pleaser, I know it had an overhaul a few years back, but most of it is still the old cardboard cutouts of dolls, hand painted by an amatuer, and still I love it, and rode it twice while we where there (and cried watching Adeline dance to the dolls, bobbing her head back and forth, with the biggest grin she has ever had).

9.  Speaking of 'It's a Small World'.  We drove over 700 miles south, and almost everyone we met was from Oregon, one man was even from Medford, with two sons that live blocks from us.  At our hotel, we ran into the lady from our local kids museum.....strange.  And the one person we met not from Oregon, lived in the town Ryan grew up in Colorado.  It really is a small world afterall.

10.  And my final reason why I get giddy over the big mouse with ears is, if you take a little from each category, you have a pretty dang good life.  A clean home, music all day long, fireworks to end each day, never raising your voice at crazy kids, color coordinated outfits (ok, maybe that one is just for me), honesty, the realization that it is a small world, and that we are all connected one way or another, and that having fun as a family is the most important of all, whether at the park or at home!! 

Thank you Walt Disney, Thank You!!