Once again, Chad was “randomly selected” to go
through the metal detector as we entered the park this morning. As they ushered him off, he cooperated
like a champ, while we stood off to the side and laughed. Look at him though, in his Star Wars hoodie and terrorist beard. Clearly, he's a threat. On Main Street, Ashley
and I lined up to meet Chip and Dale and they both signed her autograph book
and gave us lots of chipmunk love. I miss the days when Ali and Jackson would
meet characters, now they refuse to go anywhere near them, and I'm thankful for Ashley’s excitement.
Our first ride of the day was Autopia, where we cruised
along in little gas-powered cars at seven miles per hour, pretending to be
racecar drivers. Then we rode the Matterhorn before going to New Orleans Square
and going through the Haunted Mansion. The kids wanted to go on Splash Mountain
and while I wasn’t in the mood to get wet, I just love that ride so much. The
person sitting in the front of the log gets soaked more than the other riders,
so Chad volunteered to ride up front. I sat behind him and we both got so
drenched that we stayed cold and damp for the next five hours. So much water
came into our log that it filled my shoes, and I had to empty them while we
were still on the ride. Chad left cute wet-butt prints on all the benches we
sat on throughout the park.
We rode the Mark Twain Riverboat around the Rivers
of America and savored the last time we’ll ever see it this way. When the kids
were little, we read an article about the feral cats that live in Disneyland
and help control the rodent population. Guests rarely see them, the article
said, but it’s estimated that about 200 cats live on the property, and they
usually come out after the park closes. Ever since the kids learned about the
cats, they look for them whenever we’re in Disneyland. And today, Jackson spotted
one as we sailed around the back of the river, near the Indian Village. He was
a black cat, lounging in the sunshine cleaning his butt. The kids nearly jumped
off the upper deck and swam across the river to see him. It was the highlight
of the ride.
After the film, Kelly headed to Hyperspace Mountain with her family and I headed to Big Thunder Mountain with mine.
In the fast pass line, Ali suddenly shrieked, “Look! A kitty!” and I looked up to see
this little guy:
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| Becky...or Thundercat |
That cat was the topic of discussion during our time in line, on the ride, after the ride, and then for most of the day.
Ali follows “Cats of Disneyland” on Instagram and told me that this cat’s name
is Becky. I started reading the comments and—surprise—people disagree over the
cat’s name. Her name might be Thundercat. The point is, we finally got to see the
Disney cats, and they're incredibly adorable.
We took a mid-afternoon break at the hotel and it began to rain while we were inside. After bundling up, we went back to Disneyland while hundreds of people were streaming out of the park. And guess what happened at the security tent. That's right, Chad was "randomly" selected for the metal detector again. But this time, so was I. Perhaps they thought we were a terrorist couple.
At the turnstiles, the cast member scanning tickets welcomed Ashley, "Hi Princess Ashley!"
"Hi!" Ashley said her sweetest voice.
As we walked away Ashley said, "She called me Princess Ashley, I would have rather been called Darth Ashley." She was quite disappointed. I guess her turn to the Dark Side is almost complete.
On Main Street, we went to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and a received a good dose of inspiration. We watched the world's first audio-animatronic robot give a remarkable speech about liberty, and as the music swelled and a choir sang "Glory Glory Hallelujah" I was filled with so much patriotism, I wanted to join the marines or something. Instead, I checked Facebook and then we went back out in the rain.
While walking to Pirates of the Caribbean, we passed by the River Belle Terrace where Kelly was eating dinner with her family. We spotted them through a window and, peeking through the foliage, I took their picture and texted it to Kelly asking her, "Is it good?" Then, realizing that her family doesn't know me, sent her this text: "Don't show your family, they'll think I'm weird."
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| Pirates of the Caribbean |
We rode Pirates and then the Matterhorn, where I'm pretty sure I broke some vertebrae; that ride gets more painful every year. Then we took the Disneyland Railroad to New Orleans Square, and Chad and the kids went on the Haunted Mansion one more time. I wandered through shops and bought a coffee.
The kids were tired after the ride, so they went back to the hotel. Chad and I watched the firework show from a table outside the Jolly Holiday Cafe, totally awestruck, entirely impressed. I once read that Disney spends between 40 and 50 thousand dollars per day on their fireworks show. I believe it.
As Main Street filled with people waiting for the parade, Chad and I wandered through shops and admired the castle, not wanting to leave, but not wanting to stay for another parade. Eventually, we made our way down Main Street and walked back to the hotel.
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| "Partners" |
Tomorrow's our last day in Disneyland, and when we return home late tomorrow night, I'll be hit with the fact that I'm not ready for Christmas. I haven't bought gifts, I haven't addressed Christmas cards, I haven't planned meals. But until then, I'll try to just bask in the magic of Disney. I'll really try.
"Do. Or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda
- Rachel
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