Day 1: At Disneyland!

UEA weekend approached and with it our long anticipated trip to Disneyland. We left around 9 PM on Wednesday (after Matt's evening class). We stayed the night in Ingrid's town home in Saint George. Thursday we stopped by Grandma Sanderson's house. It was so fun to see her. The kids had a fun short visit especially when she gave them twenty-nine dollars worth of change in a juice bottle to spend at Disneyland. We arrived in the early evening and found our hotel after only a little bit of getting turned around. The next day way went to Disneyland!

We had a wonderful time. Liam was able to get a disability access pass which work sort of like a perpetual fast pass. It was great to wait or turn NOT in a line. The very first ride we did was the Haunted Mansion. The kids were initially terrified and by accident Ian ended up in a car by himself. The whole mansion had been redecorated to look like the Nightmare Before Christmas. 

By the end of the ride all of the boys were crazy for it. Ellie a little less so. Ian even ended up using his saved up souvenir money on a Jack Skellington stuffed toy. Next we went on Pirates of the Caribbean. I was sitting next to Ellie. I never realized how many animals are in that ride. Ellie noticed and pointed out every single one. 

We did the Jungle Ride. Ellie was in animal heaven about that one. The boys and Matt did the Indiana Jones ride while Ellie held a dozen stuffed animals in the shop that were "babies" complete with swaddled blanket. The boys and I went on Splash Mountain. Liam loved it. Ian and Miles were not fans. Liam laughed so hard at Miles face in the picture they take on the ride; that Miles burst into tears. 

We headed over to Fantasy Land were we rode Mr. Toad's Wild Adventure. That was hilarious. Liam (according to Ian) blew a raspberry at the policeman. I, myself, witnessed Liam run off the ride with a big grin yelling, "Run! You'll never catch me alive!". We went to the Peter Pan ride. I rode with Miles. As the ride flew into the air Miles exclaimed, "Are we flying? We're flying aren't we? How do they do this? This is simply astounding!" It was hilarious. Miles loved it.

We headed over to Tomorrow Land. There we rode the Buzz Lightyear ride which was another HUGE hit. The kids loved it. 

We stopped and got treats at the Mary Poppins restaurant. Ellie got a pink cupcake which she devoured. Miles had a chocolate brownie with a bat on it that quickly disappeared. Ian got a raspberry sandwich cookie thing that he did not care and only ate the raspberries out of. I got a diet Coke. I don't care for Diet Coke, but when that is the only diet drink offered in the entire park...I got Diet Coke. 

I went on Indiana Jones with the boys; while Matt took Ellie to the Tiki Room. Ellie loved the Tiki Room. The boys were stoked to go on Indiana Jones again. We made a plan then that Matt would take the younger boys and Ellie to Toon Town, and I would take Liam on the Madder Horn. At the end of the Madder Horn Liam announced, "That guy wasn't very nice!" Apparently he objected to the abominable snowman's tendency to leap out at the sled at any given moment. 

I went to Toon Town and we were all disappointed to realize that they had closed it for a Mickey Mouse Halloween Party. We decided to get dinner at the Red Rose Tavern...or something named similar to that. After that we went one final time on the Haunted Mansion. 

Miles enamored of Indiana Jones got an Indiana Jones costume kit and t-shirt. Ellie being enamored of "babies" got a baby giraffe swaddled in a leaf blanket. Ellie promptly named her "Spot". We went back to the hotel totally exhausted, but thrilled with our magical day at Disneyland.