Wednesday in CA - 1st day at Disneyland

We finally made it to Disneyland. The reaction wasn't quite what I had expected and hoped for. Alexis was quite excited. She actually read the sign faster than I thought she would - as you can tell by the fact she was already talking and excited as the video starts. The others seemed like they couldn't care less. Here is the video of getting to Disneyland. (Don't forget to pause the music to be able to hear it.)

As we continued to get closer and closer the rest of the kids got more and more excited. By the time we were in, they were hooked. We decided to start to the right (at least right side of the map) with Tomorrowland, Fantasyland & Toontown today. "It's a Small World" was still closed. (as you scroll down to the pictures to see, they are in reverse order of the day - sorry). As soon as we entered Tomorrowland, we saw Buzz Light Year. Lexi & Bailey were excited to see him. MacKenzie, not so sure. We rode the Astro Orbitor, Josh took the older three on Space Mountain (which they didn't like), from there it was Star Tours, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Innoventions. Honey I Shrunk the Audience was closed for whatever reason. When Alexis kept asking why, Josh explained that the people couldn't get the last audience big again. They had to close the attraction so they could figure out how to get them big again.

Low let me tell you what happened at Innoventions. We went through the tour and started off on our own to see all the cool things of the "house of the future." Shortly after getting off on our own, all of the emergency alarms sounded and they very quickly evacuated the building. We had no idea what was going on. We get out to find that we only had three of our children. Bailey was missing! Ok - that is cause for immediate panic. I turned to Josh and said, Find her!!! He went running back up the way we came. I was frantically watching both exits and didn''t see her anywhere. I was almost in tears. My heart just pounding - feeling like it was about to jump out of my chest. I took the kids to a worker and explained what happened. She radio'd in her description. A few minutes later - which seemed like an eternity to me, Josh came walking down the path with her in his arms. Tears were still streaming down her face. It was the biggest sigh of relief that I think I have had. I guess what had happened was that when Josh left the video game area to exit, Bailey jumped up to the control, not realizing that everyone else was leaving. When she realized everyone was gone, she panicked. We were just glad to have her back!!!!!!!

Once the excitement of that had passed we were off to Nemo's Submarine ride and then to Fantasyland. The girls loved walking under the castle. The attractions were fast and one followed the other. There was hardly any one in the park so we had no more than a 5 minute wait time. First it was Peter Pan, then the Carrousel, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Dumbo, Casey Jr's train ride, Then Matterhorn, Teas Cups, and Storybook Canal Ride.

After this the kids finally decided that they were ready for lunch, at 3pm. We had taken a picnic lunch and placed our cooler in the locker. Our friend, Kimberly Nelson, told me about the picnic area just outside the park. We got our hand stamped and went and ate lunch. It was fabulous. No one else was there. We had lunch, the kids could run freely. When we were done it was back into the park.

As we entered the park it was dusk and time for the retiring of the flags. We weren't going to stay and wait, but they started off with a Barber Shop quartet. I convinced Josh that he needed to stay and listen (as he has sung in these types of quartets for about 10 years now). It was fabulous. The kids enjoyed watching. Then it was a trek across the park up to Toontown.

Just as we entered - we saw Minnie Mouse. Again, Lexi and Bailey were all over it, but MacKenzie still wanted nothing to do with her. We went and toured her house and Mickey's. We stayed and met Mickey. MacKenzie was actually excited about that. Brendon was a little hesitant. As long as he could look at Mickey (not turn his back on him), he was alright. The kids played at Goofy's and Josh and the older three kids went on the roll coaster there. Bailey & Lexi loved it so much they talked Daddy into taking them many more times. MacKenzie and I hung out trying to keep a very tired and angry Brendon from screaming. MacKenzie decided she wanted to have her picture taken in every Toontown car. They weren't done yet at the roller coaster so MacKenzie and I just walked with Brendon. Finally, he was quiet and out cold. YEAH! I had won. They were closing Toontown so we decided our family was ready to leave for the night!

(Don't forget the pictures are in reverse order of our day.)