Disneyland: Travel Days (1 & 2)

At the end of April we headed with the Casqueiros to Disneyland! The kids (who learned about the trip 2 weeks earlier) were SO excited, especially Makenzie, who had a list a mile long of all the princesses she was going to meet. Olivia was all about the roller coasters - daredevil child - and Carter was most excited because Spiderman and Captain America recently moved to Disneyland, so he might be able to meet them. Alex and I are total Disney lovers as well, so we were all really excited for the trip. Apparently we got on the road a little too early though, because this was the kids reaction when I told them I was taking a picture to send to Grandma.

Later in the day, after a few snacks and a pit stop to run around, the kids were in much better spirits. We also turned Hunter around just for this long trip (so he could see the movie) and he was totally thrilled about it. He hasn't complained much about getting turned back around after we got home, but I am excited for the day when I can just hand stuff back to him again...it's so nice to have the kids facing forward!

There were two highlights of the drive to Seattle (where we were meeting everyone to fly down). The first was while we watched Planes, our first movie. About halfway through the movie we passed a real cropduster on the field next to the highway, and the kids were convinced it was Dusty, sending us on our way to see his friends :).

We also passed a huge military convoy (at least 40 trucks) and we got to pass it twice because we stopped for gas. I have passed a lot of military vehicles on the roads before, but I've never seen so many people riding outside the vehicles, the way they would in real battle (I assume...). It was fun to see, and the soldiers were very friendly, waving to the kids as we passed.

After getting to Seattle, we decided to wander around the Space Needle and play until we met up with Gary, Mary, and Ashley, who were driving up from Keizer. The kids (and I, honestly) were amazed by this playground right by the EMP (which now has a different name, but is a music museum in Seattle that I've always wanted to go to. Maybe next time!).

Just kind of cool to see the kids climbing with the Space Needle in the background.

After a little while Mary, Gary, and Ashley found us and we wandered around for a while. We got lunch at a food court of sorts, which was magical for the kids who got to choose from all the different amazing local restaurants. We saw some street performers and checked out all the cool statues and gardens on the Space Needle Complex. We didn't go up this time, but we are planning a long weekend later in the year to show the kids some of the things that Seattle offers.

We drove the 15 minutes to the hotel, and none of the kids made it more than 5. I loved the second shot of the back row kids...how uncomfortable! I can't imagine sleeping that way, but I'm glad they got the rest they apparently desperately needed.

After an early dinner we hit the pool, which is the most important part of any hotel stay :) Somehow I didn't get a single picture of our biggest water baby, who is always the first in and last out. Makenzie is still working on her bravery about jumping :)

Running mascara aside, this might be my favorite picture of Hunter and me :) I love this little caboose!

Sunday morning dawned beautiful and sunny (OK that wasn't true in Seattle, but we headed to Anaheim first thing, so this picture can be our memory of that morning :)) We took a total of 10 roller bags, 8(ish) carryons, 2 strollers, and 11 people onto the Disneyland Express on the last leg of our trip.

We were all SO excited when we got to Disneyland Hotel. Olivia is the only one of our kids who remembers the last time we were at Disneyland, and this was Tyler's first time as well. I just feel like the whole Disney property is a place where only happiness exists.

We arrived in early afternoon, and weren't going into the parks that day, so we explored in Downtown Disney. Carter had to be convinced to pose with the Lego Hulk, I think it was a little realistic for him, since he plays the Lego Avengers video game with Alex. He kept glancing back to make sure that he was still :).

Olivia just seemed WAY too old for her 6 years on this trip, and this picture shows why, the sunglasses, crossed legs, and perfect smile are just too much for me.

These two slept during most of our Downtown Disney exploration. Kenzie insisted on wearing her glasses, and I'm so glad, it's adorable.

Makenzie and Hunter both woke up just in time for the Frozen store. I took this picture just in case it was the only time we saw Anna while we were there. Anna and Belle were the top two on Makenzie's list to meet, and I'm not always keen on spending hours in line, so we took this opportunity just in case. She was also lucky enough to meet Lego Belle while we were out!

Carter really needed a picture with this leaf that was bigger than him. It reminded me how all of the non-ride extra touches Disney puts into their theme parks make all the difference for kids. Everything is an adventure, full of new sights and experiences.

That night, in a first for me, we ate at Goofy's kitchen. It was super fun and loud and crazy, the perfect introduction to characters for the younger kids. Makenzie wasn't a huge fan (Ok she was terrified) of Goofy, but I'm the mom that forces her to be in the picture anyway.

 

During dinner we met Chip, Dale, Minnie, and Pluto. Besides Minnie, all of the classic characters are pretty new to the kids, but they were really excited to bust out their autograph books! My camera was having a hard time in the dark, so I borrowed a bunch of these pictures from everyone else's phones. Actually throughout the trip I stole pictures from everyone, so I will give credit now :).

Hunter was busy checking everything out, so he forgot to eat. This was the theme of the whole week. He was so happy just to watch everyone and all the new things around him, and was quite content to be passed around to all the willing holders.

Makenzie was SO thrilled to meet Minnie, and gave her a sweet hug. I didn't get it on camera, but I did capture Olivia's hug right after.

Pluto came over and 'booped' Hunter with his nose, but that didn't go over too well :). The characters are always good sports, and Hunter got over it fairly fast, but he was a little hesitant after that.

Carter had to show off his dessert plate, which I believe started with 4 different desserts. He made a valiant effort, but didn't actually finish all of them. For his stomach's sake I was glad he decided to quit, but the desserts at Goofy's Kitchen were amazing, so I can't blame him for having a hard time deciding. 

At some point in the afternoon Olivia drew this in the bedside notebook. I asked her about it later, and she said she drew Walt Disney holding a briefcase because it holds all of his plans for Disneyland. I looked all over the hotel room for something that she was replicating, but didn't find any pictures of Disney holding a briefcase, it seems he is always shown holding Mickey's hand. Either way, this was such a sweet note from Olivia, who was totally ready for her first day at Disney the next morning.