California Trip Part IV: Disneyland on New Year's Eve

On Monday, December 31st, we began the Disney portion of our California trip. Our hotel was on the south west corner of California Adventure park and so we were  (long) walking distance from the parks which are adjacent to each other. On the Monday morning, Kennedy agreed to come over on her own with Mark and do activites that he could do and meet up with us at 1:00 pm. The rest of us got up around 6, had breakfast around 7 and headed over, having cleared security and entered the park a little before its opening at 8 am. We used a guide book lent to us by Kennedy's grandparents and packed in as many rides as possible, going in the best order possible and making the optimum use of fast passes to get the most done in the least time. That morning we went on the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Peter Pan's Flight, Buzz Lighyear Astroblasters, Star Tours, Astro orbiters, Autopia, Splash Mountain, Big thunder Mountain Railroad. We also went to the Jedi Training show. The crowds were getting big, but the guide really helped us navigate well. 

We met up with Kennedy and Mark at 1:00 at the statue of Mickey and Walt and left the park to get lunch. Lunch took a while as it was quite a walk but we were back in the park by 2:20. Rob and I agreed to take Mark, Austin and Preston so that Kennedy and Alyssa could be free to go do stuff. We arranged to meet again at the statue of Mickey and Walt at 6:00 pm. We took the boys on the Jungle Cruise, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the Mark Twain Riverboat, to Tarzan's Treehouse and on the tea cups. By late afternoon, the park was getting very full and it took a while to get from one place to another. As Rob, Austin and Preston were emerging from the exit to the teacups, they got barricaded in (and I joined them) to wait for the parade. This was at 5:20 pm. The parade didn't come until 6:00 though and it was 6:30 before it was done. 

We were quite anxious that we were not at the rendezvous point on time. Though Rob and I had our cell phones s neither Kennedy or Alyssa had anyway to communicate with us (we had brought walkie talkies, but they didn't work).  After the parade, Rob sent me running ahead to find them, but I ended up running into a wall of solid people. Eventually I met back up with Rob (by a huge fluke) and grabbed tight to Austin and Preston so they wouldn't get lost or trampled. Rob and Mark became separated again and I forged on with the other boys to find the girls. Although I was trying to go only about 50 meters, after 40 minutes, I realized I would never be able to get to the statue and if I did, it was so dark and the people so thick I would never find the girls. I decided to take the boys and go home. Rob did the same and eventually the girls also came home, but not until an hour later. We had all somewhat lost our way coming home and were exhausted and a little frightened by the time we got back. Alyssa and Kennedy's afternoon had been a complete bust. They only managed one ride and waited in line for nearly 2 hours for splash mountain only to have it "close for maintenance" just as they were at the front of the line. They didn't think to use fastpasses. They also ended up waiting for us at the statue for well over an hour, and got lost on their way home. It also turns out there were quite a few weird people out for New Years so they were quite traumatized by their experience.

Apparently, we learned, New Years Eve is the busiest day of the year and they let 80,000 people into Disneyland, many of them arriving in the evening for the fireworks. The area with the statue we had unwisely chosen as a rendezvous point was where thousands of people were gathering to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks.

Peter Pan's flight

Peter Pan's flight

Austin on the Astro orbiters

C3P0 in the line up to Star tours. This was a fun 3-D motion simulator ride through space and several of the planets from the star wars world. We really liked it. Also, it turns out if you go again, the ride is different.

At the Jedi training show, about 30 (of 100 or more) kids get chosen to receive training to become a Padowan. On the first day, Austin was chosen, but not Preston. Austin just loved it, and even got to fight Darth Vader.

Autopia

Preston trying to remove the Sword from the Stone.

Jungle Cruise, which is a boat ride with life size statues of animals situated all along the way.

The statue that seemed like such an easy place to meet when we thought of it in the morning. 

Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Mania (California Adventure) were two of our favorite rides. in both cases, you actually got to shoot targets as you moved through the ride and got a score at the end.

Tanzan's treehouse is a self-guided tour through a real tree house where you encounter several of the scenes familiar from the Tarzan movie. It was nostolgic for Austin.

In front of the Matterhorn Mountain

  

The teacups

These pictures are from the Disneyland Parade:

On this float, Mickey and Minnie are on a platform at least 8 feet high and they are wearing ice sakes and actually skating up on the top of their float.

One of the step sisters asked Austin if he would go to the ball with her.