For several years we have dreamed, planned, and hoped to take our little family to the place where dreams come true - Disneyland. Emily and Lily have been such big princess fans that I wanted to take them to where the princesses live. We all anticipated this first family vacation for us. It was nothing short of magical and I am so grateful we had this opportunity to go. Growing up Disneyland was my family's vacation of choice. My parents saved and planned wisely so that we could enjoy the magic. I was so excited to share a part of my childhood with my children. My favorite part of the trip was watching each of my children experience the magic of what seemed so real to them. I discovered that the magic of Disneyland is not found in the characters, but the children themselves. They are the magic of the happiest place on earth. I hope my kids will remember the fun and magic of this trip for a long time.
The kids sure enjoyed the rides, but their favorite part was meeting all the characters. We found so many: Tinker Bell, Mad Hatter, Sofia, Chip n' Dale, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Sofia, Doc McStuffins, and more. Of coarse we saw many princesses too: Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, Tiana, Snow White, Rapunzel, Jasmine, Anna, and Elsa. Each greeting the kids became more and more comfortable. By the end of the trip, Lily was quick to give many hugs and blow kisses to the characters. It was so sweet to watch.
On our second day, Sissa surprised us all with a treat to Ariel's Grotto for Lunch with the princesses. The girl's loved the beautiful view, treats, chocolate meal, and seeing the princesses up close. I was lucky to catch Lily's face of delight as they welcomed Tiana to the lunch party. Her face sparkled as she was hoping to meet her so very much. It seemed Emily and Lily couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces. We so appreciate Sissa's treat with the princesses.
Logan liked seeing the characters sometimes, but his favorite part of Disneyland was the many "tractors" or rides. He loved watching the lights and movements of the many rides around. I was surprised in finding my kids' favorite ride was "Pirates of the Caribbean." They loved the tummy tickle of the "slides" in the ride and talk about it still today. Some of the other favorites were: Dumbo, Small World, Carousel, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and the Teacups.
We measured and planned to have Emily ride some of the "big kid" rides - Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Cars. At home she measure 40' just right for the rides. We talked to Emily about how she could ride these rides but Logan and Lily (and even baby sister) couldn't. She thought it was neat that she could do the "big kid" rides and was anticipating the fun. However, as Sissa and Daddy took her up to ride Thunder Mountain for the first time, the ride operators turned her away for being a smidgen to small. Emily was disappointed, but we found her some boots that night at Target to stuff some socks in to make her height just right. Our little trick worked and Emily was able to ride Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Cars. When you ask Emily what her favorite ride is, she says, "Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain!"
In between our 3 days of fun at Disneyland, we spent a day at Newport Beach. Nelson loves the beach and playing in the waves. It was fun for me to watch him enjoy this time himself and with his kids. We were glad to have a "break" in our trip to refresh for one last day of fun at Disneyland.
