Disneyland / Universal Studios 2010 - Day 3

Never again will we go to Disneyland without first breaking one of our children’s legs. Alison's wheelchair is like the key to the universe and allowed us to spend twelve solid hours in Disneyland with zero wait on every ride. Oh, happy day!

We were downstairs in our hotel's atrium for breakfast at 7:00 AM and at Disneyland by 8:15. The park opened at 9:00 so we were able to enjoy Main Street for 45 minutes. We watched the candy makers at the Candy Palace as we lined up on Main Street for the countdown to rope drop. As soon as they opened the park we headed straight for Adventureland. Indiana Jones was, and always has been, our first ride (for sentimental reasons.) And now, all 3 kids are tall enough to ride it. By the time we got there, the line was already reaching beyond The Jungle Cruise, and we just went rolled Alison in through the exit and got on the ride. Ashley was a bit terrified, but that only lasted a few minutes. We ended up going on it again later in the afternoon.

We followed our regular Disneyland routine: Indiana Jones, The Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and then Splash Mountain. And because of Alison, it was all done in the first hour.

We spent the next 11 hours wandering the park, soaking up and appreciating every facet of Disneyland. I kept reminding the kids to take deep breaths and remember every smell. We filled their little minds with bits of Disney trivia. We kept having to massage our faces because our cheeks hurt from grinning so much.

Once we got to Tomorrowland, we went to Captain EO. They brought it back this year and all I can say is - it’s about time. We got our 3D glasses, sat down, and minutes later, there he was, in all his glory... Michael Jackson, followed by 7 minutes of MJ bliss. When the show was over and we were eating at Pizza Port, I asked Chad if he finally liked it (we saw it together in 1996 and he hated it then.) And Chad, who is not a cussing man, actually said: “that was the sh*#iest thing I have ever seen.” I was NOT expecting that answer. We'll work it out in therapy though, and I'm sure we'll be okay. 

A lot has changed since our last visit 3 years ago. Our pre-teen daughter and 10-year-old son will no longer meet the characters. They don't want to be photographed and they want to choose where we will go next instead of letting Mom & Dad lead. Ashley, on the other hand, got every cast member's autograph, she loved getting her picture taken, and she spent the entire day in wide-eyed wonder at everything she saw. She wanted to sit by her Daddy on the scary rides, hold her mommy’s hand and sit on her lap during shows. And I cannot tell you how much we are cherishing every single bit of it.

It was a perfect day. I know, how could it not be? Tomorrow should be another perfect day as well.

Here’s something completely off the subject: We saw more Ed Hardy t-shirts today than we have ever seen in the entire existence of that clothing line. 

Anyway, after a nighttime swim and dinner in our room, with a final surge of energy, our little ones have collapsed into bed. With the 2 of us not far behind.

Beware of hitchhiking ghosts,

The Niemeyers