On New Year's Day, we went to Disney's California Adventure Park. This was probably our best day. It was relatively warmish, and the park wasn't ridiculously busy. We were able to make extensive use of fast passes and go on lots of rides. We also enjoyed the Pixar parade and the World of Colour show in the evening. Once again we arrived for Park opening. We went to Soaring Over California right away and that was a great 3-D motion simulator where it feels like you are in a cockpit flying over California. Even the wind and the smells match the visual and motion experience. We also went to Toy Story Mania, the Symphony Swings, the carousel, and the big roller coaster, California Screamin'. We also discovered Preston's favorite ride of the trip--Goofy's flight school which is a cute little roller coaster which is themed like you are learning to fly a "flyin' contraption"
After we met up with Kennedy and Mark, the girls went on Hollywood Tower of Terror, then went again with me. Meanwhile, Rob took the boys on all the kiddie rides in A Bugs Land. A Bugs Land is really cute. Everything in this section of the park is designed to make you feel like you are small like a bug. We also enjoyed the It's Tough to be a Bug 3-D show.
We enjoyed an awesome lunch in Carsland at Flo's Diner. We got to go on a few repeat and other rides. Around 4pm, I went back to the hotel (via the shuttle bus) with the boys. The day before they got totally exhausted and I knew they would need a break. While at the hotel, I worked like crazy, doing all of our laundry and "smart packing" our suitcases so that we could bring out one suitcase per night on our way home. Around 7or 7:30, Kennedy came back to the hotel to stay with Mark and I took Austin and Preston back to the park. In the evening we went to the World of Color Show and finally got to go to the premiere ride--Radiator Springs Racers--which was amazing.
The Pixar Parade. I liked it and in happy contrast to the Disneyland parade all we had to do was step behind a line and the parade started immediately.
The World of Colour show was incredible. At least 30 minutes of lights and fountains and music and even fire. It was all themed to favorite Disney movies.
This is outside Toy Story Mania. We loved this ride, but it had long lines so we only got to ride it once.
We happened to meet Minnie at a photo op and didn't have to wait more than a minute to get the picture. In contrast, we waited an hour the next day to meet Mickey Mouse! Crazy!
With Flik in "A bug's land"
I took Mark out of his chair to go on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. I don't know if he liked it much.
Preston and Rob at Tuck and Roll's Drive Em Buggies.
King Triton's Carousel. Wild Ride! Preston wanted to ride on the "gopher" which was in fact an otter, (as all the carousel "horses" were sea creatures.) We thought that was pretty funny.
Goofy's Flight School. We went on this ride at least 4 times! Preston liked it so much, he was willing to go on as a single rider to bypass the lines a little.
Swings. They play symphony music while you go around and around.
California Screamin'. We managed to go on this a few times without much wait thanks to fast passes. It is a great roller coaster.
Waiting in line. I could have taken lots of these pictures. We waited in a lot of lines!
Flo's diner in Carsland. Carsland is great. They have completely recreated Radiator Springs. It is awesome.
In the summer, Grizzly River Run is probably a big hit, but in January weather, it is just a little too wet.
Mater in Carsland.
This is incredible. They have built a massive red rock mountain scene. It feels just like you are in arches.
This is us during the Radiator Springs Racer ride. After travelling through radiator springs, going tractor tipping, etc, you race against one other vehicle in a roller coaster style race out in the orange coloured mountain scene. It is one of the best rides anywhere.
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.
